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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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"Each of us was born with wings . . . (and) has the ability to go farther than we ever thought possible, to do things beyond our wildest imaginings."
--  Barbara Stanny
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ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
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In the end, performance counts and in many ways, ONLY performance truly matters.  Words are interesting and emotions are powerful, but in the end, it's what we DO that matters. 

The old saying, "who you are speaks so loud I can't hear what you say" is very important because it addresses both the shallowness of words, and the reality that in life we measure who a person IS by what they DO. 

Over a hundred years ago, William James, arguably the founder of modern Psychology, noted that "we sing because we're happy, and we're happy because we sing."  Emotions can cause behavior (feelings happy makes us smile), but more importantly, our behavior creates emotions in a reciprocal relationship that is vitally important. 

If you want to feel happy, do the things that MAKE you happy - tell a joke, attend a concert, tickle a child, fly a kite.  For normal, healthy adults, most of our feelings are the RESULT of how we think and what we do. 

How often have you felt bored or tired, then gotten involved in some project and discovered that the activity picked you right up?  We've all had that experience because positive ACTIONS are a reliable source of positive feelings. 

Athletes know all about this.  It's called a "runner's high" and it's caused by chemicals (endorphins) released in the brain.  When you move your body and do stuff and breath deeply, the brain literally, physically rejoices! 

And that has EVERYTHING to do with success, motivation and achievement! 

Active, highly effective people ARE happier than the rest of us.  They do more.  They think and move and create and try more stuff!  They DO more, and as a result they FEEL BETTER. 

Now of course some people suffer from depression or other physical or emotional disorders, and these are serious medical conditions that must be treated by a professional.  If you suspect you or a loved one has a medical problem, for goodness sake, see your doctor! Positive thinking will NOT fix a broken leg and it won't cure depression. 

But for the rest of us, I think it's time for a call to ACTION! As a nation, we have been focused on the war, a sluggish economy, and of course here in North America, it's been winter!  We have lots of reasons to be cautious, to stay home, and be careful.  But now spring has come. Let's move it! 

A basic law of physics says that an object at rest will stay at rest, while an object in motion tends to stay in motion.  Let's be objects "in motion!" 

Now is the time to make the phone calls, write your spring and summer business plans, set goals, even go outside and plant some flowers.  Create beauty in your yard, bring it into your office, and add it to your home. Surround yourself with music and laughter, with inspirational posters and projects that excite you. It's time to invest in your future and MAKE IT HAPPEN! 

Be an object in motion!  Just DO it! 

By Dr. Philip E. Humbert, professional coach, author and popular speaker.  www.philiphumbert.com 
Copyright (c) 2003, all rights reserved.
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COACHING CALL TO ACTION
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
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1.     What ACTION is calling you?  What do you want to do? 

2.     If you know, go do it. 

3.     If you don't know, take a minute and close your eyes.
        Take a few deep breaths and ask yourself the question,
        "What do I want to do?"  Listen for the answer. 

4.     Go do it.