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The Secret to Success

What makes successful people so, well, successful? It's tempting to think that those at the top of the ladder know something the rest of us mere mortals don't—and at a time when we're all desperate to hold onto jobs, clients, and market shares, the quest for that missing ingredient takes on new gravity. But that "special something" you've been searching for isn't an uncanny ability to predict the market's future, a membership with MENSA, or a secret business formula. Quite simply, what sets you apart from the competition is your ability to connect. Relationships are the real secret to success.…

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Turn Your Anger Into Passion

I'm Dallas Jessup and I'm Calling All Heroes Ages 7 to 24: your country and the world need you. I used to think I was unique as a kid who created a non-profit which grew into 43 countries. My photo was on Doritos bags, the big screen at Times Square in New York, and I get to hang out with celebrities but it turns out I'm just one of a thousand kids who are saving the world in a hundred ways and we're seeing thousands of other kids join us on the frontlines of youth activism every month. Have you…

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Put on Your Own Oxygen Mask First: Take Time for YOU

In today's busy world, the first thing that we seem to neglect is ourselves. There's only so much time in the day and most times, taking care of exterior responsibilities are more important that taking care of our inner selves. The biggest, untapped opportunity is just waiting for us to pause, connect and listen. Mother Teresa  took 4 hours EACH and EVERY morning to reconnect before she took a step into the world. Pope John Paul took 3/1-2 hours of quiet time each morning. Yet we bounce out of bed, hop in the shower and we're ready to tackle the…

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Use it or Lose it: Connections Matter

We've all heard the expression "Use it, or lose it". Just a few days ago I was talking with a professor about neural pathways and how if we don't continually think certain thoughts or perform specific practices, we literally lose the neural pathways that have been established in our brains. The wiring just stops working.  If at some point in the future we choose to re-establish those connections, it's like starting from ground zero. I was struck by his terminology in saying "if you don't use the connection, it's gone". Not only does that have significant meaning for the connections…

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Ask + Connect + Collaborate = Success!

We live in exciting times. Over the last couple of decades, we've shifted from "me" to "we". Competition has been replaced by connection and collaboration. Gone are the days when winning was the most important thing. In today's global economy, we've evolved from the experiences of our past and are now looking for something deeper, something more sustainable and something more meaningful. Being authentic, building trust and sharing resources to create situations where everyone wins far exceeds the "me, me, me" philosophy that was dominant in the 80's and 90's. This past week I had the perfect tangible example of…

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Ancestry and Connectivity: We Are Family

What do a servant, an unwed mother, a cigar maker, a farmer, bastard children, Counts and Countesses and a mother of 17 children all have in common? How about people from England, Germany, Switzerland, France, The Netherlands and even Tibet? The answer is easy- ME! I've recently researched my ancestry through Ancestry.com and found that I am the descendant of all of these people and many more. I have discovered that I am the human version of a mutt. Through ancestry.com, I've managed to trace my roots back through Europe- with some lines going back to the mid 900's! I…

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Monday Morning: Time to Reconnect

It's Monday Morning. For many people, this is the most dreaded part of the week. Sometimes the "to do" list seems overwhelming and any relaxation from the weekend seems like a distant memory. For me, I woke early this morning, back in Montana but still on the Eastern Time Zone from having spent the last two weeks in the Caribbean. My "to do" list is amazingly long- but this morning, I'm taking the time for something even more important than my list- me. My dog, Koda, is very, very wise. He woke me early this morning and invited me to…

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Life as an Aspen Tree

If you follow my blog you'll know that many times I talk about looking to Nature for answers to life's mysteries. For me, no matter the question, if I spend time in the woods I'll find the answer. Nature has a wisdom to it that can teach us so much- if we pay attention. The aspen tree is the perfect example. The leaves of the quaking aspen have an unusual ability to twist and bend to protect the trees from severe winds. Their twisting motion helps the tree to dissipate the energy more uniformly throughout the canopy- to reduce the…

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My Top Ten Ways to Find Your Magnificence During Tough Times

Times are tough. We hear it all around us everyday... another business going under, another bankruptcy being filed, another job being lost, another home going into foreclosure, or another pension disappearing into dust. Worry takes a toll as stress builds, creativity suffers, health is compromised and relationships are threatened. To keep with my transparent blogging style, I want to share this with you that this is one of the most difficult financial times of my life. I have always been an independent businesswoman and my background is in real estate, so all of my assets were in what I thought…

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Reconnect to Who You Are

I woke this morning to the chirping of a bird. Not just any chirping, but a vast array of sounds from one little bird. He sang ten different songs and then started his repertoire all over again. It was as if he were inviting me to get up and come outside to play with him. I tried to bury my head under the pillow and go back to sleep, but he was insistent that it was time to rise and shine. This noisy little bird was a reminder of my connection to Nature. And sometimes with me it has to…

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Take Time to Connect

Just for a moment, think this one thought: I am an unlimited being. I have the power to be, do or create anything in my life that I desire. Anything. How does that feel? Like most people, you're probably feeling something like "yeah, I wish", or "if only that were true", or even "I wish I could believe that".  To some just saying this feels like we're lying. Some days more than others, we're able to see the possibility of "I am an unlimited being" really being a true statement. What makes the difference of not being able to say…

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