Educate Yourself

With so many demands competing for your attention these days, it’s no wonder you have so little time to educate yourself outside of a traditional or formal curriculum. However, it is because of these very same demands that a new educational focus has emerged, allowing you to leverage what little time remains of your day to informally educate yourself, thanks, in large part, to the Internet. With the practice of self-education, the future is right where it belongs—in your hands.

Master motivator and business philosopher, Jim Rohn, famously quoted, tells us that…

“FORMAL education will help you make a living while…

SELF-education will make you a fortune.”

The premise of this quote was never meant to disparage the value of a formal education, but instead to stress the targeted impact and effect self-education has on a specific objective, achievement, or outcome.

Self-education has become an equalizer to those who see formal education as too rigid, out of date, or irrelevant to the attainment of their goals. It has also become a method to leverage formal education curriculums and credentials.

Don’t get me wrong, formal education has its place. But even formal education oftentimes comes with a mandate to keep up with the changes, updates, and advancements through a continual education process (formal or informal) to remain relevant and knowledgeable.

Coming from a formal education background, I can attest to the merits of a formal education from many perspectives. But to discount or deny the effect of a self-education is akin to looking at the world through a straw—there is so much more out there to see and experience.

Think about it. If you happen to have a bachelor’s degree in marketing and advertising, having say, an additional skill or ability to manipulate Photoshop tools would give you an edge in the marketplace as well. But, what if all you need from Photoshop is an ability to make minor adjustments to images and photos to enhance your marketing and advertising? You don’t need a fully-credentialed formal certification for that. A YouTube session or two would most likely be all you’d need to self-educate and meet your objective.

Self-education can also help you to take a critical first step toward success with the knowledge and insight you need to compete in the space you seek. As liberating as self-education sounds, however, it will require something of you that you may not be initially prepared for.

You’ll need the DISCIPLINE to follow a schedule and to procure the right resources to ensure you educate yourself correctly and efficiently. But there are ways to mitigate the cons and accentuate the pros.

Here are four quick, but useful, useful tips for you to do just that…

Start with something you enjoy

If your self-education starts with excuses, you are in the wrong lane. Re-align yourself with your purpose or passion and then move ahead. Teaching yourself to learn a particular skill requires your commitment. You are more likely to commit to something you enjoy over something you don’t.

Enlist an accountability partner

Because self-education requires your unwavering devotion to consistency, it may help to hire a coach or someone who will keep you on track. Remember, consistency rules the day whether you’re starting something new or you’re looking for results in personal development, business, and unique skillsets. If you are one of the few who has a high dose of self-discipline, this may not apply to you. But it should be something you keep in mind if and when you notice the need.

Test yourself

Find ways to put your knowledge into practice. Don’t fear mistakes. Mistakes are part of the learning process. Learn from them and move ahead.

Commit to lifelong learning

We are ALWAYS learning. Your ability to embrace lifelong learning is critical to your growth and success. The dream life you desire might just be one book away, one podcast away, or one skill away. Be curious. Never stop learning and you will inevitably get where you desire to be.

Until next time...

- G -

"Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think."  ~ Albert Einstein

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Get your copy today at FEAR Is a Thief/Amazon.

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Mastering the Power of Influence

Influence is part of every interaction. Anyone refusing to admit that it’s not a part of their life is likely the one who is being influenced. Influence is so powerful that it has become a vital part of an increasing movement of personal awareness and self-improvement curriculums designed to accelerate results across the spectrum of business and personal relationships.

Your ability to persuade and influence people to help you to get the things you want out of life is one of the most important skills you can develop. Learning the fundamentals of influence opens the pathways to greater personal power that leads to your ability to get more of the things you want faster and easier than ever before. Your ability to influence can be a difference-maker between success and failure. It can virtually guarantee your progress and enable you to use all of your other skills and abilities at peak performance levels. Learning how to influence people will earn you the respect of those you interact with and has the potential to make you one of the most sought after people in your community or business.

You either have influence or you don’t. Rarely is there a middle ground on this. Having influence is the difference between being powerful and being powerless. The good news is that influence can be developed quite easily.

Most people are simply unaware that almost every human interaction involves a complex process of persuasion and influence. The unaware are, in most cases, the ones being influenced. So, it only goes to reason that the best starting point for mastering the art of influence is awareness.

Influence through Awareness

Awareness is the key to unlocking the power of most everything, especially when it comes to a better awareness of how our action (or inactions) are perceived by others. So, if awareness is the key to unlocking the power of influence, how do we go about becoming more aware?

We must begin by making conscious efforts to watch ourselves through the critical eye of others. While this may seem a difficult task at first, it is quite easy to do if we will merely get out of our own way long enough for the concept to take hold. We must begin by removing our own personal biases and becoming more consciously aware of everything, from our posture to the tone, inflection, and sincerity of our own voice. One recommended way to do that is to write one word on a piece of paper (it can be anything really: “posture”, “smile”, etc.) that serves as a reminder to a behavior we wish to change. Place that small piece of paper into your pocket to serve as a reminder to begin making the behavioral changes you need to become more aware. You will soon find that this one small act will lead to a shift in your increased awareness that, over time, will develop into a natural ability.

I have learned the power of influence over the course of my life through both trial and a lot of error. I have very often wondered why I was getting nowhere while others seemed to succeed with ease. It was only after I discovered the concept of mastering the power of influence through awareness that I began to understand that I was the one being influenced most of the time. Lucky for me, I learned the basics of this powerful life-changing concept in time to re-direct my own course in life. You can as well.

I have discovered that mastering the power of influence is a rather simple process. That’s not to say, however, that it is easy. In fact, as mentioned earlier, mastering the power of influence takes a conscious effort to understand the principles as we gradually begin to understand ourselves in the entirety of the process of human interaction. Think of the major influences on your life that have shaped the kind of person you are today. It all comes down to the kind of people you have associated with (and continue to associate with) as well as the thoughts you chose to allow into your life.

“You have the power to set the tone of your day through the choices you make and the thoughts that dominate your mind.” ~ Gary Westfal

Your increasing awareness on how others influence you goes a long way in determining whether or not it adds value to the goals and objectives you have set for your life. There is no time like the present to reassess the nature of your associations and the effect they have on you through the lens of objectivity. Be honest with yourself on how these associations are affecting you. How do they influence your thinking, your rituals, your direction, your emotions, opinions, and biases?

An honest assessment will likely reveal that there are both good and not-so-good sources of influence in your life at this very moment. Both will take you somewhere, but only one will take you where you desire to go.

Everything Matters

Attention to detail is essential if we are to develop influence to any great extent. There are as many methods as there are personality types to master the art of influence. I have discovered five powerful ways that have provided the most significant results in the least amount of time. Apply these methods to get started on mastering the art of influence in your own life, and watch closely as your influence produces refreshing new results!

Create Rapport through Mirroring

Mirroring is the subtle act of matching other people’s body language. Most people have no idea when you do this because they are focusing so intently on the content of their own message. When we mirror the body language of others we are reflecting the image and sentiment they are projecting. Body language mirroring unwittingly disarms people through the power of perception. Effective mirroring removes incongruences other people may perceive as threatening or conflicted. Mirroring creates what is referred to as the “Chameleon Effect,” a study proving that we are drawn to people who are most “like us”. This technique provides a familiar reflection of the other person, thereby allowing both parties to be drawn closer together. The closer someone perceives you to be, the more influence you have.

Mirroring is not limited to body language. Mastering the art of influence and the concept of mirroring also extends to a person’s speech patterns. Matching their pace, pitch, tone, and volume—so long as the discussion remains relevant and beneficial—goes a long way to foster effective influence.

Be Convincing

The words of your message should carry the power of your convictions. To do this, create a mental state where you genuinely believe the information you convey. This works especially well if you are sincere and have no ulterior motives aside from influencing someone to do or believe something that is in their own best interest…as well as your own. The absolute best way to be convincing and to form a genuine belief is through adequate preparation and knowledge. If it is action you wish someone to take, be prepared to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge through a convincing narrative that is rooted in knowledge and wisdom.

Project Authority

The title of this technique can easily be misleading, for authority is not to be misconstrued with dominance or a know-it-all personality. This aspect of influence goes hand-in-hand with the first point of being convincing. People have an innate tendency to listen to those who seem important or project authority. So dress and act sharp if you wish to influence others. First impressions are lasting impressions.

Leverage Yourself

Influence allows you to persuade others by using leverage. Through leverage, you learn  how to multiply yourself and get far more out of the hours you put in rather than doing it all yourself. You leverage yourself with the assistance and efforts of other people by getting them to work with you and for you in the accomplishment of your objectives that are in everyone’s best interest. In business and in life, this is also known as leadership.

Bottom Line – Be Genuine

Most people can see right through insincerity like a crystal clear window. Make this mistake and you’ll have difficulty influencing anyone for quite some time. Influence is not some game or trick we play to deceive. It is a tool to be used to help others make what you feel is the best decision.

Your ability to persuade others through influence is a personal power that will pay huge dividends. Master it and watch the results take on a new life of their own, yielding fruitful changes that will quite simply convince you of the power of this amazingly simple philosophy.

Until Next Time...

~ G ~

"You will never influence the world by trying to be like it." ~ G. Westfal

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Also be sure to check out: KEY HORIZON, the second novel in the G. Weston spy series. This thriller is receiving rave reviews across the spectrum and has captivated a new following of "spy-fi" readers. 

Order your copy of these exciting novels today at Amazon.com.

What's on Your Slate?

What are You Writing on Your Slate?

In the not so distant past, teachers used chalkboards as a primary means of conveying academic information to students.  The chalkboard was originally constructed from slate stone; hence the term slate.  Students would gather information written by the teacher on the chalkboard, commit it to memory, and begin the learning process.  This foundational means of delivery provided the impetus of what we now term as original programming or primary education. 

Each of us has a perspective of life that we have formed over time using experiences as our primary source of education.  Much like foundational academia, life’s experiences are written on our internal slates and form the basis of our opinions, attitudes, biases, and the overall perspective we carry that governs the way our lives are principally shaped.  The real secret to this analogy is that our slate can be updated, changed or re-programmed.  This is to say, that we’re very much in control of what we decide to write on our slate.  After all, a chalkboard was designed to be written upon, erased, and re-written upon.

All too often, we allow the currents of life to take us places we’d rather not be.  We get caught up in circumstances and complain about not having enough time or energy to accomplish the things we’d rather be doing in life.  The most common cause can often be attributed to how we’ve programmed our minds with what we’ve written on our “slates.” 

What have you written on your slate?  Does it accurately project the elements or principles you embrace?  And do those elements support the desired direction of your life? 

The cliché “clean slate” is typically used to infer an erasure of the old, outdated manner of thinking that tends to erode and stifle personal growth and obscure opportunity.  A clean slate makes room for new terms or elements that can be written to increase perspective, abundance, opportunity, and personal growth.  Don’t be afraid to erase your slate and update it with new elements that speak to the goals and aspirations you truly desire. 

So pull out your slate, dust it off, erase the routine, negative,  ineffective elements, and start today with new elements that speak to the core of who you want to become…who you choose to be…and how you want to start living your life today!  Check your slate often.  Commit the elements to memory.  Allow them to become a part of you.  Live by them.  Defend them.  And watch your life transform as the new things you have written on your slate become reality.  

Until next time!

- G -

"I think, therfore I am.”   - Rene Descartes 

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