Who Are You Influencing?

POWERFUL LIVING, POWERFUL YOU This Week's Topic: Who Are You Influencing? Links Margaret's Website More About Margaret Coaching Teleclasses Margaret's Writing Margaret in the News Join Our Mailing List Join LinkedIn Network of Friends Link to Margaret's Blog Subscriptions If the newsletter is inspiring to you, pass it along to friends, family, and colleagues who could use some inspiration and invite them to subscribe! To ensure you receive our newsletter each week, add Margaret@MargaretPundmann.com to your address book or your approved list of senders. In the News & Upcoming Events Welcome to our new subscribers! You inspire me to keep writing. Please keep forwarding the newsletter along. Thank you for sharing this column with your friends around the world. Gracie Update Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your emails, stories and prayers!!! Gracie continutes to heal and her bright, frisky spirit lives on! We are tremendously greatful to the team at the University of Missouri who tends to her care on a weekly basis. In the first picture she is sitting on the sofa with her big brother Winston. In the second photo she is on her back enjoying a little nap and scratch. College Life Prep Workshop So you are "in" college, but now what is next? How are you going to get ready for college. In this workshop, we will discuss what you can do now, to prepare for life at college. You will leave this workshop with specific strategies to prepare for college life: academically, logistically, and emotionally. Proud to be Me! - Young Adult Series This program is designed specifically for young adults to: · Learn to understand themselves better · Get along better with friends and others · Recognize and develop their strengths Our young adults face many difficult decisions and must deal with all types of people in life. Proud to be Me! will help teens better understand themselves and others and why they get along with some people and feel uncomfortable with others. Rather than deepening separations among young people, this program will help young adults build bridges of mutual understanding and respect. Proud to Be Me! provides participants with tools to use in everyday life; helping to make positive choices and decisions in difficult situations. Your Best Year Yet, Part I and Part II Dates and times for these workshops are forthcoming. If you are interested in more information visit our website, email margaret@margaretpundmann.com or call 314.266.1532. This Week's Topic: Who Are You Influencing? Dear Friend, "The Outward person of the messenger does not validate his message; rather the nature of his message validates the messenger." ~Dr. Alistair Begg In a recent sermon on second Timothy chapter two our pastor ended with the question - Who Are You Influencing? I thought this was a very good question and upon further consideration (beyond my gut reaction of, oh, no one!) realize that each day we interact with many people, but who we influence and how we influence them with our thoughts, words, and actions is quite profound. Let's take the next two weeks and explore these questions. I'd like you ask you to begin by considering: Who are you influencing? Your first thought may be similar to mine - uh, absolutely no one! But you and I both know that answer really isn't possible! So the question then becomes who? As a point of departure consider the following areas of your life and people in your life: Home - spouse, boyfriend, children, siblings, parents, etc. Work - colleagues, boss, employees, clients, Social - friends, neighbors Remember our influence can be seen in both small and large ways - take five minutes today and think about your upcoming week - you will you interact with? And who will you influence? Make It Happen The request is simple this week - make a list of who you influence. As you go through your week take note of the people that you influence. Blessings to you, Margaret. P.S. Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues by sharing this newsletter with them and invite them to subscribe! Direct them to www.MargaretPundmann.com where they can sign up. Margaret Pundmann is a life and business coach, speaker, and author of numerous articles on living your most powerful life. Stay tuned, Margaret's first book for emerging women will be available for pre-order in the coming weeks. Please feel free to forward the "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter to friends and colleagues, but please forward in its entirety. The "Powerful Living, Powerful You" newsletter is written and distributed by Emerge Enterprise. Copyright © 2008 Margaret Pundmann. All rights reserved. www.MargaretPundmann.com.

How Do Your Rituals Serve You?

Dear Friend,

"When you always do what you've always done, You always get what you've always gotten."

~Tony Robbins

Our rituals are a reflection of how we live our lives. They reflect what we do day-in and day-out. Our rituals build the fabric of our lives and contribute to the results that we desire. Last week I asked you to reexamine five to 10 rituals in your life and see if they were adding to your life in positive ways. I suggested that you consider replacing those rituals that were not positive. For example, if the ritual of getting to your office every morning, going down to the cafeteria, getting a hearty breakfast and chatting with colleagues is not working - how might you replace it? Here are a couple of suggestions:

• Get to work early to prepare for your day
• Change what you eat at breakfast (not who or when you eat)
• Workout at the company gym with your colleagues rather than eating breakfast
• Schedule a professional development breakfast once each week with different colleagues throughout the company
• Spend your morning working from home rather than wasting precious time in highway traffic
• Have breakfast with clients or potential clients once each week

The reason I list these examples is because I think you need to know what problem you are solving in order to get the right answer. In other words what do you want to change in your life? Without knowing what you want to change it is difficult to reconfigure your rituals in order to bolster your life. So this week let's return to our goals since they represent where we desire to be in 2009 and let's match these goals against our rituals.

Ask yourself three questions:

• How does this ritual serve my goals?
• Is this ritual the best way for me to achieve my goals?
• Is this ritual sustainable?

Make It Happen

Use these three questions to examine each of your rituals in the context of your goals. Remember that this process takes time so it may take some adjustment to find the best sustainable ritual to achieve your goal. Identify and lock in accountability to help to sustain the ritual. Research shows that it can take 21 days to form a habit - so be patient, be diligent, and persevere! Remember we want to make 2009 Your Best Year and that takes appropriate planning and diligence - stay strong! Blessings to you!

What Are Your Rituals?

Dear Friend,

"In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently." ~Tony Robbins

A ritual defined by Merriam Webster's is a something that is done in accordance with a "social custom or normal protocol." When we think of rituals it is easy to be drawn towards the cultural or religious rituals of particular groups such as the Maori, the Native Americans, the Aborigines, or the Celts. In each of these cultures rituals serve to define and unite the culture. There are other rituals that reflect what Webster's defines as "normal protocol." In other words a ritual can also be a habit that is fully adopted into our lives - a process or series of actions we do almost without conscious thought. Of course, at some point we thought about them, but today they flow into our lives seamlessly. Reflect back to when you were little; your parents likely helped you build many rituals such as brushing your teeth before bed, taking a bath, doing homework and so on. As adults we've built rituals into our lives. Consider your morning routine - is it pretty much the same day to day, week to week? I bet it is and that is because we are creatures of habit. Once we figure out a way of being - a ritual - that works, we stick to it. Notice I said a ritual that works versus a ritual that nourishes or fulfills. That is because often we don't take time to consciously choose our actions and habits. We build our lives through little rituals from getting up and working out or getting up and drinking coffee ... and on and on. If we reexamine our rituals and accept the ones that work for us and write down the ones that don't work for us we can take the first step to transform our life.

Make It Happen

This week make a list of five to 10 rituals in your life. (They can be as simple as waking up in the morning, how you follow up with a potential client, or attending weekly worship services.) Examine each of these rituals and consider if they support you in getting the results you desire. A couple of weeks ago I asked you to create your vision for 2009 - will your current rituals sustain the results you desire? Do you need to rethink any of your rituals? Examine your rituals with a creative eye - explore them as if this is the first time and uncover unique ways to replace negative rituals with positive, nourishing rituals that propel you forward to creating Your Best Year!

Blessings to you!

2009 - Events & Classes

January Events

Your Personal Growth Teleclass

Join us for this 5 week personal growth course that begins in January. During this 5 week journey we will cover the following topics:

Getting Started - Raising awareness of ourselves

Energy Drains - Identifying things that drain our energy and we tolerate, how to eliminate that which holds us back

Moving Forward from Your Past - Addressing unresolved matteres such as bad habits, an incomplete project, etc

Establishing Daily Habits - Creating daily routines that keep us focused and motivated

Simplify Dramatically - Examining your life and seeing where you are just doing too much, eliminating the excess

Dates:

Wednesday's, January: 14, 21, 28

Wednesday's, February: 4,18

Times: 12pm to 1 pm central or 7pm to 8pm centralInvestment: $65

Register for Your Personal Growth Teleclass Your Best Year Yet Workshop at The Center For Mind, Body, Spirit January 26th 10am to 1pm (St. Louis, MO) Investment: $45 Register for Your Best Year Yet Workshop

Book Signing & Talk January 8, 6pm - 9pm Location Davis Kidd Bookstore Perkins Road Extended Memphis, Tennessee February Events More Magnificent You Teleclass based upon The Emerging WomanJoin us for this 6 week personal growth course that begins in January. During this 6 week journey we will cover the following topics: Finding New Beginnings Developing Your Authentic Self Tapping into Simplicity and Abundance Learning Harmony Embracing Joy Seeing the Beauty Recognizing Life's Riches Dates:

Wednesday's, February: 4,18, 25 Wednesday, March: 4, 11, 18

Times:

10am to 11am central or 5pm to 6pm centralInvestment: $75 Register for More Magnificent You Teleclass

Let's Review 2008

Dear Friend,

I don't care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don't harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there you're never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants. Zig Ziglar

Can you believe we are less than two weeks away from the New Year and the Holidays are upon us? Where does time go! This week I want us to review 2008 - the truth - the things that worked and the things that didn't. By reflecting we can find the things that worked and continue to do them in 2009. Additionally, we can adjust what didn't work so that we get different results in 2009. What were your goals in 2008? Before we leave 2008 and begin to think about 2009 here are 10 questions to consider: 1) Is what you are doing in your life - personally and professionally - working? 2) Are you getting the results you desire? 3) Are you fulfilled? 4) Are you enjoying your life? 5) Are your relationships nourishing and flourishing? 6) Do you take time to relax? 7) Are you growing as an individual? 8) Are you getting spiritual nourishment? 9) Do you make yourself a priority? (See article on self care.) 10) What is really important to me? (See article on blessings.) Once you have taken time to reflect upon these ten questions consider the following: If you could change one thing in your life what would it be and how might you make that change?

Make It Happen

This week I hope that you have a joyous Holiday with your loved ones. Keep your focus on the blessings in your life. Treasure each family member and celebrate what they bring to the table of your life. Try to find a few quiet moments before and after the fun to consider the questions above. We will use your answers to these questions as a basis for planning your 2009.

Regardless if 2008 was your best year yet or if it left a lot to be desired keep your eyes on the bountiful blessings in your life.

Next week we will focus on creating your vision for 2009!

Blessings to you for a warm and joyous Holiday!

Goal Achieving - 5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Dear Friend,

The significance of a man (and woman) is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain.

Kahlil Gibran

We've made it through 48 weeks of 2008, we have four weeks left until 2009.What else do you want to accomplish this year? Is there one goal you have yet to accomplish? If you accomplished this goal, this year you would look at yourself and feel empowered and excited for 2009. What is a goal? According to Merriam-Webster a goal is, "the end toward which effort is directed." In the most general sense a goal is something that we want to achieve or attain. Maybe your goal is a clean desk, an organized pantry, a cold call you've been putting off, attending a networking event, putting yourself out there to meet someone new - personally or professionally, saying "no" to new volunteer opportunities, losing a few pounds, whatever your goal - you have four weeks left in 2008 to either accomplish your goal or make tremendous headway toward achieving your goal. Five Questions to Ask Yourself 1. What is your goal? Take a minute and close your eyes and think of a personal or professional goal of yours. Once you have identified this goal write it down. 2. Is this a pure goal versus a "should" goal? If yes, continue. If no, return to question number one. 3. What will be different in your life once you have accomplished this goal? Close your eyes and imagine that you've already accomplished this goal. What is different in your life - How do you feel? How do you look? What are you doing? Create a vivid mental picture of everything around you. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Dress for the job you want, not the job you have?" Well this phrase is similar to goal setting. Act as if you've already accomplished the goal and the vision you create will pull you toward your goal. 4. What is your plan to achieve this goal? Use the phrase SMART to create a plan to achieve your goal. Specific - Goals should be as specific as possible Think about who, what, when, where and why. Measurable - Goals should be measurable Ask yourself - How much? How many? How will I know this goal has been achieved? Achievable - Big goals that push us are fabulous, but goals that are too big and cause us to break down are not so fabulous. Ask yourself - Am I pushing myself at an appropriate level to achieve this goal? Relevant - Base your goals on your core values and purpose in life rather than a "should" or an "ought to" goal.Ask yourself - Is this goal relevant to me and my larger mission? If yes, continue. If no, adjust your goal accordingly. Timely - Creating urgency and deadlines fuels us. Select a deadline and manage to that deadline. Ask yourself - What is the time-frame to achieve this goal? 5. How will you celebrate once you reach your goal? What will you do to acknowledge your accomplishment? Who will celebrate with you? Who will you need to thank for their role in your success?Your celebration may be large or small. It may simply be a massage or it may be a catered party at your home.

Make It Happen

Take out a piece of paper and return to question one. Work your way through these five questions to develop a plan to reach your goal - personal or professional. Once you reach your goal, don't forget the most important part - the celebration. It is critical because it "locks-in" your success. The celebration is the wax after a car wash or the sealant after you've refinished your floors. It is the critical component that seals your success.

Blessings to you!

Warren Buffett's 7 Secrets for Living a Happy and Simple Life

Secret #1: Happiness comes from within. “In my adult business life I have never had to make a choice of trading between professional and personal. I tap-dance to work, and when I get there it’s tremendous fun.” -- Warren Buffett If you do what you love and love what you do, you’ll naturally be productive. Secret #2: Find happiness in simple pleasures. “I have simple pleasures. I play bridge online for 12 hours a week.” -- Warren Buffett You can also learn to be happy with the simple pleasures of playing cards with friends, playing with your children or taking a walk in the wilderness. Secret #3: Live a simple life. “I just naturally want to do things that make sense. In my personal life too, I don’t care what other rich people are doing. I don’t want a 405 foot boat just because someone else has a 400 foot boat.” -- Warren Buffett Keeping up with the Joneses is the worst epidemic among those who should never contemplate that notion in the first place. Less is more. Secret #4: Think Simply. “I want to be able to explain my mistakes. This means I do only the things I completely understand.” -- Warren BuffettIf you apply this rule in your life, you can develop clarity and sanity in your thoughts. Life is about simple yet profound choices. Secret #5: Invest Simply. “The best way to own common stocks is through an index fund.” -- Warren Buffett Often, the simplest route will bring you the most riches, and the most happiness. Secret #6: Have a mentor in life. “I was lucky to have the right heroes. Tell me who your heroes are and I’ll tell you how you’ll turn out to be. The qualities of the one you admire are the traits that you, with a little practice, can make your own, and that, if practiced, will become habit-forming.” -- Warren Buffett Having a mentor is as important as having a purpose in your life, but having a wrong mentor is as devastating as having a wrong purpose in your life. The mentor has to be someone you can trust. You’ll find that person in your inner circle if you think hard enough. Secret #7: Making money isn’t the backbone of your guiding purpose; making money is the by-product of your guiding purpose. “If you’re doing something you love, you’re more likely to put your all into it, and that generally equates to making money.” -- Warren BuffettMoney should never become the object and end all of your motivation. Sources:Success Soul July 15, 2008, article source

Who is on Your Team?

Below are 12 people all entrepreneurs need...

1. Someone who loves you for you, just because you are you.

Yes, It's magic.  Find and Enjoy.

2. Someone who isn't afraid to be honest with you.

They'll need courage.

3. Someone who is more evolved that you are.

Let them be an evolving environment for you.

4. Someone who knows everybody.

Saves you time.

5. Someone who is well-connected.

Gives you access to opportunities.

6. Someone who can solve your problems for you.

Life is too short to do this for yourself.

7. Someone you can rely upon in a crisis.

Make sure they are up for this.  Have a clear understanding.

8. Someone who you love completely. just because.

Love is its own reward.

9. Someone who is a cyber/tech wizard.

Suck up if necessary.

10. Someone in your field who is far more successful that you.

Model.

11. Someone who you are mentoring or coaching.

This brings our your best.

12. Someone who is mentoring and coaching you.

We all do better with a coach.

(This list is compliments of the late Thomas Leonard, founder of the "coaching" profession.)