If you can't tell by now from other sections of this website, I have a lot of energy, a lot of passion, and a lot of things I want to do with my life. I guess you could say that I'm a relatively UPBEAT person, and I try very hard not to take for granted all that life has to offer.

In college, I used to keep a notebook which I entitled, "Words of Wisdom, Thoughts to Ponder", a collection of sayings that has inspired me over the years. With the Internet, I eventually migrated to my "Paradigm Shifts" backup email account where I stored various related email forwards. With my own personal website, I now list them here. Enjoy!

#1. Try it. See what happens.

This is my own personal motto which I apply to just about everything I do. I very rarely say to myself, "I can't do it", unless I've taken a stab, given it my best shot, and know for sure that it just ain't gonna happen. Some of my friends say that I'm a compulsive "risk taker", but the way I see it is this -- I owe it to myself to try everything at least once, as long as it does not bring harm to myself or to other people. I've got one life to live. I'm going to live it... and learn from it.

#2. Manage Your Career Like the #1 Product You're Marketing.

Acer Ginny forwarded this feature article to me from the Advancing Women website. It is one of the most compelling articles for career women I have ever read and was one of the inspirations behind this website. All of a sudden, it became crystal clear to me that if I'm going to raise funds for my start-up, I'm going to have to market the hell out of myself, my talents, and my business plan.

The part which I found most compelling was that in parenthesis:

• "People have to know you're there; they have to be able to see your skills in action before they can be impressed by them. You need to start raising your profile. This is not difficult but it does take some effort and energy (although not nearly as much energy as laboring in obscurity for 20 years because no one's ever heard of you or familiar enough with what you're doing to give you any credit for it.)"

#3. Colin Powell on Leadership.

Also one of my favorites, an excerpt of Colin Powell's speech for his Outreach to America program at the SEARS Corporate Headquarters in Chicago. Here are my comments in response to his 18 Lessons on leadership:

1. Dude, I do this all the time! It's awesome!
2. Indeed.
3. No need to worry. I've got it all under control.
4. Challenging people is usually a waste of time. If they don't get it, and unless I need them to, I'd rather spend my energies with those that do. I'm busy!
5. I'm ALL about details General! Just look at my site!
6. Hey! You got that from me! (see Inspiration #1. above)
7. No need to worry about this either.
8. See #13 below. I hear ya!
9. If I can get my travel schedule in order, I'm happy.
10. Depends on how much I'm getting paid... just kidding.
11. I couldn't fit a stereotype if I tried. I'm weird in my own special way.
12. Yes! Yes!
13. Exactly! Those are the very people I am looking for to join me!
14. Amen.
15. Huh? That requires way too much thought for my limited brain capacity.
16. I'm there babe!
17. With all due respect General... that's what I said!
18. Yes. It most certainly is.

#4. This is the text of my screen saver:

• Great minds discuss ideas.
• Average minds discuss events.
• Small minds discuss people.
• Even smaller minds discuss themselves.

I find such people to have very little substance in their own lives and contribute nothing but harm amongst the very people they run with, or work with. Showing discretion in the things we say about others is a reflection of our personal integrity, or lack thereof. OUCH. So unless there's a good reason to bring someone's faults or actions to light, it is best to focus on their good points, or
not say anything at all. That is what separates the good leaders from the bad.

#5. Learn from the movie, "TITANIC".

I kid you not. That movie changed my life in many ways which I won't go into here, but suffice it to say that it was one of my most favorite movies of all times. One line that sticks in my mind is this, "... 700 people in the boats had nothing to do but wait, wait to die, wait to live, wait for an absolution that would never come." There is more than one lesson to learn from that statement alone. I like it.

Visit the Titanic website. Don't be a goob!

#6. Visit this website regularly.

#7. Observe the relationships around you.

This is an email forward that someone sent me that talks about what to look for in a balanced relationship. I don't know who wrote it and I couldn't find it on the net, so I had to create a separate page for it. It's worth reading if healthy relationships are important to you. It begins with this statement:

• "There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a distance. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of or at least minimize your time with draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships."

#8. The Power of Positive Prophecy.

This is another email forward that I've kept for a couple of years which I believe teaches us a very important lesson in life. Click here for the full text. In short, if you are presented the opportunity to encourage people in their endeavors - especially young people - JUST DO IT. The greatest gift you can ever give to people is to help them to believe in themselves.

Don't question their competence or discourage them in any way. Do not assume you know what the outcome will be no matter how much more "experience" you think you have, because you cannot possibly know. Your words can never replace the knowledge and experience they will gain from trying, even if they don't succeed the first time around. Don't smother another person's flame. Help him or her to make it burn brighter.

I believe that every single person has the potential to do great things if given a reinforcing and supportive environment. Humans are by nature insecure, and there are very few people on this planet Earth that believe in themselves without question. Therefore, what you say to them will have an impact, one way or another, especially if you are in a position of authority. It's up to you whether or not you want that impact to be a positive or a negative one.

The choice is yours. May the Force be with you.