icoreprinciples: #LifeChange

Showing posts with label #LifeChange. Show all posts

Sunday, July 8, 2018

Women Veterans Day - A Texas First

First published on Medium on June 13, 2018

I woke up yesterday in anticipation of Women Veterans Day 2018. Events were planned all over the state, but I chose to participate in the City of Dallas.

The city’s events were driven by a partnership between Representative Victoria Neave (author of Women Veterans Day legislation) and Women Veterans Enterprise Center’s VR Small, a US Navy veteran. Last year’s events were groundbreaking — literally. It would be an understatement to say that this year’s celebrations were spectacular!!

From Dallas City Hall (morning) to VFW 6796 (evening), Women Veterans from all branches and all wars were recognized with an all-female color guard, historical reflections, a fallen comrade table, prayers, speeches, role calls, flags, flowers, certificates, handshakes, photos, and long overdue acknowledgement for heeding the call to serve our nation. Since I attended both events, my name was called twice which was totally unexpected.

Corporate sponsors included AT&T, Pepsi, and many others who provided food, door prizes, discounts, and giveaways for Women Veterans.

If you were downtown Dallas at dusk, you would have seen buildings light up in red, white, and blue with the US Flag waving across the Omni Hotel in tribute to Women Veterans — a fitting end to a spectacular day.

We will move forward in solidarity as we continue to shine the spotlight on Women Veterans…

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…until next time, count to 10 & make it count!!

Count To 10 and Make It Count!!

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Lillian Gregory is a passionate advocate for 21st Century Leadership with special focus on Women in Leadership, Women in Technology, and US Veterans and Spouses. She provides research, strategies, tools, workshops, and events to help close leadership and career strategy gaps. Download your NEW eBook from The Institute for Human and Leadership Excellence and get ready to climb!

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#ChangeAmbassador #WomenVeteransDay #Leadership #ProudVet

Thursday, January 11, 2018

How To Energize, Show Up, and Make A Splash With Monthly Targets

"Do or do not. There is no try."

- Yoda [Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back]

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Our Body Is Our Temple...

Year after year Top 10 New Year's resolutions include better eating habits, losing weight, getting more exercise, saving more money, and spending time with family. I've restarted my annual clock over and over with these targets as well. There's nothing wrong with aiming for the good stuff.

Sharpening my focus on my health and well-being makes sense especially since my body is the place I call home. My challenge is how long it takes before I become complacent or become overly absorbed in the hustle and bustle of life activities other than those at the top of my list.

This year will be different.

Sound familiar? Sure does. Intending to do something different is noble and engaging until the shine wears off. This year I have looked for and found new ways to convert my intentions into real-world results more rapidly and more permanently than ever before by simplifying how and when I measure results. I am aided by the genius of an outstanding Mastermind Group along with Tim Urban's 10-Minute Time Blocks.

This year is already different.

Energize, Show Up, and Make a Splash With Monthly Targets

A few days ago our Mastermind Host threw out an idea of focusing on a single monthly target versus annual resolutions. The idea is to dismantle the old mindset of starting over at the top of each year by setting a list of goals that will almost never make it past the first few weeks. The new idea is to pick one target and stick with it for 30 days - fewer days if you choose.

Who says we have to wait for a whole year before resetting our objectives??

Taking stock every thirty 30 days allows for greater flexibility and better results by making interim changes quickly - as in 12 adjustments in 12 months versus 1 big adjustment in 12 months. This approach is backed up by the clarity of a Definite Major Purpose, the foundation for all success.

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"...definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all individual achievements...

...you have to have a purpose, you have to have a plan, and you have to start putting that plan into action...

...it is not too important that your plan be sound...because if you find that you've adopted a plan that is not sound...you can always change...

...it is very important that you be definite about what it is that you're going after...what your purpose is...that must be very definite - there can be no ifs, ands, or buts about it...

- Rare Recordings of Napoleon Hill

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From Monthly Targets To Daily Actions

My monthly target includes taking care of my temple. To me this means sleeping better and more deeply, exercising more often, eating higher quality foods, and spending my time wisely. An idea from Tim Urban's blog "Wait but Why" gave me a simplified approach for developing an unincumbered daily action plan to move me closer to my target.

Tim's premise is that we all have one hundred 10-minute time blocks to spend each day. I sat down to map out my ideal daily time expenditures using this method - first with no filters or judgment. Then I saw some patterns that I must change if I am to be successful. This is a challenging and enlightening exercise that may surprise you as well. The biggest lesson that came pouring out of the page was:

Time is limited - period!!

Two big time numbers to be aware of are Life Span and Work Span. The average Life Span in the US is 78.6 years and is declining due to the opiod epidemic. The average Work Span in the US is 40 years depending on education, career start, and age of retirement. Average is not what I aim for so I am adjusting my approach to life and work (#LifeWorkIntegration).

Do the math and then decide if you need to adjust.

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From Definite Major Purpose to monthly targets to daily action plans, these simple approaches to focus your time will bring forth desired results daily, monthly, or yearly. If results do not materialize as you expect, change directions until you reach your goals. Your success depends on it.

"Do or do not. There is no try." Are you ready to 'do' your next steps??

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Five (5) Resources To Help You Energize, Show Up, and Make A Splash in 2018

(1) Energize: Jillian Michaels Transformations

(2) Major Definite Purpose: Rare Recordings of Napoleon Hill

(3) Major Definite Purpose: Ask Yourself These Questions

(4) 100 Blocks per Day: Tim Urban's Blog - Wait But Why

(5) Goal Setting: HBR Stop Setting Goals You Don't Actually Care About

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...until next time, count to 10 & make it count!!

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#ChangeAmbassador #Leadership #LifeWorkIntegration #Impossible #Energize

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

How To Predict The Future In The Era of Artificial Intelligence

"The best way to predict the future is to create it"

- Abraham Lincoln, Peter Drucker, Alan Kay

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Turning the page on 2017... Welcome to 2018!!

It's an exciting and nail biting time to predict the future by creating something new, something impossible, something uniquely you.

We know that artificial intelligence (AI), politics, wealth, and mass movements will be part of our collective futures. However, there are windows of opportunity open right this moment and every single future moment for creating something new from your own genius, from your own creativity, from your own desires.

Something great.

In preparation for breakthroughs in 2018, I cleaned house - physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Sounds like a lot because it is. Greatness requires focus, preparation, and actions. My goal is to crack open the door to greatness a little more this year. I may even shatter the glass.

While cleaning house and making room for 2018, I found some spectacular works of my heart and hands that I had not seen in years, in decades. Bringing these items to the forefront reminded me of the creative passions that run deep within. I was reminded that creativity has a heartbeat - yours, mine, and ours.

Last year brought with it sudden family losses, life-altering decisions, and one miraculous and unexpected find so spectacular that there is only one explanation I will assign to it - Grace.

I have given up 2017 with glee, keeping only my dearest loved ones, my infinite and new relationships, my vision for the future, and my lessons learned. Next steps are forward-looking, mindful, and grateful - open to new impossiblities and new creations.

First things first.

Predict The Future By Creating It

There are plenty of predictions and lists of predictions circulating with nuggets of insight gathered and gained from every pathway walked. I appreciate the simplicity of these lists and the bite-sized gifts that they provide.

I keep my eyes on artificial intelligence, politics, wealth, and mass movements, but mostly on my health because without it nothing else matters much. I trust that you have also put health first with mindfulness and restfulness at the forefront of your trek towards greater prosperity.

By taking care of our health, we can predict that our days will be brighter and our nights more effective by recharging our physical and creative batteries. With a full charge every morning, our twists and turns on Future Lane will be less turbulent.

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Can Artificial Intelligence Predict The Future?

There is much speculation about artificial intelligence now and in the near future. The One Hundred Year Study of Artificial Intelligence at Stanford University shows where we have been, where we are, and where we are going in the era of artificial intelligence.

The inaugural AI Index covers the volume of artificial intelligence activity in academia, industry, open-source software, and public interest along with technical performance in vision, natural language understanding (parsing, machine translation, question answering, speech recognition), theorem proving, SAT solving, and much more.

I firmly predict that learning about and engaging with artificial intelligence will make everyone better prepared to navigate the future. Though artificial intelligence is approaching human computational ability, it is not yet able to think our individual thoughts for us.

Human intelligence, ingenuity, and intuition still count!!

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What futures will we create?

Artificial intelligence has positioned us to take greater control of the future through predictive mechanisms. However, this massive predictive power is only effective if we leverage it to make our lives better. The choice is unequivocally ours.

There are an infinite number of ways to predict the future - one method examines current status, reflects on past events, evaluates choices, makes decisions about what could or should come next, takes action to implement decisions, incorporates lessons-learned feedback loops, infuses new data and new choices along the way to create new choices while watching for unexpected results (i.e. disruptions).

Sounds like natural intelligence.

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For more than 250 years the fundamental drivers of economic growth have been technological innovations...

The effects of AI will be magnified in the coming decade, as manufacturing, retailing, transportation, finance, health care, law, advertising, insurance, entertainment, education, and virtually every other industr[ies] transform their core processes and business models to take advantage of machine learning.

The bottleneck now is in management, implementation, and business imagination.

- Harvard Business Review (2017)

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Statistical probabilities, estimation models, forecasts, hypotheses, qualitative or regression analyses, opinions, experience, available technologies, and trends are all factors to consider in predictions. We have built systems to help us with these intricate tasks. We then combined those systems and accelerated their computational power so the systems can now learn on their own. These amazing systems did not materialize out of thin air. They were created with human ingenuity.

Now that we know how to predict the future, what futures will we create?

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Twelve (12) Resources for Predicting the Future in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

(1) Artificial Intelligence: Stanford University Artificial Intelligence Index

(2) Artificial Intelligence: HBR The Business of Artificial Intelligence

(3) World Economic Forum: WEF Leadership Lessons for a Fractured World

(4) Global Economics: OECD Economic Outlook

(5) Stock Trading and Investing: Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Letters

(6) Corporate Morality: JUST Capital America's Most Just Companies

(7) Women Veterans: NWBC Salute to Women Veteran Entrepreneurs

(8) Entrepreneurship: HBR Senior Executives Side Hustle

(9) Economic Diversity & Inclusion: Nielsen Diverse Intelligence Series

(10) Largest Internet Company in 2030: WEF and Business Insider Growth of MOOCs

(11) UN Sustainable Development Goals: 17 Goals To Transform Our World

(12) History Repeats Itself (sort of): History Channel Series Men Who Built America

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...until next time, count to 10 & make it count!!

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#ChangeAmbassador #Leadership #LifeWorkIntegration #Impossible #AI

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Raising The Bar Towards Principle-Centered Leadership

This has been an incredible year for me for many reasons that are simultaneously and miraculously positive and massively negative. Prior to this year I would wake up in the mornings to read the latest headlines or to seek out the latest technology innovations to get my day started. If I was inspired enough, I would write a blog post about topics of importance in an effort to help shape the narrative or to inspire change through my readers.

I would look forward to the latest published articles that helped to clarify big hairy problems in the world. Today if I read headlines it's generally by accident. I steer away from the perpetual negativity that continues to get injected into the world through communications outlets both fake and real. There's just too much negativity to carry around so I don't.

I choose to focus on the good.

Raise The Bar From Excellent To Outstanding To Wow!!

Earlier this year while attending a Veterans Entrepreneurship Roundtable, I was fortunate enough to be placed in the path of a gentleman who gave me a phone number for a Mastermind Group that has become a staple of my days. I have since lost his business card and I look forward to finding it again so I can thank him.

The Mastermind Group is a rare gem that holds its attendees accountable for themselves and to each other through Principle-Centered Leadership. The group's goal is to free at least 100 families per year as "Freedom Crusaders". Daily calls start promptly at 9:00 AM Eastern US and last for 60 minutes.

Maximum Efficiency of a Mastermind Group

The session format ensures maximum efficiency by opening with a volunteer's recitation of the Definite Major Purpose and Self-Confidence Formula from Napoleon Hill's book "Think and Grow Rich." Next, the host sets the tone with opening remarks and a reading from a text on cultivating a wealth mindset through systematic principles of success.

The second half of the session encourages open dialog between neophites and distinguished leaders and wealthy individuals from all walks of life who show up to support each other on their "Freedom Crusaders" journey. I am grateful for the privilege of attending these daily sessions.

Defining Your Definite Major Purpose

I've repeated the Definite Major Purpose and Self-Confidence Formula daily since I tightened my focus on the Principle of Persistence. By forcefully driving these new beliefs into my heart and mind, I am ensuring that I will never accept anything contrary to these beliefs unless I decide to change them. I have raised the bar on my own mind and it feels amazing!!

An excerpt from the Self-Confidence Formula stands out as a key to raising the bar towards Principle-Centered Leadership with truth and justice in mind.

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Self-Confidence Formula Excerpt

...I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure, unless built upon truth and justice, therefore I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects...I will eliminate hatred, envy, jealousy, selfishness, and cynicism, by developing love for all humanity, because I know that a negative attitude toward others can never bring me success...

-Napoleon Hill, Think and Grow Rich

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Principle #1 of Principle-Centered Leadership

Though I have known that purpose drives decisions and outcomes, my focus has now been reset towards my Definite Major Purpose which is the big hairy sum total objective of my entire life - and wow is it big!!

By design it is important to keep your Definite Major Purpose to yourself so as to block out any sort of negative energy that is certain to come your way when others learn that you plan to jump over the moon!! General human nature is such that others will purposefully interfere with you when they learn that you have become exceptionally gifted with the clarity of your Definite Major Purpose while overlooking the fact that they too have the same capability.

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If your dream doesn't scare you, it isn't big enough

-Kristine K. Stevens, Author

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To raise your bar towards Principle-Centered Leadership, complete step one and define your Definite Major Purpose. The next steps will unfold after you have completed step one.

Challenge yourself!!

This Mastermind Group is one of several miracles that have occurred in my life this year to counter-balance so much heartache and negativity. I'll share my experience of another miracle in my next article.

Until next time, count to 10 and make it count!!

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#ChangeAmbassador #LifeWorkIntegration #Leadership