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Thought for the Day

To reach a goal you have never before attained, you must do things you have never before done.

Richard G. Scott

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End procrastination Now!

Because there is no bigger roadblock to success than the habit of needlessly putting off important tasks till another day or time.

In End Procrastination Now!, you will be conditioned to know that you have eliminated the thoughts, beliefs and attitudes that create fear of success and failure. You will learn that it's OK to go ahead on a task even though you may not do it perfectly. With these new mental patterns, you will start falling in love with committing to successful outcomes and enjoy them like never before.

Infuse yourself with the most laser-focused do-it-now mental patterns, and you, too, will become a super starter and finisher in every area of your life - every hour of every day.End Procrastination Now

One of the voices behind audio books

Bernadette Dunne
Bernadette Dunne has recorded more than 250 titles since her reading of Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha(Books on Tape, 1998) helped put her on the map. She's voiced the works of everyone from actress Katharine Hepburn (Me: Stories of My Life) to National Book Award winner Richard Powers (The Echo Maker), for publishers including BBC Audiobooks America and Christian Audio. Her Audie Award-nominated narration of Elizabeth Cohen's The House on Beartown Road (Blackstone Audio) was an L Best Audiobook of 2004. Librarian Ophelia Lo (Canton Public Library, MI) caught up with the Audie Award nominee for LJ's Behind the Mike series.

How did you get your start as an audiobook narrator? Audiobook legend Flo Gibson gave me a job monitoring readers in her studio in the Washington, DC, area [in the late 1990s]. I had a golden opportunity to observe and learn from the best: Flo, Kate Reading, Grover Gardner, and Michael Russotto. » » »

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Today’s must-read is a must for cricket fans

True colours

True colours

True colours. My life

By Adam Gilchrist

True Colours is his autobiography, and like the man himself it's incomparable. With unflinching honesty, intelligence, compassion and humour, Adam takes you into the world of cricket that few outside of the Australian team have ever seen. From his early struggles to establish himself, through to the giant achievements of the Australian test and one-day sides, True Colours offers an extraordinary window on Adam, on cricket's major stars and on the game itself.

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Thought for the day

'To love oneself is to struggle to rediscover and maintain your uniqueness. It is understanding and appreciating the idea that you will be the ONLY YOU to ever live upon this earth, that when you die, so will all of your fantastic possibilities. It is the realization that even you are not totally aware of the wonders which lie dormant within yourself.'

- Leo Buscaglia

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Keeping audience attention? – try interaction

From Nick Morgan a great article on

How to interact with an audience -- 7 questions to get you started

Audiences today expect to have a conversation with speakers, and they crave real connection with successful speakers.  The best way to ensure that these good things happen during your presentations is to involve your audiences throughout.

But that takes some art.  How do you think about it?  How do you avoid the lame arrangement of too many presentations where the speaker drones on for 45 minutes, then stops and says, “Any questions?”  As the audience shakes itself awake, and starts wondering if it does in fact have any questions, the speaker stands there for what seems like an eternity, then gives up and concludes that no one cares.

How do you avoid this dysfunctional state of affairs?  How can you involve audiences in your presentations?

Following are a series of questions to ask the audience, in order to start connecting with them

Magnify your punch lines

-- John Kinde (JohnKinde@HumorPower.com)

The key is in the delivery. It's what you do.

In the business of delivering your humor, there is a technique referred to as a "take." A take is your physical response to a joke. For example, you may deliver a joke and then raise your eyebrows. Or tilt your head. Or open your eyes wide. Facial expressions are some of the most popular takes.

Using a take is like putting an exclamation point at the end of your humor line. It helps you drive home the humor. It signals the audience to realize, "Hey, this is supposed to be funny!"

There are a couple of approaches to using takes. One way is to look for a different physical delivery technique for every punch line. This can make the talk more interesting for you. And this can add a colorful variety to your speech. We also know from the acting business that it is easier to remember lines if they are linked to a physical action. So your jokes will be easier to remember, each linked to a different take.

Another approach is to use the same take for each punch line. This conditions the audience to laugh. Two classic comedians used repetitive takes which became signatures: George Burns' puff on the cigar and Rodney Dangerfield's tug of the necktie. They were sending signals to the audience that it was time to laugh.

You will find that even small takes can produce good results. Just a small wink might just be what you need to get the laughs. Experiment and have fun.

Can you face reality reading on the beach?

(Photo: Hannah Whitaker/New York Magazine)

Could this be the summer we finally bury the notion that a beach read must be mindless to be fun? We find ourselves particularly drawn this season to nonfiction and a few realistic novels. Below, some of our top picks through July. Save August for Thomas Pynchon’s latest, Inherent Vice—“part noir, part psychedelic romp”—a mere 400 pages.

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Today’s must-read is a collection of stories

Everything ravaged, everything burned

Everything ravaged, everything burned

Everything ravaged, everything burned


by Wells Tower

The stories in this outstanding debut collection explore the troubled relationships of men down on their luck, in failed marriages, estranged from family, caught in imbroglios between sons and their fathers and stepfathers, and even, in Wild America, the subtle and ferocious competition between teenage girls.

Sydney Writers’ Festival The Big Read

Sydney Writers’ Festival The Big Read title for 2009 is F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Arguably Fitzgerald's finest work, this popular classic written in 1925 is often referred to as 'the great American novel' and the quintessential portrait of the Jazz Age, in all its decadence and excess.

To see how your Book Club can participate in The Big Read 2009 go to the Sydney Writers’ Festival website.

Read an extract

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Time Management Strategies – Revitalize Enthusiasm and Productivity Using the 3 Gratitude Exercises

Time management tips that inspire you to renew and deepen your gratitude also energize you, every single time you open your heart. If you really want to experience new zest, learn how to genuinely appreciate and care for your life, starting right now.

Cultivating the gift of gratitude is a powerful way to ground yourself and prepare yourself for any challenge. Gratitude enhances healthy humility that is based in self-respect. It also helps you assess your strengths and redirect your energy. The following reflections provide a fresh window of understanding to your inner powerhouse.

Finding Time for Gratitude - 5 Central Insights.

Gratitude's 3 Gifts to You.

Gratitude immediately enriches your life in 3 ways:

- How you look at your world,
- How you move through your days, and
- How you experience your moments.

It is a fundamental value, and the ultimate way to make full use of your time. In "Character Strengths and Virtues" by Christopher Peterson and Martin E. P. Seligman, gratitude is defined as "an enduring thankfulness that is sustained across situations and over time."

There are two types of gratitude, personal and transpersonal.

Personal gratitude is about thankfulness towards an individual, whereas transpersonal gratitude is a constant and fundamental appreciation of the world.

Gratitude is a very special gift to children.

According to studies, gratitude develops between 7 and 10 years of age. However, I believe that if a child is raised in an environment of appreciation, both specific and general, and if it is spoken about often and consistently, gratitude will begin to develop at an earlier age. At the very least, the child will be surrounded by positive energy.

Experience and express appreciation to others specifically and frequently.

How many times a day do you actively thank someone? And how often do you feel the energy of awe and wonder? Don't deprive yourself or others of this wonderful, free gift that strengthens relationships!

As an informative exercise, jot down each time you feel grateful for anything.

After 3 or 4 weeks, go over your documentation and identify patterns in your gratitude. Are there days when you are so absorbed in the activities of daily living that you "forget" life's gifts? What does this tell you? What happens to your energy? Do you habitually see the glass as "half empty" or "half full"?

There is a simple and wonderful exercise I've practiced for many years. It was reinforced in the Vanguard Authentic Happiness Coaching Course I participated in several years ago.

Enjoy the "3 Gratitudes" Exercise!

Each night, right before sleep, list at least 3 gratitudes you are aware of for that day. These blessings can be anything you notice and appreciate.

Recently, I asked a client if she was continuing her nightly gratitudes. She vigorously nodded. "It keeps me positive," she responded.

And it does. It helps you maintain enthusiasm, even in challenging times. Soon it becomes automatic to appreciate your moments.

Now ask yourself: How can you generate still more gratitude today by finding more time?

To take your next step, sign up for our free gift, "The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!" at http://www.findingtime.net/ezine.html

This time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration. Using a workbook format, with room to record your answers, you will discover that 24 hours really are enough!

And for even more time thoughts and techniques, visit our blog at http://www.thetimefinder.com

Offered by Paula Eder, Ph.D. The Time Finder Expert.