Attitude, Information, Inspiration, Life

Lessons From A Dandelion

bk
February 21, 2008

I received this email from a friend about a week or two ago and only managed to read through it today. I wished I have read it earlier but it’s better late than never. In this article, Dandelion was deem as a weed as the author’s parents cursed the presence of the flower in their lawn. Some people will not even hesitate to spray it with weed killer and stop the dandelion from interfering with the perfection of the lawn. However, no matter how hard you tried to get rid of the dandelion in your lawn, they will always be back. True enough, there is much we can learn from the dandelion; its strong staying power teaches us to always fight bravely against all odds and not let our fighting spirits die off.

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” – Abraham Lincoln

As I tried to Google for more information about dandelion to share with you, I was further amazed by how useful and beneficial the dandelion is to us both externally and internally. It has other names like Lion’s Tooth, Priest’s Crown, Pu Gong Ying, Swine’s Snout or Dent de Lion. That little weed is actually an incredible source of vitamins and other substances that can be greatly beneficial to your health. Many people still don’t realize that the dandelion is even edible, much less are they aware of the amazing benefits this natural herb can have on their health. So the next time round when you see a dandelion sticking out in your lawn, you might want to reconsider your immediate reaction to spray it with weed killer.

by Donna Doyon

I recall as a young child bringing bouquets of brilliant yellow flowers to my mother. It didn’t matter that the stems felt sticky or that both my parents cursed the presence of these flowers in the lawn. I thought they were beautiful!

And there were so many of them! We spent hours picking the flowers and then popping the blossoms off with a snap of our fingers. But the supply of dandelions never ran out. My father or brothers would chop off all the heads with the lawn mower at least once a week, but that didn’t stop these hardy wonders.

And for those flowers that escaped the honor of being hand-delivered to my mother or the sharp blades of the lawn mower, there was another level of existence.

The soft, round puffs of a dandelion gone to seed caused endless giggles and squeals of delight as we unwittingly spread this flower across the yard.

As I worked in my garden last week, pulling unwanted weeds out of the space that would become a haven for tomatoes, corn, peas and sunflowers, I again marveled at the flower that some call a weed. And I thought, "If only I had the staying power of a dandelion."

If only I could stretch my roots so deep and straight that something tugging on my stem couldn’t separate me completely from the source that feeds me life.

If only I could come back to face the world with a bright, sunshiny face after someone has run me over with a lawnmower or worse, purposely attacked me in an attempt to destroy me. If only my foliage was a nutritious source of vitamins that help others grow. If only I could spread love and encouragement as freely and fully as this flower spreads seeds of it.

The lawns at my parents’ homes are now beautiful green blankets. The only patches of color come from well- placed, well-controlled flowerbeds. Chemicals have managed to kill what human persistence couldn’t.

I hope you and I can be different. I hope that we can stretch our roots deep enough that the strongest poison can’t reach our souls. I hope that we can overcome the poisons of anger, fear, hate, criticism and competitiveness. I hope that we can see flowers in a world that sees weeds.

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Attitude, Harmful, Healing Words, Healthy Relationships, Inspiring, Life, Love, Loving Kindness, Positive Words, Quotation, Reflection, Relationship, Words, Words of Admiration, Words of Care, Words of Encouragement, Words of Love, Words of Praise

Words can Heal and can Harm

bk
February 20, 2008

I received this email from a friend today which I would like to share with you. True enough, words can help or break a person. It is wise to think before we speak. Words can also be inspiring and motivating; like the many inspiring quotations that you can find on the internet. Personally, I have collected not only love quotations but also inspiring and motivating quotations. I have always enjoyed sharing words of wisdom from famous people with people around me.

“Sometimes when I’m talking, my words can’t keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice.” – Bill Watterson

Words are very important. Words can heal and words can harm. Words can hurt grievously and for a long time. The tongue can bless and the tongue can curse. It is very important for us to control our words and tame our tongue when we are angry. Many times, when we are angry we say the most atrocious things. We forget ourselves and become indifferent to what we say. We blast the other person without mercy, although we may not mean those words. But words once spoken cannot be taken back and it takes a long time to forgive and forget.

We have to exercise self-control. Many couples are particularly prone to such outbursts when they get mad. But it is not an easy thing to control our tongue when we are provoked, boiled over with anger or have outburst of wrath. It is at such time that we have to learn to hold our tongue and to remain silent. If we can’t tame our tongue, we have to take a break or go for a walk to cool off. It is much easier to control the words before the blow-up than during the explosion.

Uncontrollable words spoken in anger can have devastating effect. Angry words, that are used unthinkingly, such as I don’t care, I can’t be bothered, I don’t need you, or you can go to hell cause pain and feelings of rejection. They give rise to insecurity. The unmeant and foolish words contain full of deadly poison and can play havoc in the mind. The unruly words get churned over for hours on end and create their worst mischief in a difficult relationship. It can take a very long time to forgive what was said. Let us learn to turn away from angry words before they leave our mouth and try to say healing words instead. It is so important to choose our words wisely.

When we are boiling with anger and eager to throw bitter words at our opponents, it is better to remain silent. Words spoken in rage will make reconciliation very hard. Choosing life and not death, blessings and not curses, often starts by choosing to remain silent or choosing carefully the words that open the way to healing.

We must also be very careful that in our anger we do not label our children with ugly names such as fat, stupid, snake, pig, moron, busy-body, useless, good for nothing. Such negative words can do harm to them for years to come! When we say to someone, “You are an ugly, useless, despicable person,” we might have ruined the possibility for a relationship with that person for life. Words can continue to do harm for many years.

Indeed, we do not want to spoil our relationship with our own precious children. We must always use words to build them up not words to knock them down. Be an encourager not a critic. They have enough people criticizing them but far too few approving and affirming them. So to help our children to fulfill their highest potential we should be their greatest ENCOURAGER. Encourage. Encourage. Encourage on every occasion.

Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. Also, don’t utter vulgar or obscene words, Nor is it fitting for you to use language which is obscene, profane, or vulgar. Avoid immoral talks, jokes or gossips. It is not right that any matters of sexual immorality or indecency or greed should even be mentioned among you.

Quarreling does no good, but only ruins the people who listen…Keep away from profane and foolish discussions. Such teaching is like an open sore that eats away the flesh. You must be kind toward all, a good and patient teacher, who is gentle as you correct your opponents.

It is vitally important that we exercise our choice to speak helpful words wherever we are, particularly at home. Words can bring consolation, comfort, encouragement, and hope. Words can take away fear, isolation, shame, and guilt. Words can reconcile, unite, forgive, and heal. Words can bring peace and joy, inner freedom and deep gratitude. Words, in short, can carry love on their wings. A word of love can be one of the greatest acts of love. When we choose to speak words of care, words of encouragement, words of praise, words of love, words of admiration, positive words—they uplift and give meaning to our lives.

Everyday we need to give and receive words of encouragement, hope and joy. We then create an environment that is pleasant to be in and that gives us the confidence and courage to cope with our stressful life here and now. When we say to our parents, children, or friends, “I love you very much or I care for you or I think of you often” or “You are my great gift,” we choose to give life.

It is not always easy to express our love directly in words. But whenever we do, we discover we have offered a blessing that will be long remembered. When a son can say to his father, Dad, I love you, and when a mother can say to her daughter, Child, I love you, a whole new blessed place can be opened up, a space where it is good to dwell. Indeed, words have the power to create life.

Often, we want to hear words such as, I’ve been thinking of you today, or I missed you, or I wish you were here, or I really love you. It is not always easy to say these words, but such words can deepen our bonds with one another.

“Telling someone I love you in whatever way is always delivering good news. Nobody will respond by saying, Well, I know that already, you don t have to say it again! Words of love and affirmation are like bread. We need them each day, over and over. They keep us alive inside. When we say, I love you, and say it from the heart, we can give another person new life, new hope, new courage. When we say, I hate you, we can destroy another person. Lets watch our words.”

At the same time, we must be careful that we are sincere in our words because if we say, I love you, without meaning it, then such words do more harm than good. But if these same words are spoken from the heart, they create new life. They give joy. They bring happiness. We have to make sure that our words are rooted from our heart.

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Attitude, Communication Skill, Family Relationship, Healthy Relationships, Information, Life, Listening, Relationship

Improve Communication: Are You Listening?

bk
February 14, 2008

Have you ever heard of this saying, “We should listen more and talk less and probably that is the reason why we have two ears and only one mouth?” It couldn’t be truer. Very often, most people tend to speak more than they listen. The failure to listen can create a lot of unnecessary misunderstandings simply because we failed to understand the true meaning of the spoken words. As mentioned by the author, most people are preoccupied with what we they want to say.

I particularly like the author’s idea of restating what we heard as this not only shows that we are listening, but also reduces any chances of misunderstanding. Most people have the tendency to jump to conclusion or are ever ready to judge what they heard. Thus by restating what they hear, they create a chance to set what they hear in the same direction as the speaker. This makes communication more effective. So the next time when you are ready to speak, probably you want to pause for a few seconds to make sure you get the same meaning as what the speaker wanted to convey.

Communication problems are probably the greatest barriers to happy and healthy relationships. Somewhere in the exchange of thoughts and information something goes wrong. Words come out one way and are meant another. What was said is not interpreted in the way it was intended. Some thoughts should have remained silent. Some thoughts should have been expressed. You expect to be heard and understood, but somehow you aren’t and you wonder what went wrong. Communication problems can leave you feeling exhausted and frustrated. And sometimes you might want to scream, “Didn’t you hear me? Why don’t you understand?”

If communicating only involved talking it might seem easy enough. But it isn’t that simple. A major and essential part of communicating involves listening. Everyone wants to feel heard and understood. When we speak we want to know we have someone’s undivided attention and proper respect. We want to be accepted and not judged for what we have said or how we have said it. We simply want to be heard—not just our words, but our heart as well. And we want others to respond to us like they really listened.

Listening to understand and empathize requires work and effort. A good way to demonstrate that we are listening is to restate what we believe we heard the speaker communicate. This allows the speaker to verify that our interpretation is accurate. If it’s not, the speaker has the opportunity to communicate the message again until we get it and clarify any possible misunderstandings. For example, “When I said I didn’t like your idea, I didn’t mean I thought it wouldn’t work…” or “When I told you I wasn’t ready for a commitment, I meant I need more time…”

Listening also includes the ability to accurately restate what we perceive is the feeling associated with the message. We feel safe to share our feelings and needs with those who are accepting, validating, and care enough to listen to us. When we develop our ability to listen and communicate our understanding of what we have heard, we open the door to greater intimacy. We can become better listeners by first breaking down some common barriers to listening. We can listen five times faster than we can speak. That allows us quite a bit of extra time. Unfortunately, that time is often spent on something other than the person speaking to us and on what they are saying. Instead, we might be preoccupied with what we want to say to them. This creates a barrier that keeps us from listening attentively and empathically. We can’t hear what someone is telling us when a barrier is in the way.

There are all sorts of barriers to good listening. For example, it can be difficult to listen when we are distracted or preoccupied. Our attention isn’t focused on the speaker because other things vie for our attention. So we might hear the speaker some of the time, but miss out on much of what they are trying to communicate. It can be difficult to listen attentively when we are tired or not feeling very alert. It might simply be bad timing. Defensive or negative attitudes can also block us from listening. Inner conflicts might keep us from devoting the necessary attention to actively listen. We might have preconceived notions about what the speaker is talking about. So instead of hearing their thoughts and feelings, we have already formulated our own opinions and attitudes. And we may become preoccupied with our own ideas rather than hear them out.

Breaking down barriers to active listening is a challenge that will never cease to exist. And that is why listening requires work and effort. It takes practice to put aside your own agenda and tune out distractions. And with practice it becomes easier. You will find that being a good listener opens up the channels to better communication. As you listen to understand, you will not only hear others’ words you will also hear their heart. Listen closely and what you hear may surprise you. There is so much you do not have to miss out on if you will only listen.

About the author: Krystal Kuehn, MA, LPC, LLP, NCC is a psychotherapist, author, teacher, and musician. She is the cofounder of www.NewDayCounseling.org and www.BeHappyforLife.net where you can find hundreds of free resources, online workshops, video presentations, insights, and inspiration to empower people to develop a lifestyle of happiness and love.

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Attitude, Information, Life, Marriage, Relationship, Romantic Tips

Valentine’s Day Reminds Us to Appreciate Those We Love

bk
February 13, 2008

True enough, Valentine’s Day reminds us to appreciate those we love and not only to our spouses or partners. Valentine’s Day should extend further to people around us, like our families, friends and strangers. And we must show our appreciation to people around us not only on Valentine’s Day but also at all time and as often as possible. Valentine’s Day is a special day to mark the joy of togetherness.

I asked a friend today how he will be celebrating his Valentine’s Day with his girlfriend. He told me he asked his girlfriend whether she will like to have a candle light dinner. However, she said that she preferred to have dinner at food court. I guess when you are with the one you love, it does not really matter where you eat or what you will be doing. Wishing all a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Heart-shaped boxes full of candy. Red and pink cards. Roses. Bags of chocolate kisses and hard candies that say, “Be mine.” Advertisements for diamonds in all sizes, shapes and forms. It’s hard to forget the fact that Valentine’s Days is upon us once again. Valentine’s Day represents a wonderful opportunity to tell those we care about the most how we truly feel about them and reminds us that we really should be doing this every day of the year. It’s amazing how a small expression of love and appreciation can improve a relationship, but many of us forget this little bit of relationship advice. For this reason, for most couples Valentine’s Day offers a great chance to recommit to truly appreciating and loving each other.

If you are newly in love, you likely express your feelings both verbally and physically often and shower your partner with flowers and love-laced poems, cards and gifts on a regular basis. Valentine’s day represents just one more opportunity to do more of the same. That’s one of the reasons that new relationships thrive – the partners are so focused on showing their love and appreciation for each other.

If you are in a long-term relationship, however, you might more often forget to say “I love you” or to show your spouse or significant other on a regular basis that he or she is appreciated and adored. In other words, you might not appreciate your partner or spouse – or show that appreciation even if you feel it. Such couples should celebrate Valentine’s even if they don’t feel like it, because it’s a great reminder and opportunity to express their love and to show their appreciation outwardly for those deep down inside they care about most – even if they no longer realize it.

If you are stuck in a relationship rut, Valentine’s Day can serve as the beginning of a new “love and appreciation” campaign that last not just for 24 hours but all year long – in fact, all relationship long. Instead of making February 14th a Hallmark holiday – one that simply involves the purchasing of a card and a gift – you can make it the first day that you commit to revving up the romance in your relationship and in your life. You can spend time and energy remember and expressing all the reasons why you first loved and appreciated your partner, and then you can watch how the relationship heats up.

The longer people are married or together, the more common it is for them to take each other and their relationship for granted. So, Valentine’s Day offers them a chance to remember how much they love and appreciate each other. It’s a chance to commemorate the many year’s they’ve been together and to recommit to their relationship once again.

Just like an anniversary or a retaking of wedding vows, Valentine’s day can be a time when couples say, “I’d marry you all over again.” Or it can be a time to look back over the years and remember both the good and the bad times, the easy and the hard times, and to be grateful they weathered them all together.

Since Valentine’s Day does only come once a year, remember to show your appreciation and gratitude for those you love on a regular basis. It’s so easy to forget to say “thank you” and “I really appreciate it when you do that” and “I love you.” Learn to shower your partner with gratitude so he or she always feels loved and appreciated. Don’t wait for a special day like Valentine’s Day. Do it every day. Your partner will love you for it. And your love will grow because of it.

Nina Amir, journalist and speaker, is the author of The Kabbalah of Conscious Creation. For a FREE Valentine’s Day appreciation workbook or spiritual Valentine’s Day meditation, go to http://www.purespiritcreations.com . Hear Nina talk about how to make Valentine’s Day meaningful on Conversations with Ms. Claus, on http://www.thefamilyyak.com , a podcast airing on Feb. 12. For information, go to http://www.purespiritcreations.com

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Attitude, Career, Life

5 Ways to Create a Positive Workplace Atmosphere

bk
February 12, 2008

This is something which I read that not only can improve the relationship in the workplace, I believe it can also make the workplace a much better place to work in. If everyone in the workplace is positive and forward looking, then the company will have a powerful team.

Creating a positive atmosphere is a leadership quality you can develop. You can be a one-person positive energy creator at your workplace, organization, or school.

Anyone can do this.

It doesn’t matter whether you are in management or an employee.

When you do things to create a positive atmosphere, you are displaying leadership skills that upper management will notice.

No matter how negative the people are at your workplace, you still have control over the most important thing – your own attitude.

A positive attitude creates positive energy for both the giver and receiver. Just like you cannot see the wind, but you can see the results, you cannot see the positive energy, but you can see the results in yourself and in the people you work with.

The following are 5 things you can do -today- to create a positive attitude in your workplace.

1. Greet everyone today with an enthusiastic “Hello” and a smile and good eye contact. You will get some smiles back creating a positive connection, and positive energy.

2. End every phone call and email with, “Have a great day.” Your positive energy will come across, and both of you will feel energized.

3. Give everyone a compliment. It’s easiest to say something nice about what they are wearing. Even better, think of a personality quality that you can compliment someone for, such as: “You are so …”creative, detail oriented, dependable, etc”… that it makes my day so much more …”pleasant, exciting, enjoyable,” etc.”

4. Bake some chocolate chip cookies and pass them out. Homemade cookies say, “I cared enough to take the time to make them.” However, they are easy to bake because you can get the pre-mixed ones in squares at the grocery store, pop them in the oven, and in a few minutes you have a delicious cookie.

5. Good news energizes. Download the “Good News Form” on our web. It is our gift to you. Write some good news about something at work on it, and post it for all to see, or give it to your supervisor, CEO, school principal etc.

Try this for a week, and let me know your results. We love to get feedback.

By Harriet Meyerson, a Speaker, Author and Coach

Attitude, Dating tips, Relationship

How To Get Her To Answer You Online

bk
February 11, 2008

I am asked over and over what I think about online dating. I really have a very strong opinion about online dating: I think it is great as long as you don’t make it your focal point.

It is very time consuming and extremely competitive. Now with that in mind, I also find it a lot of fun. You are bored at home watching television, and you can go shopping for women at anytime of the day. It is like having a Wal-Mart of women available to you day and night. . . Some are even marked down 50% depending on how long they have been on the site.

So, now, how do you distinguish yourself from all the other men that are trying to compete for women’s attention in this Wal-Mart cyber bar?

First, you need to realize that a good-looking woman gets over 100 responses to her profile on her first day on a site. What most men fail to do is to create tension in that first encounter.

Men are lazy and they tend to just cut and paste a canned email to the women. Guys, that is not going to cut it. You need to take control. Create some tension and intrigue, so she feels compelled to write you back and choose you over all the other guys in this cyber bar.

When I work with a client in my bootcamps, I teach him how to be different so when he is around women she will remember him. You need to do the same thing when you’re online.

Before you even write to a woman online, you need to make sure that your profile is fun and light.

-Share a story about one of your favorite things to do.
-Tell what you like to do on weekends.
-Share about your dog or cat.

Be positive and have fun so women can have something to grab onto when they read your profile. Women will read your profile over and over and they will get emotionally attached to what you say in your profile.

Do not put anything negative in your profile. For instance, do not brag about your job. Instead, you can say something like “I am very passionate about what I do for a living and have created an amazing life for myself.”

This will tell her that you are passionate about you . . . and that you would be passionate about her. It is all about creating emotions for her.

As far as pictures go, you need to use current pictures or have current shots taken. Show her who you are.

Don’t put a ten year old picture of yourself up on your profile. That is not going to win a woman over . . . one of the biggest turn-offs for women is a liar. Men try to be the ultimate salesperson, and you cannot win a woman over based upon deceit.

There are plenty of women online. Don’t get all hung up over one of them.

The next issue is what to do when you first contact a woman online. You need to do two things. The first thing is that you have to have a great subject line to intrigue her. Some examples include:

1. “Did you know …”
2. “We need to talk …”
3. “Quick question …”
4. “I see that you …”
5. “Did you hear about last night????”

You need a subject line that makes her want to open the email. Keep in mind that you are one of a hundred guys who are chasing her online, and in order to increase your odds you need to think like a woman. You also need to use the “…” at the end of your subject line so she is intrigued and wondering what is at the end of the “…” inside the email.

Also, for every ten emails you send out, expect only a few responses back . . . those are the odds against which you’re working.

I think I may be one of the only honest people out there in the world of dating. So many dating experts sell you a bill of goods . . . when the reality is that it is purely a numbers game.

The next step is to keep the dialogue interesting and intriguing. Read her profile, and pick out a nugget that you can respond to or on which you can comment.

Let’s say for example she loves taking her dog for a walk on the beach. You could write one of these (one of which is funny and the other is an open-ended question):

1) “I was curious, who picks out the beach for the walk . . . you or the dog??”
2)”What is your dog’s favorite beach for your walks, and what is it’s favorite toy to play with on the beach??”

There is no magic pill to get women to answer you . . . I’ve found that if you lead with a question that shows your interest in them, you will have a far greater response rate.

Once you get the dialogue going, get her number and seal the deal. When she gives you her number, you need to call her that night.

Keep in mind she has picked you and she is anticipating the first date. She has read your profile several times and she is excited about meeting you.

Don’t be a typical guy and wait to call her. If you wait, she will go to Plan B . . . and believe me, she has a Plan B!

Keep dating . . .

Dating Coach, Blogger and Author David Wygant has been featured on more than 2,000 radio and television shows including Dateline, CBS Good Morning, and MTV. Get more sex and dating tips on David’s interactive blog at davidwygant.com

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Attitude, Life

The Power Of Accountability

bk
February 9, 2008

Accountability, according to the definition from dictionary.com, means the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable. Accountability is of utmost importance whether it is in your personal life or in your work life. Recently I have been through a series of unhappy incidents with one of the big banks, ‘C’, from America in Singapore. I was preparing to work oversea and wanted to create an inbound fund transfer (IFT) setup from my other bank. I called up the bank ‘C’ and requested for their help to set up the IFT. First the staff from the bank ‘C’ was answering to my enquires impatiently (but I have to admit that I got rather work up from her responses and started to raise my voice and thus I have to admit that I was at fault too), secondly she said that she would call back and I waited for the whole of the next day for another of their staff to call me back regarding my request.

The interaction with the second staff was much pleasant and she was very much patient towards my enquires. She then asked me for the best time to call me the next day and I reflected that it would be good to catch me in the afternoon. The next day I waited again for the whole afternoon and she only called me back in the night around 10pm. These were not the first experience I had with bank ‘C’. A few months back I had similar experience where their staffs said they will call back and sometimes never did. The reason why I brought up these incidents was to show a typical scenario where accountability is of utmost importance. If bank ‘C’ cannot be accountable for a simple incident like calling back a customer. How can it be accountable for the many transactions and huge amount of money going through it everyday.

I understand that no one is perfect and I am learning to be better person everyday too. One thing that I constantly remind myself; if I make a promise, I will do my best to keep the promise.

Accountability means being held to account, scrutinized, and being required to give an account or explanation of your actions and decisions.

Somewhere in the last half century or so, society as a whole seemed to forget that there was such a thing as personal responsibility or personal accountability. Whether accountability and responsibility disappeared in the rush to claim the almighty dollar as the most important thing in life or whether they disappeared along with morality in favour of “the right of an individual to do whatever they want” is unknown. What is known, however, is that when individuals no longer felt that they were responsible for their own actions, society began to crumble.

Today, when someone does something that they should not do, instead of being made to face the consequences blame is shifted to their parents, the environment or the location where they were raised, their schooling or lack thereof, alcohol, drugs, the government or some other thing. The individual is never held accountable. That is pure crap. If the person is not mentally deficient, then they know the difference between right and wrong. If they know the difference then they also know if they do something that they will have to pay the consequences.

It is time that parents, teachers, religious leaders and the courts start teaching children from an early age that they must take responsibility for their actions and that they are accountable for everything that they do. It may be too late to get adults to realize this, but we can turn things around by ensuring that future generations understand this basic requirement for members of a civilized society.

As a former police officer, I find it strangely ironic that members of the public want to make politicians, public servants and corporate leaders accountable, but they do not want to have to be accountable themselves. They want everything these people do made reportable and examined in every aspect while at the same time they do not want any of their own actions or information to be released to anyone under any circumstances.

Well, that just will not work. The only way that accountability works is when everyone is accountable. And, when everyone is accountable, then accountability becomes very powerful. People working for a company will be accountable to ensure that they do the best job that they can and the company will be accountable to the government for the taxes and licences they must have, to their employees to ensure that they provide a good working environment and good wages and to their share holders for the money that was invested to create the company in the first place.

I for one, would be thrilled to know that when I buy stock in a company that every individual in that company from the CEO down to the janitor is accountable for doing everything in their power to make sure that the company performs at peak efficiency. And, if I was running a business, I would expect that anyone I hired as an employee would be accountable to me to put all of their skills, talents, education and effort into the duties they performed for me every day they were at work. In return, I would be accountable to my employees to be certain that I provided a safe workplace, adequate pay and benefits, proper training and that I would run the company responsibly and in a way that would ensure that it would be sustainable. That is the power of accountability, everyone being answerable to everyone else.

Politicians passing laws making business people accountable while they themselves refuse to be accountable to anyone will not let the power of accountability work like it should. For accountability to work, everyone has to be accountable to someone else.

When I was a child, children were accountable to their parents. Parents were accountable to their children to ensure that they had a place to live, clothes to wear and food to eat, The parents were also accountable to their employer to make sure that they gave 100 percent or more effort to their duties in exchange for a pay cheque. Not only did the power of accountability work well, but it resulted in respect. Employees respected their employers and the employers respected the workers. Children respected their parents, their teachers and authority figures. Most people respected the law and everyone knew that if they broke the law that they would be punished for it.

Recently there have been some high profile cases where company executives have been held accountable for their actions with respect to illegal things they did in relation to running their companies. Some have been jailed and others are awaiting their “day in court.” Unfortunately these attempts to make people accountable have been sporadic at best.

Accountability is powerful because those who acknowledge the reality of living in a civilized society are able to find solutions, suitable to everyone, that shape their destiny and the destiny of society as a whole. Accountability means more than just doing your job. Accountability must become a component of the basic skill set of everyone involved in the competitive enterprise of the future. Accountability cannot and will not become a part of the skill set of future businesses and their employees unless and until they are using records management systems that enable them to conduct their business efficiently and effectively while at the same time fully and accurately documenting each and everything they do.

Also, young people we bring into our organizations must be taught about accountability because most of the time they have not developed that level of maturity when they first enter the workforce. To develop accountability in personnel, you must foster accountability by believing in its power and through your own actions demonstrate that you yourself are accountable. As even the greenest of project managers know, without individual accountability and responsibility, projects will tend to flounder. And, when projects flounder, the company is in trouble.

The crisis in accountability becomes particularly acute when it comes to disclosure of information that is not financial. At a time when many companies crank out reams of quality data, customer satisfaction data, employee satisfaction data, turnaround time data, environmental management data, equal employment data, charitable giving data, employee treatment data and other miscellaneous data, they spend too little time examining how they can use the data for gaining advantages through both internal and external reporting and public accountability. All this information sits in storage somewhere and only comes to light when the company is trying to deflect criticism. The rest of the time it just sits there gathering dust. If you have this information, use it. If you do not have it, why not? People need to see that you are accountable and proud of it.

One of the root causes of the accountability crisis is that many company boards of directors do the bidding of the chief executive, as opposed to having a chief executive who does the bidding of the board of directors. If the CEO is not accountable, and the board of directors has brogated its responsibility by failing to hold the CEO accountable, then the company is, for all intents and purposes, out of control.

As members of a civilized society, each of us has a responsibility to ensure that companies that we work for or hold shares in do not get out of control. The way we can do this is by ensuring that we are accountable for everything that we do and that we hold others accountable for what they should do. In this way, we can get the power of accountability working for all of us and the world will be a much better place because of it.

About the Author: Gilbert Griffiths is an expert self help author. He learned the Ultimate Lifestyle Secrets of the many successful people he dealt with during his professional career. If you would like to learn these Ultimate Lifestyle Secrets go to http://www.rockettosuccess.com and sign up for his free ezine.

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