Good Conversation Question from ZITS
August 6th, 2010Are You at the Mercy of Your Telephone?
August 1st, 2010
by Tracey E. Bennett, Queen of Conversation
Use The Law of Attraction to make your telephone conversations more productive.
Ring! Ring!!
Thank the goddess for caller ID. You've been waiting for this call. You need to talk to Ms. Brooks, but you're not ready. What do you do, pick up the phone or risk missing out? No, wait, You HAVE to answer this call. How can you make the most of it?
There is a third way to handle the call. It puts you firmly in control of this opportunity because you're going to put the Law of Attraction to work for you.
First you answer the telephone:
"Hi, this is Tracey." When Ms. Brooks identifies herself, you say, "Thanks for calling. I'm eager to talk to you. Can you hold on for a second, please?"
…and then you say to yourself, What is it that I most want to achieve in this conversation? I want to uplift the other person. I want to be understood. I want the other person to understand me, and I want the other to be positively influenced in the direction of my desire. Indeed, I want the other to be stimulated and excited by my words. Indeed, I want this to be a successful conversation. Then, when you come back on the line, you have prepaved [the way to a successful outcome]. And now, that other one will respond to you much more in accordance with your desire than if you had not taken the time.
- Esther and Jerry Hicks, The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham
When you're the caller, you pick the time that's right for you. When you're the callee, you don't have that luxury. But you don't have to be at the caller's mercy. This exercise of segment intending helps you
- clarify what you want
- focus on it
- draw power to it, and
- build your confidence
Can you use segment intending with each part of your day? You bet! I use it to keep myself safe and happy while surfing, to ensure my well being while driving, and lots of other times. Try it.
I look forward to reading your comments.
A New Pledge of Allegiance for the 4th of July Weekend
July 5th, 2010by David Ault © 2004
I pledge allegiance to breaking the self-imposed barriers of my humanness. I recognize that my time on this planet is precious and limited. Every day is a canvas on which I can create. Everyday is an opportunity for me to move in the direction of the dreams and the expanded vision I feel inside. By setting aside petty grievances, past mistakes, righteous anger and my broken story, I pledge to move forward and embrace the experience of freedom right here and right now.
I pledge allegiance to the expression of my spiritual honesty. I fully own the fact that my presence here in this body and on this earth is a celebration of uniqueness and importance. Creation makes no mistakes. I am a creation of life, of a higher power, of perfection. My reason for being here matters in the grand divine plan. I must be honest with my contract of life and walk the path of my destiny with conviction, purpose and grace.
I pledge allegiance to the quiet soldier within. I understand that the championing spirit that is already cellularly alive inside of me, that was already in place at the time of my birth, waits patiently for my current belief about myself to join it in its knowing. I march forward towards a history of my own making, wisely, lovingly choosing the means by which I spread my beliefs and convictions. I never make others wrong for their chosen path for I recognize the innumerable roads that lead to the One.
I pledge allegiance to a partnership with divinity. I choose to see others and myself from eyes that already view the wholeness and perfection within. I do not entertain our past damage or encourage us to identify with it for I trust that a grander calling card has been printed for us to distribute in promoting our lives. I champion all of us to celebrate what is working rather than what isn’t.
I pledge allegiance to wise discernment – knowing when to speak and when to remain quiet, knowing when to comfort and when to leave alone, knowing when to intervene and when to avoid rescuing and interfering.
I pledge allegiance to people and projects of substance. I cannot travel this road alone. If there is anything we as a species need, it is each other. I actively choose to support those whose work I believe in with my time, talent and treasure. I joyously give to those whose intention and purpose is for self-empowerment and the awakening of humanity to its personal magnificence. I rally to make others aware of such light bearers and do what I can to support them in furthering their vision.
I pledge allegiance to the freedom from comparison. I once and for all lay down my wearisome, stale beliefs of unworthiness and not being good enough. I know that my past does not define who I am. I am forever evolving, growing and learning. I recognize that I am a marvel. I now choose opportunities to let my voice be heard; to let my light shatter the darkness of futility so that every personal dream is explored.
I pledge allegiance in knowing that things are not always as they seem. Just because something can’t be seen with the physical eye or rationalized by our current mode of understanding does not negate its existence. Understanding the difference between reality and illusion, I move into a fuller acceptance of the non-physical – the mystical, intuitive, soul aspect of living that expands my consciousness and deepens my days.
I pledge allegiance to actions that fulfill the greatest good for all. By becoming a gatekeeper of compassion, tolerance and love, I move into a fuller conviction of pure intent with regard to the words that I speak and the choices that I make. I pursue a win-win in all activities of life.
I pledge allegiance to those who have gone before me, the ancestral lineage whose courage, sacrifice and conviction still live in my bones. I honor the privileges given to me today because of the sweat from their pioneering efforts and the fortitude of their convictions. I give thanks for my responsibility in creating the same for future generations.
I pledge allegiance to a love that has no agenda. I no longer choose to give for what I might get, to manipulate in order to control, to abandon before I can be abandoned, to tolerate because there are seemingly no other options. I choose to love as a way of being. I am content in my choice whether outside circumstances respond or not. In being love, I create fulfillment above and beyond what the human condition can provide.
I pledge allegiance to the sacredness of laughter, knowing that the greatest healing force that exists reverberates from the vibration of this holy and irreplaceable gift. I allow humor, joy and eruptions of laughter to make their home in my heart. I let my physical body respond to the sacred stimulus and biological wonder that laughter creates and vow to keep this attribute alive and thriving all the days of my life.
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- What parts of this pledge speak loudly to you?
- Would you care to add any pledges of your own?
- If you’re in a relationship, especially a new one, I dare you to create a pledge to each other. Feel free to adapt David’s beautiful thoughts. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. Make it a work in progress.
The Secret of Leadership Is Not What You Think
June 25th, 2010by Tracey E. Bennett, Queen of Conversation
How often do you do stuff you don’t want to do? Does your partner drag you to parties? Does your boss insist you attend meetings? Are you miserable, or do you make the best of it?
I have discovered that much nervousness and anxiety is caused by mentally trying to Read the rest of this entry »
Memorial Day – Take a Vet to Lunch and Listen to His Story
May 30th, 2010
by Tracey E. Bennett, Queen of Conversation
A homeless guy was standing by the stoplight. His scrawled sign said, "Will work for food." I scoped out nearby restaurants, then asked him, "Are you hungry?"
"Yes."
"OK, meet me at Cracker Barrel in 10 minutes. I’ll buy you lunch."
As we waited for his meal, I sized him up. He looked like a boomer like me, so I started the conversation by asking, "Were you in Vietnam?"
"Yes. I nearly died there."
I was all ears. "Tell me more. Did you have a near-death experience?" Read the rest of this entry »
“How Was Your Trip?” and other Conversation Questions
May 7th, 2010I hear this question a lot since I returned from 3 weeks in the Bahamas and Florida. The best part was a 6-night kayaking and camping adventure with family.
We paddled through mangroves, sailed across stingray flats, snorkeled around elkhorn coral and bluehead wrasses, scooped up sand dollars, swapped poems by firelight, and wished on shooting stars. My tribe nicknamed me Potcake.
Oh, it wasn’t all glorious: a scorpion Read the rest of this entry »
Conversation Questions About Passover and Easter
April 3rd, 2010
by Tracey E. Bennett
- Describe your family’s spring holiday traditions. What was your role in preparations?
- What foods do you associate with this season?
- Have you taken part in religious traditions other than your own? What was that like?
Last week I peeled apples and potatoes, plucked parsley from the yard, scrubbed pots and a pan or three, placed matzoh on 3 tables, and helped my cousin Cat cook a seder for 24 people. It was a 3-day job; but with 3 helpers, she finished 3 hours early with Read the rest of this entry »
Witty Insults
March 8th, 2010"He had delusions of adequacy."
- Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."
- Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."
- Clarence Darrow
"I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent Read the rest of this entry »
Show Up at the Door and Wag Your Tail, too.
March 3rd, 2010
by Tracey E. Bennett, Queen of Conversation
Does your first impression measure up at home? When your loved ones step in the door, do you stop what you’re doing and greet them? Do you make them feel important and valued?
Let’s take a hint from Read the rest of this entry »
Olympic Ice Dancers Know How to Make a Great First Impression
February 24th, 2010
by Tracey E. Bennett
Do first impressions count in Olympic ice dancing? Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won my heart from the get-go. Before the first note of their music, even before they positioned their skates on the ice, my heart melted. I awarded them the gold.
Why?
Did you SEE the way he Read the rest of this entry »