Words Are Powerful

I am sure you already know that "words are powerful"
But just in case you do not, well let me remind you right here and now that of a truth words are powerful

Listen in

Maya Angelou Speaks On "Words" - Listen To Her

Maya Angelou speaks on "Words" with the oratory only she could muster

Just listen here:     

9 Powerful Phrases Super Positive People Always Say

Positive people see the good in others and give them the benefit of the doubt. Why not be super positive?

It's true that actions speak louder than words, and super positive people know it.

They also know that words are powerful and can be used to make a significant impact in the lives of others.

Therefore, they carefully use the power of words to create genuine connections and lasting relationships with people in their professional and personal lives. 

You can easily spot super positive people by the way they carry themselves and by the way they speak.

You can become a more positive person by starting to practice these phrases that super successful people always say.

1. I admire you

Super positive people are appreciative. They notice the good qualities in people and they say to them "I admire you."

2. You can do it

Super positive people are supportive. They are interested in helping people and they say to them "You can do it."

3. I value you

Super positive people are caring. They make sure people know that they are not taken for granted and say to them "I value you."

4. You can count on me

Super positive people are collaborative. They are aware of the importance of being there for people and they say to them "You can count on me."

5. I believe in you

Super positive people are comforting. They realize that people need to be reassured and they say to them "I believe in you."

6. You are kind

Super positive people are thankful. They acknowledge the good deeds of people and they say to them "You are kind."

7. I trust you

Super positive people are confident. They rest assured relying on people and they say to them "I trust you."

8. You are smart

Super positive people are encouraging. They see the extraordinary things in people and they say to them "You are smart."

9. I'm sorry

Super positive people are courageous. They are prompt to apologize to people and they say to them "I'm sorry."

It is important to take note that super successful people are highly genuine in what they say--and what they do as well.

They do not say things superficially because it is not part of who they are.

They embrace being genuine and this is what distinguishes them from the crowd.

http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/9-powerful-phrases-super-positive-people-always-say.html

5 Things Successful People Do Each Morning

1.      They wake up early

Many successful professionals and political figures, from Square CEO Jack Dorsey to the U.K.’s former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, believe in an early start to the day.  

If you’re a self-proclaimed night owl, consider taking this seven-day challenge set by Fast Company’s Rachel Gillett.

Click on the following link to find out what happened when Rachel and her readers woke up ‘insanely early’ for one week.

2.      They make time to exercise

Exercising, even for as little as 30 minutes each morning, can make a world of difference throughout your workday.

In fact, when you exercise in the morning, your metabolism gets triggered and remains elevated for hours, helping you feel energized throughout the day.

Carve out time in the morning, before your workday begins, to get in your workout.  C

an’t be bothered with the gym? Check out this 30-minute workout from Health.com.

3.      They eat a healthy breakfast

This one should be a no-brainer by now. Scientists and successful professionals alike have been lauding the benefits of a good breakfast for decades.

Breakfast provides the nutrients and energy needed to jump-start your day after fasting for six to ten hours overnight.

Willpower is also at its highest in the morning, so choosing a healthy breakfast sets the tone for the decisions made during the rest of the day.

 Strapped for time? Prep your food the night before, and try out one of these 34 healthy breakfasts for busy mornings.

4.      They meditate

According to the Huffington Post, meditation helps lower stress levels, improve cognitive functioning, creative thinking and productivity, and can even improve your physical health.

Because of this, many corporate leaders are finding that meditation helps them deal with the stress and pace of their high-pressure roles.

Cisco System’s Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, Padmasree Warrior, told the New York Times that meditation “is like a reboot for your brain and soul.”

By taking a few minutes to meditate each morning, you can set your mind and body up for success during the rest of the day.

Check out this list of top meditation apps for your iPhone or Android to learn how to get started.

5.      They visualize their day

Benjamin Franklin had it right: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” [TWEET]

Successful people tend to be notorious list-makers and planners.

Spend a few minutes in the morning mapping out the rest of the day, and which projects are most important to complete.

Prioritize these and get them done early in the day when your willpower is still high.

Think about how this day fits into your larger goals in life, and visualize what it will be like to get there.

Realizing your larger life goals helps keep your motivation high as you perform your least-favorite tasks. 

http://info.theladders.com/career-advice/what-successful-people-do-each-morning?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_535468

 

The Power Of Starting With 'Yes'

Written By:   Tony Schwartz

The Power of Starting With ‘Yes’

I once served on a committee led by a powerful woman. She had strong views, but what I remember most is that whenever I spoke, she nodded her head vigorously and affirmatively.

Over time, I learned that her nodding didn’t mean she necessarily agreed with me. Even so, I always sensed that she was listening closely and carefully considering what I had to say.

Today I make my living in part by speaking to large groups. Instinctively, I find myself scanning the audience for beacons of affirmation — people whose positive body language makes me feel valued and energized.

 If I happen to alight on someone shaking his head negatively or looking distracted or bored, I feel a lurch in my stomach and a surge of defensiveness.

As I write this column, my two dogs have been lying quietly near my desk. I just conducted a little experiment with them.

First, I said a single word – “Yes” – with unbridled enthusiasm. The dogs leapt to their feet, their tails wagging, and raced over to me.

Next I said “No,” firmly. Both dogs looked down and slunk away. I felt as bad as they did.

“No” is first and foremost a fear response, most useful in situations of genuine danger.

 It’s something you say instinctively and protectively to a 3-year-old when he’s about to pull a lamp off a table and onto himself or to a 15-year-old who announces she’s planning to take up cliff jumping.

In situations like those, the instinct to say “no” serves us well.

The psychologist Roy Baumeister refers to this phenomenon as “bad is stronger than good.” In a paper with the same title, he writes, “Organisms that were better attuned to bad things would have been more likely to survive threats. Survival requires urgent attention to possible bad outcomes, but it is less urgent with regard to good ones.”

There is a difference, however, between surviving and thriving. Because our survival is no longer under constant threat, many more of us have the opportunity to focus on thriving.

The problem with “no” as a starting place is that it polarizes, prompts defensiveness and shuts down innovation, collaboration and connection.

The psychologist and researcher John Gottman has famously found that when the ratio of positive to negative interactions in a marriage falls below five to one, divorce is far more likely.

Negativity, in short, can be potent poison, and its effects are long lasting and often pernicious.

By contrast, starting with “yes” energizes, creates safety and trust and fuels creativity.

I learned this viscerally during an improvisation workshop, run by the Magnet Theater, at a recent company offsite meeting.

One of the basic tenets of improvisational comedy, it turns out, is to start with “yes” — and even more specifically with “yes and.”

When you work with someone in a scene, your challenge is to resist disputing, challenging, or negating whatever your fellow actor says, and instead embrace, work with and build on it.

What I realized quickly was how good it felt to say “Yes and,” and how much more smoothly it made the scene move forward.

So why does “no” so frequently remain the default response in the workplace?

Partly, it’s a primitive survival-of-the-fittest instinct.

If someone else suggests an idea and your response is an affirming “Yes,” or even “Yes and,” then she may get credit and you may not.

But defending our own value by diminishing the value of others eventually ends up costing us — and not just because it antagonizes others.

Not long ago, while working with a team of senior executives, I introduced an exercise that fell outside their expertise and comfort zone.

I knew from experience that all of them were fully capable of mastering the task if they were simply willing to look at the problem in front of them in a fresh way.

Many of them did exactly that, but several fell short. When they finished, I suggested to one of those who struggled that I could help him complete the exercise successfully. His answer was a flat “no.”

 I’m pretty persuasive, but I could not convince him to give my approach a try.

“I just can’t do that,” he told me. “Never could, never will.”

When “no” becomes a dominant voice in our heads, it acts like an autoimmune disease, shutting down our own possibilities.

When a leader starts with “no,” he shuts down others.

 At an emotional level, the word “no” translates as “I don’t value what you’re saying,” and “I don’t trust you.” Fear, anger or resignation set in, all of which kill creativity, increase distrust and discourage engagement.

Like any strengths, receptivity and positivity — the expressions of “starting with yes” — eventually become liabilities if they are overused.

They can turn into indulgence and lack of standards. But starting with yes doesn’t necessarily mean ending with yes, as I learned in that committee many years ago.

Starting with yes signals interest and respect. Ever since our company offsite meeting, I’ve made it a regular practice in meetings to seek opportunities to say yes.

I don’t always agree with everything I’m hearing, but I can almost always embrace some aspect of an idea being presented and build on that.

The unmistakable and welcome consequence is that it feels as if we’re all in it together.

The intelligence of the group invariably exceeds the sum of its parts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/18/business/dealbook/the-power-of-starting-with-yes.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Flife-at-work