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Articles from Valencia Ray | Selfgrowth.com
- Our Environment is Not the Only Thing that Changes – So Do You - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2012 from Valencia RayChange and transformation are happening in business and society at large, like it or not. We human beings are constantly changing, even at the level of our body’s cellular biology; yet vast numbers of people try to hold on to “just the way we are/I am” to avoid personal growth. When something ...
Views: 1102 - How Do You Feel About Joy, Meaning, and Worth? - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2012 from Valencia RayTrue potential is a challenge to uncover if you are out of touch with what is the most misrepresented and misunderstood aspects of being human – feelings. Research findings indicate that feelings (heart) are 5,000 more magnetic energy than that of thought (brain). When the mind and heart are ...
Views: 1212(1 vote) - Reaching True Potential Requires Self-Trust - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2012 from Valencia RayReaching true potential is easier said than done. We’ve conditioned our brain and mind to trust outside of our self. Once I garnered the courage to color outside the boundaries of what I was informed from those around me to be true, I really began to grow. Here’s the catch: I had to learn to ...
Views: 976(1 vote) - Peace of Mind and Adaptability to Change Depends on HOW You See - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2012 from Valencia RayInnovation, adapting to change, and peace of mind depend not on what you see, but how you see it. Here are some tips to help you shorten your to-do list, increase your clarity, and decrease your overwhelm. Let’s look at work. There is so much busyness and “doing” that it has gotten out of ...
Views: 887 - Gratitude Today Keeps the Doctor Away - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2012 from Valencia RayWork and life balance is central to health, real wealth, and enjoyable relationships. Gratitude and appreciation are apparently little known secret ingredients to what everyone is really seeking: inner peace, meaning, and joy. Then we can “in joy” our efforts and monetary results and use money ...
Views: 1141 - Focus on the Core Four for More Effective Productivity - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2012 from Valencia RayEffective productivity comes from managing our energy, not our time. Time is a construct, and everyone gets the same amount every day. The issue is not how much time as much as it is how much energy and how you are using and renewing. Energy is the capacity to do work. When we re-energize the ...
Views: 1002 - Is It Truly Visionary Leadership, or Are We Just Waking Up? - by Submitted on Jun 12, 2012 from Valencia RayLeadership and vision are things I’ve been dealing with all of my life on different levels: from student government and asking questions that irritated those around me and questioned the status quo, to literally growing up and becoming an entrepreneur and eye surgeon before selling my practice. ...
Views: 1326(1 vote) - Innovation: The Power of “How” - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2012 from Valencia RayInnovation can happen in a “Two-Degree Shift,” meaning the answer you seek could be right in your face… if you could only perceive it! Have you ever heard the old adage, “If it was a snake it would have bit me?” (meaning what you were looking for was right in front of you, but you did not see ...
Views: 1158(1 vote) - Innovation: Do You “In-Joy” Your Work? - by Submitted on May 29, 2012 from Valencia RayToday, let's talk about an innovative idea: "in-joy" your work by bringing joy to your work instead of seeking to extract joy from your work. Stop looking for joy and happiness in all the wrong places. What is a "wrong place"? Anything that is outside of yourself. Creativity is already within ...
Views: 1210(1 vote) - Diversity and Inclusion Begins at the CORE - by Submitted on May 21, 2012 from Valencia RayDiversity as a consulting arena was not something I was attracted to historically—until now. I notice that it too often seems to be only representation, which is better than nothing, or somewhat anyway. Just to have physical bodies in a room is really not creating a culture of inclusion and ...
Views: 1610 - Set your Mindset for Success Instead of Sabotage - by Submitted on May 15, 2012 from Valencia RayThe mindset “not good enough” or “not enough” is blamed on our brain as if it is the brain’s fault. There’s a great reason why you want to take responsibility for this and not once again blame it on something you think you cannot control. The reason is you are not likely to change what you ...
Views: 1314(3 votes) - Innovation Requires Courage to Confront Reality - by Submitted on May 08, 2012 from Valencia Ray“Innovation,” “Collaborative Leadership,” and “Trust” are three terms I’m seeing tossed around quite a bit in the articles and books I’m coming across. I agree that we are in need of change—in fact, transformation—but what I’m not seeing much of is how to confront reality. What does it take to ...
Views: 3065(1 vote) - Team Building: Meaning Motivates - by Submitted on May 01, 2012 from Valencia RayTeam building is too often looked upon as “some things” to do instead of “some ones” to become. Teams are composed of people, not parts like a machine. In fact, it is time to stop treating your body and life as parts, somehow separated into bits and pieces. If we only use our left-brain mental ...
Views: 1527 - The Power of Vulnerability is Fear-Less - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2012 from Valencia RayLack of vulnerability is one reason why team relationships are so dysfunctional. The lack of trust leads to people putting on their “persona” (the root word in ‘personality’) masks. In our culture, vulnerability is confused with the concept of weakness. I’ve got news for you—vulnerability is ...
Views: 1071(1 vote) - Leadership is an Affair of the Heart and Mind - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2012 from Valencia RayCollaborative Leadership is a partnership between the head and the heart, or the mind and the heart. It begins at this level before you can collaborate with other people. Gone are the days when people were willing to be dominated and controlled. I’m not saying that fear can no longer be used ...
Views: 1319(1 vote) - 5 Tips to Boost Brain Power and Productivity - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2012 from Valencia RayAchieving business success requires more than collecting advanced degrees and learning sales and marketing strategies. These things are useful, but we are so ‘dis-integrated’ in our thinking these days that we miss the forest (the big picture) because we are so busy trying to cut down trees ...
Views: 1224 - Not Enough Time? Change Your Focus - by Submitted on Apr 03, 2012 from Valencia RayProductivity needs to be defined as accomplishing goals and dreams, not simply being ‘so busy’. In fact, if you keep talking about how busy and time-poor you are, you will likely waste time and energy. Why? Because talking about it is revealing that you are focused on lack of time instead of ...
Views: 1290 - 3 Clear Steps to Radically Change Your Life for the Better Today - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2012 from Valencia RayCollaborative leadership, networking, team building and communication skills are all considered valuable and vital to business success in the evolving workplace. Typically, when a person decides that he or she wants to learn skill sets related to these areas, they proceed to learn techniques. ...
Views: 1493 - How You React or Respond to Crisis Can Make or Break Your Life - by Submitted on Mar 20, 2012 from Valencia RayYour true potential will be elusive if you are fearful of change. In fact, if you want to expand the vision for your life, you will have to stop looking for the status quo. Most people have warning signs that they need to move on before things get to the point of crisis. Yet they tend to react ...
Views: 1116 - Happiness Helps Your Business – and Health – Bottom Line - by Submitted on Mar 13, 2012 from Valencia RayHappiness is a perception that is subject to how one sees life, how one interprets their circumstances. Brain research essentially shows we create our reality by assigning the meaning to our lives. Research shows that our ability to create and manage positive emotions is one of the foundations ...
Views: 1102 - Does Leadership Really Have a Gender? - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2012 from Valencia RayThe topic of leadership is being discussed online more than ever these days, or perhaps it’s just that I’m paying more attention now. Since we are undergoing rapid change in our social institutions, the need for real leadership is more urgent than ever before in my lifetime. I’ve noticed more ...
Views: 1143 - I Believe What I Believe Until… - by Submitted on Feb 28, 2012 from Valencia RayI believe what I believe until I change my mind. Seasons change. And you have a birthright and choice to change yours too when it is expedient to do so. It’s not about what you believe as right or wrong as much as it is expanding your sense of self-actualization (as Maslow would have said), ...
Views: 994 - Self-Acceptance and Confidence Make Business Networking Easier - by Submitted on Feb 21, 2012 from Valencia RayFace it—social networking is not a new concept; it’s ancient. Human beings are social creatures and in-person contact cannot be replaced in its entirety by online social networking. I’ve thought about this before, and today I read an article in Fast Company on the topic. Skype is certainly ...
Views: 945 - Going Through Hell? – Keep Going! - by Submitted on Feb 13, 2012 from Valencia RayEmotions are contagious, and how you focus your attention can either keep you stuck on how you feel or switch gears to where you want to go. It is our attention that is sitting in the driver’s seat of our mind. Most people seem not to know this. They think that if they keep talking about ...
Views: 1028 - Self-Love and Compassion Are Good For You – Finally Some Research! - by Submitted on Feb 06, 2012 from Valencia RaySelf-love and compassion are things I have intermittently blogged about for three years now. I typically include the disclaimer that I’m not referring to “narcissism” or “conceit” because, believe it or not, that’s the way it is defined in some reference dictionaries! Finally, some research for ...
Views: 885 - Leading Change: Emotion Can Make or Break the Best Laid Logic - by Submitted on Jan 30, 2012 from Valencia RayLeading change can be tricky because not only does it take courage to innovate, it takes courage to breach subjects that make “stuck” cultures… well, stuck! There has been a tacit agreement in business culture to avoid addressing emotion/feelings at all costs. Yet, it is this very issue that ...
Views: 923 - Self-Love is Narcissism; Really? - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2012 from Valencia RaySelf-love gets a bum rap. Why? It’s because of the way we define it as a culture, and since “perception is reality,” we start to believe that this is “just the way life is.” I looked up the definition of “self-love” on Dictionary.com, and it is defined as: 1. the instinct by which one’s ...
Views: 868 - The Rarely Traveled Path to Likeability - by Submitted on Jan 17, 2012 from Valencia RayLikeability is good for your relationship health. I’m reading “The Likeability Factor” by Tim Sanders, and he also gives lots of WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) reasons why one should choose to be likeable. It will impact your health, wealth and relationships — the “big three” for most people. I’m ...
Views: 885 - The Courage to Stare Down Fear - by Submitted on Jan 10, 2012 from Valencia RayThe courage to stare down fear requires more than meets the eye. In fact, if you keep your focus and attention on what scares you, you will feel more afraid. Yet, you will need to face your fear, name your fear, and then tap into your spiritual power of courage. Courage is not of the head; it’s ...
Views: 1152 - Transforming Your Business Starts with Transforming YOU - by Submitted on Jan 03, 2012 from Valencia RayTransformation feels scary. Why? It is mostly because we’ve been conditioned unwittingly to think of change as “life threatening.” Granted, we have an instinct for survival wired into our brain, yet we have a greater authority – conscious choice – that can temper the violence of this ...
Views: 1025 - Ready, Fire – Got Aim? - by Submitted on Dec 27, 2011 from Valencia RayBefore you do another thing, are you clear about where you are going and why? We’ve become a society of frantic doers, not taking the time to reflect and get clear before taking massive action. And even when we do create a strategy, it is often in the old way of thinking, and so our plans have ...
Views: 1084 - The Real Root of All Evil - by Submitted on Dec 20, 2011 from Valencia RayThe real root of all evil is not money; it’s lack of self-acceptance. By the way, even the Bible doesn’t say it’s money. There it says the “love of money” and love as used in the proper translation would be “lust” or attachment – in other words, greed. This is where lack of self-acceptance comes ...
Views: 1140 - 3 Practical Spirituality Tips for Daily Earth Living - by Submitted on Dec 12, 2011 from Valencia RayPractical spirituality is essential to live a whole, healthy, and integrated lifestyle. Your spirit/soul is actually the source of your “consciousness,” the root of your awareness, and the spark of life that is the core, real YOU. If you ignore it, it can negatively impact your overall wellness, ...
Views: 890 - Want More Personal Power? Feel Into It! - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2011 from Valencia RayPersonal power is something that many people think they can “get” by controlling or manipulating others. Actually, power comes from “being” personal power. It’s a quality of radiance. I would not call power over others, personal power. I see that as mere force, based in scarcity and fear ...
Views: 965 - Innovation: Why We Need It, Want It, and Fear It - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2011 from Valencia RayInnovation is a hot topic right now. The search is on for the next new thing, the new business frontier. We certainly do need to innovate, as our infrastructure appears to be falling apart. We need to make changes in how we “think life is,” for one thing. Survival of the fittest is only a ...
Views: 1232 - Own Your Magnificence and Stop Playing Small - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2011 from Valencia RayGreatness, magnificence, and brilliance – do you realize that these are words that really refer to your unique “Self”? Then why do we tend to feel so uncomfortable applying these words to our self? For that matter, we tend to only apply them to other people, after they have died. Van Gogh, ...
Views: 1246 - If You’re Not Afraid… - by Submitted on Nov 18, 2011 from Valencia RayYou are not growing. Growth will take you into the unknown. Why is growth so scary? The most likely reason for many, many people is that they are conditioned unconsciously to fear change. This is rooted in perception. It is not a universal law that human beings must function this way. You ...
Views: 1203 - Purposeful Living: Clarify and Distinguish Vision from Mission - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2011 from Valencia RayOur life purpose platform needs to be built on a foundation built upon the rock of our truth, who we feel (with heart) we are, not just who we “think” (head) we are. Belief is based more in a sense of feeling, not thinking, actually. I’ve discovered the hard way, that allowing society and ...
Views: 1034(1 vote) - The Authentic You: What, Who, and Why it Matters - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2011 from Valencia RayAuthenticity and personal power are linked. Authenticity is something I’m hearing or reading about quite a bit these days. What is authenticity, who is the authentic you, and why does it matter to your life? Authenticity is about mind with heart congruity, which leads to integrity, honesty, ...
Views: 1182(1 vote) - Women in Business: Secrets Revealed from the Soul of Money - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2011 from Valencia RayWomen-owned businesses have been the fastest growing segment of new start-up entrepreneurial endeavors. I’m glad to see this, as I’ve been a professional and an entrepreneur for many (yes, many) years now. I have found being an entrepreneur takes a special kind of courage, and it can be an ...
Views: 1182 - The Power of Networking: Heart, Lies, and Videotapes - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2011 from Valencia RayNetworking and personal power are vital to growing your business and being a successful leader. This is true whether you are a one-person business, a professional, or a corporate leader running a billion-dollar business. Nowadays, this is truer than ever. We have systematically been taught in ...
Views: 1033(2 votes) - Visioning by Design: What’s the Difference Between Thinking and Believing? - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Valencia RayLaw of Attraction is tied to what I call “visioning by design.” Visioning by design is applicable to your business or to your personal life. As an eye surgeon, vision has always been near and dear to my heart in the literal sense, and as someone who has always had an interest in personal growth ...
Views: 975 - 3 Feelings That Can Harm Your Health and the Health of Your Dreams - by Submitted on Oct 09, 2011 from Valencia RayPersonal power is not often linked to the types of feelings that we have. In fact, most people would rather not acknowledge their feelings at all, which is unfortunate as research has shown that the magnetic energy of feelings is 5,000 times greater than that of thought. Our culture ...
Views: 1032 - Releasing your Creativity May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s - by Submitted on Sep 27, 2011 from Valencia RayCreativity and intuition are both right brain hemisphere qualities that have been ignored and disrespected for generations now. Finally, thanks to neuroscience research the importance of respecting the contributions of both of our brain hemispheres is coming into vogue. I have advocated trusting ...
Views: 1521 - 3 Steps to Deal with that Perfectionistic Inner Critic - by Submitted on Sep 23, 2011 from Valencia RayPerfectionism will reduce your personal power and effectiveness. I used to take pride in saying I was a “perfectionist” until I started to realize WHY I was a perfectionist. Truth was, I felt insecure and “making a mistake” pushed my “not good enough” button that I was doing my best to conceal. ...
Views: 1130 - Personal Power: Is 'Shame on You' Still Holding You Back? - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2011 from Valencia RayShame and guilt are two feelings that not only limit one’s sense of personal power – they can also subtly cause things like procrastination and fear of “getting out there” in our business. . Shame is a feeling connected to your sense of identity, who you think you are, whereas guilt is not ...
Views: 776 - Feminine Power: What Is It and Is It Female? - by Submitted on Mar 22, 2011 from Valencia RayI’ve read several articles on feminine power recently and I’ve seen groups formed online with feminine power as the title. I even participate in one on Facebook. The Dalai Lama has been quoted as saying, “the western woman will save the world”. So, is feminine power limited to women? I don’t ...
Views: 1293 - Mindset Matters: Are You Producing Results or Just Doing Too Much? - by Submitted on Mar 18, 2011 from Valencia RayResults matter to your life’s bottom line. Accomplishment vs Doing: They are not the same thing. You can accomplish more by doing less if you have clarity and focus, which comes from a quiet and clear mind. There’s no denying that actions still speaks louder than words. There are a lot of ...
Views: 868 - The Paradox of Declining Happiness in Women - by Submitted on Mar 11, 2011 from Valencia RayI came across a study by Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers in the American Economic Journal: the link is at the end of this post. The conclusion was essentially that women are not happier despite educational gains, social status and higher levels of economic power; in fact maybe they are less ...
Views: 981 - Is Your Mindset Causing You to Disintegrate (Dis-Integrate)? - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Valencia RayUnderstanding mindset as the root of what causes your outcomes in life can be a tricky thing as its operation is often out of our awareness. One of the reasons it is so easy to overlook the connection between how we think and feel and the results that we get in life is because we are so not ...
Views: 973(1 vote)