Wednesday, January 23, 2008

What do I mean by the art of thinking? It may seem that powerful thinking should simply be logical, and nothing more. halloweentablecloth. The ideal thinker then, might be Spock, the "Vulcan" in the "Star Trek" television show and movies. apitreestands, savannahhome. Of course, if you watch the program, you may recall that the humans aboard the spaceship had most of the solutions and new ideas. celebritybabyblog. Spock only knew how to analyze.
The most useful processes of thought need to do more than run a "logic program." After all, we need to choose what to think about, and we also sometimes need new ways to think about things. ultrasoundphysics, harrisburdick. These tasks are not a matter of applying logic, but of choosing values and pursuing them creatively.
This is where the art of thinking comes into play. paradefloatidea, pacificyurts, hobbyrubberstamps. A definition of art: "Disciplines, or those parts of disciplines, which do not rely solely on the scientific method." This includes such arts as economic forecasting and psychological therapy, which might someday rely solely on the scientific method. spidercostume, acnehelp, sanitariumhealth. However, at the moment neither these nor thinking can be described, taught, or practiced solely as a scientific method.
To understand this it might help to use another art as a metaphor. clipperbladesharpening, breederscuptickets, topgamblingrules. Painting, for example, can shed some light on thinking. inkinkjetprinter, derektrucks. The goal is to express something on canvas. supermaniii. You start with the paints, brushes, palettes and other tools. marijuanaforum, gloryglory, canningsupplies. But all the best tools aren't enough.
You need to learn how to paint. catpajamas, vintagepantie, estaterealtexas. You learn to draw, and perhaps learn the geometry of creating perspective in a scene. mlsnorthcarolina, mergerandacquisition. You learn how to mix the colors and how to show light reflecting. electronbeam, heidihawking, pokerbetting. This is the science of painting.
The tools and science still aren't enough, though. bobafett, lifescience. You need to practice, so you paint again and again to learn how to best get various effects. avenueparis. Then, with the tools, the knowledge, and the practice, you are ready to create something new of your own. mouthguards. Perhaps. californiafacelift, thejaguar, italiansodas. Of course there is nothing in your painting books that says, "This is what you want to say with your painting." Here, the "art" enters. breastaugmentationct, webdomain, mingleschool. First, you choose according to your values what you will paint.
Then you find a way to express yourself creatively. chakraart, butterflyweddinginvitation. You rely on your intuition to show something new, some unique perspective that means something to you (and hopefully others).
How do you know how well you did? First, the painting either makes sense to you or it doesn't. ucboulder. Second, it makes sense to others, or not. bamelementskateboard, lasvegaswynn. Of course, some won't appreciate a good painting, but if nobody sees the value in your painting, it isn't likely that they are all aesthetically "blind." Feedback matters, because painting is not just about expressing yourself, but also about communicating your vision to others.
Painting With Thoughts
Want to improve your art of thinking? Start with better tools. trashhauling, foxconnmotherboard. Just as a better paintbrush can help produce a better painting, better reasoning skills, or more observation, or more experience can lead to more useful, valuable, and even beautiful thoughts. mrsdashseasoning, sandiegoblepharoplasty. Your intuition, which guides you in the use of these other tools, should be developed. vivitarlens, scrapbookborders. But good tools are not enough.
You need knowledge. manutenzionepiscine, chewableglucosaminechondroitin. Knowing more things gives you more options in combining those things into new ideas. religioustapestry, cartracker, legitimatework. Practice gives you more skill in doing this as well. lugolsiodine. Expand the base of your knowledge then, and practice thinking of new ideas. kenwatanabe. But tools, knowledge and practice are still not enough.
Like a painter, you need to start with your values to decide where to apply your thinking. separatingfunnel, amplifierinstallation, gerardwayinterview. What is worth thinking about? Then you need to look at your thoughts and ask if they make sense. acuratlparts, narutoalive. You also need to throw them out there into the public sphere - at least among friends - to see if they make sense to others. downloadwordprocessor. Do at least some people understand the picture you are painting with your words?
By the way, talking to others is a form of thinking (at least it can be). hurricanepreparation. Just as the communication between the various parts of your brain creates new ideas, so does the interplay of two minds in a conversation. hipaasecurity, jobfinder. Good conversation can be an important part of the art of thinking.
What else? Like a painter, you should experiment. helixwaterdistrict, hookahbarnyc. You should mix those "paints" up differently from time to time, just to see what you get. honeymoonvacations, sierrahoylegame. You should try a new type of canvas (think on paper, in poetry, in stories?), or a new subject matter.
You should watch the process of your own thoughts, learn from it, and adapt accordingly. bidday, buccaneersbilliardfelt. Much of what you learn will be at a level below consciousness. customprintedribbon. To use this, even as you guide your thoughts consciously, you have to allow for the intuitive as well. ontariomoosehunt, leadacidbattery, waterproofingconsultants. It is in this interplay between the conscious and unconscious that the art of thinking really blossoms.
Copyright Steve Gillman. gazpachorecipes, billiardroomaccessory, dialindicators. For more on How To Increase Brain Power, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit:
http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com


Training Courses
Continuing professional development has grown to form an important part of staff development and employee retention. sevenyearsacoustic, lsattest. For many potential recruits and employees, the presence of a recognised and effective staff training programme has become a key factor in attracting and retaining employees to an organisation. candlestickcharting. A major decision when designing training courses is obviously the content, however you neglect venue selection at your peril.
Deciding where to hold your training courses requires a great deal of care and thought, not least as the investment in the training programme tends to be high in both direct expense and the opportunity costs/benefits that arise from implementing a training programme. crapemyrtle, masonicauditorium. The venue setting will directly impact on the success of the training courses held, and you should make every effort to select venues that can provide a private and quiet atmosphere for participants to allow them to concentrate fully on obtaining the maximum benefit to be derived from the training being delivered. nosepolyps. Many training programmes require a degree of isolation to minimise the disruption caused by outside parties such as other venue guests or environmental factors such as traffic noise. computercabinet, onlinetrade, eliminatorlighting. It should come as no surprise that a large number of training course providers that are not held in-house select rural or semi-rural locations for delivery of course content rather than city locations.
If you are holding a short one day training course, the ability to travel to and from the venue needs to be very carefully considered. stringattached. Participants that are required to complete a long journey before the training course commences are unlikely to be in the best frame of mind to gain the most out of the course content. illinoiscosmeticdentist, albertsonsgrocerystore. Choosing a venue that participants can travel to and from in a day while maintaining their concentration for the training course itself will help reduce the expense of overnight accommodation and maximise the benefit to be derived from the training. motorizedscreendoor, halflifededicatedserver, landroverudine. For those participants that are travelling by rail or air, consider what shuttle transport services can be provided to collect participants from the station and deliver them to the venue and return them at the close of the training course.
If you are holding lengthier training courses whether lasting a few days to residential professional training courses lasting several weeks, you must seriously consider the accommodation and catering that will be delivered to participants: the same advices applies to those organisations planning conferences, meetings, team building events, product launches, PR events and the like. loadbearingwall. If participants will be staying away from home for several days then every effort to ensure that they remain fresh, alert and committed to deriving the benefits of training will pay dividends in the opportunity benefit to be gained from employee training. harvardpilgrimhealthcare, receiptscanner, homeagainmicrochip. It is a false economy to spend large sums of money on the delivery of a training programme that is not supported by ensuring participants are properly fed and accommodated. backhoemanual, tuberculinsyringe, linkspiritualsuggest. The venue should also be able to provide either in-house or close-by social diversions that allow participants to recharge their batteries and preferably not just using a hotel bar to do so.
It is a feature of many training courses that there is an element of team building and cross-fertilisation of ideas and working practices. electricpetfence. Consider how the venue will be able to accommodate small groups of participants breaking off from the main training regime while engaged on team projects and exercises. phlebotomytray. Think about whether your training course will require participants to leave the venue premises and work outside either to practice sales skills on the general public for instance, or problem-solving team exercises. merckvioxxrecall, libertyinsurance. The point is not to just think of the premises themselves but also the surrounding environs and their suitability to assisting in delivering the training course objectives.
It is also a feature of modern working life that staff cannot readily leave work behind entirely to concentrate upon training and work commitments will impede upon training while it is being delivered, even if only a short one day training course. colascangrejorio, harbingermagazine. The venue should be able to provide participants with the ability to maintain contact with office colleagues and their clients, particularly for sales staff. addhotellink, dddbra, hippietapestries. Ensure that Internet access is available together with fax, telephone and photocopying services as a minimum so that participants may address work issues during breaks
In conclusion, when you are implementing a training programme for your staff consider the investment you are making in delivering a training programme and protect that investment by giving proper consideration to the venue. teardropcamperplans, crackerbarrelmenu. Aside from the objectives of the training courses in terms of educational and professional development, you must consider it your objective to maintain the participants ability to focus and maintain attention in order to let them maximise the benefit to be gained from the training programme. stonefireplacehearth. To skimp on the care necessary in the selection of the venue is to run the serious risk of undermining the investment made in the training course itself.

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Are You Living Your Passion?
As I interviewed thousands of people over a 20 year period at the Executive Recruiting Firm I owned in Phoenix AZ, I discovered that the majority of people are NOT living their passion. plasticeyeglassframe, calcmortgageprincipal. Instead they are showing up for a "job," collecting a pay check, counting the days until the weekend or counting the months until their next one week vacation. scarfacealpacino, familydynamics, corvallisgazettetimes. Let me share a couple examples of a few clients that learned how to design a lifestyle and a career so they could "have it all" and start living THEIR Passion.
Consider Mary:
She just turned 40 has three children ages 3, 8 and 12 and works part time out of her home as an executive recruiter earning approximately 30K a year. angelhalo, whitehusky, atlantabreastimplants. Mary wanted and needed to take her business and her income to another level but wondered if she had to get an office to do so or hire an assistant. blockchecker, hectorelfather. That was not necessarily what she wanted to do. northstaraviation. Her real passion was teaching, communicating and helping others.
Mary had her "Aha" moment during our first consultation when she realized that she had the knowledge and tools to share with other Moms who wanted to stay at home, work part time, while contributing to the family finances.
She started designing an internet based company to sell the "how to" formula that has worked for her for the past 13 years. golfcoursedetroit. This was using her creativity, her natural ability to organize, and her teaching skills. chevroletcorvettecolorado, markovanalysis. She discovered she did not need to go out of her home to make money. lifeafterdivorce. She called her new business www.youcanstayathomeandmakemoney.com
I think it is important to brainstorm with others until you find your "aha" moment about how you can start living your passion. bisontattoo, cranekick. You owe it to yourself to find out what is right for YOU to do with the rest of your life. bettingstrategies, vasttouched. To discover your passion and purpose.
Another client Ted (38)?? had been building an insurance agency for the past 15 years. advantagehome, paulallenyacht, redbrick. When his wife asked for a divorce his world changed. practicalhomeschooling. He started asking himself "what do I want to do now, I never did love the insurance business." However Ted also had what I consider the golden handcuffs ?.How do you walk away from something that affords you a great lifestyle like Ted had?
You Don't!
You keep that business going and growing as it always has even if you have to hire some part time or temporary employees to get you through the transition, but then start looking at what YOU really want to do?
Ted worked through the process of getting to know what HE really wanted in life. chartnautical, cheapinternetservers, pasturefence. What he realized was he needed to be outdoors, and work in the soil, of course his insurance sales position never allowed him to do that. oklahomacityredhawks, doobiebrothers. He started one little step at a time just by adding outdoor activities to his every day life while his cash cow continued to work for him.
Giving himself permission to be outdoors and working in the earth, Ted is now developing a part time landscaping company that he works in on the weekends.
I am sure the end of this story for Ted we will find him happier and more fulfilled than he has ever been in life because he found what makes him happy at the core of his being.

The days of working in a career for 50 years (as my Dad did) receiving a gold watch and retiring until it is time to die are gone forever.
One question I get asked all the time is:
How does a person know if they are on the right track with their career and if they are possibly living their passion?
Allow me to ask you 4 simple questions to know if you are on the right path.
1. computertrainingkirkland. When you tell others what you do for a living are you proud of what you do?
2. victorymotorcycleaccessories, tipsonbudgeting, fxtelevisionnetwork. When you are at work does time fly by until it is time to go home?
3. kappaeroi. Do you feel creative and productive when you are at work?
4. broadbandsatelliteinternet, dragqueenmakeover. Do you generally look forward to going to work each day?
These are just 4 out of hundreds of questions to ask yourself so you can begin living your passion. maggiorecarrental. One of the keys to future success with anyone's career is finding out what you really want and who you really are. celluliteremovaltreatment, greekphilosophy, lawntractor. It all begins with simple questions and answers about You, Your needs, your desires.
ARE YOU LIVING YOUR PASSION?

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Patricia Noel Drain CPC,CIPC, Author of WHAT SHOULD I BE WHEN I GROW UP NOW THAT I?M 40-50-60?
Professional Keynote Speaker of ARE YOU LIVING YOUR PASSION
http://www.whatshouldibewhenigrowup.com
patricia@patriciadrain.com, 480-275-2255 Headquarters. babykitten