Hello ,

I trust 2006 is unfolding as you envisioned and that your goals for this year are becoming even more clear and compelling.

Perhaps like you I’ve been more than busy with work, family and some personal growth experiences.  Included in all that are some truly empowering and motivating conversations about what’s wanted, needed and possible in personal growth and development experiences today.  I’ll keep you posted on what I’m learning!

Our feature this month is an excerpt from my book, “Living an Extraordinary Life.”  A friend (and reader) suggested that I share a few ideas from the book both for their potential value and to entice you to buy the book.

Be extraordinary!

Robert White
Robert@ExtraordinaryBook.com

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In this issue:

• Our Feature Article: Awareness and Three Dollars
• Extraordinary Wisdom Quotes of the Month
• Rave Recommendation
• A Powerful Extraordinary People Program for Managers
• Extraordinary Living Action Steps

These days, just awareness and three dollars will get you a cappuccino – no more.  As vital as awareness is to the process of improving your life, to suddenly be awake and aware means nothing if you simply leave it at that. 

Awareness only matters if it impacts my actions.  When I sleepwalk through life, all is mundane, a safe routine.  When I am awake and aware, living in the here and now, I see the world with new eyes.  We often forget that every living thing we see—our friends and family, children, parents, pets, and all the animals and plants—they’re all going to die sooner or later, and we don't know when.  This moment is all we have, all we can count on.  Being aware in this way means that when I come down the stairs to greet my wife or child at breakfast, it needs to be as if it were the first and only occasion, as if it had never happened before.

When I live in the moment, or more accurately, when I live as if this were the only moment I had, the daily round of home to office to home to weekend shopping to office is no longer tedious.  I appreciate each moment for what it actually is—a new experience.  Each day is filled with such moments, new and unique, totally different from the last, even if the activities in which I am engaged are exactly the same.  Every 24 hours, I begin the day seeing myself and my world with a freshness that promotes true joy.  My senses are alert to the sounds, sights and smells around me.  I am fully alert to the moment of my existence.  I am awake.  I am aware.  I am alive.  I am.

A friend was working as a sales executive in England.  He shared with me the story of one associate who was a total “routine freak.”  He did everything the same way every day.  He asked how he could increase his income and was told to change everything in his routine and then change the change every day.

Get up at a different time daily, have a different breakfast, vary the route to work.  It was even suggested he violate the very strong agreement he worked under to be ‘on time’ everyday, to be late for work occasionally and learn to deal with the disapproval.  My friend even helped his associate move his furniture and instructed him to keep moving it weekly.  He cut the cable to the couple’s only television as nightly TV watching was an essential part of the routine!

The result was dramatic – the associate’s income increased exponentially.  Of course, the really interesting ending to this story is that three years later, the associate was back to his routine and even his furniture had been returned to exactly the same location.  His income had returned to its old level.  He had temporarily changed his behavior and not his consciousness ….  so of course his behavior went back to its old pattern.

To make awareness of the moment an ongoing reality for yourself demands heightened alertness.  You will need to keep working at it every day for it to be valuable.  As you progress, you remain increasingly in the here and now; your experience will be sharper, cleaner, stronger and more alive.  Feelings of contentment and joy will grow.

There is nothing 'New Age' about the process of awareness, and neither is there any great secret to being more aware.  You simply need to choose it, moment-to-moment.  Again, it’s simple, not necessarily easy and worth the effort.

*** excerpted from “Living an Extraordinary Life” by Robert White.  More information and your signed copy is available at:

http://www.extraordinarybook.com

Our theme this month is "Awareness” so here are a few of my favorite quotes on that subject.

Once again your humble author is recommending another author’s efforts!  As many of you are aware, from my personal experience I highly recommend the personal growth approach and seminars of The Wright Institute, the teachings of Bob and Judith Wright.

The One Decision by Judith Wright

There are few books I've found that have the power to completely transform not only the way you look at your business and career, but the way you look at and live your life.
The One Decision is one such book. Sales professionals sell more, family life goes better, and spiritual practices deepen.

JUDITH WRIGHT shows you how to make one, simple yet profound commitment that you can use as a guiding beacon whether you're in a business meeting or at a family dinner. This decision brings you exponential success in all areas of your life. Judith's ground-breaking book is endorsed by business heavy-weights Steven Covey, Tom Peters and Ken Blanchard.

And when you order your copy on amazon.com at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1585424811, Judith will, for a limited time, give you free admission to her training, a free vision coaching session, and more.

Order on amazon.com now and then go to http://www.judithwright.com/bookoffer-amazon.php to enter your confirmation number and get these bonuses.

Extraordinary People’s President and Ron Tate has spent the last 12 years developing and delivering a powerful leadership and management training program “Value 2 Management” and the public programs are now available in Seattle, Denver and Chicago.  Of course, “in-house” programs for selective companies are available worldwide.

The most neglected training and development population is the middle manager in small and medium sized businesses.  Most people become managers the way we become parents:  “it just happens.”  There is tremendous pressure to perform yet many are unprepared for optimum performance.  A trained manager produces better bottom line results, makes fewer errors (often expensive ones including the threat of legal action) and generates excellence within your team.

You can learn more about this powerful, affordable approach to improving management performance and results on our website:

http://www.extraordinarypeople.com/about/whatwedo/v2m.htm

Or call Robert or Ron at 425-803-0303.  We’ll do a quick evaluation whether the program might work for you and your goals and if that answer is a “possibly yes,” we’ll schedule a no obligation demonstration meeting for your team.

Here’s what one satisfied customer said about the program:

“As a former educator myself, and having had a career in Human Resources for nearly ten years at the time, effective training and development programs are of utmost importance to me.  Without a doubt, Value 2 Management is the best leadership and management development program I have encountered in my professional life...we decided to send groups of eight managers per year...every one of the participants have nothing but praise for the program.”

Debra Udycz, Director of Human Resources
UW Physicians

There are lots more rave reviews on the Extraordinary People website.  Call now to explore how V2M might help you create better managers...and better results.

These recommendation are, as I repeatedly caution, simple and not easy!

To build greater awareness means taking some time for yourself …and this goes beyond the refrigerator magnet advice to “stop and smell the flowers.”

• set a regular time that works for you to spend time in silence
• whether you pray or meditate or walk or swim...do it regularly
• keep a journal – for you only, write what occurs to you after being silent and throughout your day
• review the journal from time to time – look for patterns, insights and even breakthroughs in perspective

Just doing the above can dramatically shift your experience of life...even from ordinary to extraordinary!

By becoming more aware (perhaps stimulated by the above practices) you have the tools to make new choices.  By taking personal responsibility for past, current and future behavior (free of judgment, guilt or blame) you gain personal power.  And, the final step is to communicate, communicate, communicate.

Wishing you an Extraordinary Life and Extraordinary Organizations...

Robert White
Extraordinary People International
1461 S Ulster St
Denver, CO 80231Phone: 1-303-632-7744
E-mail: Robert@extraordinarypeople.com

http://www.extraordinarypeople.com

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