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Hello
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Perhaps like for many of you this month includes a graduation. In my case, daughter Alicia graduated from High School – with honors, awards and a college scholarship, said her very proud Father – and the event was very special. Over 5000 celebrants, 865 graduates, military logistics and great fun.
I was struck by one of the skits written and performed by two of Ali’s classmates. The theme was “721 Days,” the number of days most of the grads were at Cherry Creek High School. They stressed the variety of experiences, the multi-faceted opportunities to learn and the many relationships formed with teachers, other staff and, of course, their fellow students.
Like so many of us, they expressed delight with days so special that life-long memories were formed …. and regret that some days just went by in a blur. The conclusion: each graduate had many days ahead of them and the choice to live them fully. In my experience, there’s a lot of change ahead for them and for all of us.
That’s my transition to our feature this month, again excerpted from my book “Living an Extraordinary Life” (available, signed and inscribed of course, at http://www.ExtraordinaryBook.com) which focuses on embracing change.
Be extraordinary!
Robert White
Robert@ExtraordinaryBook.com
An Extraordinary People International monthly eZine dedicated to assisting people in living extraordinary lives and creating extraordinary organizations.
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In this issue:
| Embracing Change: The Truly Difficult Hug |
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Continual change is the only constant in the universe, so you might imagine that we sophisticated human beings would by now be getting the hang of it. You would of course be wrong. People hate change. It demands discomfort and a leap into the unknown, and we do not like either one. Even for those special individuals who make a life of high adventure, stepping off the edge into the void is always a major challenge.
We will suffer all sorts of unnecessary and self-imposed agonies to avoid making deep and lasting changes in our lives. Why? Why would we continue to do things we know don’t work, or could even kill us? Why do we intelligent human beings continue to act so irrationally?
The answer is simple: making any significant change in our lives means changing not just our actions, but also our beliefs. As I’ve said before, you and I would rather die – literally – than give up our beliefs, including the ones that are limiting and self-defeating. As human history shows only too clearly, people everywhere will die for their beliefs, even trivial ones and even ones that conflict with other beliefs (like the sanctity of all life) within the same belief system. Uncountable lives have been lost warring over the primacy, the righteousness, of the beliefs behind Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Hindu and other religious faiths – all of which hold love and peace among people as central to their philosophies. Our beliefs are simply organizing structures we’ve chosen, many no longer appropriate to creating the lives we want, until we inject them with do-or-die importance.
So, if you want to make positive changes for the better, be prepared to give up some of your cherished beliefs, those notions that you took on board so long ago that you probably can't even remember why. The incontrovertible truth is that you can change your limiting beliefs because......you created them in the first place. Getting that truth and acting on it will change your experience of life from ordinary to extraordinary. Simple, and again, sometimes not easy.
*** excerpted from “Living an Extraordinary Life” by Robert White. More information and your signed copy is available at:
http://www.extraordinarybook.com
| Extraordinary Wisdom
Quotes of the Month |
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Our theme this month is change, so here are a few of my favorite quotes on that subject.
"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." |
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Charles Darwin |
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"It has been said that to define is to kill, and if the wind were to stop for one second for us to catch hold of it, it would cease to be wind. The same is true of life. Perpetually things and events are moving and changing; we cannot call back past time or keep forever a passing sensation. Once we try to do this all we have is a dead memory; the reality is not there, and no satisfaction can be found in it." |
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Alan Watts |
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“In these times of drastic change, the future belongs to the LEARNERS---the Learned are forced to live in a world that no longer exists." |
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David Baillie |
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It’s in stock now! The Revised, Third Edition of “Living an Extraordinary Life”
As a gift to yourself, to friends or colleagues...this book is based on intensive work with over 500,000 people worldwide and clearly demonstrates that we all have everything it takes to live an extraordinary life – if we are willing to take charge of our lives and discover the true meaning of personal responsibility.
Available for shipping May 10th and only $19.95.
Some wonderful people have said some wonderful words about “Living an Extraordinary Life:”
"Like a fine meal, this book contains all the ingredients for an incredible experience. It is the best book I've seen for the introspective person who really wants to grow personally and professionally. But the reader still needs to do the work and cook the "meal" in order to truly enjoy it. A wonderful recipe for a spectacular life! Kudos to Robert White for sharing it."
- John Renesch, futurist, author: Getting to the Better Future:
A Matter of Conscious Choosing
“A powerful, simple and clearly written book about important guidelines to life.”
-- Jerry Jampolsky M.D., author: Love is Letting Go of Fear
"It does what it says it does! Flow is easy, examples good and the questions profoundly useful."
-- Harrison Owen, creator of Open Space Methodology and author: The Power of Spirit: How Organizations Transform
“This book is a complete tool-kit of simple procedures on how to go within and learn how to experience an ‘extra’ ordinary life. A must read if you are desirous of becoming a happy, productive and successful person.”
-- Alexander Everett, founder of Mind Dynamics, pioneer in the Human Potential Movement and author: Inward Bound
“Living an Extraordinary Life is an extraordinary book! This will have a positive impact on your life and on the lives of others when you read it.”
-- Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and author of Gung Ho!
In the new edition the cartoons from the hardcover first edition have been restored due to popular demand and the text is even more powerful. You can purchase your own signed and/or inscribed copy at:
http://www.ExtraordinaryBook.com
To get volume pricing, e mail Robert directly at: Robert@ExtraordinaryBook.com
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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