Reasons to join a Reflect&Connect Book Series

As we prepare for the launch of our web site for Reflect & Connect (Reflect-Connect.com), I was thinking about how this whole concept of Small Group Book Series might seem a little foreign to some people.

I could talk about how it happens, what goes on, the structure, the books; but that's not the most important part of it. The best part is what you experience.

You see, reading a book is a wonderful way to gather information. The wisest people in the world have written books that can change our lives. They have encapsulated and explained abstract concepts in order to make them accessible to our minds. They give us examples so that we can relate to them.

In the process of reading these books, we could become transformed. But that's not what usually happens.

For a lot of people, myself included, I can read a book; intellectualize a book; understand a book; even be able to regurgitate it upon demand. Yet, how much it changes my actual behavior is not equal to the plethora information that I retained.

Our ability to benefit from information is proportional to the emotional content and connection that we experience.

An emotionally invested speaker who speaks to an audience with enthusiasm and excitement will benefit her audience, whereas a speaker who talks by rote or from a script will rarely leave any beneficial motivation in the hearts and minds of her audience.

The same is true for you. "Verbalizing crystallizes ideas." When you have the opportunity to speak your truth, your wisdom comes forth and the ideas that were like mere maple seeds before will now germinate and grow and become solid wood that you can build a life upon.

And every time someone in your group speaks their own wisdom, you can shift your own thoughts to a new perspective that expands your own ways of thinking. Each time someone speaks, we break down the walls of our own paradigms. And each expression of wisdom and truth is a new seed for you to build upon.

Being a vibrant part of a small group book series will give you the potential to experience your own enthusiasm and your unlimited wisdom. Priceless.

Personality Is A Tool 2

"We can change our personality, but not our basic self. Personality is a tool, and outlet, a focal point of the self that we use in dealing with the world."

Our Real Self is always within, and so much more than we can even conceive of ourselves to be.

Over time, we have chosen our personality as a way to express ourselves, and way too often, to protect ourselves. Most of us, if not all, have found ways to be safe in what seemed like dangerous situations, and they were effective. We wouldn't have developed those habits if they were not effective in some situation.

But that personality trait is not necessarily useful any more, and it may not express our Real Self. Especially if we have used it to protect our Real Self from a perceived danger.

But what if we can choose right now to use our personality as the expression, the outlet, of our Real Self? What if I look at who I really am, the full potential and talents and powers that are within me, as the incentive and model for developing my personality? What if I am no longer a slave to the habits and attitudes that I learned somewhere else? What if personality is a tool for expressing the best within me?

The personality is merely a tool for expressing my authentic self.

Personality Is A Tool

"Most of us are better, wiser, stronger, mor competent right now than we realize. Creating a better self-image does not create new abilities, talents, powers; it releases and utilizes them. -Maxwell Maltz

Creating a better self-image isn't a process of plastering an image over what we are at the core, our Real Self. Creating a better self image is about being willing to see that we are more than our own mind has led us to believe.

We can look at ourselves from the view of where we were and allow ourselves to be fooled into believing this is all that is possible. We can assume that this is the best we can do, unless we recieve additional knowledge and wisdom from outside of ourselves. Or that something or someone can suddenly make us greater.

But all of that is useless without the true potentiality of those gifts existing within us right now. All the power and talent that we could ever possess is the potential that already exists within us. And self-image can be subservient to that potential, if we choose, or it can be our despot.

By creating a better self-image in our minds, we create the conduit for those talents and powers to be released.

Seems like a "chicken and egg" paradox.

But once we see our potential as much greater than we could ever fully empower, then our self-image will naturally expand to reflect that potential..

Should-Do List

While listening to "Good to Great", the subject of To-Do lists came up. Then the idea of a Stop-Doing list was proposed, a list of the things a company would Not do because it was not moving toward its core objective and core values.

I realized that I was having a similar challenge with my To-Do list.

As I am working, I suddenly remember something that is on my To-Do list, or it's something I want to add to my list, and I then think about it, ruminate over it, obsess about it, and get totally distracted from the task at hand. And so begins the chase.

But the rest of my To-Do list is not a Should-Do list. As a matter of fact, as long as my current task is serving my core values, objectives, and purpose, I know I can let go of the Should-Do list and feel good about where I am.

And that is the key to peace of mind and focus. Am I working on something that is progress to my purpose and core values? If not, it will create stress. If it is, I can rest in the knowledge that I am right where I need to be. A simple formula. Let's see how it works.

Yes, this blog is part of my purpose and core values. I feel good.

I'm on a Mission!

I’m on a mission!

I’m sure you say that all the time. At least, when you’re not figuring out how that next project/budget is going to get done.

I realized a long time ago that my mission is to do my part to make small group ministry a regular part of Unity churches. I know how much of a difference it made when I joined my first book Homestudy at New Thought Unity of Cincinnati. When those seven weeks were completed, I felt that I belonged. Since that day I have always conducted small groups and created book study programs. For more about these, click Here.

My mission has turned into my ministry:
Make it easy and accessible for every church to provide small group book studies.

I just finished reading Tribes by Seth Godin (I highly recommend), and he speaks of making the tribe more connected, tighter, stronger, before making it bigger. Actually, I think “passionate” is how “big” comes about. And people become passionate when they speak their own wisdom. Another author emphasizes, “Verbalization crystalizes ideas.” As enlightening as a talk or lesson can be, congregants don’t get the opportunity on Sundays to discover their own wisdom by speaking.

Tip of the day:
Make it Special.
In my last newsletter tip (Click here) I had talked about the events leading up to the beginning of the small group book study. Each step in the process creates more awareness and excitement about the program, making the “tribe” invested. They don’t want to be left out if the flow of information is relatively constant.

This is never more apparent than during registration for the three weeks prior to the start of the program.

For our first week of registration we had a special announcement from the platform that was a an invitation, an explaination, and a story with which they could connect. The reaction was fantastic: more than half of the openings were filled by the end of that Sunday.

This kind of focus is the best way to ensure that people are empowered and interested in the program. Continuing and building this intense focus will create the momentum for your successful small group book study.

The best way to have successful small group book studies at your church is to let the congregation know that, for these seven weeks, THIS is what the church is about.

A leader not only has a vision; a leader communicates that vision.

Feel free to reply to this email, check out my blog, my web site, or just give me a call. Let me know how I can serve you.

Peace & JOY
Larry Watson

My Illusion

How do you wake up in the morning? It's an interesting observation to see exactly what kind of mood in which I awake. I haven't figured out the determining factors that contribute to my mood; my level of joy or misery, my optimism or pessimism, my level of acceptance or judgment, or my ability to love and feel loved.

But when I can recognize a lousy mood, I have a choice to change that mood. It's a whole lot easier to wallow in it and allow it to control my activities, not to mention my attitude and joy. But it takes consciousness to recognize it and realize that I have a choice.

When I practice my inner cheerleader, I can tell you, I feel kinda silly. I say, "Do you really think that's going to make a difference?" "I sound like that guy in that comedy sketch..." So be it.

Because it works! I simply say the words of what I AM BEING today, and the transformation begins. "I'm having a fabulous day today." It sounds pretty weak at first. With repetition it gains power and momentum. I add other statements of love, success, worthiness, and suddenly I am BOUNCING out of bed! Let me at it!

Cheesy. New Age-y. Silly.

Doesn't matter. It works. Works for me. Everyone's entitled to their illusions.

Peace & JOY
Larry

Small Group Intensives in Corporate Culture Shift

Working with Inspiring Connection would be a powerful tool for you to create a truly comprehensive culture shift at all levels of the company in addition to a company's prime movers that a consultant leads and.

All too frequently, attempts at culture shift falls to the wayside when there is resistance from the employees who were not initially engaged in the discussion and training. If they are not invested, they are less likely to act. This could result in minimal impact on the client company in the long run, and the culture shift is sometimes abandoned. Inspiring Connection can engage all levels of a company to empower and embrace the program, resulting in;

• 90% reduction in the time required for company wide buy-in: Typical company culture shift takes 3 years from the time of the consultant training through “trickle down” methods. Inspiring Connection creates corporate inteligence in 2 months.
• 80% to 95% cost savings over traditional training and development methods (for mid-level and front line staff) by focusing the training on level C executives, and using Small Group Intensives for the balance of the company.
• Develop peer respect and inter-departmental trust – team building through common purpose and wisdom sharing.
• 100% accuracy of information dissemination (nothing is lost in the translation from top down): By using the original training material for all participants, the burden of accurate information is released from the executive level.
• 100% active participation and engagement for all relevant employees in concepts and practices: hands-on implementation of the materials and real-time feedback engage all employees.
• Create a common knowledge base for all employees: common language gets everyone on the same page, with the least amount of effort.

I am very passionate about the programs that I create and the impact they have on a community. I believe in the power and wisdom that people find in speaking their own wisdom, and the connection and respect they develop hearing their colleagues.

Larry Watson

www.InspiringConnection.com

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