Personal Growth Cafe

There are many times throughout your life that being a good storyteller could come in handy.

If you have children, you’ve probably told the traditional bedtime stories – Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Princess and the Pea, or others – hundreds of times.

Learning how to become a good storyteller could make your job as a parent much easier.

You may also need to be a good storyteller as a business owner, employee, writer, teacher, or in many other occupations.

There are two items that are absolutely necessary for being a storyteller.

A storyteller needs a good story that is relevant to the audience.

Be sure you know what you’re trying to convey to your audience and keep their interests in mind as you unveil your story.

Be aware of how you’re presenting the story, whether orally or written.

What tone are you projecting?

Are you trying to rush the story to completion?

Your presentation will determine how well the audience is pulled into the story.

Here are some tips that will help you become a better storyteller:

1. Read, read, and read some more. You’ll stand a better chance of becoming a good storyteller if you’re exposed to good stories.

Think back to the stories you enjoyed as a child or authors that held your imagination. Use those stories as guidelines for creating your own.

2. Write everything down. If you write down your experiences, things you’ve heard others say, or dreams you have had, you may be able to incorporate some of that into your stories.

3. Don’t limit yourself. Maybe you’re interested in storytelling to entertain your children.

Start writing your stories down or record them as you tell them to your children.

You may decide to create a book of stories much the way Frank Baum did with the OZ stories or C.S. Lewis did with The Chronicles of Narnia.

4. Stick with what you know. Tell stories about something you’re passionate about. When you know your subject matter, it’s easier to weave a story.

Create your stories based on people you know but change the names to protect the innocent.

5. Determine what you want to communicate. If you’re telling a story to children, your purpose will be to entertain and teach them.

If you’re using a story to help you sell something, your purpose will be to elicit an emotional response. The reasons for each story are entirely different.

6. Think of your audience. Keep a story simple for children and increase it’s complexity with older audiences.

Children have a shorter attention span than adults, so short stories work better with them.

Too many details or a story taking too many detours also bogs down children. Keep it simple.

7. Pay attention to the world around you. Have you noticed a need that’s not being met? You could tell a story to call others to action.

If you’re a business owner, you might be able to use a popular trend as a basis for a story on your website.

Or if you’re a stay-at-home mom, you might be able to use a tip you learned from another mom to tell a story to your kids.

8. Learn to stick to the important facts. Storytellers, especially new storytellers, have a tendency to take off on rabbit trails that have nothing to do with their story.

By straying from the story, you’ll lose your audience’s attention.

Try writing your story down on paper first; you’ll be more likely to remain focused.

9. Consider taking acting lessons. Acting lessons will help you learn to bring your story to life.

Use different voices for the characters in the story and practice your improvisational skills.

Storytelling can be an important tool to use when trying to communicate with others.

With stories, you can entertain others or bring them to action depending on the story and how well you tell it.

Whether you’re trying to teach your children not to be afraid of the dark or you’re selling a product, learning how to be a good storyteller can bring you greater success in your endeavor.

When was the last time you told a story?

How did you make it fun and interesting?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

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October 14, 2018February 15, 2018

Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there. – Josh Billings

October 14, 2018February 15, 2018

Inspirational Sayings to Get You Through the Day

Do you lack passion?

Do you wish you could be inspired every day to be all you can be?

A lack of inspiration and motivation could cause you to miss out on the joys of a fulfilled life.

You may wonder whatever happened to those dreams and goals of your youth, and why you haven’t pursued them.

If this describes you, then it’s time to return the inspiration to your life, motivation to your actions, and passion to your soul!

How can you feel inspired again? There are many ways to bring inspiration back into your life.

Inspiration is all around you, ready to jump start your passions, if only you’ll let it in!

Remember that inspiration is a state of mind that includes positive thoughts, emotions, and actions.

One way you can find inspiration and motivation is to use inspiring quotes, sayings, or affirmations to encourage a positive mindset.

Using Inspirational Sayings

Many people read greeting cards, and they’re moved by the inspirational or thoughtful messages within the cards.

If that works for you, then go for it. However, you may find them too trite to bring back that spark you’re seeking.

You can find many other inspirational sayings that speak to your heart, change the way you think, and enable you to live your life differently.

You will literally change your life one thought at a time!

Positive Affirmations

Positive affirmations are everywhere. You can find lists of them in self-help sections of bookstores or on inspirational websites.

These lists of affirmations have been compiled to help inspire you on almost any subject and to overcome nearly any obstacle in your life.

You can look through some affirmations to find ones that speak to you, or you can write your own.

After all, no one knows your heart, and what words will inspire you, better than you.

How Can Positive Affirmations Help?

Are you unsure whether the inspirational sayings you’ll find with positive affirmations will help you?

Inspirational sayings such as, “Confidence exudes from me and I welcome the feeling through my entire body,” or “No matter how hard I may fall, I get back up, dust myself off, and forge on,” can help you find confidence, passion, and perseverance.

The inspirational sayings that will work best for you are those that capture the ideal way in which you’d like to behave or respond to any number of things.

In essence, there’s no one affirmation that works for everyone. You have to find one that you can really identify with.

The best way to use affirmations is to memorize them and integrate the sayings into your everyday life.

When you get up in the morning, before you go to bed at night, or even during moments where you need a bit of a push to get through the day, you can recite the affirmations that inspire you.

You are reaffirming the ideas in your subconscious every time you repeat them.

The repetition turns the words into thoughts, even if you didn’t write the affirmation yourself.

Using affirmations is a simple way to make inspirational thinking part of your life.

Once your thinking is inspired, you’ll enjoy the passion and motivation that follow!

Where do you get inspiration daily?

How does this influence how you face the day’s challenges?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 13, 2018February 15, 2018

Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow. – Chinese Proverb

October 13, 2018February 15, 2018

How to Handle Household Arguments Effectively

Inevitably, if there’s more than one person living in your house, at some point in time there will be arguments.

The trick is to learn how to handle household arguments effectively while maintaining loving relationships.

Amazingly, many people treat complete strangers better than they treat their own spouse or children.

As important as it is to treat others well, it’s more important to treat those you love even better.

How to Avoid Arguments

The best way to handle arguments at home is to avoid them in the first place.

How do you do this?

Avoid miscommunication.

Repeat what the other person is saying so there’s no doubt about their intended meaning.

Resolve not to fight over misunderstandings.

Here are some communication tips that can help your family avoid arguments:

1. Be gentle. Try to control the tone of your voice, the look on your face, and your body language when you’re talking with family members.

If you speak with a gentle tone, arguments are less likely to start.

2. Trust. Develop a solid relationship with your spouse and children by keeping lines of communication open, building trust between all family members, and giving each other the benefit of the doubt.

3. Respect privacy. Keep your disagreements strictly between the parties involved rather than discussing them in the open.

This also means that you must avoid arguing in front of your children.

How to Handle Arguments

If an argument does occur, here are some ideas to handle it effectively:

1. Time out! Stop the argument if it becomes a shouting match with one insult after another.

Ask for five minutes to think about what’s already been said.

This will give both parties a chance to calm down and regain their composure.

2. Be willing to accept that you may be wrong. During the course of the time out, did you realize you were in the wrong?

Listen to the other person’s side of the story before you assert your own innocence.

You may have said or done something unknowingly that hurt the other person.

3. Apologize. Be sure to express remorse over your part in the problem and try not to do it again. Ask the other person to forgive you.

4. Is someone hurting? Realize that the other person may be hurt in some way, but it may be expressed through anger, tears, or insults.

By arguing, they may actually be reaching out for help or support.

5. Hormones and illness. Consider how the other person’s gender may be playing a role in the argument.

Perhaps a woman’s monthly cycle is causing her to be overly emotional.

Maybe one person has been ill and is really striking out at others just because they feel bad.

6. Above all, love! Remember that no matter what the argument is about, you love the other person.

Your goal should be to come to a solution where both parties win.

7. Forgive. Once the situation has been resolved, forgive one another and forget about the whole thing.

Determine not to bring the situation up again. It’s over; let it go.

When Your Children Argue

There are many things you can do to promote harmony between your children and reduce their conflicts.

Try these ideas to keep the peace:

1. Avoid comparing your children. They’re individuals and should be treated that way.

Be sure to let your children know how special they are.

2. Establish rules and household responsibilities. This will let them know what’s expected of them.

Include rules about how they should treat one another. Let them know that hitting and name-calling are off limits in your home.

Decide as a family what the consequences will be if they break the rules.

3. Give each child your attention. Many disagreements between children are based upon trying to get their parent’s attention.

If you reinforce to each child that they’re special and that you love them, they’ll have less reason for arguing and more reason to dwell in the family’s love.

In the long run, each person in the family makes the decision to argue or not.

If you decide that you won’t be dragged into an argument, the argument will often end of its own accord.

These are not the only ways to effectively handle household arguments, but they may be enough to make the arguments less frequent so your family feels more secure, loved, and peaceful.

How often are there arguments in your home?

How do you deal with it?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 12, 2018February 1, 2018

Finding Your Passion Through the Power of Words

Do you feel as if you’re living a passionless life?

Do you desire the same passion that you see in other people?

It can be difficult to go through life without a true passion.

There are many things that can cause you to live a life without passion.

It’s possible that an unhappy childhood stifled your dreams, or you’ve never had an opportunity to develop your aspirations.

Maybe indulging in your passion makes you feel guilty.

Or perhaps you don’t have time in your busy schedule to explore and enjoy the very things that could bring you joy.

Today, you must make the commitment to pursue your passion!

Give Yourself the Freedom to Discover Passion

You’re a deserving person! You have the right and the need to feel passionate about the things that are near and dear to you.

You may not even realize what you’re missing if you never had a chance to find and develop your goals.

Discover your passion and embrace it because it can lead you to a life without limits!

You can turn your passion into a career, hobby, or a way to network with people.

Passion can improve every aspect of your life.

It’s your passion that makes your life positive and fulfilling.

When first starting your quest toward your dreams, you may wonder, “What is there to be passionate about?” That’s perfectly normal.

Many people start out with the same question.

Even if you feel that way, it’s never too late for you to find something that fills you with an inner joy and peace.

Your life begins anew when you pursue your dreams, desires, and goals.

You can gain a fresh perspective in your life when you take some time to expand your comfort zone and pursue the things that you’d never considered before.

For example, if you traveled to a foreign place and met new people, you would see and experience things a whole new world that will open your eyes and mind.

When you do this, you may find something that’s been missing from your life!

Passion Affirmations Can Spark Your Passion

You may be able to find your passions through the power of affirmations.

When you give yourself permission to be passionate, you may suddenly find that you’re more enthusiastic about things than you previously dreaded.

Passion affirmations are positive statements that change the way you think about life and the world around you.

Affirmations positively influence your subconscious.

Passion affirmations can bring to light a wonderful new way of living that’s full of joy, abundance, and gratitude.

For example, when you get out of bed each morning, you might say to yourself, “Igniting my passion is another way of revealing how much I love myself.”

Every time you repeat this statement you’re reaffirming that thought in your mind.

At the same time, you’re eliminating negative thoughts that may be holding you back.

Choose affirmations that you feel speak to you and relate to your own feelings.

Repeat them several times each day and soon you’ll discover the joys of living a passionate life!

How can someone’s words affect your day?

What affirmations do you tell yourself when you feel you need a boost?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 11, 2018February 1, 2018

Essential Tips for Making Good Decisions

All decisions are not created equal.

Some decisions impact us on a small scale, like deciding what to eat for dinner.

Some decisions can alter your life so much that you become a new person altogether, like leaving your hometown to live and work in a foreign country.

Sometimes you’ll find yourself at life’s junctions where you’re perplexed with your choices and the decision making is overwhelming.

Whether you’re making a decision about where to go to college, whom to marry, where to move, or changing jobs, there are many elements that can throw your emotions into turmoil.

If you have a big decision looming, here are some things you can do to make your decision a little easier:

1. Get various perspectives.

Seeking advice from the people you trust – like family members, friends, or spiritual directors – can provide unique viewpoints about your situation that may help make your decision easier.

Sometimes someone from the outside can offer clarity that you don’t have sitting in the middle of the decision.

The person can offer a bird’s-eye-view of the situation and bring out things you might not even be aware of.

2. Consider the Pros and Cons.

Another great method for helping with decision making is writing a Pros and Cons list.

Get a piece of paper, and write the positive things about the decision on one side and the negative things on the other.

Include financial impact, emotional considerations, friendships, and short and long-term aspects of your choice.

Time might also be a factor, especially if you’re trying to achieve a goal.

Sometimes a visual timeline is enough to propel you to make the right decision.

Include other people in helping you make the list.

If you still don’t have enough facts to make the decision, hold onto it for later consideration.

Life circumstances may change, and that may alter your decision in the future.

It’s essential to spend time praying, meditating, or simply reflecting on your choices.

Find some time when you won’t be distracted, and spend as long as you need exploring what you feel inside.

This will often lead to a peaceful solution.

3. Become educated about your options.

For example, if you’re considering a move across the country, you’ll want to visit the place first.

Find out about living expenses, the job market, and how you’ll survive.

Knowing the answers to important questions will help you feel secure in the decision you make.

4. Trust yourself.

If all else fails and you still haven’t made your choice, go with your gut.

If you feel strongly about something in your heart, you’ll have the perseverance to withstand any storms that may come with the decision.

Making the choice that you know is right for you will leave you ready to face the challenges.

Making a decision is like being on the Price is Right game show.

The contestants on the show are given big decisions to make.

They can take advice from the audience, use prior knowledge, or make an educated guess based on given information, but they ultimately still have to go with their gut feeling.

Life may be different than a game show, but the decision making process is still the same.

Use all the resources at your disposal, employ the strategies above, pay attention to your inner feelings, and then trust that you can handle whatever comes your way.

Why is it important to think carefully before making a decision?

What was the hardest decision you made this week?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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October 10, 2018February 1, 2018

Great minds have purposes; others have wishes. – Washington Irving

October 10, 2018February 1, 2018

Delegation Strategies for the Control-Freak

Do you have a team around you who is fully capable of getting things done, but instead of delegating, you try to do everything yourself?

If that sounds like you, there’s a better way.

Delegating tasks can be so difficult for some people.

They act like a micro-manager who ensures that they see, do, and be everything.

It’s hard for them to let others share the load or the glory.

Maybe the control-freak is you.

You may have tried to delegate tasks in the past.

Perhaps the quality of work wasn’t good enough to suit you so you ended up redoing everything.

There’s no sense in delegating tasks in the first place if you know you’ll end up redoing them, right?

Here are three problems you might be using as excuses for not delegating:

You feel you can do the job better yourself.
There’s not enough time to train someone else to do the job.
You feel like you have to redo someone else’s work.

If you’re facing these challenges, perhaps it’s time to look at some strategies you can use to find success in delegating.

Consider using these delegation techniques:

1. Face the truth. If you feel you can do the job better yourself, take time to think things through.

Other people may not do the job the same way you would, but that doesn’t mean they won’t do an adequate job.

The people on your team may be eager to do a great job and need only your encouragement, rather than for you to take over.

2. Train your staff. Perhaps those working with you do need some additional training. This shouldn’t be a reason to do everything yourself.

Look at the need for additional training as a means to be better prepared in the future.

Short-term training now can have a huge pay off later on.

If you take the time to train your staff now, they’ll be better prepared for the next project.

3. Relax. There’s no sense in letting pressure for perfection bring you undue stress.

While perfection would be great, it’s usually not expected.

Give yourself a break. It’s just not possible for you to do everything yourself, nor should you want to.

Other people can do the work even if you don’t think they’ll do as good a job as you.

4. Follow a successful plan.

If you’re the head of the team and certain tasks are critical for the success of the project, you may want to do the major work on those.

However, the more routine tasks could be passed along to other people on the team.

Delegate the task itself, not the way in which it’s completed.

Assign tasks based on strengths.

Perhaps you could let one person do research, assign converting raw data into a spreadsheet to another person, and designate a good writer to write the rough drafts of the reports.

You can still be in control of the final report by pulling all the data together into a solid finished project.

Require progress reports at specified deadlines over the course of the project.

If they’re having problems meeting the deadlines, instead of assuming they’re not going to get the job done, ask them if there’s anything you can do to help them meet the next deadline.

Expect that your team will do a great job and you won’t be disappointed.

People usually rise to our expectations.

Finally, give praise and positive feedback when the project is finished.

Instead of being a control-freak on your next project, decide now to let go of some of the responsibilities.

Look for ways you can use the talents of your co-workers in the future.

You may find that working with a team and delegating tasks makes your job much easier and the atmosphere at work much better for everyone.

Have you tried delegating a task to someone else?

How did you feel about it?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

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Posts

Imagination is more important than knowledge. – Albert Einstein

Learning How to Become a Good Storyteller

Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing until it gets there. – Josh Billings

Inspirational Sayings to Get You Through the Day

Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow. – Chinese Proverb

How to Handle Household Arguments Effectively

Finding Your Passion Through the Power of Words

Essential Tips for Making Good Decisions

Great minds have purposes; others have wishes. – Washington Irving

Delegation Strategies for the Control-Freak