Just 1%: The Power of Microtrends

Just 1%: The Power of Microtrends

Just 1% of people can create a new market for business, spark a social movement, or effect a political change. Here, Penn (one of the world’s most highly regarded pollster) and Zalense (social-change expert) introduce you to this compelling idea of microtrends, and their assertion that the culture is formed by the push and pull of small trends that are often invisible or ignored. Just think “Soccer Mom”…and you’ll know the power wielded by these small, but strong groups.

What idea have you got that just needs to be launched?
Are you ready with the next best small trend?…

Mark Penn and E. Kinney Zalense of ChangeThis.com

An Authentic, Powerful Life

An Authentic, Powerful Life

Real power comes from confronting the challenges each woman faces and passing on hard-won wisdom. This article starts that conversation.

Charting my own path has been a challenge, just as it is for women everywhere. We all struggle with the same questions: Am I entitled to write and live my own legacy beyond my roles as daughter, wife, mother, sister, employee, friend? Am I worth it? The answer has to be yes. At each challenge, we have to give ourselves permission to grow, evolve and change. I now have a new definition of power. It’s passing on what we have learned and creating meaningful change through these experiences. That’s the kind of power that truly matters.

By Maria Shriver on Leadership | NEWSWEEK

Shriver will host the annual Women’s Conference in Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 23. The conference will bring together more than 60 world leaders and nearly 14,000 women. For more information, go to californiawomen.org.

Right Brain v Left Brain v Whole Brain Thinking…

Right Brain v Left Brain v Whole Brain Thinking…

A well-rounded view on life will always make for more informed decision making.

By harnessing the power of Whole Brain Thinking — the awareness of our own and others’ thinking styles, combined with the ability to act outside of our preferred thinking styles — individuals and companies gain the power to reach goals they never thought possible.

As a quick summary, here are what Right Brain vs Left Brain means on a practical level:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
“big picture” oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

Which best describes you?
If you do want to take this further and do a full on personal assessment, go to the HBDI site.

Teaching kids money management

It’s never too early to teach children the basics of financial literacy, that I agree with. Especially today when they think in comes out of a “whole in the wall”. Did you have the privilege of being taught how to handle money when you were little? Either way, you would now probably appreciate the value of learning this stuff as soon is appropriate…

Whilst I would alter a few of them however (eg: the title I would prefer to read …TO GET KIDS FINANCIALLY LITERATE; and with #10, I really like the 3 money box principle whereby whatever money is earnt, 10% goes in one as saving for the dream, 10% goes into another for donation purposes and the rest goes in number 3 for spending purposes…)if we can get our kids doing half of these, it will be a step in the right direction.

The Commonwealth Bank has some detailed suggestions on where to start, and the list looks like this…
TOP TEN PRACTICAL TIPS TO GET KIDS SAVING

1. Talk about money with your child
2. Give your child an allowance
3. Give your child the opportunity to earn money
4. Teach your child not to impulse purchase
5. Help the environment and your child at the same time
6. Teach your child to plan and calculate costs of buying things
7. Take your child grocery shopping
8. Involve your child in your own savings goals
9. Encourage your child to think long term
10. Set up a savings account for your child

Go forth and help educate your folk… coz if you don’t, goodness knows who else will!!

Shape Up for Spring – Get Brain Fit

From Mindwerx, the suppliers of the excellent material on mind mapping
A creativity exercise a day to keep the cobwebs away.
We don’t just go and run a marathon – we need a base level of fitness to reawaken our natural genius.

The Mindwerx team is taking the Brain Fit challenge by working through the 62 exercises in Edward de Bono’s new book “How to Have Creative Ideas”.

They thought they would share interesting bits from the book mingled with their own thoughts.

“Many people do some physical exercise every day. Some people go to the gym every day. I would suggest that you make a habit of doing at least one creative thinking exercise every day.

As with physical exercise, the important thing is to be disciplined about it.

Choose an exercise
Set a time Limit
Do the exercise.”
Here is a simple exercise.

Set your focus – “I want ideas on …?
Use a Random Word – CLOAK
Jot down any thoughts, ideas that pop into your mind when you connect the two.

i.e. Focus: a new idea for a new restaurant
… a highway robbery theme
… a Venetian theme with projected pictures of gondolas
… waiters and waitresses to be masked
… you can’t see the food you are eating (it is cloaked).
(like Restaurants in the dark )
… there are code words used when ordering the meal

Go on… do it!
Its actually quite good fun…

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