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Vol. 5 No. 6, November/December 2003
Copyright 2003 by Wolf J. Rinke
mailto:WolfRinke@aol.com
http://www.WolfRinke.com
IN THIS SPECIAL HOLIDAY ISSUE:
1. REFOCUS ON WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
2. A HOLIDAY GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING AND GIVING…
3. SEVEN STRATEGIES TO BEAT THE HOLIDAY BLUES
4. HOLIDAY HUMOR BREAK
5. ABOUT THE EDITOR
6. PRIVACY STATEMENT AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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HOLIDAY INSIGHT BREAK
"Most of us are about as happy as we make up our minds to be."
--Abraham Lincoln
Source: Make It a Winning Life, Perpetual desk calendar, Nov. 17
(Unique Holiday Gift-see below.)
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1. REFOCUS ON WHAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT
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On a bright and sunny day a fishing boat docked in an idyllic Greek
village shortly after noon. An American tourist, who was admiring the
modest catch, complimented the Greek fisherman on the quality of his
fish and asked how long it took him to catch them.
"A couple of hours," answered the fisherman.
"But then, why didn't you stay out longer and catch more?"
asked the American.
The fisherman explained that his small catch was sufficient to meet
his needs and those of his family.
The American asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
"I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, and take a
siesta with my wife. In the evenings, I go into the village to see my
friends, drink a few glasses of wine and sing a few songs...I have a
full life."
The American interrupted, "I have a business degree from Wharton
and I can help you become very successful! You should get started earlier
and fish longer every day. You can then sell the extra fish to a middleman.
With the extra income, you can buy a bigger boat, which will then enable
you to catch even more fish. With the extra money from the sale of the
fish, you can buy a second boat and a third and so on until you have
an entire fleet of fishing boats. At that point you can negotiate directly
with the processing plants and possibly even open your own plant. You
can then leave this little village and move to Athens or even San Francisco!
From there you can direct your huge enterprise."
"How long would that take?" asked the Greek.
"Fifteen to maybe 20 years," replied the American.
"And after that?"
"Afterwards? That's when it gets really interesting," answered
the American, laughing. "When your business gets really big, you
can expand on a global scale. At that point you would be able to go
public, start selling stocks and make millions maybe even billions!"
"Millions or even billions? And what would I do after that,"
asked the fisherman.
"After that you'll be able to retire, live in a tiny village near
the coast, sleep late, catch a few fish, play with your children, take
a siesta with your wife and spend your evenings drinking wine, singing
songs and enjoy being with your friends."
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2. A HOLIDAY GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING AND GIVING…
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I'd like to help make your holiday shopping easier by offering you a
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It is a universal gift that everyone will LOVE and benefit from!
It will keep on giving for years to come!
It can be given at any time of the year!
It's inexpensive!
It's totally unique - there is no other gift quite like it!
What is it?
It's my Make It a Winning Life Perpetual Desk Calendar
This wonderful desk calendar provides words of inspiration and wisdom
every day of the year! PLUS easy to apply action steps to help make
the message a reality! Best of all, at the end of the year, turn it
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Click www.wolfrinke.com to order or for more information.
Or call 800-828-9653. Offer expires 1/15/2004.
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3. SEVEN STRATEGIES TO BEAT THE HOLIDAY BLUES by Wolf J. Rinke, PhD,
CSP
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Tis the season to be jolly ... Noooot! At least not for lots of folks.
For many the holidays are the season to be melancholy and sad. For others
its more serious--serious enough that statistics tell us that more people
die in the Western World the day after Christmas than at any time of
the year.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health and the American
Psychiatric Association (www.viahealth.org) many people experience clinical
depression especially around the holidays. You have a serious disorder
that requires medical attention if you are suffering from one of the
following NEARLY EVERY DAY, ALL DAY, FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS:
- loss of interest in the things you used to enjoy
- feeling sad, blue or down in the dumps
In addition people who are depressed also experience at least three
of the following symptoms:
- feeling slowed down or restless and unable to sit still
- feeling worthless or guilty
- increased or decreased appetite and weight
- thoughts of death or suicide
- problems of concentrating, remembering or making decisions
- trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
- loss of energy or feeling tired all of the time.
If you are experiencing these symptoms you should make an appointment
with your doctor now.
If on the other hand you are experiencing the following symptoms you
are likely experiencing the blues:
- headaches
- inability to sleep or sleeping too much
- change in appetite causing weight loss or gain
- agitation and anxiety
- excessive or inappropriate feelings of guilt
- diminished ability to think clearly or concentrate
-decreased interest in activities that usually bring you pleasure such
as food, sex, work, friends, hobbies or entertainment.
To beat the blues take the following actions and make this a truly
joyous holiday season:
TURN OFF THE NEWS
The media's axiom is: If it bleeds it reads. (Think of all the gruesome
pictures of Americans being blown up in Iraq.) It is time that we inoculate
ourselves from this insidious virus-the incessant reports of bad news.
Remember, that whatever gets reported in the media represents the exception--not
the rule. The problem is that we hear the same bad news over and over
again, and we begin to believe that that is the way things are. It is
NOT! Think about it. How often did you hear about the casualties in
Iraq, compared to the good deeds being committed in your community right
now? Now which one do you believe occurs more often? Enough said!
MANAGE EXPECTATIONS
When are children most excited? About a week before the holidays or
right after they have ripped all the presents open? The former, of course.
Just like children, many of us also experience a feeling of let down
when the hustle and bustle of the holidays wind down. The reason is
that all the things that needed to get done have occupied all of our
mental and physical energies. And now that it is over, you experience
a sense of disappointment and the blues kick in. To combat this phenomena
start on a new project or a new goal right after the holiday. For example,
you and your significant other may want to start planning your summer
vacation.
MAKE LOVE NOT WAR
Tonight, when you put your children to bed give each one a really big
hug and tell him/her from the bottom of your heart: "I love you,
and I'm very proud to be your parent." And then shut up. Do not
continue the sentence with "but" because but erases everything
you have said before. Repeat the exercise with your spouse. Your spouse
and children are the most important people in your life. So do not waste
another day without giving them lots of hugs and kisses.
COMMIT RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
To do this right you must do something for someone else without expecting
anything in return. For example, get the family together and serve a
holiday meal at a shelter for the homeless. Or visit your local nursing
home and talk with an elderly person in need of companionship.
HELP CHILDREN FEEL SECURE
When children ask you questions about the despicable events associated
with September 11, 2001, anthrax, snipers or other challenges that we
will be facing in months to come, listen actively (see below) and then
answer candidly. Be sure to share your sadness, anger and frustration,
however do all you can to avoid expressing hate, spite and revenge.
Instead, remind your children that they can feel safe, because most
people are good, and that the evil perpetrated by a few represents the
exception.
GIVE THE GIFT OF LISTENING
To really listen you have to learn to make your own mind quiet and give
the other party your undivided 111% attention. The act of active listening-not
giving advice-is one of the most wonderful gifts you can give during
these stressful times.
CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY
It was Abraham Lincoln who said: "Most people are about as happy
as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is a state that only
you control. So don't wait for others to give you happiness. Make a
choice to be happy and then make it happen! For example, learn to get
pleasure from people, not things. Plan to spend the majority of your
available time with the people you love and deeply care for. If you
want to supplement it with stuff, learn to get pleasure from little
things.
MANAGE STRESS
Master the most powerful stress control system of all time:
- Change the changeable
- Accept the unchangeable
- Remove yourself from the unacceptable
Also make quiet time for yourself and treat yourself to whatever truly
helps you relax, may it be a hot tub, a movie or a walk in the woods.
DECREASE CONFLICT
Whenever you are in a situation that seems to be moving in the direction
of conflict, simply and sincerely say: "You are right about that."
The primary reason that we have a "need" to be right is to
feed our ego, and feeding your ego disempowers you. To insure that you
are not sounding like a parrot, use these derivations: "That's
an interesting perspective." "I have never thought of it that
way." "I see what you mean."
HAVE "PLASTIC SURGERY"
If overspending is a critical issue for you, start by having "plastic
surgery." Get rid of your credit cards, or at least put them away
for the holidays. Establish a holiday budget in advance. Make up a gift
list that insures that you stay within the budget. Avoid keeping up
with the "Jonses." It won't do a thing for you. Want to do
something extra-ordinary for that special someone? Make a gift yourself!
For example, write a beautiful poem, sign it and put it in a frame.
It will be more appreciated than even the most expensive gift you can
buy! (Also take a look at section #2 of this eNewsletter for a unique
gift that every one will love. It's inspirational, will keep on giving
forever and yet it's inexpensive.)
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For FREE articles, inspirational messages and money saving offers on
other holiday gifts such as books, audio and videotapes visit our website
click here or call 800-828-WOLF (USA); 410-531-9280.
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5. HOLIDAY HUMOR BREAK
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Thanksgiving Lite:
Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving.
I'm telling you in advance, so you won't act surprised.
Since Ms. Stewart won't be coming I've made a few
small changes:
Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries.
After a trial run, it was decided that no matter
how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks
do not have the desired welcoming effect.
Once inside, our guests will note that the entry hall
is not decorated with the swags of Indian corn and
fall foliage I had planned to make. Instead, I've gotten
the kids involved in the decorating by having them track
in colorful autumn leaves from the front yard.
The mud was their idea.
The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens,
fancy china, or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes
that match and everyone will get a fork.
We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain
you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choice
comment I have made regarding Thanksgiving pilgrims
and the turkey hotline. Please remember that most of these
comments were made at 5:00 a.m. upon discovering that the
turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.
As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play
a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention
that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming
or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey
in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.
We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce
the start of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional
method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement.
When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table
and sit where you like.
In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to
sit at a separate table. In a separate room.
Next door.
Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a
turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers.
This will not be happening at our dinner.
For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony.
I stress "private" meaning: Do not, under any circumstances,
enter the kitchen to laugh at me.
Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress.
I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason
that I will eventually win.
When I do, we will eat.
Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering a
choice between 12 different scrumptious desserts,
we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie,
garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints.
You will still have a choice; take it or leave it.
Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving.
She probably won't come next year either.
I am thankful.
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6. ABOUT THE EDITOR
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Dr. Wolf J. Rinke, CSP is an internationally recognized motivational
and management keynote speaker and seminar leader who delivers customized
presentations that combine story telling, humor and motivation with
specific "how to" action strategies that participants can
apply immediately to improve their personal and professional lives.
You can preview a live demo at www.WolfRinke.com. He is also a highly
effective management consultant, executive coach and author of 12 books
including: "Make It a Winning Life: Success Strategies for Life,
Love and Business" available at www.WolfRinke.com
To take advantage of Dr. Rinke's services call 800-828-9653 or mailto:WolfRinke@aol.com
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7. PRIVACY STATEMENTS AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
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We will not make your name or e-mail address available to anyone. Period!
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