Here is your March/April issue of Take Charge Success Strategies.
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Volume 6, Number 3 March/April 2006

Publisher: GoalMinds, Inc. E-mail: condrill@goalminds.com
http://www.goalminds.com Copyright 2006 Jo Condrill
All rights reserved

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Welcome to all of our new subscribers! Thank you for joining
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In This Issue:

1. Are You Listening?

2. A Nation at War

3. Let Us Pray

4. What If

5. Book Expo America/New Title Showcase

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When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.
~ERNEST HEMINGWAY

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Are You Listening?

'Daily Schedule: Progress Meeting... Another 3 hours of my
life I will never get back. I gave my report, but nobody
listened to it. Progress meeting? When will I find time to
make progress on the things I really need to get done? We've
heard it all before. In fact I heard it all at the last
bi-monthly progress meeting. It feels strangely similar to
some of my lectures in college. My mind wanders, but I
really do hear it all. I utilize osmosis. Don't I look like
a listener?'

Are you listening? Do you tune people out?

Communication is the key to life. We use communication to
get what we want, beginning on day one. We may not use words
right away, but if someone doesn't get the point, we cry
louder. Communication breakdown begins on the same day.
'Hungry? Wet diaper? Tired?' Or simply, 'Pay attention to
me!' Whatever the message, Mom or Dad must use their best
listening skills to make some assumptions. You just can't
tune out a crying baby.

Knowing how to listen will get us so much more of what we
really want in life. Fewer progress meetings, peace and
quiet...

Is your listening style getting in the way of what you want?
You may surprise yourself! Take this quiz to find out.

Do you:

1. Feel misunderstood, ignored or devalued when you
express your opinions?

2. Feel others are too sensitive?

3. Feel others waste time and lack focus when you want
them to get to the point?

4. Feel others present information that is scattered or
ambiguous?

5. Feel others miss the big picture?

6. Feel others are too consumed by details?

7. Feel others don't try hard enough to understand
information in depth?

8. Feel others are too concerned with abstract or
impractical issues?

9. Feel others are too critical?

10. Feel others are not willing to stop and enjoy?

11. Feel others accept facts without challenging their
validity?

Did you answer yes to any of these? More than one? Learning
how to listen may change your perceptions.

Often we think of communication as verbally expressing our
messages to others. However, that accounts for only half of
the equation. No matter how many times or different ways
someone says something to you, their message will not reach
you until it matches your listening style. But you really
can match them easily if you are aware of your personal
listening style and adjust accordingly.

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Learn how to use your ears to get what you want at work and
in your relationships. Communicate more effectively in every situation.

The Personal Listening ProfileŽ can help you easily identify
your preferred listening style and tell you exactly how to
adapt other approaches when appropriate.

Order yours today at:

http://www.goalminds.com/perlistprof.html

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Some argue that the U.S. military is at war but the nation is
not, or at least does not appear to notice that it is. This
contrast in views has implications for both the conduct of
military operations against hostile forces abroad and the
maintenance of national security. US Army Strategic Studies
Institute invites the public to join them as they discuss 'A
Nation at War' from April 11-13 at historic Carlisle
Barracks, Pennsylvania. Former Secretary of Defense Dr.
William Perry will give the keynote address.

Http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/strategy-conference.cfm

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'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as
they protect us. Bless them and their families for the
selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask
this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.'
~From my friend, MICHAEL WARDINSKI, PH.D., Colonel, USA, Retired

There are many websites where we can show our support for our troops
http://www.anysoldier.com/ was started by a soldier to support others
in his unit. It is run by military volunteers and their families.

May is National Military Appreciation Month
http://www.nmam.org/wesupportu.htm
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What do we mean by patriotism in the context of our times? I
venture to suggest that what we mean is a sense of national
responsibility ... a patriotism which is not short, frenzied
outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication
of a lifetime. ~ADLAI STEVENSON

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New!
GoalMinds Blog
Insights, Events, Commentary, and Photo Albums by
Jo Condrill. There are many more articles at:

http://www.goalminds.com/weblog/

Feel free to comment in the
blog zone.

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What If?

Does your business have an emergency response plan? What
about your family crisis response plan? Who needs to know
your whereabouts in an emergency?

In business, we use contingency management, 'con-man.' For
the Army we wrote and exercised contingency plans. In our
personal lives, we should also consider in advance those
times when life throws us a curve, when things don't go the
way we planned them.

One very useful technique is to do mental 'what if' drills
in order to anticipate obstacles before they occur. Use your
'over the horizon' radar to look into the future. Then run
different scenarios of future events through your mind. Whom
could you contact? Consider all of your options.

Large companies hire people to gather information, 'look
into the future,' and think up plausible scenarios of
challenges and opportunities the company may face in the
future. The company is then able to do contingency planning.
You can benefit from those techniques, too.

Why not think up several plausible scenarios for yourself.
Contemplate the obstacles and brainstorm some possible
solutions with a trusted friend. Anticipating obstacles and
thinking of possible solutions prepares you to deal with the
situation more decisively when problems occur. Develop some
mental contingency plans. If . . . Then . . . If this
happens, then I will do this to get around it. If
that happens, I will take this course of action.

Emergency Planning Why not apply a 'what if' drill to a few
scenarios for yourself and your family just in case you ever
encounter any type of emergency situation. In the Army
Operations Center, we did recall drills. We utilized a
recall plan where within a very short time everyone would be
called back to work. It works like a chain reaction. The
person at the top of the list calls two or three people, and
each of those call two or three people, and quickly any
number of people can be contacted. Prayer groups and others
also use this technique to contact many people in a very
short time.

Think of your personal and professional responsibilities.
Does your business have an emergency response plan? Who
needs to know your whereabouts in an emergency? Spouse?
Children? Parents? Siblings? Boss? Coworker? How many
telephone numbers do you know off the top of your head?
Write them down so others can make the contacts if you are
unable to? Should you establish a notification chain so that
with one completed phone call, everyone who needs to know
can be notified? What if the phone lines are down or cell
phones are knocked out? Could you get into your e-mail? If you can
only reach a coworker, will that person know whom else to
contact? You can conduct this very practical 'what if' drill
immediately. What if you become caught up in an emergency
situation tomorrow? Would you be better prepared than you
were yesterday?

'What if' drills can boost your confidence. Even if the
challenging events you encounter in 'real life' do not match
the precise scenario you thought up, you will have practice
in creative problem solving. 'Stuff happens.' Looking 'over
the horizon,' anticipating, and doing 'what if' drills will
ensure that you are prepared.

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The last of human freedoms is the ability to choose one's
attitude in a given set of circumstances. --Victor Frankl

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Want to know the secret to getting what you want?

Jo Condrill's 'Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your
Dreams' is a masterpiece on achieving life's visions. It
gives practical, realistic guidelines to focus on what is
important in life to see dreams come true.' ~ Elaine Stoltz,
Past President Association of Image Consultants
International

Find out more at:

http://www.goalminds.com/takecharge.html

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NEW!
An impelling true-life story will emerge at Book Expo
America, 'The Voices Within Us: A Book of Hope,' by Jim
Stewart, published by GoalMinds, Inc. Look for it in the New
Title Showcase and the Showcase catalog. Jim is an
award-winning poet and song writer with a Gold Album. Angels
talk to Jim; he responds and records, then shares his
spirit-filled life in this new book. Jim will attend the
Expo and possibly have some performances in the area. Why
not arrange to meet him while he's in the D.C. area? Contact
him at mailto:Voices@publishandprosper.com Order your
advance copy from:

www.publishandprosper.com/Voices

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If you find this newsletter useful, you may also want to
sign up for our Publish & Prosper Newsletter.
Lots of information on writing, publishing and marketing
your own book. Check it out and sign up at:

http://www.publishandprosper.com/

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