Here is your December issue of Take Charge Success
Strategies

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Volume 6, Number 9 December 2006
Publisher: GoalMinds, Inc.
http://www.goalminds.com
Copyright 2006 Jo Condrill All rights reserved.

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Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah! Happy Holidays!

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Welcome to our many new subscribers. Thank you for joining
us. Thanks to our continuing readers, too. You are receiving
this newsletter either because you signed up for it or
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As we approach the holy holidays, we at GoalMinds, Inc. wish
you and those dear to you health, happiness, love and
prosperity. Even though we've faced challenges during the
past year, there are even more times when we've been
exhilarated and thrilled with new knowledge, new friends,
and new experiences. May you find time to relax and reflect
upon your blessings of the passing year and plan for an even
brighter year in 2007. GoalMinds will celebrate it's
10th anniversary in February 2007. We pray that we may be
counted among your positive experiences and we look forward
to a continuing, mutually beneficial, relationship in the
coming year.

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The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a
dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the
egg; And in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel
stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.

--James Allen
As a Man Thinketh
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IN THIS ISSUE

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1. A National Stand-Down
2. People in the Spotlight
3. Throw Yourself a Lifeline

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1. A National Stand-Down

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Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

Whether you celebrate Christ's birth, Chanukah, Kwanza, or
something else, this is a time of year that has most of us
rushing here and there to purchase something. There are
gifts for loved ones--or business gifts--there is food to
purchase and prepare--and perhaps even decorations and new
clothes to buy. Merchants love this time of year!

After all of this, we relax and enjoy the company of other
people for perhaps a day or a week, and then we're off again
on the next quest. You might say, "Such is life."

What if we took some time to be alone. What if we stopped
and listened to the silence. What if we thought about the
meaning of love--how we experience it and how we express it.

The news media daily tells us about war, murder in our own
cities, sniping and hatred. Are we unable to change that
course? What if for one day, we had a worldwide "stand-
down," a temporary cessation or suspension of business as
usual, and focused on what it means to love and be loved? To
be kind and gentle? Military units and firefighters have
stand-downs; veterans organizations have stand-downs for
homeless veterans. Why can't ordinary citizens use a stand-
down to stop fighting and hurting each other? What better
time than this time of year?

What a different world it would be if we stood down and
focused on kindness and love. No child abuse, no bickering
and back stabbing, no cheating. Impossible! Fantasy? Maybe
so. But what if each one of us took one positive action to
turn things around. Would it make a difference?
If you could name a National Stand-Down Day for kindness and
love, when would it be? World Peace Day, December 21, would
be a good beginning. But just days before Christmas, it may
be impossible. Pick a day that suits your circumstances
before January 1; stand down before you begin to think about
your New Year's Resolutions. What are you going to do
differently next year? Are you going to make more money,
look more beautiful, weigh less, learn more.... First things
first. Choose to live in an attitude of kindness and love.
Take charge of your life and be an instrument of change.
Then, if you please, tell me about it and let me know if
it's okay to share your story with others. You can call
(214) 615-6505 ext 5392 or send me an email
Mailto:condrill@goalminds.com

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2. People in the Spotlight

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Who's living the life you want to lead? Whose your role
model? Let me suggest a few. You can hear their stories at
http://www.successtalk.com/jocondrill

Ricky Flores grew up in a housing project. "We were in every
government assistance program available," he says. In the
ninth grade, he looked at his surroundings and said to
himself, "Lord, there's got to be more to life than this."
He took charge of his live and found the way out through
education, hard work, and focus. He set his sights high. He
now has a master's degree and is making history in San
Antonio (Texas) Independent School District. He leads an
award-winning music program with 297 students in Irving
Middle School, ages 11 to 14. In September 2006, Ricky's'
band was one of six in the nation to receive a National Wind
Band Honors Award. "They were really amazing and I've
listened to good bands for 30 years," said Rick Yancey,
director of the national project.

Can you imagine competing in a sporting event and having
your "leg" end up three feet ahead of you? Would you have
the presence of mind to make light of it? John Register saw
it happen to an amputee who was wearing a prosthesis, and he
was inspired to compete in track and field events wearing an
artificial leg, a prosthesis. John was in the US Army,
running hurdles in 1994 when he injured his knee so badly
that his leg had to be amputated. A veteran of Desert Shield
and Desert Storm, he tells us that most injuries to service
members occur outside of a combat theater. John talks about
that winning feeling, being on top of the game, and he talks
about near despair. He emphasizes the importance of faith,
family, and friendships in helping us get over obstacles.

Dr. Dilip Abayasekara, Immediate Past President of
Toastmasters International, a worldwide organization devoted
to improving communication and leadership skills, entertains
us with his saga of becoming an American citizen and
learning to eat toast! He inspires us with words of wisdom
from his book, The Path of the Genie. And he encourages us
to: "Find your voice. Serve your world."

Judith Kaye is a brilliant and very successful author,
businesswoman, former professor, and mother of two young
adults. Judith's family chose to live in Australia rather
than Hungary which was under Communist rule when she was a
young child. Judith has an insatiable desire to learn. In
this recording she provides sage advice on how to choose a
career. You will be surprised, informed, and entertained.

Frank Muise made a wrong turn in his life. At an early age
he was drinking and doing drugs. Things got worse and he was
incarcerated for four years at age 14 without possibility of
parole. Life is not a straight line, even when you think you
have it figured out. Listen as Frank describes his life's
journey. He is older now, almost 24, and he is moving away
from hip hop into rock. In this interview he shares with us
his journey to becoming a successful musician. He has faith
in the Good Lord. Now, with his wife, Tee, at his side, he
is inspired to be all he can be.

Shawn Leslie Jenkins is an entertainer as well as an expert
fitness trainer. This fast-paced show is loaded with
information about his life's journey from break-dancing in
the streets of Detroit; to Morehouse College in Atlanta; to
the YMCA in Hollywood; and beyond. Shawn will make you
sweat just talking about his extreme workout! There's more
to Shawn, though, than physical fitness. He shows a unique
compassion for his clients, caring about the whole person.
Shawn asks his clients to help the needy by taking canned
goods, toys and clothing to the workout sessions. Shawn's
associates then see that the appropriate organizations
receive the contributions to be distributed in the local
area. Shawn is amazing! Just listen and see if you don't
agree.

There is no charge to listen to and download any of the
interviews. As always, I welcome your feedback. Please
comment on the website http://www.successtalk.com/jocondrill

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Don’t let your life just slip away. Live it to the fullest.
Take Charge of Your Life: Dare to Pursue Your Dreams. This
book saved my life when I was in an abusive marriage. It
gave me courage and concrete steps to take charge of my
life. To download your copy go to
Http://www.goalminds.com/takecharge.html
--Annette Bass
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Throw Yourself a Lifeline!

You are creating the person you will become by the way you
envision that person, the goals you set, and the actions you
take. By exercising your free will and consciously making
choices, you become co-creator with the Maker of all things.

Do you want to go to graduate school or take fun courses? Do
you get involved in social work or climb the social ladder?
These are not right or wrong or even mutually exclusive
decisions, but they do lead in different directions.

A lifeline exercise which is frequently used in career
planning and management might be useful to "see" how your
life looks, to gain insight into your world view, to chart
relationship patterns, and to consider your future.

The usual lifeline is a line that extends from birth to
death. However, in many cultures, more subtle perhaps in the
western world, career is discussed, predicted and planned by
family and community well before the birth of the child.
Acknowledging this reality and addressing it will help us
separate a personal vision from that of our family or
community. This is not always an easy or comfortable task.
We see this influence in some military families with several
generations of military leaders. The first-born,
particularly, senses some expectation that he or she will
follow the family tradition.

Extending the lifeline to some years past our death
challenges us to consider our "legacy." What do we hope to
leave, what contribution do we wish to make, what are we
REALLY working toward? Donna Holley has used this exercise
with undergraduate and graduate business students. "It is a
useful tool for students to 'see' what 'work life' has been
for them and to chart their dreams and dreads about their
career into the future."

Expand the scope of this exercise and consider life in
general. (A model is provided in Take charge of Your Life:
Dare to Pursue Your Dreams.) Identify significant events of
your life and note them. Events considered "positive" are
usually written above the line and those considered
difficult or "negative" below the line. Then consider the
future by predicting significant events that will take place
between now and some years (perhaps ten) after your death.
Such events might involve aging parents, graduation,
promotion, birth, death of a loved one, and so on.

The lifeline exercise will give you a snapshot of where you
are now. It will show some of the events that have shaped
who you are, and may encourage you to let go of things that
are blocking your progress. Looking to the future, you can
see some things that are likely to happen. Using the
lifeline exercise will help making choices easier and more
productive as you begin to develop a plan for your future.


"The best use of life is to spend it for something that
outlasts life." --William James

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Pick out a thank you card and Xerox will
print it; it will be sent to a soldier who is currently
serving in Iraq. http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home.html You
can't pick out who gets it, but it will go to some member of
the armed services.

An inspiring video, "On My Watch Tonight," by Mike Corrado,
a Marine serving in Iraq, is posted on http://www.mamajo.org
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Jo Condrill
GoalMinds, Inc.
P.O. Box 100903, San Antonio, TX 78238
Phone: 210 595-1340
EMail: condrill@goalminds.com