TRULY SPEAKING: The Secret to Getting What You Want

Summary: Today's post discusses the law of attraction, used in The Secret and other New Age products, and the one simple question you can ask yourself in every situation in order to communicate your needs—to yourself and those around you—best.

Surely you've heard the secret—The Secret, that is, by Rhonda Byrne. If you're someone who's managed to avoid hearing about this widely popularized book, CD set, movie or general technique, let me be the first to break it down for you: The secret to The Secret is the law of attraction, or the idea that like attracts like.

Sir Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation states in part that "two bodies attract each other with equal and opposite force." Although there's much more to his law than this, the principle has been borrowed by New Age coaches and modern thinkers of every type to promote the law of attraction. Byrne's 'secret' is out!

So, what does this mean for you, as someone who's presently looking to improve the way you speak, write or think under pressure? Here's the second secret: *Pssst!* The more you honor your deepest desires, the more likely you are to elicit them from the world around you.

Ask yourself, "Why do I want to improve the way I communicate?" Is it for a raise or a promotion; to impress your boss or co-workers; to win that sales incentive of the new car or vacation package? If it's anywhere along these lines, your deepest desires—in this case, anyway—are financially driven. Do you want to impress a certain someone you just met or to change the way you automatically react to your significant other? If so, you're most motivated by romance right now. These are just a couple of examples that can vary from situation to situation or even moment to moment.

Asking, "What do I want most right now?" each time you feel tongue-tied or confused will help you more clearly state—first to yourself and then to the world around you—what exactly you need or want. And that will help you determine how to go about getting it gracefully.

To further improve the way you speak, write or think under pressure, contact Communications Coach Kealah Parkinson at Kealah@KiKiProductionsInc.com and type "Speak with Kealah" in the subject line.

© KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009

Begin from Within: Corporate Integrity Starts with Personal Integrity

No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, the phrase “corporate integrity” may well get your blood boiling today—especially if you live in the U.S.: Corporate giant AIG, a decades-old institution in not only the American (and international) economy, but also (thanks to business and advertising) in the mind of the American, is being publicly lambasted for the choices it’s made in the wake of its federal financial bailout. The situation is a macrocosmic parallel to the American individual on public welfare whose monthly income checks are designated only for program-approved costs, like milk or diapers. If the individual gets “caught” spending welfare money on anything outside of those program-approved expenses, there are repercussions.

The terms of this “program-approved spending”—and its mismanagement consequences—may not have been so clearly defined for AIG and other corporate recipients of federal bailout money. Just like the financially unstable individual who suddenly wins the lottery, the company is perceived to have continued the spending spree that put them in the red in the first place.

But the backlash goes beyond spending practices. It’s no secret that personal wealth is a high priority for most Americans, as well as others around the globe. And when you factor in the success over the last decade of products that tout prosperity consciousness (such as Australian Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret), there’s really no mystery to the motivating force behind this seeming money-hungry madness.

But the difference between reaping rewards and sowing repercussions is not such a fine line. In fact, most prosperity consciousness programs—be they in audio book, afternoon workshop, weekend retreat or online e-course form—feature a compelling distinction between wealth and greed: generosity. “Giving to get back” is a phrase that can be twisted. Sound business practices call for “giving” to the business in order to generate more growth. But global companies like Starbucks have based their corporate mission statement around giving to not just the business’s bottom line, but its employees, customers, vendors and even the communities with whom they work.

Starbucks’ longtime CEO Howard Schulz has spoken at length about how he applied his personal philosophy of generosity to the mission and vision of the company almost from its inception, learning quickly that focus on the bottom line should remain the bottom of one’s focus for true success—success that’s measured in more than merely dollars. His personal values became his corporate values, and remain the paragon of virtue at his Fortune 500 business—a company that’s yet to ask for a handout in 2009. (By the way, Starbucks is not only a Fortune 500 entity, it’s also currently listed as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work.)

Do you speak your truth all the time, even when no one is listening? Do you do the right thing, measuring the motives behind your choices, even when no one is looking? Integrity is commonly known as the ability to do the right thing even when no one is watching. Watchdogs and whistleblowers aside, getting caught misappropriating (or simply being inappropriate) only goes so far. Living an honest life can get you further than the greatest windfall; that measurement may include, but goes beyond money. Talk about your truisms!

(c) KiKi Productions, Inc. 2009