by Jack Canfield

A recent management study revealed that 46% of employees leaving a company do so because they feel unappreciated; 61% said their bosses don't place much importance on them as people; and 88% said they don't receive acknowledgement for the work they do.

Whether you are an entrepreneur, manager, teacher, parent, coach or simply a friend, if you want to be successful with other people, you must master the art of appreciation.

I've never known anyone to complain about receiving too much positive feedback. Have you? In fact, just the opposite is true.

Keeping Score

When I first learned about the power of appreciation, it made total sense to me. However, it was still something that I forgot to do. I hadn't yet turned it into a habit. A valuable technique that I employed to help me lock in this new habit was to carry a 3" x 5" card in my pocket all day, and every time I acknowledged and appreciated someone, I would place a check mark on the card. I would not allow myself to go to bed until I had appreciated 10 people. If it was late in the evening and I didn't have 10 check marks, I would appreciate my wife and children, I would send an e-mails to several of my, or I would write a letter to my mother or stepfather.

I did whatever it took until it became an unconscious habit. I did this every single day for 6 months--until I no longer needed the card to remind me.

Who Cares?

If asked, could you name the five wealthiest people in the world, or five people who have won the Nobel Prize, or the last five Academy Award winners for best actor and actress?

The point is none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers either; they are the best in their fields. But if I asked you to list five teachers or mentors who believed in and encouraged you, five friends who have helped you through a difficult time, five people who have taught you something worthwhile, or five people who have made you feel appreciated and special - that's much easier to do, isn't it?

That's because the people who make a difference in your life aren't the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They're the ones who care.

If you want to be remembered for being important to someone else's life, make them feel appreciated.

Appreciation as a Secret of Success

Another important reason for being in a state of appreciation as often as possible is that when you are in such a state, you are in one of the highest emotional states possible.

When you are in a state of appreciation and gratitude, you are in a state of abundance. You are appreciating what you do instead of focusing on, and complaining about, what you don't have. Your focus is on what you have received... and you always get more of what you focus on. And because the law of attraction states that like attracts like, the more you are in a state of gratitude, the more you will attract to be grateful for. It becomes an upward-spiraling process of ever-increasing abundance that just keeps getting better and better.

Think about it. The more grateful people are for the gifts we give them, the more inclined we are to give them more gifts. Their gratitude and appreciation reinforces our giving. The same principle holds true on a universal and spiritual level as it does on an interpersonal level.

I challenge you to discover ways to immediately appreciate someone in your life, starting today!

For more on this topic, read Chapter 53 in The Success Principles. It will give you great suggestions and ideas on how you, too, can find ways to appreciate those in your life. © 2008 Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Seventy percent of women who define themselves as highly balanced believe they are more successful than their colleagues, according to newly released research from the Hot Mommas Project, a George Washington School of Business-supported research initiative which chronicles the best practices of women who have achieved success in multiple facets of their life.

The research, which was conducted between 2005 and 2007, is based on an in-depth survey of 269 working women in the U.S. One of the questions survey respondents were asked was how successful they felt relative to other colleagues. "We found that the most balanced segment of the survey population was a group of women termed 'Master Balancers.' They actually believed they were much more successful than their colleagues, versus the rest of the survey population," said Kathy Korman Frey, adjunct professor and associate director of GWSB's Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence.

According to Frey, "Master Balancers" were defined as women who rated very high on professional drive, personal/family expectations, and their ability to balance both. Forty percent of the general survey population -- which was comprised of working women --believed they were more successful than their colleagues while 70 percent of "Master Balancers" believed they were more successful than their colleagues.

"There is a great deal of discussion among women, educators, and thought leaders about success and how we define it," Frey added. "These Master Balancers are creating a new definition of success. Our survey, and ongoing research, will shed new light on how they're doing it."

The Hot Mommas Project will release the remainder of the research via installments on its blog: Visit HotMommasProject.blogspot.com or you can visit HotMommas.org for more links and information.

The Hot Mommas Project's mission is to increase self-efficacy in women and girls by providing scalable, global, free access to role models online. Women who are interested in serving as a role model can participate in the Hot Mommas Project case-study competition, which will be launched on October 13. Case-study competition winners will have the opportunity to have their stories published in a leading Prentice Hall textbook. Click here for more information: hotmommasprojectinfo.wordpress.com

by Jack Canfield

As you move forward on your journey from where you are to where you want to be, you are going to have to confront some of your fears. Fear is a just a natural part of living.

Whenever you start a new project, take on a new venture, or put yourself out there, there's usually some fear involved. Unfortunately, most people let fear stop them from taking the necessary steps to achieve their dreams.

Confronting your fears is a very necessary step in achieving success..

There is simply no other way.

Fear can be a helpful emotion, as it tells you when you need to be extra careful, keenly aware, and cautious. Fear is not an emotion that is telling you to stop. In fact, it's telling you just the opposite!

Acknowledging your feelings of fear helps you know when you are stepping out of your comfort zone. It points your awareness to areas where you could improve and grow.

Successful people also feel fear.. Yet they don't let it get in the way of anything they want to do-- or have to do.. They understand that fear is something to be acknowledged, experienced, and taken along for the ride. They have learned, as author Susan Jeffers suggests in her must-read book, to "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway®.".

(Susan has been a friend of mine for twenty years now, and her work, which is very powerful and transformational, has helped millions of people overcome their fears and move forward to create success in their lives. I highly recommend her as a resource:www.SusanJeffers.com )

You see, fear is more of a signal that we should stay alert and cautious. We can feel fear, but we can still move forward anyway.

Think of fear as a 2-year-old- child who doesn't want to go grocery shopping with you. Because you must buy groceries, you'll just have to take the two year old with you. Fear is no different. In other words, acknowledge that fear exists but don't let it keep you from doing important tasks.

Also realize that so many of our fears are self-created. We might frighten ourselves by fantasizing negative outcomes to any activity we might peruse or experience. Luckily, because we are the ones doing the fantasizing, we are also the ones who can stop the fear and bring ourselves into a state of clarity and peace by facing the actual facts, rather than giving in too our imaginations.

If a fear is too great for you to overcome, try breaking it down into smaller challenges..

Try starting out doing the parts of the project that don't scare you so much. You need to give a speech in front of a large group? Try giving your speech in front of a small group of people who care for you. Work your way up until you are able to feel the fear but still move forward. As you do you will build your confidence and eventually you won't feel fear surrounding those issues because you'll have done them enough to count it as a skill.

As you move toward your goal, don't attach yourself so much to the outcomes..

Keep moving toward your dream doing everything you can to create what you want, then let it go and see what shows up. Sometimes the universe will have a better idea in mind for you and present a better opportunity when you were expecting something completely different. Don't let fear keep you from moving forward. Even if the horrible outcome that you imagined happens, the universe will always provide for you another way to succeed. So be on the look out!

Trust that no matter what occurs, you are smart enough and strong enough to keep looking for, and attracting, opportunities..

If you are willing to try new experiences in spite of your fears, then more new experiences will present themselves for you to try. And the more you try, the more you are likely to succeed!

© 2008 Jack Canfield.

Jack Canfield, America's Success Coach, is the founder and co-creator of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul and a leading authority on Peak Performance. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com

Work and family are often opposing forces, competing for your limited time, attention and energy. The good news is that you can take steps to reduce the conflict between work and family and find more balance in your life.

If you have less conflict between your work and your family, you will have the opportunity to be both a better parent and a better employee. Here are some strategies to find more balance:

Find flexible work. Negotiate a better schedule with your current employer or find a new employer that offers flexibility. If you have some control over your schedule, you will be better able to meet the needs of your family and be successful at work. When asking for flexibility, make sure you focus on the benefit to your company, not just your own needs. Your request will more likely be granted if you can demonstrate that it is a sound business decision.

Take control of your time. Some basic time management skills can help you find more time in the day for both your work and your family. Start off by getting organized. Sacrifice some time to clean out your office and your house so you don't waste time looking for things. Invest in a planner or calendar to better manage your schedule. Eliminate things in your life that waste your time such as watching too much TV or surfing the Internet.

Scale back on housework. Your kids won't remember the dust bunnies in the corner when they grow up. They will remember that you had time to read a book to them before they went to bed each night. You will have plenty of time after your kids head off to college to clean up your house. Seriously consider what you can eliminate doing, or outsource around your home.

Re-evaluate your involvement in outside activities. How many hours each week do you spend attending meetings, or taking your kids to some activity? Take some time to re-evaluate outside activities, for both you and your kids. Only participate in those that are essential for your career or personal success and consider limiting the number of activities that your kids are involved in. As you make such decisions, try to find activities that allow parental involvement.

Working to build a more family friendly work arrangement can help you meet your family's needs. Further, when it comes to your home life, you must have your priorities in place. You can give attention to both your job and your kids, without neglecting either.

Lori K. Long, Ph.D. The Parent's Guide to Family Friendly Work (Career Press, 2007) www.familyfriendlywork.net /

I want to vote, but I don't have anyone to watch the kids. I can't leave them at home alone!

It's hard to find time for voting in between work, soccer practice, violin lessons, homework help, getting dinner on the table.

I can't bring the kids to the polls. Children voting lines = unhappy mommy.

It's a fact: When you're a mom, balancing your parental responsibilities with your civic duty seems more and more daunting as Election Day approaches. But not this year!

To make it easier for moms across the country get out and vote, Sittercity America's largest and most trusted online sitter network has partnered with MamaVote and will be stationing its experienced babysitters at various voting venues in select cities across the country, including San Francisco. These highly skilled babysitters will entertain and care for your children while you vote for our next president in this years election. Stay tuned for information on the cities that will be sporting Sittercity sitters at the polls.

In the meantime, if you want to find a sitter not just for Election Day, but also for all your back-to-school needs this fall, join Sittercity.com now and access hundreds of thousands of caregivers in every city nationwide.

SPECIAL OFFER: Join Sittercity.com right now with promo code BEYONDMOMHOOD to save 10% on your membership! To learn more about Sittercity, visit www.sittercity.com.

We hope you all are having a wonderful summer!

We at Beyondmotherhood have heard your requests, and we're busy lining up the expertise you want to tap into. Here's a small snapshot of what we'll be blogging about in the next few months.

• A resume guru will discuss everything from creating or updating your resume to how to take all those activities you've been involved with and translating them into job skills.

• A career coach discuss the importance of being self confident and having a positive attitude.

• A childcare expert will discuss options ...whether you're looking for coverage while at work or just a night off.

• Organizers will discuss everything from lists to make the "Back to School" process run a little more smoothly, to how to juggle your job search and children.

• Fitness experts will discuss topics such as the importance of "mommy time" and how to use fitness to distress during your search.

• Networking tips and tools that will help you in all aspects of your life.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Check out this fabulous program offered by Goldman Sachs ...note the application period is only Aug. 1st (see details below).

"In conjunction with the Goldman Sachs New DirectionsSM initiative the firm is proud to launch our signature ReturnshipSM program. A ReturnshipSM is a full-time, 8 week internship-like program for women who are returning to the workforce after an extended voluntary career break and are interested in pursuing a new career path. The program targets on-rampers who want to "transition" into an area/division/industry outside of their past experiences. The ReturnshipSM program intends to provide women with hands on guidance and coaching on how to make a successful transition back into the workforce; bring them up to speed on changes in the industry while they were out; and facilitate networking opportunities with other women. After successful completion of a ReturnshipSM participants will be well prepared to re-enter the workforce as they move on to the next step in their career.

If you or anyone you know is interested in being considered for the program, please complete the application by August 1, 2008. Feel free to forward this invitation to friends, family, or former colleagues who may be interested in the ReturnshipSM program.

NOTE: Application period 08/01/2008 12:00am - 12:00pm

Dates and Location of Returnship: September 15 – November 7, 2008 Goldman Sachs Offices New York, NY

For more information please visit the web site at: https://programs.regweb.com/gs/gsrp2008/attendee/index.cfm?page=reg

For more information please contact: Monica Marquez monica.marquez@gs.com "

20 years ago, Mum's would meet up and chat at coffee mornings, perhaps in a Church hall or at another mother's house.

10 years ago, Mum's started branching out, not only were they meeting and making new friends in community centres and halls, they started to 'network' and form their own groups.

Now, there is a new breed of mums, who still meet up, they chat about everyday life and they still network, but not in a church hall, not round a friend's house, not in a coffee shop, but on Twitter.

There are Mums from all over the world who are now talking to one another, just like they would if they were having a cup of tea over a slice of cake, but now this tradition has hit the 21st century and we are sitting at our PC's and laptops.

So what does Twitter offer to Mum's more than the other social media or social networking sites? It's simplicity. Although you only have 140 characters to write your messages, as all Mum's know, it is still enough to have a conversation!

You can follow who you want to follow, block those who you don't and meet new like minded mothers. However, just like with any 'Mum Group' you can still have an amount of cliquey-ness, which us a shame, but it is only human nature.

You have the top business minded, mum entrepreneurs who seem to stick to their own circle of friends, until they want your business and then they start to follow you or on occasion, actually talk to you.

Next you have the professional 'mummy bloggers' who spend all their waking time working on their blogs, making them look pristine and groovy, they want to be "the next big thing" in the blogosphere. There is nothing wrong with being a professional blogger or making money from your blog, but you do get the odd mummy blogger, who wants world domination.

Then you have the majority of mums, who are just happy to be mums. This is where I fit in and I am very glad to say, where all the people I chat to, fit in too.

It is amazing how you can some up someone's personality in 140 characters, it is easy to spot I am a 'ditzy mum' through my writing, but that doesn't bother me. It makes me unique! I have people message me because my "tweets" are 'unprofessional'. Well hello, I am a Mum! I don't need to be sitting here in a suit and high heels, with a briefcase by the side of me! Twitter is used by everyone, mums and that other breed of folk 'non-mums' ,for one thing, meeting new people.

So this is where technology has taken us, internet social groups and online coffee mornings, but ask any of my Twitter mum friends if they like it and we would all say yes! See you all on Twitter!

Sally Walker www.sallywalker.me.uk