Empowering Links: Week of 3rd September
Best personal development resources for the week:
The Happiness Project has a technique to help you create wild success. If you’re getting an “A” at the end of the semester, what will you have done to deserve it?
Money magazine went knocking on the doors of the wealthiest people in America and asked them the million dollar question: ‘What does it take to be rich?‘ (via the Never Eat Alone blog).
Great advice from Elona about taking responsibility: Don’t Blame the Lettuce. She’s a teacher dealing with kids most at risk of dropping out of school, and her experiences are both riveting and inspiring. She’s doing good work 
One of my favorite designers, John Maeda, reminds us of the simple gifts of looking up in the sky.
Michael Fortin gives away 3 keys to the secret of his money success, give, thank and forgive.
Adam, the only self-made millionaire I know personally, reveals the answer to the question; does it take luck to succeed and make it rich?
And Mark Goulston shares another way to put empathy before solutions by sharing how to get someone to buy into you.
I agree that a key to self management is self esteem. I would offer that true life inspiration happens when you find something you love to do and make it a part of your everyday experience. Here’s an exercise:
1. Write down 10 things you love to do or that bring you the most joy. I call this the “You List”
2. Then record how many times a day you do one of the things on your list
3. Give each day of the week a rating from 1-10
4. Your best day usually comes out to be the day you do the most things on your “You List”
I can easily relate to the first part of the story, in the past I was one of those people pretending you have done something and then be very uncomfortable when someone asks more detailed questions.
It is not a good feeling and being upfront from the beginning really saves you the embarassment later.