Countdown: How Are You Feeling Right Now?

by | Nov 23, 2018 | 10TRAITS, Article, Health, Inclusion, Leadership Opportunity, Training, UN Women

Day 41: Here is today’s three-part challenge: (1) Write down a single word that describes how you are FEELING when you are performing at your PEAK, that is, at your personal BEST. Do words like excited, passionate,or  joyful come to mind? Think of a word that describes this feeling best for you and write it down. (2) Think of a second word that describes how you FEEL when you are excited, passionate or joyful, … or whatever word you have chosen and write this second word down. Now add the second word to the end of this sentence: Whenever I feel (FIRST WORD), I also feel (SECOND WORD). For example: “Whenever I feel joyful, I also feel confident!” (3) On a scale of 1-5 STARS with five being the best, rate yourself right now. Then, in one sentence, describe what is happening at this very moment to make you feel this way. If you like, you can write down the date and time of day. What time is it right now? Today’s challenge can be easily shared with family and friends. It can also be turned into a daily habit. The only cost, this #BlackFriday is your time. Alexia Parks is CEO of 10TRAITS.com and serves as Chair of 10TRAITS Institute. 10TRAITS offers 1-Minute conflict resolution tools, research, and trait-based training programs for improved decision-making and organizational success. This blog is Day 41 of a series called Countdown: A 50-Day Personal Leadership Challenge....

Countdown: Finding The Will To Change

by | Nov 20, 2018 | 10TRAITS, Article, Gender, Inclusion, Leadership, Leadership Opportunity, UN Women

Day 43: Finding the will to change takes more than “willpower.”The fight for the top leadership role in Congress between two women politicians: Representative Nancy Pelosi and Representative-Elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez goes deeper than media headlines. The media loves a good fight. This fight is different.  This fight between two strong women leaders is about accelerating the SPEED of change, changing the entire culture of Congress, and getting it right, so that our elected leaders can break through the current gridlock in Congress and make government REAL again for people.  To change how government WORKS, we need to change how government LOOKS. Along with the 100 new women leaders entering Congress in 2019 imagine if the Democrats were to chose a new co-leadership team that would reflect both the diversity of America and our shared common values. That co-leadership team?  Pelosi AND Ocasio-Cortez. Co-Leadership of the House of Representatives by two strong women would pair the power and experience of an incumbent with vision and purpose of a high-energy newcomer. For example, Nancy Pelosi’s 31 years in Congress, representing San Francisco, California’s 12th District, might represent “the stable center” where change happens incrementally, over time, through diplomacy and concessions on both sides of the aisle. Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, from New York’s 14 Congressional District is an educator and a fighter. Her cause is to make government REAL for people. She wants to remove the mystique of “being an incumbent,” cut through the “red tape of government,” and help people see themselves stepping into leadership roles. It would require setting up a structural framework that recognizes the complexity and volatility of modern...

Countdown: Ignite Your Inner Light and Power

by | Nov 11, 2018 | 10TRAITS, Article, Gender, Health, Inclusive, Leadership, Training, UN Women

Day 49: Today’s goal is to establish new healthy habits. It’s time for YOU to become the center of your attention. Ready to start? Then stop for a moment and turn your attention inward. Shine a light on that part of yourself that may have been ignored or take for granted, perhaps for years, by you: Your INNER you.  Take a moment to put aside all distractions and focus on yourself. This personal focus “turns on” your inner light. It offers you a moment to discover where your personal power and potential really comes from. It comes from the daily actions you are willing to take to maintain or strengthen your health. If you’ve ever traveled by air, you know that every air traveler is reminded to: “Put your own face mask first before helping others.” This basic safety rule can also be applied to today’s challenge: Stay healthy! As a starting point, discover the power of sending tiny messages of encouragement to yourself. It’s like an “inner email” from you to yourself. Your spoken or whispered messages of thanks, gratitude and love can be as simple as: “Hello my heart. I love you.” “Good morning my miracle brain.” “Good GUT, how are you feeling today?” What you are displaying here is your natural leadership qualities of nurturing and compassion  If you’re interested, here is how I have turned a focus on health and healthy habits into a 1-minute list of daily affirmations. They are now part of a mini-exercise routine – inspired by my partner Dr. Joel – that begins with: I’m constantly growing every day, I’m constantly learning every...