by Alexia Parks | Jan 2, 2019 | 10 Traits, 10TRAITS, Article, Gender, Health, Inclusion, Inclusive, Leadership, Leadership Opportunity, Training, UN Women, Uncategorized
Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the Greek philosopher Aristotle believed. He went so far as to call happiness “the whole aim and end of human existence.” But what if you are so unhappy that you don’t have time to focus on being happy? One fix for this problem is called: TRUTH. Truth cuts a path through a forest of distractions. It is the sum total of our words and actions that define us. It’s the bundle of habits that define our character. Truth, when expressed as kindness, compassion and respect for others, never wanders. It guides our actions, like a lighthouse in a darkened sea. Situational rhetoric is different. When your happiness depends on situational rhetoric, it means that your words must match the different types of people you talk to, or groups you join. With situational rhetoric you must learn to talk differently and act differently each time you talk, depending on the person or group you are with. This takes practice. Remembering what you said, when, and to whom, wastes your time and wears down your happiness. Telling the truth takes practice. When it becomes a habit, it will save more than your time, it could save your life. Mark Twain got it right when he said: “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember...
by Alexia Parks | Nov 22, 2018 | Article, Uncategorized
Day 42: NASA: The countdown is on! What if you attended an event where everyone you met was creating a piece of a Finer Future. Assembled in one room, each person was working on a piece of the DNA of a future world that was designed to work for everyone. All life. The event I attended last night at Riverside, in Boulder, was buzzing with the excited talk of environmental entrepreneurs. What drove the conversations was a simple question: What are you doing right now? The event was a book launch party for futurist Hunter Lovins, a woman who likes her scotch straight, and her spot-on facts five years ahead of the current reality. The book she was signing was offered as a blueprint for a regenerative economy “that avoids collapse and works for people and the planet.” Hunter is one of 100 people asked to join Governor-elect Jared Polis on his transition team. She invited everyone in the room to submit their resume, and extend the invitation to others, to join a committee to enable the bold thinking it will take to deliver the best results. The good news is, many of the ideas that will shape a finer future are already on the ground and ready for lift off. The BEST news is that person in charge of the launch is Polis, a highly successful entrepreneur. I first met Jared Polis in the mid 1990s, when he was still in his 20’s and deep into negotiations for the sale of an electronic greeting card company he had successfully created. Newly graduated from college, Jared had been given a desk...
by Alexia Parks | Nov 10, 2018 | 10 Traits, Article, Gender, Health, Inclusion, Leadership, Leadership Opportunity, Training, UN Women, Uncategorized
DAY 50: Today’s challenge is to stay mindful, stay sane, and stay healthy. What steps will you take to achieve this goal? Start by setting a goal to think GOOD thoughts. Did you know that up to 70% of the thoughts that most people think are negative. And, of all the thoughts we think each day, research suggests that up to 95% are the same thoughts we thought yesterday. How is this possible? It may be built-in to your job description. For example, when I recently mentioned this 95% figure to a bright young sales clerk at an office equipment store he looked at me in disbelief. Then I explained that the sales pitch he had just given me was probably the same one that he had delivered to a 100 people before me. Knowing this was true, he smiled at me and nodded his head in agreement. To boost the number of good thoughts you think each day, try this simple exercise: say to yourself “Be Mindful” each time you take an action. The more mindful you are, the more present you become. While staying fully present in every moment may not be possible, it’s a worthy goal. It means that you are taking full responsibility for what happens in your life. Learning how to lead from the INSIDE out is a leadership practice. You recognize that every thought, words or action is the result of a choice you have made. Chose well. Others may be watching, and following your lead. Alexia Parks is president of 10TRAITS Leadership Institute: Offering 1-Minute conflict resolution tools, research, and trait-based training...
by Alexia Parks | Jan 12, 2017 | Uncategorized
Men have 10 great, powerful traits, and women also have 10 powerful, DIFFERENT great traits. When you put these traits together – in a dynamic synergy – they create a NEW, unified Evolutionary Model for gender equality. Whenever I’m asked to speak, I always remind: “On a scale of 1-10, Be a 20! Alexia Parks, Founder of 10TRAITS.org is an Adjunct Professor, an expert on gender equality, and a UN Mentor. She has created a new, unified, Evolutionary Model of Leadership based on 10 traits found in the male and female...
by Alexia Parks | Aug 29, 2016 | 10 Traits, Article, Health, Uncategorized
FATS, fiber, and protein. Does 25-50% of your diet include fiber? I hope so. If it’s soft, soluble fiber – then it is the BEST food to feed the probiotics in your colon to retune the risk of colon cancer. Insoluble fiber serves as a “broom” for internal housecleaning. Today, Dr Joel and I had conversations about the aging process and also talked about the importance of getting plenty of OIL and FATS (called lipids) in our daily diet. These include: OMEGA 3 (EPA & DHA) 2 grams a day (which has Vitamin A in it), and the other good oils including OLIVE, avocado, butter, and coconut oil. One final reminder: It’s ALSO important to make sure you have a minimal 2-EGGS per day because the egg white called albumin has the BEST spectrum of amino acids for collegen production. MAKE SURE that you don’t overcook the egg whites – either soft boiled or poached (not more than 3-4 min maximum). # Alexia Parks is Founder and CEO of Alexia Parks 10 TRAITS Leadership Institute. 10TRAITS Leadership offers the ONLY leadership training program in the world based on 10 traits found in the female brain. Online programs are university accredited and come with a Certificate of...
by Alexia Parks | Jun 11, 2016 | Uncategorized
Yesterday, I attended a fund-raising event where Naomi Klein spoke about the importance of keeping fossil fuels in the ground, as government policy, on public lands. I agree. However, in a clever turn of phrase, she combined the words revolution and survival. “Our survival requires a revolution,” she said. I respectifully disagree. In today’s volatile world, we don’t need more wars or revolutions. We need MORE WOMEN in decision-making positions with men – at all levels of society. Why women? Why now? Because most of us know at some deep level that it’s time to make a rapid transition away from a world economy based on overconsumption, competition and conflict, to a world based on cooperation, collaboration, and sustainability. Whether the cause is protection of the rainforest, the search for climate solutions, or clean drinking water, the fastest way to change directions is to accelerate the empowerment of women into positions of leadership. More women in leadership also comes with an economic benefit. According to a recent report by The Peterson Institute for International Economics and EY called“Is Gender Diversity Profitable? they reported that 30% more women in upper levels of management results in a 6% boost to net profit. The report leaves this question unanswered: “Would more women mean even more profit?” I have the answer. The answer is “Yes!” Here’s why: In 2004, in war torn Rwanda, President Paul Kagame got approval of a quota of 30% women in Parliament. By 2012, the number of women in Parliament had risen to 56%. With women in the majority, and a focus on healthcare, education and infrastructure needs the country’s economy...