The Seeker's Circle News

January, 2004

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Best & Blessings,

Dr. Lauren Thibodeau

Lauren Thibodeau, Ph.D., NCC, MBA

Owner, The Seekers Circle

Speaker, Author, Intuitive Consultant & Coach
http://www.DrLauren.com

Visit our website: http://www.SeekersCircle.com

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CHAT: INTRODUCTION TO INTUITION, with Shani. Free. Join Shani for an hour of intuition exercises and discussion. This chat meets the last Wednesday of each month at 8:30 PM ET in The Seeker's Circle Chat Room. No registration required.

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Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishment, or unlearning, of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts.

--Marianne Williamson

A Dozen Strategies for Creating Harmony at Work

By Lydia Ramsey

Many of us spend more time at work and in the office with our co-workers than we do at home with our families. We may choose where we work, but we don’t often get to choose with whom we work. In most instances, the only thing that we have in common with the people with whom we share our day is the place of business. No wonder maintaining harmony in the workplace is a big issue.

Employers struggle with ways to foster positive relationships among their employees when the solution often lies in some very simple acts of kindness and courtesy. They are not complex and will not incur any additional cost to the organization. Here a few actions that people can take to make the work environment more pleasant and productive.

1.Bring back a cup of coffee for a coworker when you get one for yourself.

2.Ask what you can do to help when you see a colleague trying to meet a deadline.

3.Offer to answer someone else’s phone when that person is working on a project.

4.Write a thank you note and leave it on a colleague’s desk when the person has helped you out.

5.Compliment your coworker publicly and privately for a good job.

6.Keep criticism of others to yourself unless you are the supervisor.

7.When it is your place to correct action, do it in private, not in front of others.

8.Maintain clear boundaries between personal and professional lives.

9.Be the point where the office gossip stops instead of adding to it and passing it on.

10.Look for the right moment to engage in small talk with a colleague. Just because you have finished your project and need a break, doesn’t mean that you can interrupt others.

11.Acknowledge everyone around you, not just your favorite people, with a smile and greeting at the beginning of the day.

12.Repeat #11 at that end of the day. Smile, say good-bye and offer a simple thank you to anyone who has made your day better..

Simple acts of kindness practiced on a regular basis can change an entire office environment when everyone participates. Anyone can start the process.

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Copyright © 2003. Lydia Ramsey. All Rights Reserved. Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert and the author of Manners That Sell. She works with organizations that want their employees to be at ease in business situations and to
represent them well in the marketplace. To learn more, visit her website: www.mannersthatsell.com

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being.

--Carl Jung

The miracles of nature do not seem miracles because they are so common. If no one had ever seen a flower, even a dandelion would be the most startling event in the world.

--Anonymous

Ignite Your Soul With Music

Want to hear a wonderful piece of inspirational music ... in a style that you might never have heard before? Check out Christopher Kent's "Piece of the Puzzle" here:

www.ChristopherKent.com

Chris is an excellent musician with an enlightened soul. He often writes music about the spirituality and meaning in life. After listening to it, tell us what you think on our Message Board!

The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.

--Johann Sebastian Bach

No Problem!

by Steve Goodier

Don't worry if you have problems! Which is easy to say until you are in the midst of a really big one, I know. But the only people I am aware of who don't have troubles are gathered in little neighborhoods. Most communities have at least one. We call them cemeteries.

If you're breathing, you have difficulties. It's the way of life. And believe it or not, most of your problems may actually be good for you! Let me explain.

Maybe you have seen the Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,800 miles from New Guinea to Australia. Tour guides regularly take visitors to view the reef. On one tour, the guide was asked an interesting question. "I notice that the lagoon side of the reef looks pale and lifeless, while the ocean side is vibrant and colorful,' a traveler observed. "Why is this?"

The guide gave an interesting answer: "The coral around the lagoon side is in still water, with no challenge for its survival. It dies early. The coral on the ocean side is constantly being tested by wind, waves, storms -- surges of power. It has to fight for survival every day of its life. As it is challenged and tested it changes and adapts. It grows healthy. It grows strong. And it reproduces." Then he added this telling note: "That's the way it is with every living organism."

That's how it is with people. Challenged and tested, we come alive! Like coral pounded by the sea, we grow. Physical demands can cause us to grow stronger. Mental and emotional stress can produce tough-mindedness and resiliency. Spiritual testing can produce strength of character and faithfulness.

So, you have problems -- no problem! Just tell yourself, "There I grow again!"

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Copyright © 2003 Steve Goodier All rights reserved. Steve Goodier is a professional speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at www.LifeSupportSystem.com.

Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.

--Denis Waitley

If you shut your door to all errors, truth will be shut out.

--Rabindranath Tagore

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