The Positive Impact of Strategic Thinking and Planning on Your Success

What is strategic thinking? Strategic thinking is a somewhat complex statement. For a better understanding of what it means, first consider what strategic planning is. Strategic planning is a process of analysis and declaration, usually used by companies to focus their goals and directives. Strategic planning focuses on strategy, direction and decision-making. Before an organization could plan for its future, it would first have to examine its own strengths, weaknesses, threats and well as a summary of its political, economic, social and technological missions. The primary objective of strategic planning is not merely analysis, but the formal consideration of an organization's future course.

How does strategic planning differ from strategic thinking? There are some subtle differences that should be reviewed. Strategic thinking is not as detailed as strategic planning. Strategic thinking implies predicting a general "shape" of what the future might bring; i.e., financial trends or significant political events. Strategic planning would plan for the future and in tremendous detail. Of course, nobody can predict the future and so strategic planning would center more on predicting organizational performance rather than social outcomes. There are also more subtle differences. In strategic thinking, managers understand the entire system including all functioning units. With strategic planning, some management personnel may be kept in the dark, only being taught how to fulfill their role. The best way to understand the difference is that strategic thinking seems to favor a more effective operation, whereas strategic planning focuses on efficiency.

Both systems are recommended for a variety of reasons. A company leader must have a clear direction of where his or her company is going. Just as an individual sets short-term goals, so the leaders in an organization must continue to set goals and directives on a continuing basis. Whether you own your own business, are progressing in your career, or are seeking strategy for some other aspect of life, you should be putting forth effort to become a better strategic thinker. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

The Positive Impact of Strategic Thinking and Planning on Your Success

Tips To Become a Better Strategic Thinker

Every strategy starts with a vision, a vision of success, both in the long-term and short-term picture. Strategists are not afraid of failure but look forward to learning from experience. You will always be learning, no matter how long you live. All of the experience that you accumulate should help you to improve strategic thinking. The best strategists use both strategic thinking and planning to their advantage, managing their time efficiently, even while focusing in on details as much as possible. Try and remember this simple fact: time is more costly than money. Money comes and goes but you can never get wasted time back.

Becoming a better strategic thinker requires that you modify your thinking so that you can be more observant of what is happening around you. Most strategic thinkers have a very high level of awareness and are careful to take in as much information as possible. The more you know about the past and present the more you can predict the future. This is what strategic thinking is all about. It is also important that you stay patient. Staying patient doesn't mean that you have to control your enthusiasm or refrain from taking risks. Actually, the more short-term goals that you create, the better off you will be. You should also be encouraged to consider more risks as this can help you get over your fears of taking decisive action. Short-term goals keep individuals motivated and confident. At the same time, you need patience to help keep your upcoming goals moving you toward your dreams and keep your long-range mission in check.

Why Great Strategies Fail

All of these tips can help you to formulate a great strategy. However, there is no guarantee that your brilliant strategic plan will work. This is why you are advised to never risk more than you have to lose, especially when starting out in business. Often times, you will miscalculate if you are trying to strategize for a potential outcome. As previously mentioned, you cannot predict the future with 100% accuracy, no matter how much planning you do, and no matter who you are.

A miscalculation could also be due to an error in your strategy. Some of the most common errors result from simple planning mistakes. For instance, a failure to understand the client or targeted client could be responsible for a poor marketing campaign. The company may over-estimate their resources or even the competence of their staff to handle a complicated project. A lack of organization may be responsible for an unsuccessful campaign. There could even be problems with time management, with employee education, or with poor overall communication.

If this has happened don't let it discourage you. Use every setback as a learning experience and strategize so that the next endeavor is monumentally successful. I'm sure you have heard the expression, "learn from your mistakes." As we move forward and make progress on our journey, we will have many experiences to learn from. Use them to your advantage.

The Positive Impact of Strategic Thinking and Planning on Your Success
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Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude - 7 Habits For Maintaining A Positive Mental Attitude

A positive mental attitude is essential to successfully overcome the challenges you will encounter in your day to day life. Just as you would nurture your body with a good diet and exercise, you need to develop your positive mental attitude with regular mental exercises. Read about the 7 habits that will help you...

1. Always use positive self talk. You are constantly talking to yourself in your mind. It has been estimated that up to 1500 words a minute flow through your mind. Your thoughts are either positive in nature - "I can do this..." or they are negative in nature "It's too hard for me..." Negative self talk will lead to self doubt, poor self esteem and a negative mental attitude. Positive self talk will lead to confidence, high self esteem and positive mental attitudes.

2. Control the pictures in your mind. You use mental pictures to represent places, events, dreams and visions. You may not be aware of all the pictures that you make. One thing is certain, the outer world you will see is a reflection of the inner pictures that you create in your mind today. If you predominantly create negative pictures, your future will be the same as or worse than your present. If you focus on positive pictures, your future will be better than your present.

Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude - 7 Habits For Maintaining A Positive Mental Attitude

3. Feed your mind a healthy diet. You are bombarded on a daily basis with negativity. People with negative attitudes, media that focus on bad news are everywhere. You need to take positive steps to give your mind a daily diet of positive information - motivational tapes, books and videos, intelligent reporting in quality newspapers.

4. Associate with positive people. Your level of success has been proven to be strongly correlated with the people you associate with. If you mix with people with a negative attitude and low levels of success in life, that's where you'll end up. If you mix with successful people with positive, supportive mental attitudes, you'll join them!

5. Positive training and development. You should strengthen your mind with personal growth and development programs - aim for at least four programs a year. If you don't grow as a person, you'll stay just where you are. The key to a better future is to start from the inside and grow yourself as a person.

6. Develop a healthy lifestyle. The old saying "a healthy body makes a healthy mind" is correct. You need to ensure that you have high levels of mental energy in order to deal with the world and maintain a positive mental attitude. A good diet and regular exercise will mean that your body is able to supply plenty of nourishment to your brain. A poor diet and no exercise will leave you feeling tired and unable to cope with the challenges of life.

7. Be proactive. If you are proactive, you will always take the initiative, you will be in control of your life and your self esteem will rise. If you let yourself be reactive, life will control you, you'll become the victim of circumstances and you will have low self esteem.

To develop and maintain a positive mental attitude you need to develop, exercise and feed your mind. This article has outlined a seven point program for developing a positive mental attitude. If you build all the habits into your life, you will become a positive thinker who is headed for success.

You'll need to incorporate these habits into your life for 21 days to give them time to take effect. If you do, you'll see a difference in your results!

Would you like to learn more about success through a positive mental attitude?

Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude - 7 Habits For Maintaining A Positive Mental Attitude
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Kevin John has spent many years helping businesses owners, aspiring business owners, and private individuals to develop the understanding and skills needed to achieve the success that they want.

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Positive Attitude - The Key to Success

Your attitude has a direct affect your behavior and therefore directly influences your life. If we talk about workplace, happiness and success they would be considered as major assets. The bigger question today is, that every one knows what is right and what is wrong. But how do you develop and maintain a positive attitude when you are too busy to meet deadlines and sometimes stressful work?

Today I am going to share a few personal views on Attitude. I can offer a number of ways by which you can get yourself motivated to be better.

A few most important techniques are discussed below.

Positive Attitude - The Key to Success

1. Set SMART goals.

I would request all my readers to answer the following questions as:

Where will you plan live 7 years from now and will your life style be better than today or worst? Who will you work for, yourself or for a company and how far will you be able to reach? Where will you plan to take your vacations? Will you be able to match all your plans with action or will their be a GAP and how wide will that be?

Once you have clearly answered yourself of what you want from your life, the next step would be to set measurable goals for yourself. I would define a goal as a specific end result you would want to achieve by a particular point in time. In-fact you will see for yourself that these goals will change your whole attitude towards life. Try to divide your goals into short term, mid term and long term goals for better tracking. Once you would have the end in mind which would be a dream that you are going to live, day-to-day frustrations won't seem as important. Your behavior will begin to reflect in your actions and reinforce in the goals you have set for self.

When we are talking about goals they always have to based on the SMART principle:

S- Specific M-Measurable A-Achievable R-Realistic T-Time bound

Another golden rule for the betterment of life is that you must start working toward your goals immediately, even if you move inch by inch or should I say little it is fine. If you wait until you're completely ready, you may never begin. For example, if you plan to shed a few kilos, just wake up in morning and go for a jog in your jeans. Do not wait for buying tracks for your self as it will delay the whole process and have an effect on your motivation level.

2.Focus on the brighter side of Life and your Job.

Another way to keep your attitude positive is to focus on the positive aspects of your life and work rather than on the aspects that need improvement. If you concentrate on what's good about your work instead of dwelling on what isn't, your behavior will reflect positivity. As a result of which your seniors around you will notice you more, who for sure will prefer you over others with a promotion when ever an opportunity strikes.

3. Stay away from people who have negative influence.

In almost every department or workplace, there is someone who finds fault with the existing company policies and procedures. This person is always unhappy, and often tries to change other staff members to the same way of thinking. Dealing with such people is very simple. Never be passive or aggressive with them. Keep your stance and behave assertively all the times. Maintain your own view point & try to get back to your focused goals. Chances are that you will never fall for his trap.

Remember, your attitude affects your behavior, which is why it's important for you to develop and maintain a positive attitude. As you work to make your attitude consistently positive, you'll find that your behavior will increasingly reflect your new approach to your work life and ultimately help make you more successful. This positive attitude will also throw light upon peers, friends and family members who stay close to you.

Positive Attitude - The Key to Success
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How to Talk to People - 9 Super Success Tips

We admire those who know how to talk to people, or have the innate ability to easily engage in a conversation even in an unfamiliar gathering. Others believe that some are born with the natural ability to talk to people or they have what they call the gift of the gab. However, the ability to talk or convey ideas whether in a small group or up on stage before a large audience is not an innate ability but an acquired skill. It can be learned, enhanced, and perfected. All you need are the right information and the determination to do it.

Were you disappointed before because you were not born with the gift? Then worry no more and start to learn the skill. To begin with, here are some helpful tips on how to talk to people.

1. Be presentable. You do not need to get the best couturier in town to have you packaged. All you have to do is to be dressed appropriately. It is one way of building your self-confidence and it will help you to act confidently.

How to Talk to People - 9 Super Success Tips

2. Keep a pocket full of information. Be up to date with the current events, and keep a mental list of good topics of discussion. These are handy tools to keep you ready to talk to almost anybody.

3. Get yourself centered and focused. This is a basic if we want to establish connection with the person or people we are talking to. Develop the ability to shake off recent events that somehow ruined your day. Take a few minutes if you need to before engaging in any conversation.

4. Be respectful. Respect the feelings, emotions and opinions of others. Everyone has the right to their opinion and it is healthy to agree that we disagree. Let every one have their moment to be heard and sincerely listen to them. That way it would give them a sense of importance.

5. Maintain eye contact. It is one way of showing interest in the person we are talking to. Women, they say, maintain eye contact more than men but men could acquire the skill through practice. Movements or stray thoughts tend to sidetrack a person. Be aware of them and learn to ignore them.

6. Listen. Listening is a serious business. It is easy to talk and talk but we defeat the purpose and lose the chance of establishing rapport. There are
situations that are more important where active listening is imperative. You will not miss the cue for your turn if you listen attentively.

7. Establish rapport. It is not an easy thing but sincerity is the key that unlocks the door in establishing rapport. Synchronizing behavior or mimicking the pose, facial expression, gestures, body language, and tone of voice of the other person are ways of building rapport.

8. Adopt a positive attitude. Make sure your words, tone and gestures are all saying the same thing. Find out what you have in common, or if you seem to have nothing in common, adjust. Try to become the other person for a short time.

9. Always ask an open ended question. This will help the continuous flow of conversation and will help you and the group to keep the encounter alive and flowing with information.

Discovering how to connect with others and employing these strategies will make one successful in talking to people. Talk means to express, exchange ideas by means of spoken words or to convey information or communicate in any way. Take these simple steps and you are sure to make the act of talking to people fascinating and memorable for all. One day someone may come up to you and ask where you learned how to talk to people.

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Building Your Way To Online Success Part 1

As your alarm clock explodes into life each morning, and you reach out to pound it back into submission for another ten minutes, does the thought ever cross your mind that there could be a way to end this same tired, old routine?

Each day, as you make your way to and from your workplace, amidst the fumes, frustration, and financial drain that is the lot of a commuter, do you ever dream of being able to step out of your bedroom and straight into your workplace?

If you're a Star Trek fan, you may be thinking, "Yes! Beam me up Scottie"--but if that was your first thought, then I'm afraid you may have to wait a little while longer. Transporter technology hasn't quite been perfected yet. However, in spite of that slight delay in scientific progress, there is still a way to have the commute-free lifestyle you've been longing for. In fact, there are many people who have already turned that dream into a reality by successfully building their own home-based online businesses.

Building Your Way To Online Success Part 1

For the online business owner, there are no traffic jams, no co-workers breathing down their neck, and best of all, no BOSS! What more could anyone ask?

It sounds wonderful, and it certainly can be. However, achieving the type of success that will free you from the 9 to 5 rat race, does not just happen by itself.

The unfortunate fact is that most people will never reach this level of business success--not because they don't have what it takes, but rather because they aren't willing, or prepared, to take the time and effort needed to establish a proper business structure.

Now, right from the start, I'll quite honestly say that this guide does not come with any absolute promises or guarantees. When it comes to business, there is no such thing as a "sure thing." However, it does contain solid, time-tested procedures and advice that are essential for anyone who wants to succeed in any form of business. The new business owner ignores these things at their own risk--and, sadly, many do.

One of the main problems, when starting a business, is that many people begin with unrealistic expectations and the wrong information. If you do an internet search about starting a home-based business, you will be flooded with sites that promise to reveal the secrets of success that will help you to get rich quick. With titles such as, "How I Made 0,000 in 3 Days," they tempt the budding entrepreneur with offers that seem too good to be true--and they usually are. Although it may be possible for someone to make a lot of money in a relatively short space of time, the reality is that for the vast majority, it is completely unlikely. Creating any form of successful business takes time, preparation, commitment and hard work.

Although many people want to start their own online businesses, very few actually know how to go about doing it ... but that doesn't stop them. Armed with little more than a desire to make money, they rush in and begin something that they are completely unprepared and unsuited for.

A quick search on any topic will provide a plethora of sites providing relevant products or services for sale. If you take the time to visit these websites, you'll quickly notice that most are quite unprofessional in appearance, and have little, if any, chance of success. Why? Quite simply because the new business owner has started things off on the wrong foot.

There really aren't any special secrets to starting an online business, but there are some basic steps that will help you build your way to an online success.

Step 1: DECIDE WHAT YOUR BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE

At first glance, this initial stage of starting a business appears incredibly simple, if not completely obvious. Yet you may be surprised to discover how many people are involved in a business for which they have no experience or training. In fact, many have not even taken the time to research the field at all.

It makes good sense to choose a line of business for which you have some affinity. For example, if you have experience in designing and creating handcrafted items, a potential business opportunity would be that of an online store devoted to selling your crafts, and those of other artisans. Because you have a background in this particular field, you would have an immediate rapport with your target audience, and be able to understand what is important to them regarding your type of product. You would also be able to provide accurate and interesting articles that are relevant to your field of expertise. As a marketing tool, many a business has been enhanced by the introduction of an informative newsletter.

So, experience in your chosen field is definitely a big advantage. But there is one other thing that is vital--and that's passion. There is no question that a person who is passionate about their business will have a far greater chance of seeing it become a success, than would someone who is ambivalent about their product or service. Believe me, I speak from experience.

Many years ago, my wife started cleaning homes as a way of earning another income, and she did very well.

A few years later, seeing the opportunity to make money, I decided to get involved in the cleaning business too, and I also did quite well. However, even though I was very happy to have my own business, I never truly enjoyed what I was doing. In fact, I have to admit that I dreaded the work. As a result of my lackluster attitude, I never took that business to the level that it could have reached if I had been at all passionate about it.

There is a lot of truth in the saying that "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life." So before rushing headlong into the first business opportunity that comes your way, make sure that you take the time to really consider what is the right business for you, based on your interests, experience, talents and passions. If making money is the only positive factor, then think again. Taking the time to get this first step right, will ensure that you have a rock-solid foundation upon which to build the online success of your dreams.

Please look for Part 2 of Building Your Way to Online Success.

Building Your Way To Online Success Part 1
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Positive Attitude 4 Key Tips to Having Better Happiness & Success With a Positive Attitude

Life is all about choices so when it comes to your attitude of you really want to have a fun exciting life with success along the way. Then choose to have positive attitude and you will be amazed at the difference in the quality of your everyday life.

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The world is a negative place to be there is so much negativity in the news and in our news papers. People every where tend to have a bad attitude towards their lives and that only breeds unhappiness and failure. Also this is so hard to over come.

If you are some one who fits into the negative attitude mold then read on.

Positive Attitude 4 Key Tips to Having Better Happiness & Success With a Positive Attitude

Here are 4 Key Tips to Having Better Happiness & Success starting with a positive attitude.

1. You want to make it a habit to read positive learning material.This will help you to grow and learn to create the right mind set for success and happiness. Because you become a product of what you read or listen to on a regular basis if you are reading and listening to positive things then you will program your mind to have a positive attitude toward life.

2. You want to surround yourself with others who are striving for happiness and success. because we become inspired by those around us and we feel the need to raise the bar and become better than where we are right now. This will help you keep a positive attitude and an open mind to the possibilities that are available to you in life.

3. Positive attitude will help you to learn to have fun in life make every day a fun adventure. You do not want to take yourself so serious. Because we can put a lot of undue stress on ourselves if we choose to take our selves too serious. You need to realize that we all have short comings and forgive our selves when we make mistakes in our lives. Learn from our mistakes that we make and then go on trying your best not to make that same mistake the next time.

4. Learn to live your life the way that you want it. Your quality of life is really about the choices that you make along the way. Because when we are doing the things that we are passionate about then we are more likely going to be in a positive attitude and look forward to each and every moment in our lives. The important thing is to choose to have a positive attitude and an open mind and you will be amazed at the success and happiness that will come to you in life.

Remember you are a superstar and you deserve to shine bright. The best way for you to do that is by keeping an open mind and a positive attitude in your everyday life.

Positive Attitude 4 Key Tips to Having Better Happiness & Success With a Positive Attitude

This your life if you are not happy then it can only get better if you make it happen.

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The Psychology of Friendship & Success

One of the main reasons that most people do not achieve their ultimate goals and dreams in life is because they are emotionally and psychologically unequipped to handle the loneliness and isolation that is required to evolve to the next level of success. When friends call and beg you to go out to the movies, get a bite to eat, or hang out at your favorite club you will be forced to decide whether or not spending time with them is the best use of your time, given that you have 2 exams and a research paper due within a week. Most of us will make the wrong decision many times before we do what is ultimately best to achieve our goals.

I am going to tell you a secret. When you are in between stages of evolving to your next level of success, this is when you are most likely to be isolated by family and friends. You are psychologically in a cocoon. Listen carefully so that you will understand what is happening to you. There are many habits from your old lifestyle that you must shed before you can move to the next level. For example, if you frequently partied late into the wee hours of the morning, drank too much alcohol, or were involved with too many sexual partners these habits may prevent you from being able to focus on your academic or career goals with the degree of intensity that is required to be successful.

Positive Attitude

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Like most people, you will struggle initially with the 'old you' and the 'new you' that is trying to emerge. Instead of declining your friend's invitations to go and hang out, you will say yes, and wake up the next morning thinking to yourself, "Why the hell did I go out last night?" Now the people who are already where you want to be will not find it appealing to befriend you just yet. These people are serious. They are much further along on their journey to success. They are not interested in people or activities that defer them from accomplishing their goals. When you become one of them psychologically, you will find the door of new friendships opening to welcome you in. It's not so much that these people are your friends, per say; it's just that you share the same psyche of interests and experiences and you will be able to relate and discuss issues of importance to each other.

The Psychology of Friendship & Success

These are some points to ponder when you are trying to maintain friendships on the way to achieving your dreams:

1. True friendships never die, they may appear to fade during periods of significant change--but remember this is a necessary transitional stage in order to give you the space that you need to grow. A true friendship will stand the test of time while you are adjusting to your new role in life. Don't let any one's perception of who you should be and how you should act prevent you from making the necessary changes to make your dreams come true.

2. When you reconnect with your old friends, it will never be the same. The friendship will retain the most important roots that will connect you together, such as being able to share your most intimate secrets or playing poker. The love will remain pure, but you will enjoy your time together as well as apart.

3. As women we tell too much of our personal, intimate, private business to other women. We talk about the size and shape of our mate's penis, how often we have sex, every minute detail of our conversations with our lovers, and how much we hate our bodies within a few days of meeting. I know that as a psychologist, female brains are biologically wired to share secrets and gossip, but in order for us to compete in the business arena, we need to learn to separate our personal lives from our professional lives. Maintaining an emotional distance from others will allow us to get along as acquaintances and business associates much better. I can't count the times that I should have not exposed my underbelly when trying to fit in or upon meeting a new acquaintance.

4. Loyalty, honesty, trust and favor take time to develop in any relationship and friendship is no exception to the rule. Don't make the mistake of expecting too much too soon from a friendship. A shared interest in yoga, book club or salsa dancing does not mean that this person should be trusted with a key to your home or know the intimate details of your new romance. When you share personal information with the wrong person, you are giving them ammunition to make achieving your goals more difficult.

5. Be aware of the fact that the interests that make you and your friends--"friends"-- also has the potential to make you and your friend mortal enemies. Friends typically find the same type of guy attractive, enjoy the same taste in clothes and have similar career interests or capabilities. Say for example, you and your friend meet the same great guy at the same time, but he chooses your friend over you. They marry, have babies and live happily ever after in la la land. Can you truly be happy for her? If you are truly happy with your life and who you are, you could be happy for your friend; otherwise you may experience feelings of jealousy and insecurity. If you and your friend both apply for graduate school and your friend is accepted and you are rejected, this will have an impact on your friendship.

6. Friends sometimes unintentionally sabotage your success. Some people believe that if you want to lose weight and develop an exercise routine, it is best to buddy with a friend. I personally think that this is huge mistake. If you begin to lose weight and your friend is not losing weight, she may begin to discourage you from exercising by suggesting other activities. If your friend is not doing well in school, they may use creative ways to distract you from studying. Unfortunately, if your friend is having problems maintaining or attracting a loving relationship, she may do and say negative things to undermine your relationship with your mate.

7. Friends can be uncomfortable in the friendship when roles change; if you evolve from being the ugly, dumb or fat friend your friend may feel awkward. If your friend has always been the one who attracts male attention and all of sudden you become the "pretty one" trust me, this change will have an impact on the friendship. If the friendship is true your friend will adjust and your bond will grow even stronger.

8. Be aware of friends who are envious or jealous of your ambition and success. I have found that most people are not consciously aware of there insecurities or motives to destroy you and ultimately the friendship. But remember on your road to success, you will be unintentionally leaving people behind. As you grow and evolve many people will become insecure with the ties that bind their relationship to you. Your friends do not know their role or where they fit into your new life and in many cases this insecurity will cause them to do and say things that will hurt you, in a twisted effort to save the friendship.

9. Don't be afraid to cut friends and family members loose who can not accept and respect the person that you have now blossomed into. You will find friends from your past who will only want to talk about the good 'ole days, when you were drunk, broke, broken-hearted and down and out. You will know them because they will frequently say, 'remember when...' No matter how much it hurts you must cut people out of your life that refuses to see not just the old you, but the new you. I had an ex-best friend say to me, "Sandy, who do you think you are? You are just a poor black girl from Detroit, with a GED, who thinks she's somebody. I can't wait for you to see that you are nobody special and know your place in life."

10. Your friends, buddies, the people you hang out with or whatever you would like to call them--are the truest reflection of who you are and what you think about yourself. If you surround yourself with people who are untrustworthy this is because you feel you deserve their friendship. You don't choose your family, but you sure as hell select your friends. Most importantly take a deep, soulful look at yourself. Would you want yourself as a friend? Do you tell secrets that your friends ask you not to tell? Do you flirt with your friend's husbands or boyfriends? Deep down inside are you jealous of your friend's success or happiness? You must be a true friend to have a true friend. Know yourself. If you aren't happy and confident with who you are, you will find it very difficult to find true friendship.

11. An honest, loyal, true friend is a person who is happy with themselves, confident and possesses extremely high self-esteem. People who are living their dreams and being true to their calling make the best friends.

12. Lastly, my brother General George always say, (and I agree with him) people always reveal their knife before they stab you in the back with it. Listen and pay close attention to what your friends say and do. If she is betraying another friend, this is an indicator that she will also betray you. It is very rare that we are surprised at someone's behavior.

13. Sometimes the universe, life, or God, (whatever concept that resonates with your spirit) will isolate you from other people in order to allow you to focus on your life's purpose. What may be perceived as jealousy or disagreements are really "spiritual events" that are used to remove social and emotional distractions from your life. In the purest and deepest spiritual sense, it is no one's fault when relationships dissolve. Your friend can no longer accompany you on your journey to success. They are not destined to go where you are going, but it doesn't mean that they were never meant to be a part of your life and who you ultimately become as a person. Always remain positive and wish them well.

The Psychology of Friendship & Success

Dr. Cassandra George Sturges MA, MA, is a mother of two teenagers, a full-time psychology instructor, advice columnists for Today's Black Woman Magazine, Seminar facilitator, author of "A Woman's Soul on Paper" ISBN: 0595171435; The Illusion of Beauty: Why Women Hate Themselves & Envy Other Women; Men Interviewed Tell: 101 Things Women do to Turn Men Off; Success & Beauty is an Attitude: A Woman's Guide to Academic and Life achievement. Dr. Sturges is the author and publisher of Authentik Beauty Magazine. A 1 year subscription to Authentik Beauty Magazine is only .00 for 6 issues; mail request to: Authentik Beauty Newsmag, P.O. Box 980679, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Caution: Articles and clip art are sensuously and beautifully designed for a mature audience only. We accept cash, checks & all major credit cards. Email: authentikbeauty@yahoo.com, visit my website at [http://www.authentikbeauty.net] - http://authentikbeauty.blogspot.com

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