Does it take a family or a village to raise a child? This question became the subject of great controversy during the 1996 presidential election with the publication of Hillary Clinton’s well-known book, It Takes a Village: And Other Lessons Children Teach Us.

But somewhere between the two extremes, there’s a simple truth that when the family AND “village” is dedicated to helping the next generation succeed, everybody wins. As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, mentors and educators, we all have our part in the process.

Of course, parents have the largest role and the largest stake in raising happy, well-adjusted children. We want our children and teens to make smart choices and avoid trouble. The single most effective way to bring that to pass is to concentrate on helping our kids build a strong foundation.

The nonprofit organization, Search Institute, describes this foundation as being made up of 40 essential building blocks, which they call developmental assets. Read Post

From my article 10 Things You Can Do to Make Today More Meaningful at The Change Blog:

“Do you find yourself wanting for more meaningful experiences?

Sometimes the best way to get what you’re craving is to give it first. Don’t wait for someone else to make the first move or for a situation to spontaneously occur. Be liberal with, and unrestrained in, whatever you share. Create your own meaningful moments, and your life will be all the richer for it.

Here are some ideas as to what you can do: ”

Read the rest of 10 Things You Can Do to Make Today More Meaningful.

From my article Kids, Wealth, and Responsibility at The Change Blog:

Money means different things to different people. Some see it as a way of keeping score or measuring success. Others view money as simply a means to an end. In the pursuit of wealth, some have trampled their way to the top. Others seem to have glided there, nearly effortlessly.

In each of these extremes is a greater truth. Wealth magnifies your deeper personality traits. The thoughtful, caring person with access to financial resources will benefit him/herself AND others. But someone who only cares about keeping score will never have enough, regardless of the fortune amassed.

Read the rest of Kids, Wealth, and Responsibility.

Thanks to Colloquium for including this post in the Carnival of Family Life.

What do Jim Donald, Susan Lyne, and Bill Gates have in common? Each of these busy, highly successful professionals has tackled the problem of too much to do in too little time, and come out on top. Let’s take a look at how these high profile managers budget their time.

Prioritize.
Jim Donald, CEO and president of Starbucks, considers himself to be fanatical about communicating. He receives over 200 e-mails per day, responding at least briefly to 75% of them. His secret is to start the day early (6 AM) because it’s the perfect time to reach out to people. In the quiet of the morning, he leaves voicemails for his managers, writes personal thank you cards and signs birthday cards. Clearly, he places a high priority on building and maintaining relationships, and he aligns his day accordingly. Read Post

Lifestyle Coach David Bohl to speak about how to live a more productive and empowered life at Susan K. Wehrley’s Lakeview Center in Pewaukee, WI on May 23.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
HARTLAND, WI, May 20, 2008–

David Bohl, owner of Slow Down FAST ( www.slowdownfast.com ) will present “How to have a more empowered life, making the choices that are in alignment with your heart’s desires, for greater life fulfillment and effectiveness!”‘ at Susan K. Wehrley’s Lakeview Center on Friday, May 23, 2008. The address is 161 West Wisconsin Ave. Pewaukee, 53072 and the cost to attend is $10 in advance or $15 at the door…

Click here to read the rest of this press release.

This Saturday, May 17th, I’ll be Susan K. Wehrley’s guest on the BIZremedies radio show.

Find out the latest Tips in Creating the Life you Want in the most effortless way!

Tune in to 1130 AM in Milwaukee from 3-4 PM Central Time this Saturday, or click here ( http://www.newstalk1130.com/pages/streaming.html) to listen live via the Web.

Click HERE for details.

For one time only, I’m offering the Intensive Empowerment System workshop FR.EE !!!

Do you have a personal plan for success?

Most people today are completely overwhelmed by everything that life throws at them on a daily basis. Because the boundaries between work and personal life have become so blurred, we become lost, confused and derailed from our goals.

Personal success is attained in gradual increments by setting and achieving goals.

At SlowDownFast.com, we have developed a comprehensive, customizable and highly flexible program which addresses such a need: The Slow Down Fast Intensive Empowerment System (IES).

The Slow Down FAST Intensive Empowerment System helps individuals achieve their goals.

Here’s how you can benefit from this program:

• You’ll realign yourself with your purpose.
• You’ll once again connect with your values and talents - and this will ignite your passion and drive to succeed.
• You will leverage your own, unique learning style for quicker retention and more rapid advancement.
• You will be empowered in your personal life, which in turn fuels you professionally and brings you greater commitment and dedication on the job.

For one time only, I’m offering the Intensive Empowerment System workshop FR.EE Read Post

Technology. The word itself is enough to strike fear into the hearts of those of us old enough to remember when a three-day turn around on postal mail was considered speedy communication, especially after spending some time with today’s young technological savants. But when you think about it, it wasn’t that long ago that we were going nuts about the latest and greatest gadget and our own parents were shaking their heads at all those “new-fangled gizmos.”

True, technology is changing at an ever-increasing pace, and it can be hard to keep up. But whether we like it or not, our civilization is built on technology and that’s one thing that’s not likely to change anytime soon. (At least, I hope not - I don’t know about you, but I’m not eager to return to plowing fields with wooden sticks and huddling around dung fires for warmth in the winter.) Maybe it’s time we took a few cues from the younger generation and learned to embrace technology the way they have.

So, what can kids teach us about technology? Read Post

I’m presenting tomorrow at the Biz Tech Expo in Milwaukee. Topic: Personal Development in a Professional World.

Here are the details: