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Articles from Valencia Ray | Selfgrowth.com
- 3 Key Questions To Determine If Your Opinions Are Harmful To Your Health - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2010 from Valencia RayStaying healthy is more important than ever considering the rising rates of cancer and chronic disease in our world - not to mention the expense of healthcare and the emotional fallout. While I personally have healthy nutrition habits and exercise regularly, I do very little specific teaching on ...
Views: 1729(2 votes) - Empower Up and Win From the Inside Out! - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2010 from Valencia RayConfidence from my point of view is about letting go of the stories that block the light and power that you already are. It is about, as Robert Browning said: "There is an inmost center in us all, where truth abides in fullness;....and, to know, rather consists in opening out a way where the ...
Views: 909(2 votes) - Is Your Mindset Causing You to Disintegrate (Dis-Integrate)? - by Submitted on Mar 01, 2011 from Valencia RayUnderstanding mindset as the root of what causes your outcomes in life can be a tricky thing as its operation is often out of our awareness. One of the reasons it is so easy to overlook the connection between how we think and feel and the results that we get in life is because we are so not ...
Views: 904(1 vote) - Practical Spirituality: EGO Is Not The Enemy - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2010 from Valencia RayEgo often gets a bum rap. I was happy to see the video of Dr. Jill Bolte-Taylor, author of "My Stroke of Insight", a while back as she exemplifies why we need an ego and why is not a good idea to try to "get rid" of it. First of all, unless you want to damage the left hemisphere of your brain ...
Views: 799(1 vote) - Make Friends With Change by Introducing Yourself to Your Brain - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2010 from Valencia RayEmpowerment is a frequent topic these days and I think it is reflective of where we are in our evolutionary growth as humankind. It seems pretty obvious to me that people are looking for answers other than business as usual. One thing for sure is that we cannot solve some of our current ...
Views: 713(1 vote) - Empower Up and Win From The Inside Out - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Valencia RayConfidence from my point of view is about letting go of the stories that block the light and power that you already are. It is about, as Robert Browning said: "There is an inmost center in us all, where truth abides in fullness....and, to know, rather consists in opening out a way where the ...
Views: 631(1 vote) - How Do You Feel About Joy, Meaning, and Worth? - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2012 from Valencia RayTrue potential is a challenge to uncover if you are out of touch with what is the most misrepresented and misunderstood aspects of being human – feelings. Research findings indicate that feelings (heart) are 5,000 more magnetic energy than that of thought (brain). When the mind and heart are ...
Views: 1138(1 vote) - Leadership is an Affair of the Heart and Mind - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2012 from Valencia RayCollaborative Leadership is a partnership between the head and the heart, or the mind and the heart. It begins at this level before you can collaborate with other people. Gone are the days when people were willing to be dominated and controlled. I’m not saying that fear can no longer be used ...
Views: 1255(1 vote) - Purposeful Living: Clarify and Distinguish Vision from Mission - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2011 from Valencia RayOur life purpose platform needs to be built on a foundation built upon the rock of our truth, who we feel (with heart) we are, not just who we “think” (head) we are. Belief is based more in a sense of feeling, not thinking, actually. I’ve discovered the hard way, that allowing society and ...
Views: 957(1 vote) - Self-Awareness: The Great and Powerful Oz - by Submitted on Apr 02, 2013 from Valencia RaySelf-awareness helps us wake up to aspects that are already present within us - we just don't see them. The blind spots of our society's conditioning over time can cause us to focus on what is allegedly 'wrong with us'. Sure, we all have shortcomings that challenge us to grow. These behaviors ...
Views: 1066(2 votes) - The Power of Vulnerability is Fear-Less - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2012 from Valencia RayLack of vulnerability is one reason why team relationships are so dysfunctional. The lack of trust leads to people putting on their “persona” (the root word in ‘personality’) masks. In our culture, vulnerability is confused with the concept of weakness. I’ve got news for you—vulnerability is ...
Views: 1001(1 vote) - What You Give to Yourself You Get From Others - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Valencia RayEmpowering behaviors and beliefs can seem paradoxical to us because for the most part, what we have been taught is actually contrary to leading a truly confident and empowered life. What we learn is not only contrary; it's often outright backwards. We think that how we think about ourselves ...
Views: 680(1 vote) - Innovation: Two Brains are Better than One - by Submitted on Apr 09, 2013 from Valencia RayInnovation and creativity optimization requires mental agility. When we can flexibly move between and integrate our two hemispheres, we can tap our 'two brains'. They work best together, collaboratively. We have a right and left-brain for good reason… good reasoning. When we are too far on ...
Views: 1254(3 votes) - Personal Power Increases with a Purpose Filter - by Submitted on Jan 08, 2013 from Valencia RayPersonal power and a sense of purpose are at the foundation of real productivity. Having a sense of purpose that is compelling for you fuels personal power and passion. Personal power is not about ‘power over’ others. It is not even about always ‘being in control’ over the environment. Haven’t ...
Views: 1052(2 votes) - Neuroscience: Closing the Gap Between Intellect and Heart - by Submitted on Jan 01, 2013 from Valencia RayHaving a neuroscience background and having owned and operated a surgical and medical practice for many years prepared me for the new next level expression of my life purpose – to restore vision. It’s obvious how an eye surgeon restores vision. Then there’s expanding the vision for one’s life – ...
Views: 1420(3 votes) - Set your Mindset for Success Instead of Sabotage - by Submitted on May 15, 2012 from Valencia RayThe mindset “not good enough” or “not enough” is blamed on our brain as if it is the brain’s fault. There’s a great reason why you want to take responsibility for this and not once again blame it on something you think you cannot control. The reason is you are not likely to change what you ...
Views: 1250(3 votes) - 3 Reasons Why Sleep Makes You a Better Leader - by Submitted on Jun 11, 2013 from Valencia RaySleep is apparently a little known secret to good leadership that is critical to high performance and well-being. It is not just for beauty rest; there are plenty of leadership and health reasons for getting a good night's sleep. It has unfortunately become acceptable and even encouraged in ...
Views: 1066(1 vote) - Are You Really ‘Fixing’ Yourself, or Are You Simply ‘Learning’? - by Submitted on Feb 05, 2013 from Valencia RayLeadership and developing emotional intelligence is really personal growth and development. It is important to distinguish this. If leaders want to become more empathetic, engaging and inspiring, we must recognize that we need to change our self first. One reason why this feels so threatening ...
Views: 1111(1 vote) - Authentic Leadership: The Eye of the Heart Sees Everything - by Submitted on Jul 30, 2013 from Valencia RayIs it 'eye' or 'I'? That is the question. It is interesting that they are pronounced the same. The physical eye allows you to see the physical world. The 'I'-who you think you are-determines the clarity of your perception: how you see the world and your life experience. Authentic leadership ...
Views: 1068(1 vote) - Be YOU, Magnificently – Is that Arrogant? - by Submitted on Jan 15, 2013 from Valencia RayLeaders, and people in general, are searching for new answers. New answers – innovation – require an open mind. I hear and read much about innovation. Much is being said about ‘cutting edge’ and ‘embracing change’ and leaders leading. Still, many people cling to what they know. How do you ...
Views: 1111(1 vote) - Collaborative Leadership: Does the Leader Need to Know it All? - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2012 from Valencia RayCollaborative leadership allows others to get their “voice” in the room. As long as there is a healthy level of trust, the terms of group meeting engagement can be explicit. This allows for a culture that can embrace a diversity of thought, which is something that is crucial for innovation. ...
Views: 1077(1 vote) - Creativity: The Creative Force of Words - by Submitted on Jun 25, 2013 from Valencia RayThe creative process is advanced in the direction we desire - or not - by the power of our words. Words energize our thoughts. Words are our thoughts spoken out loud; they set the trajectory for our thoughts. They are one step closer to determining the actions we take. Guard your thoughts; they ...
Views: 1180(1 vote) - Emotional Intelligence: The Heart of Great Leadership - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2013 from Valencia RayEmotion and feeling have been given a bum rap. Emotion and feeling powerfully impact our behavior, decision-making, health, quality of relationships and life experience. To ignore them is to attempt to ignore half of our human nature. Navigating them intelligently has a definite leadership and ...
Views: 1112(1 vote) - Empower Up - Perception Rules Your Reality - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2010 from Valencia RayIt's empowering to know that I can change my reality based on my perception. Perception is subjective of course, so therefore reality is also subjective. I have truly found that my reality may often not be my friend's reality. Interesting. "To perceive the world differently, we must be ...
Views: 836(1 vote) - Empower Up: 3 Little Known Secrets to Making Friends With Change - by Submitted on Nov 02, 2010 from Valencia RayEmpowerment and being able to navigate the fear of change go hand and hand. Please hear this without judgment; if you keep doing what you do, you will keep getting what you are getting - no exceptions. It is all to common for people to want a thriving business, happy, fulfilling relationships ...
Views: 627(1 vote) - Engaging Employees Begins with an Engaged Leader - by Submitted on Aug 21, 2012 from Valencia RayEmployee engagement evolves organically from a leader’s engaging behavior and an engaging organizational culture. It is really not a “formula.” It boils down to leading and creating organizational culture in ways that stimulate trust, show interest in the individual’s wellbeing, and stimulate ...
Views: 1288(1 vote) - Fear of Conflict in Team-Building — What’s So Scary? - by Submitted on Sep 18, 2012 from Valencia RayTeam dysfunction is at the heart of much organizational dysfunction. After all, people comprise teams and teams create organizations. Or, let’s work backwards: if we want to improve organizations, we need to develop individual people. Notice I said, “develop,” not “fix” or “improve.” Our view of ...
Views: 2865(1 vote) - Happiness - Your Mindset Will Determine Where You Find Yourself in Life - by Submitted on Aug 29, 2010 from Valencia RayHappiness and peace of mind is not something that will be found outside of you on any long-term basis. All of the rapid change and commotion that is going on in the world today is a reminder of this. If my inner happiness were based on controlling the events that occur around me, I'd be in ...
Views: 1076(4 votes) - Innovation Requires Courage to Confront Reality - by Submitted on May 08, 2012 from Valencia Ray“Innovation,” “Collaborative Leadership,” and “Trust” are three terms I’m seeing tossed around quite a bit in the articles and books I’m coming across. I agree that we are in need of change—in fact, transformation—but what I’m not seeing much of is how to confront reality. What does it take to ...
Views: 2984(1 vote) - Innovation: Do You “In-Joy” Your Work? - by Submitted on May 29, 2012 from Valencia RayToday, let's talk about an innovative idea: "in-joy" your work by bringing joy to your work instead of seeking to extract joy from your work. Stop looking for joy and happiness in all the wrong places. What is a "wrong place"? Anything that is outside of yourself. Creativity is already within ...
Views: 1139(1 vote) - Innovation: The Power of “How” - by Submitted on Jun 05, 2012 from Valencia RayInnovation can happen in a “Two-Degree Shift,” meaning the answer you seek could be right in your face… if you could only perceive it! Have you ever heard the old adage, “If it was a snake it would have bit me?” (meaning what you were looking for was right in front of you, but you did not see ...
Views: 1087(1 vote) - Is It Truly Visionary Leadership, or Are We Just Waking Up? - by Submitted on Jun 12, 2012 from Valencia RayLeadership and vision are things I’ve been dealing with all of my life on different levels: from student government and asking questions that irritated those around me and questioned the status quo, to literally growing up and becoming an entrepreneur and eye surgeon before selling my practice. ...
Views: 1257(1 vote) - Leadership Beyond Gender - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2013 from Valencia RayLeadership development is another area of personal and professional growth that is, not surprisingly, undergoing change. What we historically attribute to leadership style is no longer working as we move further and further away from a one-size-fits-all workplace to a more collaborative culture ...
Views: 1211(1 vote) - Leadership Development Means Business - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2012 from Valencia RayLeadership development when valued in the organizational culture can mean more business, more employee engagement, and more fulfillment at work. Another word for leadership development is “personal development.” Leadership development done “on purpose” can lead to teams that have a sense of ...
Views: 971(2 votes) - Leadership, Personal Growth and Maslow – Beyond Theory - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2012 from Valencia RayI’ve noticed leadership and personal development being associated with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a framework in online and offline conversations these days. Maslow was obviously a thought leader, especially ahead of his time. I see an interesting twist, however, that deviates from the ...
Views: 1149(1 vote) - Leadership: The Courage to Actually Lead - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2013 from Valencia RayReal leadership is about having the courage to inspire change and engage the heart of others to take action. Not just action for the sake of action; there also needs to be clarity of ‘why’ you are choosing a given course of action. What are you as a leader doing that is different than you did ...
Views: 1125(1 vote) - Making Innovation Easier by Retraining Your Brain - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2012 from Valencia RayInnovation has become more respected as a concept within the scope of business. “Business as usual” is no longer supporting competitive advantage. We are now looking for ways to change the status quo. This is quite a change from the recent past—at least on the surface. We say we want innovation ...
Views: 1119(1 vote) - Neuroscience of Leadership: Making Change Easier - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2013 from Valencia RayChange is the theme of our times. We can either embrace it and proactively create the change we want to see or allow it to randomly come upon us. Either way, change will continue to be a part of our lives. Neuroscience can help us as leaders to learn how to optimally operate our truly amazing ...
Views: 987(1 vote) - Optimism Optimizes Your Performance - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2013 from Valencia RayUnderstanding optimism is important to elevating your performance. Finally, the power of feelings and emotions are beginning to be openly discussed within the context of science, business, and leadership. Historically, the term "touchy feely" has been used to dismiss important aspects of ...
Views: 1126(1 vote) - Personal Development: What's the 'Self' in Self-Actualization? - by Submitted on May 29, 2013 from Valencia RayI was listening to a video by an author where he defined 'self-actualization' in terms of ego or selfish individualism - a type of narcissism. This goes to show the limitations of language and how meaning can be confused. The 'self' in self-actualization, in my mind, is just the opposite. It is ...
Views: 1611(1 vote) - Reaching True Potential Requires Self-Trust - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2012 from Valencia RayReaching true potential is easier said than done. We’ve conditioned our brain and mind to trust outside of our self. Once I garnered the courage to color outside the boundaries of what I was informed from those around me to be true, I really began to grow. Here’s the catch: I had to learn to ...
Views: 911(1 vote) - Self-Awareness: Life Is a Hero’s Journey - by Submitted on Feb 12, 2013 from Valencia RayWe human beings love stories. One of the all-time favorite themes is ‘The Hero’s Journey’. Adventure stories and lessons from fairy tales were, and still are, at the top of my list of favorite movies, books, and conversations. This is why movies like “The Hobbit,” “Lord of the Rings,” and even ...
Views: 1549(1 vote) - Storytelling: Directing Your Life on Purpose, with Purpose - by Submitted on Aug 14, 2013 from Valencia RayWe love storytelling; this love affair begins in childhood and we never outgrow it. Our brain is a "storytelling" organ, made perfectly for creating storyline. Life is not as objective as it appears on the surface. Via our perceptions of how we interpret the facts and experiences of our lives, ...
Views: 1115(1 vote) - The Authentic You: What, Who, and Why it Matters - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2011 from Valencia RayAuthenticity and personal power are linked. Authenticity is something I’m hearing or reading about quite a bit these days. What is authenticity, who is the authentic you, and why does it matter to your life? Authenticity is about mind with heart congruity, which leads to integrity, honesty, ...
Views: 1108(1 vote) - The Emotional Brain and Leadership That Resonates - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2012 from Valencia RayThe term “Resonate Leadership” reminds me of the ability it requires to play my piano skillfully. When I play the notes in harmony, it is soothing and harmonic. When played out of alignment and ignorantly, instead of music to my ears, it becomes unpleasant noise. This concept of “Resonance and ...
Views: 1070(1 vote) - The Eye of Leadership Performance - by Submitted on Apr 23, 2013 from Valencia RayLeadership, as do people, evolves. Seeing through the eye of the leader has taken on a whole new level of meaning in light of recent advances in cognitive neuroscience. When a leader realizes that how she or he perceives their self, their team members, and the organization powerfully matters to ...
Views: 1256(1 vote) - The Optimism Bias: Is it Bad for You? - by Submitted on Sep 05, 2012 from Valencia RayOptimism and happiness are interconnected. With the world around us changing as rapidly as it is in our business environment these days, being optimistic can make a very significant difference. Yet, I sometimes hear online and offline comments that being optimistic is not realistic, or even ...
Views: 1621(1 vote) - The Power of Networking: Heart, Lies, and Videotapes - by Submitted on Oct 17, 2011 from Valencia RayNetworking and personal power are vital to growing your business and being a successful leader. This is true whether you are a one-person business, a professional, or a corporate leader running a billion-dollar business. Nowadays, this is truer than ever. We have systematically been taught in ...
Views: 965(2 votes) - Transformational Leadership: A Real Change Leader Leads Change - by Submitted on May 21, 2013 from Valencia RayA real change leader is courageous in dealing with personal growth - changing one's self. Let's be clear here; personal growth is not about 'fixing yourself'. It is about learning and growing to reach more of your true potential. A leader will need to acknowledge her or his fear and keep moving ...
Views: 933(1 vote) - What's Holding Back Women Entrepreneurs? - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2010 from Valencia RayBeing a woman entrepreneur and professional myself has given me a genuine hands on perspective of what it means to succeed in business and yet stay at the top of my game with my professional skills. In my case, I was a practicing eye surgeon who right out of fellowship training took a ...
Views: 687(6 votes)