#URImpact Challenge – Imagine if EVERYONE thrived in your presence!
Welcome to the #URImpact 31 Day Challenge!
31 days of penetrating questions, insights, tips and exercises specifically designed for YOU! 31 days to ignite and to realize YOUR greatest potential – regardless of profession, title or age!
My career mess at Exxon in the 1970s has become my message: It’s all about TRUST™.
Trust that credibility is the foundation of leadership.
Trust that life is for you. There are no wasted experiences.
Trust that there are no failures, only learnings.
These daily posts are meant to be thought provoking, to spark self-awareness and a call to action. We are our choices. Every choice counts! Apologies if some questions feel like you are being hit with a 2×4, but it only changes “out there” when it changes within you.
I’d love to hear about your “Aha!” moments and experiences! Your learning could help others if you are open to sharing. If not, mum’s the word. I am here for you!
Enjoy the journey to achieving more success and fulfillment while enriching the lives of others in your unique way.
Your Chief Energizing Officer
Let’s make the galaxy brighter together!
Day 1 – May 17:
Tweet 1: Welcome to the #URImpact Challenge specifically designed for YOU to have more success with less stress! Your impact on others matters!
Tweet 2: Everything you do communicates. Every choice counts. There are no neutral actions. Better choices, better results! It all begins with YOU!
Tweet 3: 31 Days of reality checks, insights and exercises to up your people smarts. People buy from, help, refer and promote people they like.
Tweet 4: Do people smile or grimace when you approach? The answer matters. Notice next 72 hours if people smile or run for cover when they see you.
Tweet 5: “The most important single ingredient in the formula for success is knowing how to get along with people.” Theodore Roosevelt
Day 2 – May 18:
Tweet 1: When you speak, do people listen? Can you succeed if people are rolling their eyes or texting when you talk? Interrupting to challenge you?
Tweet 2: You earn the right to be listened to with every positive contact. Do you show respect and courtesy, do you listen, do you shown competence?
Tweet 3: People and organizations have long and unforgiving memories. Reflect: Have I earned the right to be listened to? You are always on stage.
Tweet 4: “It’s not overly dramatic to say your destiny hangs upon the impression you make.” Barbara Walters
Day 3 – May 19:
Tweet 1: Do people seek you out for advice and counsel?
Tweet 2: Great news if the answer is yes. Means you are approachable and credible. You’ve earned their respect and admiration-their trust.
Tweet 3: Reflect on how much easier and simpler your life would be if everyone trusted you. Trust matters.
Tweet 4: “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others.” Brian Tracy
Day 4 – May 20:
Tweet 1: Next Challenge posts delve into beliefs. Beliefs drive thoughts. Thoughts drive our actions. Every action creates our impact and destiny.
Tweet 2: Whose life are you living – yours, someone else’s or society’s?
Tweet 3: I was living the life others expected of me. I went around afraid, feeling like a fraud. It was exhausting, unfulfilling. Do you relate?
Tweet 4: Thank God I teach what I most have to learn! Authenticity is irresistible. And as I began living from my heart, not my fears, life expanded!
Tweet 5: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” St. Catherine of Siena
Tweet 6: You are meant for greatness! Take inventory of what puts fire in your belly. Live from that fire. You will ignite and inspire others!
Day 5 – May 21:
Tweet 1: Are you thriving in life or merely surviving? How you feel and what you portray impacts your impact. There are NO neutral actions.
Tweet 2: Who is most likely to get referred or promoted, the person who appears to be surviving or the person who exudes thriving, confidence?
Tweet 3: “We either make ourselves miserable, or we can make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” Carlos Castaneda
Tweet 4: Make a list of all the reasons you are thriving-take nothing for granted. Breath. Shelter. Eyesight. Gratitude is the basis of thriving!
Day 6 – May 22:
Tweet 1: What one word describes change for you? Danger or opportunity? Exciting or debilitating? Your attitude impacts your adaptability.
Tweet 2: “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.” Michael McGriff
Tweet 3: Only constant today is change. You can fight it and fall behind, at best survive. Or you can embrace it, learn, adapt and grow-THRIVE.
Tweet 4: “To exist is to change, to change is to mature, to mature is to go on creating oneself endlessly.” Henri-Louis Bergson, Nobel Laureate
Day 7 – May 23:
Tweet 1: What values and principles currently drive your behaviors? Are they supporting living the life you want and deserve-your legacy?
Tweet 2: “Try not to become a person of success but rather a person of value.” Albert Einstein
Tweet 3: Living by core values was a game changer for me. Before that it was about pleasing others and “success.” Core values make your core strong!
Tweet 4: Feeling strong at the core, resilient to external forces? If not, what changes could make you unshakable-resilient to external forces?
Day 8 – May 24:
Tweet 1: Are you living your legacy today? Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Tweet 2: How do you want to be remembered? Time to write your obituary, not as a morbid exercise, but as a compass for a life well lived today.
Tweet 3: What 2 attitudes do you want to adopt and 3 actions you can take to begin living your legacy in the present?
Tweet 4: “The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.” Bruce Lee
Day 9 – May 25:
Tweet 1: Do you need to be right at all costs? What’s wrong with being wrong? Nothing! No one has all the answers.
Tweet 2: Once upon a time, I HAD to be right. Due to fear and insecurities, I HAD to have all the answers. LOL! Plus people don’t like know-it-alls.
Tweet 3: Let’s put it another way, just because you make a mistake, doesn’t mean you are a mistake! Progress, not perfection.
Tweet 4: “Judge a person by their questions rather than their answers.” Voltaire
Day 10 – May 26:
Tweet 1: Do you tend to take yourself and life too seriously? Stressed out? Never feel like you’ve done enough? LOL! Perfect question for me today – you?
Tweet 2: Give yourself a break! How you feel impacts others. By giving yourself permission to have fun, you let people lighten up and fly.
Tweet 3: 77% of Americans feel stressed. Be the stress breaker! Take joy breaks to ignite playfulness, creativity and hearts.
Tweet 4: “Don’t take life too seriously; you’ll never get out of it alive.” Señor Frog T-Shirt
Day 11 – May 27:
Tweet 1: Do material things or “things that breathe” matter most?
Tweet 2: Truth: Everything you do either builds someone’s self-esteem or destroys it. There are no neutral actions. You could be someone’s miracle.
Tweet 3: Truth: Everything you do either creates a sense of belonging or isolation. The choice is yours. You could be someone’s hope.
Tweet 4: Will material stuff send emails of congratulations and encouragement? Smile when you need one? Give you a glowing reference?
Tweet 5: “You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget that errand.” Woodrow Wilson
Tweet 6: If you currently feel a void or emptiness, fill it with kindness, love and service.
Day 12 – May 28:
Tweet 1: Do you expect the best in others?
Tweet 2: People rise to meet your expectations-the Pygmalion Effect. People will either dumb down or embrace greatness based on your projection.
Tweet 3: Please don’t underestimate the part your expectations have in igniting and fueling greatness. Expect greatness and be amazed!
Tweet 4: “What we expect, that we shall find.” Plato
Day 13 – May 29:
Tweet 1: You are 100% accountable for your choices. You are 100% accountable for your impact. Your impact matters!
Tweet 2: Do you usually take the high road? “By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed their stomachs.” Winston Churchill
Tweet 3: What triggers you? Get to the root. Seek clarification. It’s probably not personal, even though it feels personal.
Tweet 4: Try new responses. “That’s an interesting perspective.” “Tell me more.” “Help me understand what is behind that comment.”
Tweet 5: Forgive instantly and live with fewer regrets and less stress. “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” Alexander Pope
Day 14 – May 30:
Tweet 1: To freedom! Thank you to all who served and did not care about the “spotlight.”
Tweet 2: Do you enjoy sharing the spotlight?
Tweet 3:“When someone does something well, applaud. You’ll make two people happy.” Samuel Goldwyn
Tweet 4: Think of people who hog the spotlight-take credit for your successes, do you trust them? Do you want to go out of your way to help them?
Tweet 5: Credit is for sharing! Consider this: It is not how bright you shine, but how bright you help others shine.
Day 15 – May 31:
Tweet 1: The next set of posts is in regards to your internal world. Our internal world impacts others.
Tweet 2: Do you feel wonderful or weary? The answer matters!
Tweet 3: When we feel wonderful, we easily share our joy and talents with others. We serve with a smile and encourage. When weary, we spread weary.
Tweet 4: Feel wonderful more often. Focus on your potential and strengths; magnify what you do well. Be grateful for being you, warts and all.
Tweet 5: You are made on purpose for a purpose. You are one-of-a-kind! You are meant for greatness and wonderful!
Tweet 6: “… the last of human freedoms–to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Victor Frankl
Day 16 – June 1:
Tweet 1: What is your definition of failure? What emotions surface when you hear or read that word? Shame and regret or a nod and a smile?
Tweet 2: Best thing I ever did for myself was to redefine failure. There is none except giving up! Redefine failure-let yourself off the hook.
Tweet 3: “Failures” are simply coaching moments to learn and grow-gain character, compassion and wisdom. Life is a classroom and we get do-overs!
Tweet 4: With faith and better choices, the best is yet to be! There is always hope!
Tweet 5: “Failure? I never encountered it. All I ever met were temporary setbacks.” Bill Marriott
Day 17 – June 2:
Tweet 1: Do you react or respond under pressure? We are 100% responsible for our responses. There is no “they.” There is always a choice!
Tweet 2: “If you are rubbed by every rub, how will you be polished?” Rumi
Tweet 3: We all get triggered. Triggers are friends in disguise to help us resolve our issues. We all have issues. We choose if they define us.
Tweet 4: If triggered, breathe. Consider: “Nice problem to have, at least I have a client.” “Well, that’s amusing, I have a flat tire. I have a car.”
Tweet 5: Remember there are no wasted experiences. Everyone is on our team for greatness-no exceptions. Life is for you! It’s all good! Smile!
Day 18 – June 3:
Tweet 1: Is your attitude worth catching?
Tweet 2: “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.” Winston Churchill
Tweet 3: Attitudes are contagious! A positive, winning attitude, grounded in reality, respect and trust, charges the atmosphere with “Yes, we can!”
Tweet 4: Are you igniting greatness or are you the wet match? The choice is yours!
Tweet 5: “It is choice not chance that determines your destiny.” Jean Nidetech, Founder of Weight Watchers. I care about your destiny!
Day 19 – June 4:
Tweet 1: If people had a nickname for you, what would it be?
Tweet 2: “You can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do.” Henry Ford. Great reality check.
Tweet 3: If you believe your reputation is based on your intentions, think again. Actions not delivered mean zippo.
Tweet 4: Ask others today for their honest feedback on your nickname. Does it make you glad or sad? The answer reflects how you make others feel.
Day 20 – June 5:
Tweet 1: The next several Challenge posts are directed towards your interactions with others and how people feel in your presence.
Tweet 2: What emotions do you evoke — positive or negative?
Tweet 3: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, forget what you did, people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Tweet 4: Powerful ways to evoke positive emotions: Remembering names and special events, say “please” and “thank you,” offer encouragement.
Tweet 5: Brainstorm and implement at least 5 creative ways you can evoke positive emotions and connections of the heart today and every day.
Tweet 6: “Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” Mother Teresa
Day 21 – June 6:
Tweet 1: Do people feel like superstars or duds in your presence? The answer matters.
Tweet 2: “The greatest thing you do for another is not just to share your riches, but reveal to them their own.” Benjamin Disraeli
Tweet 3: Repeating myself? Absolutely. Your impact matters. It ripples out into eternity. Imagine a world where everyone felt like superstars-WOW!
Tweet 4: Be the encourager! “Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.” Ruth Reed. Take the challenge: Be someone’s miracle! Be the difference maker!
Day 22 – June 7:
Tweet 1: Do people trust you? The answer matters!
Tweet 2: Trust is earned. Trust is emotional. Trust expands the possibilities. Trust amplifies potential and greatness. It’s all about TRUST!™
Tweet 3: “Only from the heart can you touch the sky.” Rumi
Tweet 4: Foundational to trust: Respect, common courtesy, listening, modeling credibility, showing compassion and care. Truly “seeing” a person.
Tweet 5: What builds trust for you? Destroys it? Trust basics are global. Trust is also individual and personal. Ask the questions-do not assume.
Tweet 6: “Assuming what people want is about as controlled as using fireworks to start a fire.” Criss Jami
Day 23 – June 8:
Tweet 1: Are you the first to smile?
Tweet 2: “A smile is the shortest distance between two people.” Victor Borge
Tweet 3: If someone hasn’t told you, your smile lights up the room. Your smile gives me a smile. Your smile makes my day. Smile. Make someone’s day!
Tweet 4: “You can chase happiness, or you can choose happiness.” Robert Holden. There is always something to smile about. Smile more, stress less.
Day 24 – June 9:
Tweet 1: Do you listen more than you speak?
Tweet 2: “Nature has given humanity one tongue, but two ears, that we may hear from others twice as much as we speak.” Epictetus. Smart guy 🙂
Tweet 3: It’s difficult to learn and grow when you are always speaking. It’s impossible to know what makes others tick if you are always talking.
Tweet 4: Plus, it’s annoying and destroys trust. People listen to people who show the same respect and courtesy to them! Listen more and thrive!
Tweet 5: “The best way to influence others is with your ears.” Dean Rusk, Secretary of State
Day 25 – June 10:
Tweet 1: Happy Friday! An insight into being happy and having a great impact is your focus. Are you solution focused or fault finding?
Tweet 2: “Don’t find fault. Find a remedy.” Henry Ford: His creative, solution focused approach revolutionized the auto industry.
Tweet 3: Our past is our greatest deterrent to a future well lived. It’s easy to find fault. It takes courage to take risks and find solutions.
Tweet 4: How many of us get all warm and fuzzy, feel inspired and empowered to greatness by people who blame and find fault? You get to choose!
Tweet 5: In the next 72 hours, no grumbling or fault finding allowed. Take note of the emotions you evoke by being a good finder/solution focused.
Tweet 6: “It is always you next move.” Napoleon Hill. Think YES!
Day 26 – June 11:
Tweet 1: Are you engaged, or distracted or bored?
Tweet 2: “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign that says, ‘Make me feel important.’” Mary Kay Ash
Tweet 3: Raise your hand if you like feeling important and visible. Feeling significant is a universal need you can fulfill by being fully engaged.
Tweet 4:Remember your last networking event: Whose card did you keep? The person looking over your shoulder or the person looking at you?
Tweet 5: “You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way.” Jennifer Freeman. Love is a powerful magnet!
Day 27 – June 12:
Tweet 1: Do you “listen” to what is NOT being said?
Tweet 2: Communication stats: 7% Words, 38% tone, 55% body language. Listen with your eyes, ears and heart-listen with all your faculties.
Tweet 3: “I see you.” Avatar
Tweet 4: The key to “seeing” is being fully present and conscious. List 3 actions you can implement now to become a better listener.
Day 28 – June 13:
Tweet 1: When you give feedback, do you condemn or express caring candor? The answer matters to your success.
Tweet 2: People want feedback. It is the way we give it that makes the difference. The delivery of the message is as important as the message itself!
Tweet 3: Giving constructive, instructive feedback is easier when positive feedback has been given in the past and the source of it is trusted.
Tweet 4: Exercise: Notice the emotions you evoke when giving feedback. If the person shuts down, ask questions instead of plowing ahead.
Tweet 5: “Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy.” Sir Isaac Newton
Day 29 – June 14:
Tweet 1: Do you encourage and celebrate others’ success?
Tweet 2: Nod your head if you have received too much positive feedback and encouragement lately. Has anyone celebrated your successes, including you?
Tweet 3: “Appreciative words are the most powerful force of good on earth.” Dr. George Crane
Day 30 – June 15:
Tweet 1: During conversations, do you say “we” and “ours” or “I” and “my?”
Tweet 2: “The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.” John Wooden
Tweet 3: “None of us is more important than the rest of us.” Ray Kroc
Tweet 4: Do you run interference and remove obstacles or are YOU the obstacle?
Tweet 5: “The more I help others succeed, the more I succeed.” Ray Kroc
Day 31 – June 16:
Tweet 1: When you turn around, is anyone following?
Tweet 2: Leadership is not about position, title or age. It’s about attitudes and actions that inspire and empower others. Are you worth following?
Tweet 3: People follow leaders who are credible, compassionate, visionary. Leaders are connector, igniters, builders, encouragers. They serve!
Tweet 4: “I start with the premise that the function of leadership is to build other leaders, not followers.” Ralph Nader
Tweet 5: Thank you for taking the Challenge and making the galaxy brighter!
Tweet 6: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Mae West
Tweet 7: Let love reign!
