Painful Growth

The process of growth often requires that you first disassemble the old, whatever the "old" may be. It can be the old you, an old business relationship, or an old house. As we grow older, we tend to get locked into a routine. Routines are deadly for personal growth. Research has shown that we need to get out of our routine even to keep our brain stimulated as we age.

With that in mind, it is with a heavy heart that I tell you that my co-host, Hermann, and I ended our business relationship several days ago. It was an amicable break. I love Hermann and have all the respect for him in the world. He is a fine human being.

There were a number of reasons for the split. However, the basic one was that we had two different visions of where the Guide To Self Radio show is to go.

The show must go on. So after a week of reruns of the series on energy vampires and toxic people, I go on solo beginning this Monday. It's exciting and slightly scary at the same time.

Yesterday, I spoke at length with Mike Trout, the former co-host of Focus on the Family with Dr. James Dobson. Mike gave me several great ideas for revamping the show, many of which we will strive to incorporate into the show. A big thank you to Mike for his time and suggestions.

Be sure to tune in this Monday at 5 pm on KDIA 1640 AM for a brand new look and sound. Guide To Self version 2.0 is coming soon!

Quote of the Day: The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. Charles Du Bos

Question of the Day: When was the last time you sacrificed what you are for what you could become? When was the last time you took a leap of faith?

How do values fit into a rich and fulfilling life?

Hermann and I have three more shows to go, 2 today and 1 tomorrow and then I have the good fortune to go on vacation. It's been quite a push to get to this point. Starting a radio show from scratch is slightly more difficult than I anticipated.

Just in case you aren't familiar with it, the show is Guide To Self on KDIA, 1640 AM 5 pm Monday through Friday in the SF Bay Area. Radio archives are available at http://www.guidetoself.com/interviews.htm. Currently the archives are free.

This upcoming week we will be airing three new shows - 2 of which are on values and how values form the foundation of an exemplary life.

Albert Einstein suggested that you, Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value.
Humanity is based on the fundamental idea of trust and integrity. If you are not trustworthy, you won?t be effective. If you aren't trustworthy, your relationships will wither around you. If people perceive you to be manipulative and deceitful, you won?t be successful in life.

Integrity is double sided. Not only must you be able to keep your word, you ALSO must be brave enough to deal with others when they don?t keep their word.

Happiness and satisfaction do not lie in being right, nor in winning the argument, nor in dominating others. True contentment comes from being authentic and genuine. This means living in accordance with your values. This means living a life of transparency where you freely and openly acknowledge your strengths as well as your weaknesses.

Personal credibility is founded on the extent to which you are aware of your own strengths and weaknesses. Admitting you are fallible and living in tune with your values leads to credibility. Credibility encourages more people to want to be around you. And the research has shown that happiness is related to the number of positive relationships you have.

So a happy and satisfying life involves behaving and living according to a set of principles or values. Values are the core beliefs upon which you operate your life. You may be aware of your core beliefs. You may not. In my work, I?ve noticed that the vast majority of people do not have any idea what their top values are.

Question: What are your top 5 values?