Your words have great power.

Here's an excellent way to start the week. Remember Miguel Ruiz's points from The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom:

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don't Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret."

Image Source: Karen Salmonsohn

What are you investing in?

So often we put all of our resources into career building, social climbing, a killer wardrobe, or the perfect body. All are fine and good. Yet, where are you when something happens and it's taken from you? What's left are the true riches, or lack there of, that matter - character, relationships, spirituality, health, joy in living. What are you investing in today? 

Trust...

Trust is a fragile thing, easily shattered and difficult to repair. Be careful with those who place their trust in you. It's a worthy responsibility!

Image source: http://daves-words-of-wisdom.blogspot.co.uk/

What is your influence score?

"Respect is how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress." 

~Richard Branson

Yesterday my friend and colleague Karen Keller asked me to take a survey. She's collecting data for her study on influence. Going through the process was an interesting experience. I had to rate myself in qualities such as trustworthiness, positive attitude, listening, the ability to take risks, and such. 

For providing Karen with my information, I am promised that I will receive an in-depth report that will rate my overall potential to influence, scores for each of my influence traits, an explanation of the scores and what they mean, improvement areas, blind spots, and recommendations for increasing overall influence. Great! I'm all for learning more about myself.

Initially, I zipped through the questions, thinking it was a simple exercise  As the questions progressed, I realized I had some serious thoughts about influence and what a responsibility it is. My reflections turned to the people who have influenced me through the years. Some where considered to be powerful influencers due to their leadership skills and other successes. Others made an impression just by being kind and available. 

I then thought about those that use gossip, social pressure, position, and bravado to influence. They use these as a means to get clients, peers, employees, and business associates to conform. Hmmmm. Sometimes it really works, helping them to become financially successful or climb to a position of power. But, for how long? Often these influencers cover their motivation with smiles and compliments, promising great things.

But in the end, whether they want to believe it or not, their ethics and morals shine through to others. 

When I finished the survey, I realized that for good or not so good, what's in one's heart, one's true motivation, doesn't stay hidden. I am looking forward to my results. Well, kind of. Like most people, I want to see high scores for being amazing. Yet, the most useful thing I can take from this experience is the revelation of what needs to change. 

If you are a leader, business owner, professional, or executive and are interested in participating in Dr. Karen Keller's work, go to http://influenceindicator.com/user/register. Username: influence and Password: survey.

Here's a little bit about Dr. Keller:

Karen Keller, Ph. D. is the Influence It! Life Coach for women and creator of the website Real Power For Women Who Want It. Unlike other psychologists, Karen is also a Master Certified Coach and the only modern-day teacher of Influence as a way of inner thinking and being…then ultimately doing for having more of what you (really) want. Her first book, "Stepping Stones to Success: Experts Share Strategies For Mastering Business, Life & Relationships" with Deepak Chopra, Jack Canfield, and Denis Waitley was published in 2010.

As I said, I'm looking forward to my report. How about you? What is your influence score?