FRESH VIEWS
FREE MINI EZINE


FRESH VIEWS MINI E-ZINE

Each e-zine topic relates to one of the five disciplines of the learning organization: mental models, personal mastery, shared vision, team learning, or systems thinking. I am committed to fostering learning relationships, learning families, learning organizations and learning communities.

To further develop each topic, I invite you to join me on a teleconference bridge for a 45-minute conversation following the broadcast of each issue. Date, time and phone number will be included at the bottom of each issue.

 

PAST EDITIONS OF FRESH VIEWS

Fresh Views - Be Happy (5/29/2014)
People often yearn for happiness and think all kinds of things will give it to them. This essay asserts that happiness is an inside job, and tells you how to find it.

Fresh Views - Decay is Optional (4/26/2014)
This is a review and recommendation to read a highly inspirational book, Younger Next Year, which has motivated me to get off my butt and really exercise and plan a walking tour of Ireland!

Fresh Views - Little by Little (3/11/2014)
Little by little we can accomplish anything, including changing ourselves!

Fresh Views - Gratitude (2/4/2014)
Gratitude is a powerful feeling, an attitude, and a practice that can change your life!

Fresh Views - Do Nothing (1/7/2014)
Many of us stay so busy, we hardly come up for air. This Fresh Views explores the importance of stopping, doing nothing, for our health and well being.

Fresh Views - Love Your Feet (12/6/2013)
Most of us pay very little attention to our feet. It doesn't occur to us that we should. But as we age, we need those feet to stay flexible and healthy! Find out how.

Fresh Views - Holiday Traditions (11/5/2013)
Holiday traditions are wonderful, and sometimes terrible. Examine your own for a more easeful and enjoyable holiday!

Fresh Views - Expectations (10/1/2013)
Expectations are tricky. They often govern what we do, sabotage us, lift us up and throw us down. Learning to notice and manage them is important!

Fresh Views - Family Reunions (8/27/2013)
Family Reunions bring new insights about yourself and others. Plan one now.

Fresh Views - Generosity (7/30/2013)
Generosity is a powerful virtue. When it's lived well, it provides a win-win experience. When it's not?????

Fresh Views - Addicted to Sign Holding (6/27/2013)
Sign holding may be the latest, best addiction. It's fun, harmless, and makes a lot of people smile!

Fresh Views - Inspiration Correction (6/5/2013)
Being inspired is to be in a positive state. Can you lived an inspired life?

Fresh Views - Inspiration (5/28/2013)
Feeling inspired is a way to feel alive, called, committed to something bigger than you. How can you increase the inspiration in your life?

Fresh Views - Expect Surprises (4/23/2013)
Surprises are a part of life - some are a delight. Others are not. How can we welcome and learn from surprises?

Fresh Views - Choose in Every Moment (3/20/2013)
It's shocking to realize how much choice we have - actually in every moment. We choose to be cheerful or grumpy, to open or close our hearts toward others. How can life improve when we become aware of those choices and choose better?

Fresh Views - Comfort Zones (2/20/2013)
We all talk about our comfort zones, and yet we seldom look at them closely to understand whether or not they are serving us. Comfort zones can be good for us or hold us back from being who we want to be. Examine yours for greater freedom.

Fresh Views - Forgetting (1/23/2013)
As we age, we forget more. But forgetting is part of life from the very beginning and seeing it positively is just one way to live with it more gracefully.

Fresh Views - New Years Reflections (1/1/2013)
Transitioning from one year to the next is easier if we stop to reflect on what we've learned from the last year and what we hope for in the next.....but there is an even more important question!

Fresh Views -Listening (11/29/2012)
Most of us don't experience the true power of listening well. Here are some reflections on listening and excellent advice from a surprising group - the deaf!

Fresh Views - Openheartedness (10/30/2012)
We are often surprised by the way people respond to us. What we're blind to is that we often invite just what we get. People respond to the condition of our heart toward them more than to what we actually say. When we own that, we may be ready to have a shift of heart.

Fresh Views - 10 Delicious Daily Habits (9/26/2012)
Build 10 things you really enjoy into your day every day and you will be happier and more productive.

Fresh Views - Jen Ratio (8/29/2012)
Jen ratio is the ratio of good, helpful emotions to negative, cynical emotions. Specifically it measures how people or organizations help others move something they care about to completion.

Fresh Views - Random Tips (7/18/2012)
As we go through life, everyone collects some tips that seem to really make a difference. This is a list of my favorites.

Fresh Views - Interdependence (7/3/2012)
Is it possible that we and everyone and everything in the world are interdependent? If that's true, what are the implications?

Fresh Views - Oops (5/25/2012)

Fresh Views - Hurrying (5/24/2012)
I am a habitual hurrier. I miss things, forget what's really important to me, and where I'm going. I'm working to notice and slow myself down. How about you?

Fresh Views - Snippets (4/25/2012)
Snippets are little bits of life or memory that entertain us. Notice yours. Write them down. Share them. It's fun!

Fresh Views - Noticing (3/22/2012)
Most of us become blind to many things in our lives, things around us, people, ourselves. Interrupting that blindness by noticing can help us be who we want to be.

Fresh Views - Encouragement (2/20/2012)

Fresh Views - New Underwear, New Socks (1/12/2012)
When did you last get new underwear or new socks? Get some now and you will feel a big difference in your life!

Fresh Views - Goals that Inspire (1/3/2012)
Goals that focus solely on changes or accomplishments I want to make are often dead on arrival. On the other hand, goals that affect others, that expand my world and my influence, inspire me to action.

Fresh Views - Conflict (12/1/2011)
In conflict there are ways of seeing the other person and yourself that can help resolve the situation. But it takes boldness and a willingness to see things newly.

Fresh Views - Confessions of a Recovering Slob (10/31/2011)
Getting genuinely organized can change your life. Hiring or asking someone to help will increase the odds that you actually do it and that what you design is sustainable.

Fresh Views - Work Like a Dog (10/4/2011)
Working like a dog has come to mean working with drudgery. Yet have you ever really observed dogs in their daily work? There is much for us to learn from them!

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes (8/31/2011)

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes - Take a Break! (8/3/2011)

Fresh Views - Helping Things Go Right (6/30/2011)
People often focus on what's wrong. Helping things go right is a very different approach, one which requires introspection, and promises huge rewards.

Fresh Views - Happy Back! (6/1/2011)
I've discovered a life changing book, 8 Steps to a Pain Free Back. It changes everything I've ever known about sitting and standing and sleeping and walking. Get it and read it to feel years younger!

Fresh Views - Stress Busters (4/28/2011)
I received so many great stress busting ideas in response to last month's Fresh Views, I want all of you to have them!

Fresh Views - Stress (3/30/2011)
Stress makes me stupid. Here are some thoughts on living through stress and coming out the other side intact.

Fresh Views - Making Do (2/23/2011)
The ability to "make do" is sometimes a life saver. But can it also lead to putting up with what we should change?

Fresh Views - Oops (1/24/2011)

Fresh Views - Birth and Death (1/18/2011)
Death and birth are subjects that take us to the heart of life....and raise some very big questions for us.

Fresh Views - Holding on and Letting go (12/2/2010)
Real living may mean deciding when to hold on and when to let go. Have you mastered the art of knowing when to do which?

Fresh Views - Gifts from the Heart (10/28/2010)
Gifts from the heart are often homemade and one-of-a-kind. One of my favorites was a coupon from my 10 year old son for a 30 minute foot massage. Start planning now and your Christmas, Hanukkah or Ayyam-i-Ha gifts will be more fun for you and the recipient.

Fresh Views - Humor (9/29/2010)
Humor wakes us up, gives us perspective and makes us more resilient. Cultivate humor and live a happier life!

Fresh Views - Adventures (8/23/2010)
Adventures are exciting or unusual experiences that we often remember for years! Hear about my recent adventures and plan your own.

Fresh Views - Say No to Say Yes (7/1/2010)
No may be the most important word in the language. It protects and supports our yes. If you're overwhelmed with life, learn to say no now!

Fresh Views - Real Help (5/4/2010)
Real help is the help that fills a need precisely. To be on the receiving end of real help is to be changed.....forever.

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes (3/24/2010)
Fall in love with health and find yourself doing things that support health without even realizing it.

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes (3/5/2010)
Instead of NY Resolutions, try this 6 step guide.

Fresh Views - Time (2/2/2010)
Developing a friendly relationship with time seems like the only way to thrive these days. Here are 3 tips to help that happen.

Fresh Views - Play (1/12/2010)
Play is important. It makes us more creative and energetic.It keeps our brains fresh. It nourishes relationships. Many of us work so hard we forget to play. How can we build more play into our lives?

Fresh Views - Think Small (12/2/2009)
An attitude of gratitude for very small things can pay big dividends.

Fresh Views - Baths (10/27/2009)
There are so many kinds of baths - water baths, air baths, sun baths, music baths. How might you benefit from more baths?

Oops from Sharon Eakes (10/13/2009)

Fresh Views - Planting Seeds (10/1/2009)
Planting seeds is powerful. You never know where they'll grow. And have you tended some of the seeds planted in you?

Fresh Views - Small Systems (8/18/2009)

Fresh Views - A Person Among People (7/20/2009)

Fresh Views - Transitions and Systems (6/12/2009)
Transitions are happening all the time - and each transition disrupts the systems with which it is connected. So how to handle transitions gracefully?

Fresh Views - Inspiration (5/7/2009)
Short, inspirational quotes can remind us who we are and help us be our fullest selves.

Fresh Views - Shifts of Heart (3/24/2009)
When our heart shifts, everything changes. This matters. Explore ways to open yourself to a change of heart.

Fresh Views - Navigating Your Experience (2/26/2009)
Navigating Your Experience is a simple, profound process for successfully moving through situations. I've found it helpful in making difficult phone calls, running meetings, having challenging conversations, and visiting my 85 year old uncle. Try it.

Fresh Views - Stopping and Starting (1/15/2009)
Maybe there are two types of people - those who never stop and those who never start. Instead of resolving to change whichever of these you are, this Fresh Views suggests a novel possibility for changing course.

Fresh Views - Stuff (12/4/2008)
Maybe the current economic crisis is our opportunity to shift our way of thinking about "stuff." The Gross National Happiness Index in the US may improve if we focus more on the spiritual and relational sides of life and less on the material.

Fresh Views - Cycles (10/29/2008)
Cycles are part of life and learning to live with them comfortably is part of personal mastery. Trusting cycles and learning to disrupt them are both essential skills.

Fresh Views - Geese (9/24/2008)
Geese know how to lead, follow and care for each other. There is much to learn from them!

Fresh Views - Relationships (8/26/2008)
The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes (7/31/2008)
To hear is not to listen. Listening is a skill worth cultivating. To be truly listened to is a gift everyone remembers.

FRESH VIEWS - Questions (6/12/2008)
The ability to formulate great questions is more important than the ability to come up with answers.

Fresh Views - 10-10-10 Rule (5/1/2008)
Tired eyes account for more of our daily weariness than you might imagine. The 10-10-10 Rule can help keep your eyes refreshed! Learn it and teach it to your friends and family

Fresh Views - Developing Ideas (3/25/2008)
Ideas get better when they are molded with the help of many minds.

Fresh Views - Novelty (2/14/2008)
In order to stay young, the brain needs novelty, but it also resists change. How can we keep novelty in our lives to stay mentally sharp?>

Fresh Views - What are you carrying? (1/8/2008)
We are often weighed down with the baggage of our lives. How can we lighten up by shedding this heavy burden?

Fresh Views - Emotions (11/29/2007)
Emotions are with us all the time. Learning to name and manage them can help us navigate our worlds!

Fresh Views - Enough (10/25/2007)
"Enough" is an exquisite distinction - a state of mind that allows us to stop yearning for more and more, to stop fearing there won't be enough, and enjoy the miracle that there is enough for everyone!

Fresh Views - Contribution (8/28/2007)

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes - Sleep (7/31/2007)
Research shows that sleep is more important that we may think. When we are overtired, we are more like toddlers having tantrums than we'd like to admit. There are some things we can do to get more sleep.....

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes - Purpose (6/27/2007)
To live "on purpose" is to use one's gifts and talents to the fullest, benefiting others as well as ourselves.

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes - Habits (5/31/2007)
Habits are created by repeating thoughts or actions over and over. The good news is we can create new habits by repeating new things. Brain research shows that it takes about 3 weeks to create strong, new neural circuits. And we can do this until the day we die!

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes - Thinking (4/26/2007)
Most of us don't spend much time thinking. Stopping for deep thought and reflection either alone or with others can improve our lives immensely.

Fresh Views from Sharon Eakes - Make Mistakes (3/28/2007)

Fresh Views: Celebrate Differences (2/20/2007)

Fresh Views - Kindness (1/18/2007)

Birth of a Book (12/7/2006)
Buy Liberating Greatness, The Whole Brain Guide to an Extraordinary Life. You'll be glad you did!

Fresh Views - Gratitude (11/30/2006)
Cicero calls gratitude not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. It is a feeling, an attitude, a practice, and best of all a wonderful way of life!

Calling for Action (11/2/2006)
The Greater Pittsburgh Coaches Association is offering a remarkable day of free coaching teleclasses!

FOCUS: Gifts from the Heart (10/4/2006)
Gifts from the heart take a little thought. They are worth thinking about early, because they enrich both the giver and the receiver.

FRESH VIEWS - Walk a Mile (8/30/2006)
Walking a mile in another's shoes can expand perspective, grow understanding and increase empathy. What a better world we would have if we all practiced it.

FRESH VIEWS - Systems Thinking (6/29/2006)
Why is systems thinking important? Because it may be the only thing that can save us!

FRESH VIEWS- Reframing (5/25/2006)
Reframing is a way of looking at things from different perspectives. Practicing this process will make you happier and more attractive.

FRESH VIEWS - Tolerations (4/27/2006)
Tolerations are those things we put up with that annoy us and sap our energy. Eliminating them is worth our effort because the payoff is big.

FRESH VIEWS- Seasons (3/29/2006)
The seasons of the year change in significant ways, and so do the seasons of our lives. Being mindful of the seasons can help us move through them.

FRESH VIEWS - Be Early (3/1/2006)
Being early can be like visiting a foreign country if that's not your usual style. The results may be worth a shift or two.

FRESH VIEWS - Pulse Driving (1/31/2006)
Pulse Driving is a counter-intuitive way of driving that helps the new hybrid cars get very high gas mileage. I think there may be an analogy for getting high mileage out of life.

FRESH VIEWS - Exercise (1/4/2006)
Regular exercise can improve both physical and mental health! The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to commit to an exercise program. I share my experience of doing just that.

FRESH VIEWS - The Gift of a Story (11/30/2005)
Stories have the ability to teach, to inspire, to transform. Stories have always been important, but they are being recognized again as valuable tools for businesses and organizations. A sample story
illustrates the gift.

FRESH VIEWS - Wabi-Sabi (10/27/2005)
Wabi-sabi is a Japanese concept that honors the beauty in things imperfect, incomplete and impermanent.

FRESH VIEWS - Breathe! (10/6/2005)
We usually are unconscious of our breathing. However, it is the ultimate systemic activity, and becoming more aware of it can enhance our whole system!

FRESH VIEWS - Appreciate (9/1/2005)
Appreciating is an easy shift of mind that can make a huge difference - to the appreciator and the appreciated. Appreciating appreciates!

FRESH VIEWS CLASSIC - Get More Time For Yourself (7/21/2005)
The amazing connection between time and space described by physicists can be experienced! Clean a closet; feel your time expand.

FRESH VIEWS - Playing PEANUT (6/24/2005)
PEANUT is an acronym for an almost automatic behavior everyone falls into at one time or another. It seems harmless but can be very destructive. Learn to spot it and then refuse to play.

FRESH VIEWS - Do What You Say You'll Do (5/20/2005)
Here's the secret to earning trust and ensuring the success of any relationship: Do what you say you'll do!

FRESH VIEWS - Layers (4/20/2005)
There are layers everywhere. Notice and marvel!

FRESH VIEWS - Penguin Training II (3/24/2005)
Noticing and rewarding the behavior you want to see more of works with penguins and people. But intermittent reinforcement is even more effective!

FRESH VIEWS - Learning From a Penguin Trainer (2/25/2005)
Penguin trainers know something most people don't know....and it is powerful! This edition spells out the secret.

FRESH VIEWS - INITIATIVE (1/21/2005)
Demonstrating initiative has been found to be a key quality that differentiates intelligent, average workers from intelligent, star workers. Be inspired to take initiative!

FRESH VIEWS - Generosity (12/20/2004)
Generosity is the ultimate win-win system.

FRESH VIEWS - Classic - More Joy, Less Stuff (11/15/2004)
Holidays have become so commercial - here are some alternatives.

FRESH VIEWS - The Serenity Prayer (10/21/2004)
The Serenity Prayer is so familiar we may lose sight of its power. Ponder it and see how it is a powerful, systemic prescription!

FRESH VIEWS - Chew, Chew, Chew (9/20/2004)
Chewing has many benefits - both literally and metaphorically. Explore them here.

FRESH VIEWS - Attention Not Energy (8/26/2004)
When you face something difficult, give it your attention but not your emotional energy - it costs too much.

FRESH VIEWS - Deepening (7/21/2004)
Deepening some area of your life will give you new energy - and it's contagious!

FRESH VIEWS - Decision Making (6/22/2004)
Making decisions can be agonizing. Here are some sure-fire, slightly unusual methods that work!

FRESH VIEWS - Kindness (5/25/2004)
Kindness begets kindness. Try it.

FRESH VIEWS - Silence (4/21/2004)
Grow the silence in your life and increase both your effectiveness and your comfort.

FRESH VIEWS - Stuck? (3/23/2004)
If you're stuck in any area of your life, cleaning a closet or a drawer or the top of your desk will help you get unstuck. Try it!

FRESH VIEWS - Maintaining Systems (2/23/2004)
All systems need maintenance. This includes cars, computers, bodies, families and companies. There are a couple of key steps.

FRESH VIEWS - Improvise! (1/21/2004)
Life is one improvisation after another. If we learn to 'Say, "Yes, and..." we can enjoy our creations and flourish.

FRESH VIEWS - Life - a work of art (12/19/2003)
Instead of the usual year-in-review, think of the year just ending as a work of art!

FRESH VIEWS - Invitation to Thanksgiving (11/17/2003)
Noticing things to be thankful for can have surprising results.

FRESH VIEWS - Manage Transitions (10/18/2003)
You will live longer and be happier if you learn to manage transitions in your everyday life. Here's how.

FRESH VIEWS - Do Something Different (9/19/2003)
Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Do something different and enjoy the amazing results.

FRESH VIEWS - Perfecting Evironments (8/14/2003)
Improving the environments you live and work in can dramatically enhance your life!

FRESH VIEWS - Thinking Styles (7/22/2003)
People really do think differently. It can be the source of conflict or celebration. You choose.

FRESH VIEWS - Aging well (6/19/2003)
We're all aging. How can we do it well?

FRESH VIEWS - Trust (5/23/2003)
Growing trust in families and organizations assures that energy will be available for productivity and innovation.

FRESH VIEWS - Be grateful for small things (4/24/2003)
Gratitude for small things can sustain us when the big things are too much!

FRESH VIEWS - Go to the balcony (3/20/2003)
To see difficult situations more clearly, practice "going to the balcony" in your mind.

FRESH VIEWS - Stop! (2/21/2003)
Most of us are juggling a lot of balls, while trying to stay focused. The paradoxical help is: stop!

FRESH VIEWS - Resilience (1/16/2003)
In these uncertain times, cultivating resilience in ourselves and our children may be one of the most important things we can do.

FRESH VIEWS - Peace On Earth (12/15/2002)
What can we do to create peace in the world?

FRESH VIEWS - Make Up a Better Story (11/24/2002)
We all make up stories to explain reality to ourselves all the time. Why not make up a good one?

FRESH VIEWS - Success of an Intervention (10/21/2002)
"The success of an intervention depends on the interior condition of the intervenor." What on earth does this mean?

FRESH VIEWS - What We Focus On Grows (9/18/2002)
We can only see one thing at a time and what we focus on grows. These truths matter!

FRESH VIEWS - Self-Discipline (8/21/2002)
Although self-discipline is thought of as something we do with ourselves, it is actually helped along by the presence of others.

FRESH VIEWS - Limits to Growth (7/18/2002)
Denial that systems have limits contributes to current unethical business practices. Sustainable business systems must acknowledge and work with natural limits to growth.

FRESH VIEWS - No Sniveling! (6/12/2002)
Complaining is sometimes fun but usually non-productive. Cultivate some alternatives to complaining.

FRESH VIEWS - Learn and Forget (5/13/2002)
Recognizing the four stages of learning can help us live with ourselves and others.

FRESH VIEWS - Don't Seek Balance (4/19/2002)
People often say they need more balance in their lives. Here's a simple approach.

FRESH VIEWS - "Solving Circles" (3/13/2002)
Discover the power of solving circles, the result of combining two powerful insights.

FRESH VIEWS - Fresh Views (2/20/2002)
Going to another culture can help us see ourselves more clearly, solve problems creatively.

FRESH VIEWS - Make Room (1/16/2002)
It's a New Year. If we want to start new, we need to make room.

FRESH VIEWS - Do less; Be More (12/11/2001)
Are you too busy doing things to be the person you want to be?

FRESH VIEWS - Living With Terrorism (11/18/2001)
People in other countries have more experience living with terrorism than we do. What can we learn from them?

FRESH VIEWS - Wake-up Call (10/13/2001)
Many people have called the Sept. 11 events a wake-up call. What does that mean?

FRESH VIEWS - How Do We Go On? (9/13/2001)
Following the terrorist attacks on the U.S., who are we and how do we go on?

FRESH VIEWS - Coming Back to Ourselves (8/18/2001)
We may never get where we want to go unless we stop and check the map along the way.

FRESH VIEWS - Ask, "What's Right?" (7/25/2001)
Instead of asking, "What's wrong?" ask, "What's Right?" The question helps us tap an intuitive part of our brain that releases creative energy.

FRESH VIEWS - Effortlessness (6/24/2001)
Effortlessness - sound good? Shift a few things you think and do!

FRESH VIEWS - Systems Thinking in Action (5/25/2001)
The Systems Thinking in Action Conference is a yearly event not to be missed!

FRESH VIEWS - Difference & Curiosity (4/24/2001)
People are different. They really are. Get curious about those differences.

FRESH VIEWS - Managing System Delays (3/28/2001)
System delays are frustrating. Here is a guide to managing delays to optimize systems. (It's more about you than you might guess.)

FRESH VIEWS - From Blame to Accountability (2/21/2001)
Moving from blame to accountability can get you and your company unstuck!

FRESH VIEWS - More Joy; Less Stuff (1/25/2001)
Working toward a new shared vision of holiday gift-giving that results in more joy and less stuff

FRESH VIEWS - Instead of New Year's Resolutions (1/5/2001)
Instead of New Year's Resolutions, try this 5-step guide to give the new year zest!

FRESH VIEWS- Metaphors (10/25/2000)
Let your whole brain speak to other whole brains. Use metaphors!

FRESH VIEWS - Celebrate! (9/19/00)
Celebrate what you want to see more of!

FRESH VIEWS - Systems (8/23/00)
Each of us is part of many systems, but we are usually blind to them. Learn to "see" systems. Then disrupt them!

FRESH VIEWS - Get more time (07/21/00)
A powerful way to get more time for yourself is to get more space.

FRESH VIEWS - Vision (06/19/2000)
The Power of Vision. Clear visions act like magnets, pulling individuals and groups toward their realization.

FRESH VIEWS - Choices (5/16/00)
Don't wait for a wake-up call....choose what you want to do and how you want to think. Be bold.