The One-Minute Manager

The credo of the one-minute manager rests on the implementation of three ideas, namely: the need to establish clear-cut goals, the need to praise good performance, and the need to reprimand people when their performance fails to contribute to the attainment of commonly agreed goals. This three basic ideas are known as the three secrets of the one-minute manager, namely: one-minute goals, one-minute praisings and one-minute reprimands.

The Hour is upon us

"You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.
And there are things to be considered:

Where are you living?

What are you doing?

What are your relationships?

Are you in right relation?

Where is your water?

Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.

Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of
The river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.
See who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.
Least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey
comes to a halt.

The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we've been waiting for."

The Elders
Oraibi, Arizona
Hopi Nation

THE STONECUTTER

Once, a poor stonecutter worked everyday, chipping away at huge stones on the mountainside, but he was dissatisfied. He saw a rich man passing by, and thought, “I wish I was that rich man.” A magical spirit was listening, and granted his wish. He became the rich man!

As the rich man, the stonecutter felt infinitely powerful. He gave his servants order after order. But one day the sun shone hotly on the rich man. “The sun is more powerful than I. I wish I were the sun!” The magical spirit granted his wish,

Now he was the sun. He shown down on the earth, scorching it mercilessly. But one day a cloud passed in front of him. “The cloud is more powerful than I. I wish to be that cloud!’ Again, the magical spirit granted his wish.

As the cloud, he blocked the sun day after day, causing darkness and cold weather. But one day a wind came up, and blew the cloud away. “I want to be the wind!” Again, the magical spirit granted his wish.

As the wind, he blew dust storms and hurricanes. Nothing could stand in his way. But one day he came to a mountain and couldn’t move it. “The mountain resists me. Let me be the mountain.” Once more, the magical spirit granted his wish.

As the mountain, he was immovable. Nothing could budge him. But one day he felt something chipping away at him. It was a poor stonecutter. “The stonecutter is mightiest of all! I wish I were a stonecutter.” One last time, the magical spirit granted his wish.

YOUR JOURNEY

There is a journey awaiting you
It comes in truth and promise
When you reach the point of not knowing who you are or where to go
This most precious but often painful passage is the journey of yourself
You will travel to places never before visited,
Where you meet unspoken fears and unearth buried truths
You will climb high and perilous mountains...those that rise up from inside yourself
You will explore forgotten waters held deep in the sea of your soul
You will be stranded in the wilderness and find a way through pathless land
You will be lost before you are found...You will be empty before you are full
You will cry the deep sobs of the earth and tears of rain will cleanse the house around your heart
In time...because life, like birth and death, knows its own time
Your fears and struggles and unknowing will be transformed
You will become a mountain place where eagles soar
You will become a reflecting pool which sees and knows the mysteries of your life
Your heart will be light like a butterfly as you follow the currents of its true desires
The flight of the honeybee will be yours as you seek the nectar of what brings sweetens to your daily life
Most of all you will become who you truly are
Your life will hold truth and promise and meaning
And the heart of the heavens will hold your heart.

by Susan Squellati Florence

The First Peace by Black Elk

"The first peace, which is the most important, is that
which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship,
their oneness with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that
at the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center
is really everywhere, it is within each of us. "

by Black Elk

Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a

battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son,

the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all.



One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,

greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment

inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority and ego.



The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope,

serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence,

empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."



The grandson thought about it for a minute

and then asked his grandfather,

"Which wolf wins?"



The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

The Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends

of a pole which she carried across her neck.



One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect

and always delivered a full portion of water.



At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the

cracked pot arrived only half full.



For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing

home only one and a half pots of water.



Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments.

But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and

miserable that it could only do half of what had been made to do.



After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to

the woman one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, because

this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to

your house."



The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your

side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?"



"That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted

flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk

back, you water them."

"For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to

decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there

would not be this beauty to grace the house."



Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we

each have that make our lives together so very interesting and

rewarding.



You've just got to take each person for what they are and look for

the good in them.

You are the Decisive Element

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming." - Goethe, 1749-1832