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Oral Lee Brown was, for the most part an ordinary person. A former cotton picker from Mississippi and current real estate agent in Northern California, she made $45,000 and raised two children on her own.

What made this woman extraordinary was what she chose to do one day in 1987. She saw a young girl in her neighborhood begging for money. The next day, Oral went to the school the girl attended and found a first-grade class she "adopted". By "adoption", I mean that she pledged to personally pay for anyone who wanted to attend college! Brown lived up to her pledge: since that day, she has personally saved $10,000 a year and raised donations for her adopted kids.

Oral's commitment demonstrates the good that can come from action. Lily Tomlin said it best with: "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody."

So, to encourage you to make a difference in others' lives, we have a short movie for you from the book Every Monday Matters:

Throughout this week, keep checking back for more videos and messages on service. How do you plan on serving others today?

"Did you know... That the top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004? Or that the number of internet devices in 1984 numbered 1,000 as opposed to 2008 with approximately one billion?"

Watch this video from the "Did you Know 3.0 meeting in Rome:

Wow, what a wake-up call! Not only is change happening at a rapid pace... it is happening at an accelerating and rapid pace. It almost seems that, if you slow down, you will left behind on the race forward.

This week we have been talking about change and how to adjust to that change. Sometimes, however, change seems so drastic and rapid that adaptation seems impossible, and gives new meaning to the phrase Change is Good... You Go First.

I emailed this video to John Blumberg, author of Good to the Core, for his thoughts. John brought it back to the "Mental Front Porch". This place is where people can mentally disconnect, when necessary, to prioritize what is most important to them. When we feel that we are so busy and overloaded, those are the times when it is even more crucial that we stop and think about what we want to accomplish the most. In the sea of choices, it is the calm place that people use to wisest step forward. This applies to the hurricane of information blowing around us... rather than get swept up, we can anchor ourselves and make informed decisions.

What changes do you find yourself adapting to? How do you cope with the quick pace of change in our world? Share your thoughts!

Today, we have the pleasure of a guest author on our blog! Di Chapman, contributing author to Customer Love, has graciously volunteered to write a series of posts for our blog (check out Di's website at http://www.quotepourri.com). Upon hearing that we will be writing about change, she wrote something very appropriate for the topic: job transition. No doubt one of the biggest stresses life can offer, Di brings out some encouragement to put this change into perspective:

Joblessness is a condition that brings home to roost many of our own personal shortcomings. Let's be honest: our human-ness often brings with it an aversion to seeing our job loss as a reflection of something within us; we often rationalize the event by describing it as the result of another's behavior and attitude towards us. But, if you lose your job, as much as you would like to make it someone else's problem, you can't. It's all yours.

The cold, hard reality of job search is this: it's time to take a good look at your own "stuff," what you bring to the table, and whether or not you need to press your own metaphorical "reset" button to charge your human battery before you hit the pavement. Could it possibly be that in your most recent job tenure you let a few things "go," like your attitude, your interest, your enthusiasm, your creativity, your potential? There's that reset button. Honest self-examination, soul-searching assessments of your skills and talents, and an attitude check and tune-up are absolutely in order.

The GOOD NEWS is there ARE JOBS out there. Seriously, there are!! If you will take an honest inventory of your interpersonal skills, your personal commitment to excellence, and the level of energy you apply to each day of your search, you will take "step one" toward finding another job that is just right for you.

It doesn't matter who you are, or what your job titles have been, or what industry has employed you in the past. If you are a recent graduate, it really doesn't matter what degree you have earned. There are still jobs out there, and new opportunities continue to arise each day. I challenge you to tweak your perspective, put on your "game face," and resurrect your passion for life.

If you're a student of inspiration, like I am, and an avid fan already of Simple Truths' gift books, coaching for your own "reset" button may be close by. Be confident that your collection of products might possibly offer just the right messages on their pages, and the principles contained within the books and movies can steer you through a job hunt. Absorb them. Believe them. Vow to practice them. In so doing, you will alter the job loss crisis, the fear, and the overwhelming urge to flee or hide under the covers.

Back in my office after an interview with Mac Anderson, founder of Simple Truths, I was struck with an "Ah-ha!" moment as I listened to the show recording several times in succession. The energy and brilliance that burst out of my two guests knocked me over, and here's the thing: the wisdom in their words tells me that there are employers out there who ARE ACTUALLY HIRING PEOPLE right now. And guess what? They're looking for people who can still see a vision of passion, purpose, and potential in their work and their lives. They are looking for people who can bring energy and enthusiasm to the job. They're looking for people who want to demonstrate what I call the "Energy Formula for Success:"

"Passion + Purpose = Potential"

Look closely at yourself in the mirror. Are you the kind of "person" employers are looking for?

Your job hunt is all about improving YOU. Stay receptive to the possibilities of finding work in new arenas, or learn to look at the same old job in a new light and with new eyes. Make a promise to yourself that you will bring your best to every interview, every phone call, and every opportunity to connect with others.

Stay energetic, stay passionate, and stay confident!

For all of you job searchers out there, I hope you found that encouraging! This has only been a section of Di's insightful article... stay tuned for more in the future. In the mean time, here's some food for thought: how have you dealt with job transitions? How have you made this change positive in the past?

From the newsletter archives, we would like to bring back one of our favorite messages. This one comes from the book Change is Good... You Go First, please enjoy "Inspire Personal Accountability":

Something magic happens when we accept personal responsibility for our behavior and our results.

But, it's not easy, because it's human nature to "pass the buck". I (Mac) know there have been times in my life when my business was struggling where I found myself blaming others, blaming the economy, blaming this, blaming that! But as I've gotten older (and a little wiser) when things go wrong in my business, or my life, I can always find the culprit...in the mirror.

In every instance, it always comes back to choices I've made in my life that put me exactly where I am today. I have to say, that this one "tweak" in my attitude may sound like a little thing, but it has made a big difference in my life.

What does all this have to do with change? Plenty!

As a manager, one of the most important things you can do in times of change is to get your people to understand how their taking personal responsibility, their recognizing problems as opportunities, will not only help the company, but will help them as individuals. In other words, sell the idea of...what's in it for them?

Authors B.J. Gallagher and Steve Ventura wrote a great little book about achieving success through personal accountability titled: Who Are "They" Anyway? I like their list showing how each individual in the company can benefit by adopting a "personal accountability attitude":

• You have more control over your destiny
• You become an active contributor rather than a passive observer
• Others look to you for leadership
• You gain the reputation as a problem solver
• You enhance your career opportunities
• You enjoy the satisfaction that comes from getting things done...the power of positive doing
• You experience less anger, frustration and helplessness - all leading to better physical health
• You realize a positive spillover effect into your personal life at home
  

According to Gallagher and Ventura, the most important words of personal responsibility are as follows:

• The 10 most important words:
  I won't wait for others to take the first step.
• The 9 most important words:
  If it is to be, it's up to me.
• The 8 most important words:
  If not me, who? If not now, when?
• The 7 most important words:
  Let me take a shot at it.
• The 6 most important words:
  I will not pass the buck.
• The 5 most important words:
  You can count on me.
• The 4 most important words:
  It IS my job!
• The 3 most important words:
  Just do it!
• The 2 most important words:
  I will.
• The most important word:
  Me

Frank Tyger said it best...
"YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON MANY THINGS, BUT MOSTLY YOURSELF."

Do you have a list of "important words" that inspire you to personal accountability? How have you encouraged others to be accountable?

"When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."

-Tuli Kupferburg

Any real reward will come with some risk, and success today comes from innovation. Changes, however big or small, are amazing opportunities to make yourself stand out from the crowd and become a leader. It is that leap from the known to the unknown, though, that we struggle with and must overcome before we can claim that prize.

Kupferberg's quote comes from Change is Good... You Go First. In that book, you can read some practical ideas to deal with change, and get inspired to be creative. In fact, watch our movie to get a taste of the book:

Do you feel inspired to change... or to be changed? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section!