Uncategorized Archives - Page 3 of 4

What You Need to Achieve “Instant” Fame

Have you ever opened your newspaper, glanced at the image of a movie star, musician, or writer and thought to yourself, “Wow! That person came out of nowhere, and now they're on the front page! Amazing!” It often looks that way from the outside, doesn't it? As though success, fame and fortune happened instantly. The Road to Success So what's got me thinking about the road to success? I'm so glad you asked! :) When I retrieved my copy of the New York Times … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: hard work, instant fame, satisfaction

Two Surprising Tips for Great Meetings… and Dinner Parties

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt 4 Comments

You're about to hear the best advice I've ever received for getting the most out of business and social meetings alike. Some years ago I had the good fortune of taking a Leadership course at the Gestalt International Study Center on Cape Cod. The remarkable Sonia Nevis, one of the Center’s founders, worked with our group over the course of several days. During our time together, Sonia shared these very surprising tips for making meetings work well. As it turns out, they … [Read more...]

Categories: Increasing Awareness, Uncategorized Tagged: dinner parties, Meetings

You, Me, and What’s In Between

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt Leave a Comment

There's YOU. There's ME. But there's also something else -- there are the things that are BETWEEN the two of us. What's in between is the most interesting of the three. Why? Because you think you know who you are. And I think I know who I am. But in the middle, where we intersect and overlap? That's where the magic happens. Positive Space Between Us It's in the space between us that we create new ideas, bigger and better ideas than either of us could have … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: challenging assumptions, space between

Time and Attention: The Greatest Gifts for the One You Love

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt 2 Comments

Are you going on vacation this summer? I’m all for vacations. In fact, I so believe in them that I take one every week. No, I don't go away several days every week; I still need to make a living! But every Friday since the beginning of the year, my husband and I have taken off... together. We’ve rambled around the city (New York City, that is). We’ve gone to museums and movies and art exhibits. We’ve walked here and there. We’ve held hands. We’ve eaten good … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: attention, time together, vacation

Is Kindness One of Your Core Strengths?

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt 4 Comments

At the end of last week’s post about seeing what we look for, I asked you what you would choose to see. A number of people suggested traits like generosity, abundance, love, and kindness. Your suggestions brought me back many years to an “Ah-Ha!” moment in my life — a moment that lit a bulb in my mind and shifted what I look for. Recognizing the Importance of Kindness I was at a meeting of fellow fundraising professionals and, as an ice breaker, the facilitator asked … [Read more...]

Categories: Increasing Awareness, Kindness and Generosity, Uncategorized Tagged: kindness, self-knowledge

Look for Something and You’re Likely to See It

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt 5 Comments

Have you ever noticed that once you make up your mind about something, you start seeing lots of evidence that supports your decision? Your “sightings” aren't the result of Divine intervention. They happen because your brain, like mine and everyone else's, selects from among the gigabytes of available information and presents you with just the right things to match your conclusions. According to Chris Chabris and Dan Simons, co-authors of The Invisible Gorilla, our … [Read more...]

Categories: Increasing Awareness, Uncategorized Tagged: awareness, mind, perception. The Invisible Gorilla

Surviving the Roller Coaster of Business, and Love

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt Leave a Comment

Most things in life cycle. Everything from business to our relationships feel as if they go “up,” but then they come back “down” again. Our lives feel great one day and feel lousy the next. Our opportunities expand, and then they contract — only to expand again. Even during the heyday of my fundraising consulting practice I would go from having more clients than I could comfortably manage to waiting anxiously for a potential client to call. You Haven't … [Read more...]

Categories: Increasing Awareness, Uncategorized Tagged: cycles, natural cycles, ups and downs

Light Up Your Life: Get on Board with Oprah

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt 1 Comment

I was just getting ready to create my next post, “Stuck in a Rut and What to Do About It” when my friend and colleague Gail Perry of Fired Up Fundraising called to talk about what we would write an article about for Guidestar. Gail and I are working together on a project to make material about capital campaign fundraising available on line and Guidestar has agreed to run a piece for us. It's serious stuff, so I was surprised when Gail started reading me headlines from … [Read more...]

Categories: Getting What You Want, Uncategorized Tagged: excitement, headlines, Oprah, positive outcomes

Recognizing the Symptoms of Impending Brilliance

Posted by Andrea Kihlstedt 6 Comments

Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos. — I Ching And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. — Anaïs Nin The Symptoms I recognize The Symptoms. They've been a recurring “feature” my whole adult life... Trouble breathing... Nothing frightening in itself, but noticeable Restlessness... I need to stand up, walk around, and fidget with my environment Racing heart... No, that's not … [Read more...]

Categories: Uncategorized Tagged: coherence, flow, focus, resistance