Igniting the Fire of Your Inner Desire

Let’s get one thing straight: we’ve all been there — that intense urge to learn about something new, and that sweet satisfaction that follows when you delve deep into a subject you love. But have you ever stopped and pondered, “What’s the real force behind this drive?” Spoiler: It’s a dance between curiosity and interest.

Here’s a Thought: Curiosity vs. Interest

At first glance, curiosity and interest might look like twins. Both scream: “Let’s explore!” But delve a little deeper and their unique flavors start to emerge. Curiosity is like that spontaneous adventure — it’s sudden, intense, and begs to know more right here, right now. Interest, on the other hand, is that cherished hobby — it’s been there, it’ll be there, growing steadily with time.

What Makes Curiosity Tick?

Imagine this: You’re watching a gripping movie, but the power cuts off just before the climax. Annoying, right? That burning need to know “What happens next?” — that’s curiosity. It’s that temporary itch you just have to scratch. Born from novelty or a sudden gap in our knowledge, curiosity won’t rest until it’s fed.

Interest isn’t quite so demanding. It’s that comforting cup of tea you return to, time and again. There’s no urgency, but there’s depth. With interest, you don’t just skim the surface — you dive deep, savoring every moment. It doesn’t need a pressing question; it thrives just from the joy of learning more about what you love.

So, with these two forces at play, how can we make the most of them? For educators and leaders, the key lies in recognizing their unique strengths:

For Curiosity: Pose challenges. Introduce mysteries. Let learners ask the big questions.

For Interest: Connect the dots between new info and what learners already know. Let choice and personal relevance shine.

Ultimately, by nurturing both curiosity and interest, we can craft a learning journey that’s not just about consuming information but truly experiencing the joy of discovery.

Stop denying our desires and give voice to that which we long for in our heart. We must name and claim our desire before it can materialize in the outer world.

Make a commitment to not only manifest our desire but also to not quit on ourselves if the going gets tough. Accepting from the beginning that this is new and there will be real setbacks, roadblocks, and challenges makes it easier to lean in, hold on, and navigate the speed bumps along the way.

Have the compassion and patience we would have for others if they were taking on something new. When those bumps in the road appear, instead of beating ourselves up, we must speak to ourselves the way we would to a friend we admire for having the guts to take on something new.

Ignite our confidence and courage. To walk through the unknown, have trust in ourselves and our abilities, and take on whatever is being thrown at us along the road of creation and manifestation takes confidence and courage. They are the antidote to our fear as well as “the wind beneath our wings” when it comes to moving forward and living in alignment with our deepest desires.

Every day we have the opportunity to unearth the desires that may be covered over with days or years of fear and resignation. Do not wait another day to become fully engaged in your life and to live with greater purpose and meaning. This is not a dress rehearsal! You can create your own red carpet experience.

Sharpen Your Communication Skills

Communication is key to compelling leadership. Learn effective communication practices that increase your impact.

Sharpen Your Communication Skills will explore the behavioral science research behind effective communication practices to help you refine your communication skills — and be sure that your message is heard.

Effective communication skills are some of the most utilized and sought-after abilities in the workplace. They’re essential for leaders, team members, and individual contributors to hone.

In our largely remote and hybrid work environments, workplace communication differentiates between connected, agile teams and teams that fail to collaborate, stay aligned, and achieve common goals. Building trust within teams is critical, as it strengthens relationships and fosters effective communication at work.

The good news is that improving communication skills is easier than you might imagine.

Listen, listen, and listen. People want to know that they are being heard. Really listen to what the other person is saying, instead of formulating your response. Ask for clarification to avoid misunderstandings. At that moment, the person speaking to you should be the most important person in your life. Another important point is to have one conversation at a time. This means that if you are speaking to someone on the phone, do not respond to an email, or send a text at the same time. The other person will know that she doesn’t have your undivided attention.

Who you are talking to matters. It is okay to use acronyms and informal language when you are communicating with a buddy, but if you are emailing or texting your boss, "Hey," "TTYL" or any informal language, has no place in your message. You cannot assume that the other person knows what the acronym means. Some acronyms have different meanings to different people, do you want to be misunderstood? Effective communicators target their message based on who they are speaking to, so try to keep the other person in mind, when you are trying to get your message across.

Body language matters. This is important for face-to-face meetings and video conferencing. Make sure that you appear accessible, so have open body language. This means that you should not cross your arms. And keep eye contact so that the other person knows that you are paying attention.

Check your message before you hit send. Spell and grammar checkers are lifesavers, but they are not foolproof. Double check what you have written, to make sure that your words are communicating the intended message.

Write things down. Take notes while you are talking to another person or when you are in a meeting, and do not rely on your memory. Send a follow-up email to make sure that you understand what was being said during the conversation.

Sometimes it's better to pick up the phone. If you find that you have a lot to say, instead of sending an email, call the person instead. Email is great, but sometimes it is easier to communicate what you have to say verbally.

Think before you speak. Always pause before you speak, not saying the first thing that comes to mind. Take a moment and pay close attention to what you say and how you say it. This one habit will allow you to avoid embarrassments.

Maintain a positive attitude and smile. Even when you are speaking on the phone, smile because your positive attitude will shine through and the other person will know it. When you smile often and exude a positive attitude, people will respond positively to you.

Effective communication is a key characteristic of great leaders – it’s instrumental in gaining trust, inspiring change, building connections, and influencing others. In today’s era of hybrid and remote work, communicating effectively is more important than ever.

How To Build Wealth

You’ve worked hard to achieve financial success and build your income, but do you know how to build your wealth? Try this exercise: Add up the total financial value of all your assets (your wealth), then subtract the total amount of your debt. The result is your net worth. The bigger that number is, the more financial resources you have available. That’s why making the transition from high earner to wealth builder is so important.

Wealth isn’t just the money the very rich spend on mansions and yachts. It’s the way your long-term financial goals become possible to achieve. Those goals may include saving enough money to last through retirement, becoming financially independent, passing something on to the next generation, or giving back to your community.

Finding ways to keep more of what you earn is an essential step toward making the transition from high earner to wealth builder. Here’s how:

• Tackle your debt, including credit card accounts and student loans.
• Track your expenses and look for ways to cut out unnecessary spending and how to save for the things you need and want.
• Allocate the extra money from cutting your debt and spending to saving and investing.
• Calculate how much you will need in retirement so you can set a savings target.
• Increase your retirement plan contributions, including making catch-up contributions if you are 50 or older.

If one of your goals is to pass on some assets to the next generation of your family, you need to make plans for how your money is spent now and after you pass away. Those steps can include:

• Creating an estate plan, which is the most common way to transfer generational wealth. Work with an estate attorney to make sure your will and other key estate planning documents are in order.
• Owning a home, as it will likely be the most valuable asset you have to pass on to your heirs.
• Having life insurance, which can be another important option to pass along some of your wealth to family members.
• Owning an annuity, which includes beneficiary benefits that can help you control how and when assets are distributed and help your loved ones avoid the complicated probate process.

You also can share some of your wealth while you’re still living. This can take several forms (in each case, be aware of restrictions and the tax implications):

• Gift money to a family member to help out with a down payment on a home or provide startup funding for a business, for example.
• Provide educational assistance by creating a savings fund for a grandchild’s college education or making a tuition payment directly to their school.
• Pay for medical expenses for a family member directly to a health care provider.
• Own a family business that you can pass on to the next generation.

Let’s get one thing straight: The only “good debt” is paid-off debt. Your most powerful wealth-building tool is your income. And when you spend your whole life sending loan payments to banks and credit card companies, you end up with less money to save and invest for your future. It’s time to break the cycle!

Trying to save and invest while you’re still in debt is like running a marathon with your feet chained together. That’s dumb with a capital D! Get debt out of your life first. Then you can start thinking about building wealth.

Financial goals can be short-term, mid-term or long-term. A short-term financial goal might be saving money for a vacation. A mid-term financial goal might be wiping out your student loan debt, and a long-term financial goal might be investing money for retirement.

Setting financial goals—and then achieving them—can help put you on the path toward financial security.

So how do you set these goals? Here are some steps that might help:

1. Determine what matters most to you. For example, are you eager to eliminate your student loan debt, or are you laser-focused on retiring comfortably?
2. Come up with a list of short-term, mid-term and long-term financial goals. Make sure your goals are realistic to avoid getting unnecessarily discouraged.
3. Assess your income and expenses. Review the money coming in and going out every month, and then create a monthly budget to keep your financial plan on track.
4. Monitor your success. Keep track of the goals you’ve met and those you still aim to reach. As part of this step, consider dividing each long-term goal into bite-size, short-term targets to make them easier to achieve.
5. Make adjustments as needed. Accept that your goals might have to change over time. For example, a job layoff or an unexpected hospital stay might change your situation and require you to rethink your goals.

Building wealth requires discipline to stick to your budget, resist impulsive spending and stay committed to your long-term goals. Don’t worry if you’re starting out small. The important thing is to make a plan and get started. Remember, building wealth is a marathon, not a sprint.