Sharif Khan Blog

Healing the Mind through the Power of Story

2011-08-08T14:35:00.002-04:00

[Excerpted from the Hero Soul e-newsletter on personal development]

Inside This Issue:

1. Healing the Mind Through the Power of Story

2. Interview with CBC Radio on the hero mindset

3. Noteworthy Events

1. Healing the Mind Through the Power of Story

"History is written by the winners, but story allows everyone’s perspectives to be told, even those who are conquered.” – Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona

I’ve come across a real gem of a book this summer which has made a strong impression on me and which I wanted to share with you today:

Healing the Mind Through the Power of Story: The Promise of Narrative Psychiatry

By Lewis Mehl-Madrona, M.D., Ph.D.

The ‘Aha!’ for me in this book is that stories shape the brain – literally. Molecular geneticists are discovering that ‘social experience modifies our genes’ and ‘reshapes our DNA moment by moment.’ (Social experience being primarily the exchange and enactment of stories.)

In fact, Dr. Melh-Madrona suggests, “On the whole, social relationships and experience are perhaps more powerful in changing our brains than drugs.”* Certainly, a number of so called ‘antidepressants’ out on the market prove no more effective than placebos.

There are positive and negative consequences to this story. One of the downsides is that often times a person experiencing illness enters the traditional healthcare system and is given a story: bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, clinical depression, ALS, MS, chronic pain such as fybromyalgia, etc.

Sadly, what often happens next is that when the individual is institutionalized to receive ‘care’, the entire medical team and support staff’s focus centers around empowering the story rather than the person. Healthcare turns to health-scare and instead of healing, the condition is often prolonged and/or exacerbated.

The upside here is that through narrative psychiatry and community/group storytelling, through collaborative interaction, empowering stories, or counter narratives, can be developed for dis-empowering the bad stories and empowering the person (vs. patient) to heal.

Dr. Melh-Madrona is asserting that many genetically linked diseases can, over time, be better managed, mitigated, and even transformed into healing success stories through the power of storytelling in conjunction with medical treatment, especially through collaborative community interaction.

In his book, he gives example after example of empowering stories he’s shared with clients suffering from various illnesses and their positive transformation from enacting these stories and attending community healing circles.

The great thing about healing circles is that anyone can start one up in their own community, consisting of a small group of people who are dedicated to each other’s healing. The group meets regularly in a circle. Each member shares their story by holding a ‘talking stick’ which is passed around the group. The stick is passed only when one feels heard and they’ve fully expressed what they have to say.

Nobody else can speak when a group member is holding the stick, which reinforces active listening among all members and activates group healing through narrative expression. Also, when a group member expresses a challenge, the rest of the group can pitch in by sharing whatever they feel they can offer: prayers, massages, reiki, advice, stories of overcoming similar challenges, etc.

A good takeaway from this book, is that if you find yourself in a rut, be it personal or professional, examine yourself and start replacing your negative stories with empowering ones, and consider joining a support group to express your stories in a nurturing environment. One of the reasons why Weight Watchers and Alcoholics Anonymous have been so consistently successful is the group sharing and camaraderie in community that occurs on a regular basis.

I highly recommend this book for all helping professionals and anyone searching for stories to heal the mind.

* One caveat the author notes is that “people taking psychiatric medications should never stop taking them abruptly, as serious withdrawal symptoms can occur.” Also, the advice given here and in the book should not be used to treat a serious ailment without consulting a qualified medical professional first.

If you’re more business and professional development minded, looking for ways to accelerate your business, organizational, or career success, than I highly recommend reading Peter Guber’s book:

Tell to Win: Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story

Guber, CEO of Mandalay and former chairman of Sony Pictures, is a world-class storyteller who gives plenty of business and organizational storytelling examples of how stories can be used effectively to influence, inspire, and innovate. Another summer favorite of mine and a real entertaining read!

I wish you a successful storied life and encourage you to Carpe Fabula (Seize the Story!).

To YOUR story success,

Sharif Khan

www.herosoul.com

Writer, Author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”

Please visit and “Like” my new Facebook Author Fanpage!

2. Interview with CBC Radio on the hero mindset

CBC Radio recently interviewed me on their Ontario Morning show special profiling local heroes making a difference. In this interview, I share insights from my book, Psychology of the Hero Soul, on the hero mindset. Here’s the link to the podcast: http://t.co/WA88nCl

Some really inspiring stories of courage, conviction, and compassion…and some positive news for a change! Worth listening and sharing with friends and family.

3. Noteworthy Events

VIVA LAS VEGAS! Author 101 University is coming to Vegas in October for its renowned publishing success course.

Bring a friend for FREE at Author 101 University and save $100 off admission. Go to http://bit.ly/hSCMys and put in code EARLYBIRD. (Limited-time offer!)

Ideal for: aspiring and established authors, writers, coaches, speakers and independent publishers.

If you’ve ever dreamed of writing and publishing a book, or if you’re an author looking to fast-track your book publishing success, this is the place to be!

Click the link to watch videos of inspiring author success stories:

http://bit.ly/hSCMys

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LEGENDARY Screenwriting & Story Guru, SYD FIELD, is coming to Toronto September 24-25 to teach his world-famous 2-Day MASTER CLASS. For details visit: http://www.whitedogseminars.com

Recommended for story writers, screenwriters, transmedia storytellers, filmmakers, and novelists who love film.

I will be attending this event and look forward to networking with fellow creatives. Hope you can join me.

_________________________________________________________

To subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine, visit www.HeroSoul.com and click on the ‘newsletter’ tab.

Power of Story

2011-04-04T14:42:00.002-04:00

"We all have a story we tell ourselves; change the story and you change your destiny." - Sharif Khan, author of THE HERO SOUL

* Stories have the power to transform, inspire and motivate. But they also have the power to tear down and destroy. Story is the lens from which we perceive the world, governing our behavior and ultimately leading to a self-fulfilling – or story-fulfilling – prophecy.

Have you given some serious thought about the internal story you may be telling yourself? Compare these two stories and see if any of the threads weave into your storytelling:

STORY #1

I’ve tried so many times and failed. Nobody cares. It’s impossible to find real, fulfilling work in these tough economic times. I guess I’ll have to settle for less. Celebrities have it so easy; they have no idea what life is like for the rest of us. When will I get my lucky break? Who will discover me? It’s no use, I’m just not talented enough; I’m not worthy of success. Why does life have to be so unfair? There’s little to hope for in this dark world.

STORY #2

People care because I CARE! I’m not afraid to show PASSION & ENTHUSIASM in my work. I can solve any problem if I’m committed enough. Every setback, rejection, failure is a stepping stone to success and is in fact an OPPORTUNITY to learn, grow and be creative. I create my own luck by working hard and smart while others complain. I prosper by doing what I love and I deserve all the success coming to me because I add value in people’s lives. I look forward to a bright future, and I’m doing my part by shining a light in the world and making a difference in my community. I’m truly blessed!

Two very different stories leading to two very different outcomes. While none of us would like to think we’re remotely associated with Story #1, the fact is that when we interact in the world and associate with some of our peers and ‘friends’ or turn on the news, elements from Story #1 begin to break through the inner realms of our unconscious.

If you’re not careful about it, those negativity seeds will take root in the soil of your unconscious and spring forth weeds that will begin to entangle your dream story and pull you down. It’s important to be vigilant right from the onset.

When you catch yourself voicing negative story threads, saying something like ‘cancel, cancel, negative thoughts and suggestions have no influence over my mind’ might seem a bit hokey, but it actually does help check the flow of negativity by raising your awareness.

A simple exercise you might want to try to crystallize your dream story is to write a one page short story where you are the HERO of your own story. Describe your IDEAL DAY from dawn to dusk. What would your ideal day look like, assuming all your dreams had come true? Write your story in the first person present tense using lots of vivid detail: what are you seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, thinking, touching, and emotionally feeling?

Have fun with it. Review your story often. Endeavor to live out the story of your dreams and one day, as the great philosopher Henry David Thoreau once said, you “will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

To YOUR Success Story!

Sharif Khan
www.HeroSoul.com
Freelance Writer, Essayist
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within

* Excerpted from the FREE Hero Soul ezine on personal development. To subscribe, visit www.HeroSoul.com and click on the 'newsletter' tab.

It Takes Cojones!

2011-02-11T13:36:00.003-05:00

‘THINK BIG’ without cojones is like faith without works – it can only get you so far.

Talent agent and powerbroker, * Jerry Weintraub, had a dream of taking Elvis on tour. At the time, Jerry was just a smalltime promoter while Elvis was the biggest star on the planet.

Everybody thought he was nuts to think he could get Elvis, but he didn’t let that stop him. On a piece of paper he wrote down his dream: Jerry Weintraub presents Elvis Presley at Madison Square Garden.

He called up Elvis’s manager and shared his dream but was told ‘NO’. Every single day, for the next 364 days, Jerry called up the manager and was told the same thing: it’s NOT going to happen.

On the 365th day, the manager called him up to say he could get Elvis – if he met with him in Vegas the next day and brought a million dollars. Jerry worked his network like mad to raise the money and everybody thought he was mad, but finally, at the last minute, an investor and big-time Elvis fan gave Jerry the million dollars he needed to seal the deal.

The rest as they say is history. Jerry went on to represent some of the biggest stars in show business including Sinatra, Elvis, Dylan, and Denver.

By exercising king-kong-sized cojones, he reaped king-kong-sized rewards!

* I highly recommend reading Jerry Weintraub’s business biography:
When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man

Sharif Khan
http://www.HeroSoul.com
Freelance Writer, Essayist
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within

World's Top Authors Reveal their Secrets

2011-02-04T08:47:00.003-05:00

AUTHOR 101 UNIVERSITY is the place to be if you're an author, publisher or aspiring author. You'll hear top publishing and marketing experts and bestselling authors reveal tools and techniques to get your book published and fast-track your career as an author or publisher. For details, visit: http://bit.ly/hSCMys

If you’ve ever dreamed of publishing a book or if you’re an author and want to overcome limiting challenges and experience a breakthrough, then you don’t want to miss this crash course in publishing success!

Go today to http://bit.ly/hSCMys and get the details and watch videos of inspiring success stories.

Sharif Khan
http://www.HeroSoul.com
Freelance Writer, Essayist
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within

Op-Ed on ex Col. Russell Williams published in Winnipeg Free Press

2010-11-10T08:44:00.002-05:00

"By all outward appearances, Russell Williams looked and played the part of a shining hero who could do no wrong; a rising star soaring high on the national stage before going down in flames as perhaps the most ruthless sociopath in Canadian history..."

You can read the rest of my opinion piece, "The darkness that lies within us all" on the Winnipeg Free Press op-ed page. (A side to the story I felt the media was not covering).

Sharif Khan

Author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

An inspirational book on awakening the hero within

Creed to Succeed

2010-11-05T05:20:00.003-04:00

[Excerpted from the Hero Soul ezine on Personal Growth]

I was reading about the success story of Urban Prep Academies, an inner-city Chicago school that achieved a 100% college acceptance rate for its entire graduating class of 107 boys. That’s an impressive figure in itself given the sad state of today’s educational system, but given the fact this was an inner-city school where only 4 percent of the school’s seniors were reading at grade level when they started out as freshmen – now that’s an astonishing achievement!

It got me thinking, what were some of the factors that contributed to such an enormous success, and more importantly, how can we apply these factors to improve our own lives and our communities.

The first thing that struck me was the exceptional staff support available to all students. Each student is assigned at least one staff mentor and all staff are provided cell phones so students can reach them day or night.

The second thing that got my attention was the psychology behind the success. The school has a Creed which is recited by all students in community each morning. Here’s a portion of the Creed:

The Urban Prep Creed
We believe.
We are the young men of Urban Prep.
We are college bound.
We are exceptional-not because we say it, but because we work hard at it.
We will not falter in the face of any obstacle placed before us.
We are dedicated, committed and focused.
We never succumb to mediocrity, uncertainty or fear.
We never fail because we never give up…

WE BELIEVE (To read the full creed visit: http://www.urbanprep.org/about/creed.asp)

WOW! That’s one inspiring creed! How would your life be different if you had such an uplifting creed to energize you every day? Is there a way you could apply this creed psychology in your workplace, school, or team environment?

If not, then consider developing your own personal creed that you can recite out loud every day. Something short and simple using the personal pronoun I and in the present tense. I recommend laminating it on a business card or recording it on a CD that you can listen to and repeat while commuting to work.

To help get you started, let me give you another example. Here’s a wealth creed that T. Harv Eker has developed. It’s called “Attitudes of Wealth”: http://bit.ly/czF0gk

To your success,

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com
Writer, Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within

Read the latest review on The Hero Soul by New Consciousness Review - Media for enlightened living: http://bit.ly/b55lbS

To subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine, visit http://www.HeroSoul.com and click on the ‘newsletter’ tab.

Book Signing - PSYCHOLOGY OF THE HERO SOUL by Sharif Khan - Oct. 23, 2010, Origo Books, 2-4pm

2010-09-24T09:31:00.006-04:00

Join Sharif Khan, author of this highly acclaimed inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing leadership potential. (As mentioned in Reader's Digest, USA Today, and Toronto Sun).

"Sharif's wider vision for the concept of 'Hero' is enormous in scope and powerful in terms of its impact. A fascinating read" —Les Brown, author of Live Your Dreams

"The Hero Soul will leave you inspired by the triumph of the human soul and show you how to harness the forces within you to live your highest life." —Debbie Ford, author of #1 NY Times Bestseller, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers

“An excellent book that will help you discover the hero within you” —Robin Sharma, author of the #1 National Bestseller, The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari

***

Origo Books
49 Lower Jarvis St.
(1 block south of St. Lawrence Market)
Toronto, Ontario M5E 1R8 Canada
Phone: 416-703-3535

When: Saturday, October 23, 2010, 2pm to 4pm

***

“The Hero Soul is a book that asks us to examine ourselves and see what we are made of, what we truly value or want in our lives, and to understand that life is not easy but the important things in life are worth pursuing. Drawing on philosophy, mythology, legend and psychology, Khan reminds us to stand up, stand firm, and be the heroes we are capable of becoming.”
- Philip E. Humbert, Ph.D., Best Books Review

Magic Number for Success

2010-04-29T17:43:00.003-04:00

[Excerpted from the Hero Soul ezine on Personal Growth]

1. News and Notes from the Author

Dear Friends and Subscribers:

I must apologize for the long absence in writing to you. I’ve diligently been working on my next book project: a novel. So far, I’ve written 100 pages (approx. 57000 words) which is about half the story.

To ‘test-drive’ my story, I submitted the first page of my manuscript for a critique at a Humber Writer’s Circle workshop where a top literary agent provided her professional evaluation. I was delighted to get the ‘green light’ from this agent, meaning the opening was compelling enough to read further. Doesn’t mean much, but was encouraging since most of the class did not make the cut.

The next step is to get the first 5,000 words of my story manuscript professionally evaluated by Aurora Award-Winning Science Fiction author, Karl Schroeder, who is the Writer-in-Residence at the Toronto Public Library (the world’s busiest library with over 300,000 people visiting its 99 branches every week).

For those of you embarking on a writing career, I highly recommend the Humber School for Writers and Toronto Public Library’s Writer-in-Residence programs. Both excellent programs!

That said, no amount of professional critique or praise means much in this business unless you have a FINISHED, highly polished work that you can show a publisher or agent. (Especially for first-time fiction).

So, I’m focused on finishing my novel. Which means I won’t be able to respond back to most messages, and I’m wrapping up my speaking engagements. (My last one this year will be for the City of Toronto in May of 2010).

I’m also creating an A-list of top literary agents, acquisition editors, and publishers that handle commercial fiction or fantasy fiction. If you have any suggestions, contacts, leads, or referrals, you can contact me at sharif@herosoul.com

2. The Magic Number for Success

If you’re like me, I get really skeptical when I hear some guru claiming to have a silver bullet to achieving lasting success, be it a magic pill, number, formula, or mantra. However, there is one success formula or ‘magic number’ if you will, that I can wholeheartedly recommend: 10000.

‘10000?’ you ask. Yes, 10000. 10,000 hours to be precise. That’s the magic number for success.

According to Canadian journalist, author, and pop sociologist, Malcolm Gladwell, who has studied the common denominators shared by successful people around the world, you need to invest 10,000 hours practicing the craft of your dream vocation to reach a level of professional success.

He goes on to cite examples such as Bill Gates, who practiced 10,000 hours of computer programming since high school before becoming a mega mogul. Even Gladwell asserts that he spent 10,000 hours of practice at The American Spectator and Washington Post, putting in about 20 hours work a week for a period of 10 years before becoming a successful author.

I decided to validate this theory in my hometown of Toronto by asking Karl Schroeder (the Aurora Award-Winning Science Fiction author I just mentioned in my ‘News and Notes’ section)about Gladwell’s “10,000-Hour Rule” at a short story workshop he was hosting. He admitted, yes, that was about the time it took for him to reach professional success in his field as a sci-fi writer.

If you were to spend just 2 hours a day pursuing your passion, you’d reach a professional level of success in your field in about 14 years. Given the fact that (according to Nielsen Media Research)the average American spends 5 hours a day watching television, investing 2 hours a day in your dream should not be all that difficult to do.

Now, if you were to push yourself and simply work an additional hour a day (that’s 3 hours a day) notice what a difference your minimal effort would make over time. 3 hours a day would get you to your 10,000 hour mark in about 9 years. Subtract 9 years from 14 years and you would save yourself 5 years of wasted time working on stuff that you either detested or were not fully passionate about to begin with!

I think you see where I’m going with this. It takes a decade or more to become an overnight success. Put in your 10,000 hours of practice. Start now, thank me later.

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Writer, Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest, USA Today, Toronto Sun)

To subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine, visit http://www.HeroSoul.com and click on the ‘newsletter’ tab.

Making Your Dreams Come True

2009-07-20T19:06:00.003-04:00

[Excerpted from the Hero Soul ezine on Personal Growth]

Critic Melody Breyer-Grell, of the Cabaret Exchange - New York, wrote the following on Canadian Tenor, Ken Lavigne’s Carnegie Hall debut:

“His voice seemed to be liquid gold, a pure lyric sound that had surprising undertones in his unforced lower range.”

Performing at Carnegie Hall was a lifelong dream for classical singer Ken Lavigne. And while it seemed like an impossible dream to play at the Big Apple concert venue that hosted such legendary greats as Pavarotti, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, and Tony Bennet, Ken Lavigne believed in his dream.

He didn’t wait for the phone to ring or for his ship to sail in. Instead, he spent several months raising money for his cause performing at various concerts and fundraisers, in the midst of a severe economic downturn, with many of his friends and family telling him he was absolutely nuts.

At 35, Lavigne, using his own money and funds raised, invested $200,000 to rent the hall himself, hire the New York Pops to accompany him, and do his own advertising! He inspired teams of friends to get the word out about his upcoming concert date.

Lavigne may have been crazy, but on January 22, 2009 he sang his heart out at Carnegie Hall and got to fulfill his lifelong dream, feeling the exhilaration of performing to a live audience of over 1,000 people. His performance was well-received by critics and producers began calling him. Had he waited to be invited, the party may have passed him by.

It’s sad to see so many people waste away their lives in quiet desperation waiting for that elusive knock on the door, waiting for something to happen – instead of making it happen. If you have fallen into this rut, and are waiting for conditions to be ‘just right’ before you embark on your dreams, I want to encourage you to put these petty fears aside and dive into actively making your dreams come true. Start now!

And for those of you who already are actively taking steps to reach your dreams, I would like to urge you to “BAM! Kick it up a notch!” as celebrity chef, Emeril would say. Ask yourself, “HOW can I be bolder and more courageous in my approach? How can I turn up the heat and ‘kick it up a notch’?”

Put more HEART into your actions. Show that you care, and people and circumstances will conspire together to help make your dreams come true.

To your success,

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Freelance Writer, Consultant, Speaker
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest, USA Today, Toronto Sun)

"Everyone has a HERO locked up in the deep recesses of their mind…when you discover it, your self-image will skyrocket you to previously unimagined rewards. As your eyes travel from one page to the next, you will suddenly become aware of the masterful job Sharif has done in guiding you to this special place. I love it, so will you."
-Bob Proctor, philosopher, star of The Secret movie

Improve Your Human Relations Skills

Whether you are a business owner, employee, artist, student, or parent, one of the greatest assets you can have for enjoying a happy and successful life is mastery of good people skills.

I’m a Dale Carnegie nut! Having recently re-read his classic bestseller,
How to Win Friends and Influence People I’m convinced that Carnegie is one of the top five human relations experts in the world.

If there’s one curriculum that’s sorely lacking in high schools and colleges, it’s a course on human relationship-building. If you want to be a great people person and a great communicator, I highly recommend making a lifetime study of his classic book and would also like to suggest taking The Dale Carnegie Leadership Mastery Course.

(Click on the link for more info: http://tinyurl.com/qyg3np).

Persistence Pays! Eagle vs. Raven

2009-04-23T19:33:00.002-04:00

Which bird has better odds of winning in a fight for survival, the eagle or the raven?

If you placed your bets on the eagle, the bigger, stronger creature of force with powerful talons that can rip apart the smaller raven, you’d be mistaken in this unique case.

You’ll have to see it to believe it in this remarkable video that reveals one of nature’s greatest mysteries:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/ravens/video-raven-intelligence/1549/
(click the Raven Intelligence ‘play’ button)

When I watched this video, I was in sheer awe of the true majesty of nature and the lessons we can learn from her. What really struck me was the fact that the Raven made 7 attempts to win its prize from the eagle.

Wow! What a powerful lesson! Studies show that it takes about 7 marketing impressions before a target consumer decides to buy. This natural principle applies to advertising, sales, and many other aspects of life. Most potential customers need to be approached approximately 7 times before they’ll convert their ‘no’ to a ‘yes’. And yet, over 50% of sales people give up after the first rejection!

Thought for the day: How can you apply this ‘raven technique’ to improve the odds of winning in your job search, business, or day-to-day life?

Interview: Awaken Your Inner Hero in Tough Times

Carrying on with the theme of persistence, in this inspirational audio interview, I share with you my message of heroic leadership in tough times: http://tinyurl.com/dyrvxz
(You may have to refresh your screen).

Note of interest: In this interview, I address a call from a struggling first time author finding it especially difficult to be heard in the midst of this economic crisis.

Sharif Khan
http://www.HeroSoul.com
Writer, Consultant, Speaker
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest, USA Today, Toronto Sun)

Obama Leadership: 8 Ways to Lead in the 21st Century

2009-02-09T19:25:00.002-05:00

“I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.”
– Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

The world is looking for a new kind of leader who can bring hope and stability in dark economic times. President Obama could very well be that leader. Only time will tell. What can we learn so far from Obama’s style of leadership? Here are some observations to note for leading in the 21st century:

1. Survival of the Fittest

Charles Darwin spoke of survival of the fittest belonging to the species that is not necessarily the strongest, but the most adaptive. Obama was strong, bold and fiercely determined at the very start of his campaign. But what catapulted his success into the stratosphere was how his communications team adapted to the power of the internet to engage voters through various online social media channels such as Facebook, Myspace, YouTube and Twitter, and by developing a powerful web presence that helped raise over half a billion dollars online for his campaign.

2. Foes to Friends

Will Lincoln’s “team of rivals” strategy of appointing campaign opponents to his cabinet work for President Obama? That remains to be seen; but Obama has shown so far that he is a charismatic leader who can successfully put differences behind and get opponents onboard his team using charm and intelligence. Although easier said than done, an enemy turned into a true friend can prove to be a loyal ally. On a broader scale, Obama’s consensus building approach to international relations by seeking to understand before being understood and welcoming multilateral decision making, could help ease world tensions and maybe even convert certain enemy nations into allies. Naïve yes, impossible no.

3. Lead by Example

On his first day of office, President Obama froze senior White House staff salaries exceeding $100,000 and promised more openness and transparency to “make government more trustworthy in the eyes of the American people.” His example sends a clear message to the public that his leadership team is willing to share in the sacrifices necessary to turn the economy around.

4. Bold and Swift Action

Rhetoric has to be backed by action. In his inaugural speech, Obama spoke of ‘bold and swift’ action. From the decision to close down Guantanamo prison in a year, to vowing to pull out American combat troops from Iraq in sixteen months, not to mention the herculean task of getting Congress to pass an $800 billion-plus stimulus package, Obama has so far delivered on his call for ‘bold and swift’ action. Leadership is about judgment – the ability to make decisions. Some of the choices may be wrong in retrospect, but leadership, like a river, must keep moving forward.

5. Admit Mistakes

It takes a special person of character to readily admit mistakes. When Tom Daschle pulled out of the nomination process for the post of Health Secretary after controversy over his personal tax records, Obama admitted, “I screwed up.” He was sincere, direct, and to the point. True leaders earn respect by honestly admitting their mistakes. False leaders are despised, and their plans eventually undermined, because they hide behind their title or position and blame someone else for their own mistakes.

6. Maintain Poise

Whether in a public debate, press conference, or media interview, Obama has shown his trademark signature of remaining cool, calm, and collected by neither overreacting nor underreacting to curve ball questions and attacks. When all is said and done, the person who can keep cool when others are hot is usually the one to boss the job.

7. Powered by Purpose

One of the reasons why President Obama has such a high approval rating is that people see that he is driven by a genuine sense of moral purpose. While he could have easily pursued a high paying corporate law career, Obama chose civil rights law practice instead and served as a community organizer who took a grassroots approach to improving his community in the South Side of Chicago. He is a caring and compassionate leader who burns for justice. In perhaps the greatest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in the history of America, Obama expresses outrage at Wall Street execs who pocketed billions in bonuses from taxpayer bailout money and calls for a ‘new era of responsibility’.

8. Hope Rooted in Reality

Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.” With unprecedented access to information today, it is becoming nearly impossible to fool all the people even some of the time. People want the facts and aren’t fooled easily. Leaders who make the mistake of blind optimism or obscuring the facts are in for a rude awakening. Without the facts, without the proper diagnosis, the disease will only get worse and spread.

President Obama understands this phenomenon and is a leader who provides hope rooted in reality. With sobering resolve, Obama is telling his people that they will have to hunker down, roll up their sleeves, and work hard to rebuild the American dream; a dream that may take more than a term to rebuild, but that can become a reality – with the audacity of hope.

Sharif Khan (sharif@herosoul.com; www.herosoul.com) is a freelance writer, consultant, speaker, and author of the inspirational leadership book, Psychology of the Hero Soul. He publishes his Hero Soul ezine for cutting-edge advice on success, leadership and personal growth. To contact Sharif, call: 416-417-1259.

This article is excerpted from Sharif Khan’s Hero Soul ezine and is copyright © 2009 by Sharif Khan.

Fear to Focus

2008-11-02T09:17:00.003-05:00

Excerpted from Sharif Khan’s Hero Soul eZine on personal growth:

"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."
– Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States

In a global meltdown that has spawned a media frenzy which has all but crippled the masses with fear and panic, the world needs a strong leader like FDR who was able to successfully lead his country out of the Great Depression. Someone like Pope John Paul II who can say with steely resolve, “Be not afraid,” and mean it in every fiber of his being. And back it up with action!

How can we put fear behind us in these turbulent times and take back control of our lives?

With the Canadian Thanksgiving behind us and the American Thanksgiving just around the corner, perhaps its time to reflect on the things we can be truly grateful for in life and focus on our dreams instead of the mass hysteria that the media is fueling.

I’d like to propose a POWER WEEK focusing intensely on your goals and dreams with a significant scaling down of news broadcasts you watch and listen to.

While there’s no denying that there is a major downturn in the economy requiring a major adjustment, whatever we focus on expands. And for many of us, the media serves as our focusing lens. The problem is that the lens is focused longer and more often on the problem rather than the solution – to the point of such intensity that it burns a metaphoric hole in the collective heart of society.

Why not reclaim that power by focusing your time and energy on how to achieve your dreams?

I’m not advocating tuning out of all news and becoming indifferent to the problems of the world. I’m just recommending turning down the volume of doom and gloom and turning up the volume of the desired outcomes you want out of life.

You can ‘turn down the volume’ by significantly reducing the amount of time you spend watching and listening to the news on TV and radio. I subscribe to the NY Times headline news that comes into my email inbox everyday. It’s customized to my preferences and I can scan the important news quickly without having to spend hours getting emotionally carried away by some news broadcaster telling me how bad the economy is.

Likewise, I use my commute time wisely spending a large portion of my time listening to educational audio programs or classical music and instrumental jazz – instead of negative song lyrics and repeat news flashes.

The constant negativity in the news can make the bright imagery of our dreams fade away into dull grays. To ‘turn up the volume’ of your dreams, intensify the sights, sounds, tastes, smells, feelings, and colors as you visualize yourself every morning and evening doing what you’ve always dreamed of doing – as if it were happening right now.

During your POWER WEEK, I’d like to suggest getting up every morning and writing down your most important goal (in the present tense as if you are already enjoying it) at least 7 to 10 times with focus and concentration.

You may wish to write this goal down on a small card that you can look at throughout the day. I also recommend spending a few minutes in the shower every morning to reflect on everything you have to be grateful for in life and ‘bathing’ in these good feelings if you will.

The point is to use whatever personal growth methods you feel most comfortable with to make this your best POWER WEEK ever!

If you’re looking for an extra boost to help undo the negativity that may have creeped into your system in the past few months, then I highly recommend attending NY Times Bestselling Author, T. Harv Eker’s Millionaire Mind Intensive * which includes a new segment focused specifically on how to be successful in today’s economy: Millionaire Mind Intensive (click on the link for a preview or to register).

* Note: Seating is limited on a first come, first served basis. Your reference number is: 215975

This is an awesome event that will help raise your prosperity consciousness in turbulent times!

P.S. There is also the Millionaire Mind Teleseminar that you can listen to as another option:
Millionaire Mind Teleseminar

To your prosperity and success!

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Writer, Consultant, Author of Psychology of the Hero Soul
An inspirational leadership book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest, USA Today, Toronto Sun)

This article has been excerpted from Sharif Khan's Hero Soul ezine on personal growth, leadership, and success. To subscribe now, visit: www.HeroSoul.com and click on the “newsletter” button.

Keywords: leadership, success, fear, focus, goals, concentration, dreams, news, personal, power, economy, crisis, meltdown, slow down, motivation, inspiration, author, writer, article, newsletter, gratitude, thanksgiving, imagination, millionaire mind, intensive, harv eker, peak potentials, training

Reader's Digest Profiles Hero Soul Online!

2008-09-18T22:19:00.002-04:00

Reader’s Digest recently profiled my book, Psychology of the Hero Soul (http://www.herosoul.com), in an article exploring the unique qualities of heroes and how to develop these attributes in ourselves to inspire greater success.

The article is titled, “Is That a Hero in the Mirror?” Here’s the link for your reading enjoyment: http://www.readersdigest.ca/specialfeatures/heroes_2008/cms/xcms/characteristics-of-a-hero_1048_a.html

The Hero Soul is an inspirational book on awakening the hero within to develop your leadership potential and is available in most major bookstores. [ISBN # 0973192208].

“Everyone has a HERO locked up in the deep recesses of their mind…when you discover it, your self-image will skyrocket you to previously unimagined rewards. As your eyes travel from one page to the next, you will suddenly become aware of the masterful job Sharif has done in guiding you to this special place. I love it, so will you.”
~ Bob Proctor, philosopher, star of The Secret movie

“Psychology of the Hero Soul will leave you inspired by the triumph of the human soul and show you how to harness the forces within you to live your highest life.”
~ Debbie Ford, author of # 1 N.Y. Times Bestseller, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers

Pursuit of Happiness

2008-08-27T21:48:00.002-04:00

Back in June I had a dream where I was lost. I was in a sprawling home flipping through a glossy magazine with pictures of celebrities. Oddly, a picture of my father appeared.

I then put on my father's light green olive suit. (To me, green is a spiritual color, a cool color that radiates harmony and balance). The suit fit perfectly. It felt good and I found my sense of direction.

I took this dream to mean that I will be undergoing a change in lifestyle and philosophy and that symbolically trying on my father's clothes will help usher in this change.

Synchronistic events began to transpire. My participation in the Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life put me in touch with someone who was a grad student at University of Toronto where my father had received his PH.D. I asked this person to look up my father's thesis in early childhood development and he was able to check-out the book for me from the university library.

Shortly after this event, I paid a visit to my Mom's place and was pleasantly surprised to find a couple of large boxes in the guest room containing some of my father's old correspondence. (My brother was finally able to retrieve these after years of collecting dust in the garage of a previous home we had lived in).

So here I was, after all these years, reading my father's thesis and sifting through his photos, certificates, and correspondence - metaphorically trying on my father's clothes. This was the first time in my life that I was able to acquire a deep understanding of the scope of my father's work. (My father passed away twenty years ago in a car accident - so as you can imagine, it was an emotional experience).

Among the papers, I also came across my own drawings and stories I had created as a kid that my father had painstakingly kept in good condition. I marveled at the creativity and imagination I had displayed at such a young age. (As early as the fifth grade I was showing an aptitude for writing, art, and storytelling with lots of A's and commendatory notes scribbled by my teachers).

I remember feeling so much joy and delicious wonder as a child entering into my own dream world. But somewhere along the way, I lost touch with that divine spark and pure innocence. It was not until many years after graduating from university that I was able to reclaim that spark by writing my book, "Psychology of the Hero Soul."

The hero's journey is about finding that dreamland we left behind as kids - and returning home. What makes us lose touch with that divine spark within?

Perhaps it is in our very pursuit of happiness that we have lost our way. For so many people (in America it's part of the constitution as an ‘inalienable right') are pursuing happiness and yet are unhappy and unfulfilled. What's the solution?

In his bestseller, "Man's Search for Meaning," Dr. Viktor E. Frankl, a man who endured years of suffering in Nazi death camps, wrote, "...Success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself...Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge...In the long run...success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think of it."

Instead of fixating on the outcome, focus on the process - on happily achieving rather than trying to achieve happiness. Focus on providing service through your core work and bettering yourself.
Don't be afraid to experiment - worrying about what other people will think. Do your own thing. Follow the promptings of your spirit and the gentle whisperings of your soul. Follow your own natural curiosity - back to dreamland.

And don't be afraid to try on a new change of clothing from time to time...You just never know where it might take you...

To your happiness,

Sharif Khan
http://www.HeroSoul.com
Writer, Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
A book for inspiring the HERO in YOU!

This essay was taken from my FREE Hero Soul ezine on personal growth. If you enjoyed the write-up, I encourage you to subscribe to my newsletter by visiting http://www.herosoul.com and clicking on the 'newsletter' tab.

Shower People with Love

2008-06-04T09:15:00.002-04:00

My younger brother, Junaid, passed away recently after a two year battle with cancer. He died as I was holding his hands at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on March 19, 2008 at 11:10am. Our whole family was there at his bedside when he passed away. He was only 33 years old.

I did not make a public statement at the time because we wanted his funeral to be a small family affair with mostly close friends and relatives. I also needed time to reflect privately and go through the grieving process. Journaling my experiences since that time has helped me to cope.

Especially difficult to bear was the fact that just over a year into my brother’s illness he had made a miraculous recovery after enduring several rounds of chemo, radiation and various alternative health treatments. (When Junaid was first diagnosed with stage four base-of-the-tongue cancer, he was given 7 months to live with less than a 10% chance of survival).

Unfortunately, a few months after the recovery, the cancer reemerged with a vengeance. The tumor at the base of his tongue started growing and eating through sensitive nerve and gum tissue – eventually devouring part of his jaw bone.

The pain was so excruciating (despite all the different pain meds he was on) that he wanted to end his life on many occasions. Just trying to manage the pain was an ongoing struggle with frequent visits to his pain doctor. It’s a horrible, horrible disease that no one should have to go through.

I’m astounded at the enormous courage and inner strength my brother displayed throughout this whole ordeal. His dream in life was to become an actor; and despite his weakened state and slurred speech, he kept on auditioning for parts even though he kept getting turned down repeatedly. I’ve set-up a Tribute Page for my brother with an actor photo of him on the Canadian Cancer Society’s webpage that I’d like you to visit: http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/junaidkhan

He lived and died honorably and was the most honest person I’ve ever known. I’m very grateful for the time I had to spend with my brother before he passed away. He is my role model and hero who taught me many valuable life lessons from his example.

One day when my brother Junaid was staying over at the hospital, a friend of his dropped by our home hoping Junaid would be there. I protectively blocked the front porch entrance and told him my brother was not in. He had a grip of steel when we shook hands and I immediately formed an impression about this person.

I later told Junaid about his friend dropping by and mentioned that he looked a bit like a street thug. Without missing a beat, my brother covered the trach tube in his throat with his fingers and strained in a raspy voice: “He’s lived a hard life and has no one to love him. You have to shower people with love – because nobody else will.”

My knees almost buckled as I fought back tears. My younger brother was teaching me a lesson in humility and love. I was ashamed of myself for having judged someone I barely knew.

I learned that my brother had befriended a number of people that most of society had rejected, and he showered them with love and kindness.

What a powerful message. I believe we can all make a difference in the world by showering people with love. And it doesn’t take much. A kind gesture to a neighbor. Catching someone doing something right. Warmly welcoming a newcomer who feels out of place in a group. Visiting a sick co-worker at the hospital. Lending a helping hand or giving encouragement to anyone that needs it.

Shower people with love.

You know, I’ve spent a longtime trying to figure out exactly how to break this news to you. In my desire to honor my brother and raise awareness in a big way, a crippling paralysis overwhelmed me - rendering me incapacitated and not knowing what to do.

How ironic that I found the answer to my problem in my own Hero Soul book! In the chapter titled ‘Peace’ I began with Anne Frank’s quote: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

I’m taking Anne Frank’s message to heart by not waiting and starting now. I’m volunteering for the upcoming Canadian Cancer Society’s “Relay for Life” to help raise funds for cancer research and support services while celebrating cancer survivors and remembering loved ones lost to cancer.

Please visit my tribute page to help make a difference: http://convio.cancer.ca/goto/junaidkhan

(If you’re able to make a contribution, please click on the “make a donation” button under my brother’s photo).

Let’s do our part in making cancer history so we can help save lives and prevent someone from going through what my brother had to go through. Let’s not wait – let’s start now!

Love and Light,

Sharif Khan
http://www.HeroSoul.com
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational leadership book on awakening the hero within

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about Relay for Life or would like to pledge me, visit: http://tinyurl.com/4vbp4p

*** Please help me to help a good cause and raise awareness for cancer research by publishing or sharing this post with your contacts and spreading my brother’s message of love. ***

Power of Belief Part 2: Increasing Sales Results

2008-04-14T10:52:00.003-04:00

From Sharif Khan's Hero Soul ezine:

1. Quote of the Month
2. Power of Belief Part 2: Increasing Sales Results
3. Hero Soul Humor
4. Subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine

1. Quote of the Month

"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."
– Anatole France, Nobel Prize-winning author

2. Power of Belief: Part II

In my last post, I talked about the psychology of belief and the tremendous power it has to forge the destiny and outcome of our lives and the lives of people close to us. In this issue, I will share some proven techniques you can use to strengthen your internal belief system so you can maintain that victorious can-do attitude to get you closer to your dreams.

The techniques I’m going to share with you are based on real life experience learned from the School of Hard Knocks: Door-to-Door Sales!

As unlikely as it sounds, I did door-to-door sales for a period of about two years to help finance my university education and put some spending money in my pockets. And I can tell you with conviction, that I received a world-class degree in the psychology of belief that no educational institution can offer.

If you find my statement hard to believe, try selling a product door-to-door to perfect strangers, in subzero freezing weather, and get them to trust you enough to fork out their hard earned dollars for a down payment, and sign a lengthy contract (after walking them through each point of the contract). Oh, and one more thing, you’re paid on straight commission only; meaning, if you don’t make any sales, you starve.

Most of my schoolmates who also came on board to sell, did not last the first week after training. The constant rejection was too much. I remember one cold winter day knocking on doors and not making a single sale. On days like these, I too felt like quitting! I knew I could get other less demanding work but I decided to stick it through. It became a challenge and education in mental strength training, resilience, hard work, and most of all – Belief 101. Here’s what I learned:

Mentally rehearse a successful outcome

When you’re on sales commission, you notice very quickly what works and doesn’t work. What didn’t work for me was wasting time in the coffee shop with other depressed sales reps sharing stories of loss and rejection.

What did work was mentally rehearsing a successful outcome before the start of the day. I noticed my sales increase on days I visualized myself approaching prospects confidently and watching their faces light up with smiles at the great opportunity I was offering. I saw them signing contracts, handing me deposits, and warmly shaking my hands. I visualized myself with a clipboard overflowing with contracts. During my visualizations which took about 5 to 10 minutes, I intensely felt the rush of excitement well up inside me as I had a successful day and high-fived my peers.

I also found that I had a better sales day when I meditated early in the morning for about 30 minutes before the start of the day. People are stressed enough as it is and don’t have the time to chat with a tense, nervous-looking sales rep standing outside their door. When people noticed my calm, serene presence, they’d welcome me in. My energy helped reduce some of their own stress.

Before heading out to sell for the day, I’d look at my reflection in the bathroom mirror, smile, and say enthusiastically, “I feel fantastic! I’m going to make a lot of sales today!”

As hokey as all this may sound, the important thing is it worked. My sales increased and I was consistently #1 in my sales crew. And you can apply this same mental rehearsal technique for
almost any activity to help you enjoy more success in your field.

Check negative thoughts at the door

In this line of work, unsubstantiated negative thoughts have a habit of creeping up: “it’s too cold or too hot to sell, it’s a bad territory, you’re not cut out for this, call it quits for the day, etc.”

I soon learned that the best way to keep up my sales momentum was to check any negative thoughts as soon as they emerged by saying to myself, “Cancel, cancel. Negative thoughts and negative suggestions have no influence over my mind.”

I used other methods as well to keep the negative thoughts at bay, but this inner dialogue was sufficient to stop many negative thoughts from overpowering my mind and allowed me to sell successfully on a consistent basis.

Don’t take rejection personally

Being on straight commission, it didn’t take long for me to realize that sales to a large degree was indeed, as the cliché goes, ‘a numbers game.’ Each no simply led to a yes and the more no’s I got, the more yes’s I’d make. Babe Ruth hit the most home runs, but he also had the most strike outs.

It was difficult at first not to take rejection personally. And I spent a lot of time and energy in the early days replaying each rejection in my mind. But I soon realized that I had no way of reading other people’s minds. They could be having a bad day, or might have had an argument, or maybe they got burned before in a bad deal.

I really had no way of knowing. So I adopted the emotionally neutral position: “some will, some won’t, who’s next?” If someone rudely dismissed me, instead of being rude back, I simply thanked them for their time and went on my way. I no longer expended so much time and energy wallowing in so called rejection and my sales increased as a result.

Assume the sale!

If you knew you could not fail, you’d certainly act very differently than if you expected to fail. A quality product that’s competitively priced in a hungry market should be an opportunity for most sales people and entrepreneurs. And yet, every day, I saw reps who came to the door expecting to fail: drooped shoulders, shifty eyes, little eye contact, limp-fish handshakes, weak, choppy presentations, exuding an apologetic look that said, “Sorry to trouble you, Sir, Ma’am. But, you wouldn’t want to buy anything from me today, would you?”

I know, because that’s how I started out, and my sales were miserable! But when I assumed the sale and expected to win, my sales more than doubled. I simply ‘acted as if’ I already made the sale: shoulders square, a warm, confident smile, firm handshake, steady eye contact, strong, fluid presentation, shaking my head often in an affirmative “yes.”

Expect to win! Assume the sale! Believe you can!

To your success,

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Freelance Writer, Coach, Speaker
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational leadership book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest, USA Today, Toronto Sun)

3. Hero Soul Humor

“I'm forming my own secret society called the Chocollati. Like the Illuminati, it holds a deep, dark secret.” - Sharif Khan, author of “The Hero Soul”

4. Subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine

To subscribe to the Hero Soul eZine, visit: http://www.herosoul.com/ and double click on the “newsletter” button or send a blank email to inspire (the @ symbol) herosoul .com with “subscribe to hero soul” in the subject heading.

Power of Belief: Yes You Can!

2008-02-28T12:43:00.002-05:00

From Sharif Khan's Hero Soul ezine:

1. Quote of the Month
2. Power of Belief: YES YOU CAN!
3. Hero Soul Book Reading and Discussion – March 3

1. Quote of the Month

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.” - Mahatma Gandhi

2. Power of Belief: YES YOU CAN!

The ability to achieve your highest aspirations and taste victory depends on two things: belief and action. And belief is the foundation. Belief shapes our thoughts, which determine our actions that lead to the final outcome. In fact, belief is so powerful that it also influences the thoughts and behavior of people around us.

Dr. Robert Rosenthal of Harvard University conducted an experiment in which an elite group of teachers were told by the principle that they would be specially assigned a group of the brightest students in the school because of their teaching excellence.

The teachers were told not to mention to these gifted students that they were selected for a screened class. The teachers were to use the exact same curriculum they were teaching their other students in the exact same way – and were told that very good results were expected from this high IQ class of students.

At the end of the year, these ‘gifted’ students topped the entire school district in academic achievement. Not much of a shocker, except, there was one minor oversight: the ‘elite’ group of students and teachers were randomly selected from the general school population. [“Pygmalion in the Classroom” by Dr. Rosenthal, as mentioned in Brian Tracy’s Psychology of Achievement – Nightingale Conant program].

This true story conveys the raw power that belief has in forging people’s destinies. What beliefs and expectations do you have of yourself? How about your employees, bosses, peers, and teammates?

Gandhi made a remarkable observation: “…When I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.” If you really reflect on it, you will realize the truth in this transformative, life-changing statement. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”

The challenge is this: how do you strengthen your belief system to keep believing in your dreams?

In your next Hero Soul newsletter edition, I will share with you some of the key strategies I’ve used that can help strengthen your internal belief systems. My lessons learned will be based on some unorthodox training I received in the School of Hard Knox, so you won’t want to miss the next edition. (To subscribe to the FREE Hero Soul ezine on personal growth, visit www.HeroSoul.com and double click on the 'newsletter' tab).

In the meantime, I’d like to encourage you to adopt a “can do” attitude. Turn down the volume of the negative voices inside you telling you you can’t do something, and turn up the volume of your can-do self by making a long list of all the reasons why you CAN-DO what you’ve set out to do.

If you can’t think of even one reason why you can-do-it, then I suggest reading the autobiography of any great personage who has risen to the top of their field from unlikely beginnings.

I’m currently reading the autobiography of Malcolm X who was raised in an oppressive can’t-do culture: can’t sit in front of the bus, can’t go out at night in white areas, can’t vote, can’t dream lofty dreams. The voices of can’t around Malcolm were a loud murderous din to his soul.

Once Malcolm’s high school teacher asked him about his career aspirations and he replied he wanted to be a lawyer. This was his teacher’s reply: “…A lawyer – that’s no realistic goal for a (N word). You need to think of something you can be. You’re good with your hands…Why don’t you plan on carpentry?”

His family was violently threatened by the Ku Klux Klan; his father may have been murdered by the Klan although it was never proven; he was living in abject poverty; his mother was declared legally insane after suffering a nervous breakdown and was hospitalized for 26 years. Stealing, hustling, running numbers, hate – that was the world Malcolm X knew intimately growing up.

Despite all the controversy surrounding Malcolm X, I believe he began striving for peace and unity as he neared the end of his life and once hoped, “One day, may we all meet together in the light of understanding.”

His story is a moving testament to the power of human redemption and transformation, as he rose from darkness, poverty, and despair to become an international hero and champion of his oppressed people at home.

When you read such an autobiography, your challenges will be put in perspective, and you will soon begin to see the reasons why you can.

Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. Believe in the possible. YES YOU CAN!

Love and Light,

Sharif Khan
http://www.HeroSoul.com
Freelance Writer, Coach, Speaker
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest Canada)

3. Hero Soul Book Reading and Discussion – March 3

Join me for an inspirational book reading and discussion on my book, Psychology of the Hero Soul:

Date: Monday, March 3, 2008
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Burlington Public Library - Central Branch: Centennial Hall
Street: 2331 New St.
City/Town: Burlington, ON
Phone: 905-639-3611 ext. 133

Psychology of the Hero Soul is an inspirational leadership book on awakening the hero within. The book is based on the author's over ten year's research in human development and has been mentioned in Reader's Digest Canada, USA Today, and the Toronto Sun.

The event is FREE to attend but seating is limited. Call 905-639-3611 ext 133 to register.

Link: http://www.bpl.on.ca/whatsnew/whatsnew.htm (Meet the Author series).

Note: A limited number of signed copies of The Hero Soul will be made available for purchase at the event. ($20 per copy).

Directions: From Toronto take the QEW west, turn south on Guelph Line (towards the lake), make a right on New St.

Psychology of the Hero Soul (Sample Chapter)

2008-01-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

Break on Through to the Other Side

“There is the known, and there is the unknown, and in between is the doors.”
– Jim Morrison

“Break on through to the other side...Where the day destroys the night and night divides the day...Break on through to the other side.” These were the famous haunting words sung by the American poet, rock artist, Jim Morrison of The Doors. With these words, he electrified an entire generation. And with these words, he began his own destruction. Morrison was talking about the great hero quest that he longed to take: to break on through to the other side, the dark side, the spiritual side, the unknown, and beyond. To penetrate the deepest darkness of his soul, enter on to the other side of pure light, and return with a vision to heal himself and his people. But Jim Morrison never returned from the dark side.

Jim was not prepared to enter into the dark side. He did not understand the psychology of the hero soul, and did not have the capacity to deal with the horror of his inner demons. Instead of slaying the dragon, his ego, he fed his ego with more fire and hatred. He set out to kiss the serpent, to ride the snake to the end of time and beginning of eternity, but he was swallowed by it. He was consumed by his own darkness.

The same thing happened with Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. They got stuck in the dark side. By using artificial means, massive quantities of drugs and alcohol, they were able to shut the spinning wheels of their mind and receive a small glimpse of the other side. In their drug-induced trances, they caught the occasional beams of light on ‘the other side’ that penetrated their darkness with visions of poetic expression.

But they did so at a great cost to themselves and people around them. These visions may have electrified their generation, but they did not heal. They simply entertained people, and at best, during their peak, may have satisfied a small yearning inside. But their music did not elevate people to a higher level of understanding like Mozart, Beethoven, or John Lennon.

Joseph Campbell, in his book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, beautifully illustrates the path of the hero: “the birth, life, and death of the individual may be regarded as a descent into unconsciousness and return. The hero is the one who, while still alive, knows and represents the claims of the super consciousness which throughout creation is...unconscious. The adventure of the hero represents the moment when, while still alive, he found and opened the road to the light beyond the dark walls of our living death.”

The penultimate hero is able to enter into the unconscious realm and beyond, still awake, and bring back the boons that elevate entire civilizations and create the titan works that give birth to cultural enlightenment. He or she has the strength, will, courage, and inner capacity to defeat the dark demons of the other side.

Heroes also survive the cruel impact of the world. They learn to effectively deal with the initial, furious scorn and ridicule from people that don’t understand them upon their return. They learn to shatter the ego, and return transformed, offering people the life elixir to renew and transform themselves as well. They cause the illumination of the collective soul and liberation of the mind. The highest purpose of the hero is to provide a vision that heals our tribe called humanity.

Can we all aspire to become like this in our lifetime? This is a question that I cannot answer, because I have no authority to decide what is possible and what is not. The important thing to remember is that this work is a composite of the universal hero in a state of perfection. We only need to access a small fraction of this power to experience a new life with new power and new blood." [Excerpted from "Psychology of the Hero Soul," by Sharif Khan, Chapter 1.]

Psychology of the Hero Soul is an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and rekindling people 's passion for greatness. It is based on author, Sharif Khan's ten years research in the field of human development. The Hero Soul is availble to order in most major bookstores including Borders, Barnes and Noble, Chapters, Indigo, and Coles bookstores. To order online visit: http://www.herosoul.com

Psychology of the Hero Soul, by Sharif Khan, ISBN 0973192208, Diamond Mind Books, 160 pages, $14.95 US, trade-paperback, Self-help/Inspirational, distributed by Ingram, Baker & Taylor, and University of Toronto Press.

For more information on special quantity discounts call (416) 417-1259 or email: inspire@herosoul.com

About the Author

Sharif Khan is a freelance writer, speaker, and author of the inspirational leadership bestseller, "Psychology of the Hero Soul" (http://www.HeroSoul.com). He is currently working on his first novel.

Dreamwork

2008-01-06T11:33:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from Hero Soul ezine on Dreamwork:

“I've dreamt in my life dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they’ve gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind."
- Emily Bronte, English novelist and poet

Dear Friends and Subscribers,

A celestially delightful new year to you all! What better way to start the year then to explore the tremendous power of dreams to transform our lives by improving relationships, solving problems, diagnosing illnesses, inspiring creativity, fresh ideas and new inventions, and teaching leadership and right conduct.

On February 3, 2005, I had what world renowned psychologist Dr. Carl Jung called a ‘BIG DREAM’. It was a powerfully vivid life-defining dream which crystallized my purpose and calling in life. It’s a sacred dream which I still refer to often and which has led me on a Dream Quest to explore and understand the magic of dreams.

One of the highlights of 2007 for me was taking an intensive sixteen-hour Dreamwork Workshop at the home of Dr. Marina Quattrocchi who completed her doctoral thesis on dreams based on her over seven year’s of dreamwork practice with high-school students.

I’d like to share with you some key learning points on dreamwork that I took away from this course as well as some fresh insights I’ve picked-up along the way based on my own independent dream research:

We spend up to 7 years of our lives dreaming

We all average about five to seven dreams a night (even if we don’t remember them) and will spend approximately five to seven full years of our lifetime dreaming.

Dreams are the language of the soul

Dreams are the language of the soul. They are spirit informing mind with the purpose of bringing wholeness and healing in our lives. Dreams serve two main functions: 1). To help us work through our issues or karma, and 2). To help us fulfill our destiny, purpose, or dharma. Most dreams will fall under these two broad pillars.

Everyone can understand their dreams

We all have the potential to self-interpret or at least understand our dreams to help enrich our lives.

Dreams come in many shapes and sizes

Precognitive or predictive dreams help us prepare for a future event that comes to pass. Clairvoyant or clear seeing dreams can often help us better perceive what’s happening in the present. And retro-cognitive dreams can help uncover something hidden in the past. Past, present, and future are one fluid continuum that dreams draw from.

There are visitation dreams where angels, mentors, and loved ones visit us to provide guidance. Lucid dreams occur when we become aware that we are dreaming – allowing us some conscious influence on the outcome of the dream. Telepathic dreams involve mind-to-mind communication with other people.

We often will dream experiential testing dreams (especially during a transition) where our soul is trying out different scenarios to help us make better choices or help prepare us for an arduous undertaking.

For example, a high school student transitioning over to college might have recurring dreams about participating in various on campus activities to better prepare him for the actual event. Or a recently laid off person who’s thinking of jumping into a business full-time might have a dream where she’s running her business but is wearing disheveled clothing, feeling exhausted, and swimming in a sea of paperwork. This dream could be warning the dreamer to transition over part-time or choose another business deal.

Dreams can have many layers of meaning

More complex dreams with several scenes will often involve multiple layers of meaning. Some dreams will require a long period of incubation involving several months or years because they are working on complex problems.

Some of these complex dreams might not make any sense at the moment of interpretation but will make sense after an appropriate gestation period has elapsed. It is well worth the effort to journal your dreams in as much detail as you can and make a conscious effort to explore all aspects and meanings of your dreams. Some dreams, like a good book, will bring new flashes of insight and meaning with each reading.

Dream Recall Tips

* Start with the belief that you can and will remember your dreams.

* Place a pad, pencil and pen by your bedside. (Pencil tips can break while pens can run out of ink).

* Try a light pen so you can write your dreams in the dark without having to switch on a lamp.

* You may wish to have a tape-recorder to speak your dream upon waking.

* Reading a good book on dreams 20 minutes before going to bed can help stimulate dream recall.

* Repeat a dream recall affirmation often such as: “I am easily remembering and recording my dreams.”

* Write down your dream as soon as you awake. 80% of a dream can be lost in as little as 10 minutes.

* Visualize yourself immediately writing down your dream on waking.

* Be as still as possible. Shifting positions in bed is known to reduce dream recall.

* Tell a partner or trusted friend in advance that you will share your dream with them tomorrow.

* Meditating and praying for guidance will put you in the alpha dream state and help increase recall.

* Get a good night’s sleep. Dreams get progressively longer peaking in the 6th, 7th, and 8th hours of sleep.

* You will establish the habit of remembering your dreams by journaling them for the next 30 days.

Dream Interpretation Tips

* Start with a sincere intent to learn from your dreams to better yourself and live purposefully.

* What emotional feeling are you left with? Feelings are more accurate and truthful than words in dreams.

* You are made up of 80% water. The state of water in your dreams often reflects your emotional state.

* Write a simple story line. Summarize your dream in one sentence and express the main theme.

* Ask: “Why did my soul have this experience? What do I need to understand? What issues need working?”

* Be aware of the events occurring in your life at the time of your dream; especially the day before.

* Remember that dream symbols often have dual opposite meanings. Good dream dictionaries will have both.

* There are three main types of symbols: archetypal symbols, cultural symbols, and personal symbols.

* Review all your dreams at least once a year. You will notice common themes and motifs to help guide you.

* Act on your dreams: call or visit someone, pick up a book, watch a movie, wear clothing from your dreams.

* Dream application leads to dream interpretation. By applying your dreams the full meaning reveals itself.

In my book, Psychology of the Hero Soul (http://www.herosoul.com/), I mention 7 keys to accessing the unknown for enriching and positively transforming one’s life. Dreamwork is one of those keys. If this topic fascinates you, then I highly recommend Dr. Marina Quattrocchi's Dreamwork course. For information about her workshops and dream therapy sessions, call 416-246-0123 or send an email to marina.quattro@sympatico.ca mentioning my name (Sharif Khan) as the referral source.

I’m not getting anything for recommending Dr. Quattrocchi’s course, but I’m hoping referring people to her will generate enough goodwill to be invited back to participate in one of her advanced workshops!

More importantly, I sincerely believe Dr. Quattrochi is doing an excellent job of helping people harness their dreams. In this sleep-deprived, dream-deprived world, helping people to honor their dreams will bring healing and wholeness to the planet.

In her book, Dreamwork Uncovered, Dr. Quattrochi mentions the fascinating culture of the ancient Senoi tribe who lived in the mystic mountains of Malaysia. This mysterious tribe was so advanced that at one period of their existence “there had been no accounts of violent crime for over two hundred years!”

Interestingly, dreams played a central role in their culture and every morning family members would share their dreams with each other and consult the village council.

We now live in a world where the village Shaman that brought healing and hope to people is all but killed off. Under the veil of science and technological progress, the world weeps silently. It is time to bring back the lost art of dreaming...

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Freelance Writer, Consultant, Speaker
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within
(As mentioned in Reader's Digest Canada)

The dreams of the whispering wind
enter my heart
and permeate my soul
to tell of a tale untold
yet fully known and once traversed
bringing me back to the place I cry for
in all my wandering days on earth.

- Sharif Khan, Author of The Hero Soul

To subscribe to the Hero Soul eZine, visit: http://www.herosoul.com/ and click on the “newsletter” button or send a blank email to inspire@herosoul.com with “subscribe to hero soul” in the subject heading.

FREE Breakfast Seminar with StreetSmart Marketer

2008-01-03T19:19:00.000-05:00

I’d like to personally invite you to a complimentary breakfast networking seminar with Michael Hepworth, author of “The StreetSmart Marketer.”

In this private seminar (see details below), you will learn how some business owners have increased their business by as much as 300% using a simple, proven, and low risk marketing system.

I believe it will be an important activity for anyone who is serious about growing their business.

However, this is an Invitation Only event for business owners, entrepreneurs, sales executives, independent professionals, and consultants.

It is only available by reservation and seating will be limited. Click on the following link to reserve your spot immediately:
Complimentary Breakfast Networking Seminar with StreetSmart Marketer

Cracking the Success Code: The DNA of Rapid Growth in Business

Date: February 14, 2008

Time: Breakfast, Registration, and Networking 8:00am to 8:30am

Session: 8:30am to 12:00pm (noon)

Location: Toronto, Ontario (details provided on registration page)

Cost: No cost. You must pre-register for this event. No registrations will be taken at the door.

Early Registration Bonus: The first 10 people to register will receive a free copy of Michael’s new CD set, “The StreetSmart Business Owner's Guide to Working Less and Making More” at the session. A value of $39.99. Sign-up now to immediately reserve your spot:
Complimentary Breakfast Networking Seminar with StreetSmart Marketer

Description: “In this special live session titled ‘Cracking the Success Code,’ Michael Hepworth will reveal to you some of the proven methods he has personally used to build several multi-million dollar businesses during his career.

The following is a partial list of success secrets that will be discussed:

* The 7 common barriers to growth and how to overcome them
* What you need to do to avoid getting caught in a price war
* How to make your customers notice you and not your competition
* What is ‘marketing clutter’ and how it will kill your business
* Techniques for dealing with prospects who are more skeptical and less trusting
* How to get customers to buy more each time they buy
* Methods for getting customers to buy more frequently
* How to find the time you need to grow the business and have time for your personal life

Note: The ideas in this session aren’t from some textbook. Nor are they just wild ideas that have never been tried before. These are proven, money-making examples that can work in any business.”

RSVP today by visiting: http://tinyurl.com/ysk2la

Do not hesitate to call or email me should you experience any problems with pre-registering.

To your success,

Sharif Khan
Business Writer, Consultant, Communications Specialist
Author of Leadership Bestseller, “Psychology of the Hero Soul”
Tel: 416-417-1259; Web: http://www.herosoul.com/

Reader's Digest mentions Hero Soul

2008-01-02T11:57:00.000-05:00

I’m excited to share that Reader’s Digest Canada has mentioned my book, Psychology of the Hero Soul, in a feature article revealing latest scientific discoveries on “What Makes a Hero”! (2008 Edition).

Reader’s Digest is Canada’s most widely read magazine with over 8 million readers. It’s a great feeling to see the psychology of a hero brought to a mainstream audience.

I’m definitely noticing a major trend in popular culture towards living more socially conscious lives and honoring heroes who make a difference. NBC’s hit TV series Heroes, CNN’s recent Heroes tribute aired globally, and Reader’s Digest Canada’s “Heroes of the Year” feature, are good cases in point.

A Happy & Heroic New Year's to you all!

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com
Freelance Writer, Consultant, Speaker
Author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul"

Business Writing Tips for Professionals

2007-11-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

Business Writing Tips for Professionals
by Sharif Khan

Learn the art of effective business writing to help increase sales, improve business communications, win business proposals, generate new business leads, and develop better business letter writing and report writing skills.

Effective business writing skills can help you win that million dollar contract, earn a promotion, resolve a dispute, or generate a significant increase in new business leads. Poor business writing, on the other hand, can never be undone; it can cause you to lose business to your competition and even cost you your job. Here are 11 easy ways you can improve your business writing skills:

1. Before you write a word of copy, make sure you know who your target audience is and what specific result you’d like to achieve. If it’s an important business communication, take five minutes to visualize yourself in the shoes of the recipient and imagine what this person’s world is like.

What does their typical day look like? What are their unique needs, goals, and challenges? What problem is keeping them up at night? The more thought and research you invest in understanding your target audience and how you can help them, the more powerful and effective your business writing communications will become.

2. Avoid using your company acronyms and buzzwords. While they might seem cute and clever to you, it’s very annoying to a busy executive who has a pile of documents and proposals to read. Avoid using academic language like ‘ergo,’ ‘henceforth,’ or ‘so to speak,’ and as a general rule of thumb avoid use of technical jargon. Simplify big words: write use instead of utilize, send out instead of disseminate, fair instead of equitable, etc.

3. Use a strong, active voice instead of the impersonal, passive voice. “The meeting agenda could be discussed further” is passive. “Let’s discuss the meeting agenda” is active. Express confidence and decisiveness in your business communications. Instead of writing, “I intend to write a report on sales performance measures,” which comes across as weak and indecisive, write: “I’m currently writing a report on sales performance measures for completion on or before end of the second quarter.”

4. Write in a conversational tone instead of alienating your readers by being too formal and bureaucratic – unless you’re writing to a bureaucrat or someone who prefers formality. Know your audience!

Even if you are writing a marketing communications piece that will be read by several thousand potential readers, make your writing as inviting and personal as possible. You can accomplish this feat by writing to one specific person who you can visualize as an ideal customer. Pretend you are sitting down with this person in a bar and having a casual conversation. Write your piece with this one person in mind and you will positively engage thousands of readers who will feel that you are writing directly to them!

5. Replace hyperbole with solid facts and reputable testimonials. Phrases like, “We’re #1,” “We’re the leader in our field,” or “We provide the best service,” aren’t going to get you anywhere. Instead, use a fact such as stating that the President of a leading association ranked your company with the highest quality score out of 500 certified companies.

6. Convert product features into benefits. Mentioning that you provide automated billing or an automatic domain name renewal service does not engage your customer emotionally. Here’s an example of benefit oriented copy: “Our automatic domain name renewal service will provide you with the added security and comfort of knowing that your domain names will never be hijacked by your competitors while freeing up your administrative time to focus on growing your business.”

7. Don’t rely on editing all your important business documents from your computer desktop. Print out your document and read it out loud. If you encounter any awkwardness in speech it means you need to re-write your piece to make it more conversational and flow better.

By reading your document out loud, you will also be able to spot typos and errors that your computer spelling and grammar check program might not have detected. As an example, you might have written ‘echo friendly’ when you really meant ‘eco friendly.’

8. In writing a business letter or business proposal, it is vitally important to write from your customer’s perspective and what will interest them. Start off by writing about how great your customer’s company is and what specific attributes you like about the company instead of bragging about how great your company is. Too much use of “I,” “me,” or “our company” is a sure sign of ego getting in the way of business. Make sure to generously use “You” and “Your” in your business copy if you want to make more sales.

9. Business writing is very different from writing poetry or literature. Don’t meander or get carried away with flowery language. Write the most important point you want to make in the first sentence. If you are writing a sales letter, you can significantly increase sales by simply including a powerful P.S. at the end of the letter that summarizes the main point in a fresh way, creates a sense of urgency, or adds further credibility. Here’s a powerful example: “P.S. I’ve been invited to speak at your association’s annual conference this coming Friday and hope to see you there.”

10. Be clear, concise, and to the point. Don’t assume readers will know what to do. Guide them by including a specific call to action: “click on the link to get your special report” or “call me to set up a no-cost 15 minute consultation.”

11. Use word pictures to get your point across. Can you imagine the thrill and excitement of driving a rocket-fast, cobalt blue Porsche 911 Turbo as it whisks you to your desired destination? A well-written article or report can be like that Porsche and generate a ton of new business in half the time with more fun! After all, what’s more exciting, cold-calling prospects or having them call you? (If writing is a challenge, consider hiring a professional).

Sharif Khan is a business writer, copywriter, book consultant, and author of the leadership bestseller, Psychology of the Hero Soul (www.HeroSoul.com). If you need help with an important writing project or ongoing assignment and would like a no-cost, no-obligation quote, call 416-417-1259 or send an email to: sharif@herosoul.com. “Sharif knows how to write clear and concise copy for business. He is quick, to the point, and a pleasure to work with,” writes Carl Nanni, former VP, Kraft Canada
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Keywords: copywriter, ghostwriter, freelance writer, effective business writing, tips, corporate, communications, marketing, proposal writer, sales, business development, report writing, author, management, leadership, web content writing.

Near Life Experience

2007-10-29T06:58:00.000-04:00

Inside Your http://www.herosoul.com/ eZine Issue:

1. Quote of the Month
2. Near Life Experience
3. Recommended Reading
4. Special Introductions
5. Need a Quality Writer?

1. Quote of the Month

“Every difficulty in life presents us with an opportunity to turn inward and to invoke our own submerged inner resources. The trials we endure can and should introduce us to our strengths.”
— Epictetus, Greek Stoic philosopher (55 AD – 135 AD)

2. Near Life Experience

World renowned peak performance trainer, Jack Canfield, was once asked in an interview which book most influenced his life. He replied that Dr. Raymond Moody’s book, Life After Life, made a tremendous impact in his life as an author and coach.

Canfield went on to recount how Dr. Moody studied several hundred people who had near-death experiences in which they were clinically ‘dead’ for several minutes. Dr. Moody found they all experienced a similar phenomenon of this lifting out-of-body sensation traveling through a dark tunnel, and at the end of the tunnel, encountering a spiritual being of light that loved them unconditionally.

The part of the book that really struck Canfield (reading this sent shivers through my spine!) was when he recalled that, according to Dr. Moody’s research, these people were asked just two questions by this loving being of light: “How have you expanded your capacity to love?” and “What wisdom have you gained from your experience?” [Taken from Barnes and Nobel’s (http://www.bn.com/) “Meet the Writer” section for Jack Canfield].

Dr. Moody’s book title leaves us with a clue that perhaps these so called near-death events should actually be called ‘near-life’ experiences because the people undergoing this phenomenon are brought closer to the real meaning of life and the experience of being truly alive. After stripping away all the non-essentials, isn’t that what life is really all about? Love and wisdom.

But when life hands us a particularly difficult challenge, instead of making out of it a hearty stew of love and wisdom, we often become like dead people walking – draining our life force by angrily fighting the challenge, or by complaining about it, or denying it, or numbing ourselves from the pain by popping pills, drinking, or indulging in other distractions.

Every challenge, every difficulty, every misfortune - whether it’s dealing with a difficult boss, an unexpected layoff, a hostile relative, a bankruptcy, an illness, a divorce, or a bitter foe - all these events are special gifts from the universe to help us grow as spiritual beings who are truly alive to the human experience. Embrace these challenges as rare opportunities to help you expand your capacity to love and gain ever increasing wisdom.

Small goals and small problems don’t really help us grow all that much. Welcome the big ones! You have to tear muscle to build it by lifting a sufficient amount of weight. Welcome the big challenges as character-building exercises to help you grow beyond your perceived limits.

The Hero’s Journey is all about courageously facing these life-challenges and assimilating them into ever expanding spheres of love and wisdom to re-connect and tune with the higher Self. Delve deep within and you will find yourself bathed in this all-enveloping, all-forgiving, all-accepting field of love. As The Journey author, Brandon Bays, likes to say, “You are the love that you have been seeking.”

Love and Wisdom,

Sharif Khan
Freelance Writer, Copywriter, Speaker
Author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”
An inspirational leadership book on awakening the hero within
Web: http://www.herosoul.com/; Tel: 416-417-1259
Email: sharif@herosoul.com

Be a hero and share this post with a friend or associate who can really benefit from this inspiring message!

3. Recommended Reading

1. Life After Life by Dr. Raymond Moody.

2. If you are on a healing journey, you may enjoy reading The Journey by Brandon Bays.

3. Herman Hesse’s classic novel Demian is an extraordinary read about a young protagonist’s journey of overcoming overwhelming darkness and difficulty and ‘eventual awakening to selfhood.’

4. If you enjoyed my Law of Success series on Napoleon Hill’s achievement philosophy based on studying over 500 of the world’s greatest achievers, you may not be aware that there is now a completely restored and revised edition of Hill’s classic bestseller, Think and Grow Rich. This is a must read how-to book on achieving personal success. It’s fully restored to its original manuscript content and annotated with more than 50 pages of end notes including an index and an appendix with a wealth of additional information on Hill’s life and his exhaustive work in developing the world’s first personal success philosophy.

5. For women in career transition, I recommend Heather Resnick’s book, Women Reworked. In Women Reworked, Heather has done a commendable job in offering both practical advice, resources, tips, and tools for career women in transition as well as providing uplifting, heart-warming stories of women who have beat the odds to pursue their dream careers.

P.S. If you enjoyed this edition of my Hero Soul ezine but have not yet had a chance to get my book, Psychology of the Hero Soul, then I think you might really enjoy the read because it takes you through the experience of the hero’s journey and helps provide you with guidance and courage in overcoming obstacles while inspiring you to dream BIG and reach for the stars!

Here’s what Bob Proctor, star of The Secret movie, has to say about Psychology of the Hero Soul:

"Everyone has a HERO locked up in the deep recesses of their mind…when you discover it, your self-image will skyrocket you to previously unimagined rewards. As your eyes travel from one page to the next, you will suddenly become aware of the masterful job Sharif has done in guiding you to this special place. I love it, so will you."

4. Special Introductions

I’d like to introduce you to two amazing healers: Rita Bonnici (http://www.reikihealingwithheart.com/), who is a Reiki Master, and Sue London (http://www.rockysjourney.com/), who is a Reiki Practitioner and Intuitive Spiritual Life Coach trained in the EFT Emotional Freedom Technique. Both are committed to bringing unconditional love in the powerful healing process.

I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Nimisha Raja (http://www.evolvingappetites.com/), a rising star in the vegetarian health field who is committed to “helping people adopt a healthier, ecological, compassionate lifestyle.”

Nimisha is a client of mine and I have been successfully coaching her to develop her latest book project which will address the significant environmental impact of our food choices and show busy people how to easily adopt healthier eating habits.

Here’s what Nimisha has to say about my book coaching service:

“Sharif Khan is a professional in his own right. I solicited his book coaching services for my fledgling book project, hoping to just get some general advice and a starting point. Sharif rose above my expectations with his encouragement, gentle support and solid knowledge of the book publishing industry. He guided me through the preliminary research I needed to do, and gave me specifics on how to write a book proposal and query letter. He also provided valuable marketing direction for the book as well as my workshop business. I now feel confident enough to move forward with this project after just four sessions with Sharif.”

If any of these people resonate with your mission in life or if you feel they can be of any help to you, I encourage you to contact them and say hello.

To a healthier, happier planet!

5. Need a Quality Writer?

Is your organization looking for an experienced, top-notch writer to help with an important writing project?

Whether it’s a one-time project or an ongoing writing assignment, I might be able to help. I’ve been writing for the business and professional development markets for over six years now and can help with a wide variety of projects including writing articles, advice columns, newsletters, blogs, website copy, books/ebooks, special reports, and marketing communications collateral.

You can check out some of my writing samples by visiting: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sharif_Khan

For some people writing is simply not their strength and they cringe at the idea of having to write. For me it’s fun! In fact, my purpose is to write. So don’t be shy, - if you or someone you know is looking for a professional writer, I can be contacted by phone (416) 417-1259 or email: sharif [insert at symbol ] herosoul.com

P.S. I will pay a referral fee of $50 to anyone who refers me a writing project I take on.

Yours truly,

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Freelance Writer, Copywriter, Book Coach
Author of Leadership Bestseller, “Psychology of the Hero Soul”
Tel: 416-417-1259; Email: sharif@herosoul.com
Mail: 35 Douville Court, Toronto, Ontario M5A 4E7

Keywords: business writer, copywriter, corporate b2b writer, freelance writer, copywriting, content development, ghostwriter, articles, advice columns, books

Ratatouille: Motivational Wisdom from a Chef Rat?

2007-08-31T12:38:00.000-04:00

Bonjour Mon Amies,

This is your friendly neighbor Sharif writing to you from Paris about a motivational Master Chef rat. Yup, it’s true. A motivational talking rat who happens to cook. What’s the world coming to! The Simpsons, Harry Potter, and Transformers are taking the summer movie box-office by storm followed closely by Remy the Rat – and they’re all wearing bad hairspray.

Of course, I’m not really in Paris; I was at the Scotia Bank Theatre in Toronto where I just finished watching Disney’s feature-length animation film, Ratatouille. It’s a fun and riotously funny family movie and I highly recommend it! The movie takes place in Paris and is about a rat named Remy who dreams of becoming a gourmet chef one day.

Only problem is he’s a rat! Go figure. Remy has a highly developed sense of smell and a keen appreciation for food. He yearns for a better life and desires to raise himself out of a meager existence of living in sewers and scrambling for crumbs and rotten cheese.

Ahh, but it’s not to be, mon ami. You see, he eees after all a rat! And responsible rats have to look after themselves. So Remy’s Dad puts his talent to use by making him the Chief Sniffer. Remy’s sole job is to sniff all the rotten food and human leftovers day in and day out to make sure there’s no rat poison in the food for his Dad’s rat colony.

Yuk! Talk about one stinking job! I’m treading on dangerous ground here, but can’t we all relate to this story on some level? I mean, sometimes we just fall into doing work that’s less than desirous and not even close to what we’re really, really passionate about in our hearts.

Sometimes we just settle for far less than the best we deserve in order to ‘make a living’ or meet other people’s expectations of us. Pretty soon we fall into a rut – a routine – and get cozy. Welcome to the Rat Race! The never-ending treadmill of constant busyness. A dream stealer disguised as a golden ladder to nowhere.

Ratatouille is a story about one rat’s dilemma to either play it safe by sticking to his normal rat routine and winning the approval of his friends and family or enter the forbidden human world and risk everything in pursuit of his dream to become a gourmet chef in the most prestigious restaurant in Paris.

We can all learn from Remy’s adventures and wisdom. I certainly did, and I’d like to share with you some insights I took away from the movie:

> LOOK UP!

After being chased away by a gun-totting human and being tossed and turned in a raging river, Remy gets separated from his friends and family and ends up shivering, stranded and feeling utterly lost in a dark, cold gutter. This is what mythologist Joseph Campbell would call ‘the approach to the inner most cave.’

Remy spends days in this gloomy dungeon paralyzed by fear and never venturing out. In this moment of darkness and delirium, a mentor figure appears in his imagination – the late Auguste Gusteau, France’s culinary genius.

Gusteau gently encourages Remy to look up and venture out! And so, with some trepidation, Remy climbs up the drainage pipes and enters a brave new world. He is shocked to see the magnificent city of Paris unfold before him with its shimmering lights and the Eiffel Tower beckoning him forward.

All these years Remy has been scrounging around underground with his fellow rats while getting occasional peaks of his hero Chef Gusteau work his culinary magic on TV in glamorous Paris. Now, hungry and tired and being stranded for days in some dingy gutter, he realizes that he’s in the very heart of Paris – at the doorstep of Gusteau’s famous restaurant!

So what’s the application here?? I mean, it’s not like we’re living in some kind of rat hole! (Sorry Remy). Well, first of all, it’s important to realize that with each seed of failure and loss there’s an equivalent seed of new hope and opportunity. And second, when we get into a rat of a rut, it’s important to look up and venture out.

How do we do that as humans? One of the fastest and most memorable ways to ‘look up’ and develop a higher perspective is to once in a while upgrade some of our routine experiences: flying first class instead of economy, staying in a five star luxury hotel, joining a pricier, more exclusive business or fitness club, or attending a prestigious auction or art gallery.

Upgrading some of our experiences serves the multiple purpose of sending a message to our subconscious that we value ourselves while opening up higher learning and networking opportunities and developing friendships with people that can help us grow.

Of course, you don’t always have to shell out big money to accomplish this. You can offer to volunteer and help out at these types of establishments or events; you can join an online newsgroup at one of the higher brow establishments such as Washington Post, New York Times, or Harvard Business Review and participate or eavesdrop on some of the conversations; you can read a biography; or – if you can muster up the courage – you can ask to meet with someone you admire to learn how they became successful.

I used this last strategy once when I was working at a bookstore quite a few years back. Harry Rosen, world renowned men’s clothier, once walked into the store looking for a Kiri Te Kanawa opera video. Of course, as Murphy’s Law would predict, we didn’t have the video and he left the store promptly.

I then wrote a letter to him saying I tried various suppliers but could not find the video but really admired his success and was wondering if he could give me a tour of his head office and share with me how he became successful in his field.

A couple weeks later I got a reply letter back from his secretary to call and arrange for a time to meet with Mr. Rosen. I ended up meeting him at his penthouse office and getting a brief tour. He showed me his architectural design concept for a new store he was opening up in Chicago and we spent close to an hour chatting. (Actually, he was doing most of the chatting while I was listening and taking notes).

I later learned that there were a number of very important people wanting desperately to meet with him and that they’d be lucky if they even got fifteen minutes with Mr. Rosen.

One thing I never did get a chance to do is watch that Kiri Te Kanawa video…

> BE REAL - BE YOURSELF

When Anton Ego, France’s most notorious food critic who can make or break a restaurant with a single review, makes his appearance at Gusteau’s, Remy’s culinary talents are finally put to the test.

But instead of preparing a fancy delicacy worthy of Gusteau’s esteemed patrons, Remy chooses to make a homily Ratatouille (a vegetable stew made of eggplant, tomatoes, green peppers, and squash). It’s a common folk meal fit “for peasants” the assistant cook declares.

Remy ignores this slight and goes with his heart. It’s genuinely him and what he knows. He prepares an exquisitely rapturous, mouth-watering Ratatouille dish that just blows away the critic. As Ego takes his first bite, his cold exterior immediately melts in delight as he is brought back to sweet memories of his Mom’s home-cooking.

This was an emotional scene for me as well. In my case, it brought back sweet memories of my father’s home-cooking. My father passed away in a car accident eighteen years ago, and yet, I can still fondly remember savoring his Ratatouille. It was one of my father’s favorites and he used to brag all the time about knowing how to make this French specialty. My brothers and I used to laugh as kids at the funny sounding name and how my father would roll the word off his tongue with such relish.

Bottom line: be yourself and ignore the critics.

> TALENT CAN COME FROM ANYWHERE

When Linguini (I don’t come up with these names), the supposed up-and-coming star boy chef at Gusteau’s, reveals that the real inspiration behind his cooking is Remy the Rat, the entire staff thinks he’s lost his mind and promptly leave the establishment.

Lesson: the best talent and ideas can come from anywhere and sometimes do come from the most unexpected places. Don’t pre-judge people. Just because someone’s a rat doesn’t mean they can’t cook!

Likewise, don’t be easily impressed by degrees, pedigrees, fancy titles, wealth, or so called experts. You have to carefully evaluate whether their talent or ideas will help move YOUR career or business forward. Sometimes that means seeking a second or third opinion.

> CHECK YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR

When famed critic, Anton Ego, asks to personally speak with the head chef of Gusteau’s, he is told to wait.

Check your ego at the door and tell it to wait. Don’t let success get to your head. And give credit where credit is due.

When Linguini steals all the limelight and attributes Gusteau’s new found success all to himself and his love interest, it breeds sour resentment in Remy who eventually leaves Linguini to his own devices.

You decide what’s more important to you: your ego or your career. An effective leader always shares the limelight and generously gives credit, while a poor leader hogs up all the accolades creating resentment and unwanted enemies.

If you want to fast-track your success, go out of your way to catch people doing something right and give them the credit they crave so desperately and rightfully deserve!

> ASK FOR A NEW PERSPECTIVE

When Anton Ego makes his grand appearance at Gusteau’s to put the final nail in the coffin, he literally asks for a new perspective. “Surprise me!” he demands asking for something new off-the-menu.

We don’t always have to go with the canned selection that’s offered us – whether it’s provided in a menu, business proposal, job offer, meeting agenda, or course curriculum. We can ask for a new perspective.

I suspect Ego was a management guru in his past life as this is great advice for managers as well. The next time you hold a meeting, ask for a new perspective. Or ask in advance of the meeting that each person come prepared to attend the meeting with at least one new idea or new way of doing things.

Ask them to surprise you. The results may indeed surprise you – and hopefully for the better! (For added emphasis or just for fun and humor, take your team out to see Ratatouille or play clips from the movie at your meeting once it comes out in DVD).

Speaking of management gurus, I’m thinking of co-authoring a follow-up to Dr. Spencer Johnson’s “Who Moved My Cheese.” I think I’ll call it: “Who Made My Ratatouille: Motivational Wisdom from Remy the Rat.” :)

To your success,

Sharif Khan
Freelance Writer, Copywriter, Speaker
Author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”
An inspirational leadership book on awakening the hero within
Web: http://www.herosoul.com/; Tel: 416-417-1259

P.S. Looking for a writer to help with an important writing project? Add a comment or send me an email with a new perspective on ways I might be able to help. Surprise me!

Lessons From The World's First Trillionaire

2007-07-11T10:26:00.000-04:00

Excerpted from Sharif Khan's free monthly Hero Soul ezine:

1. The World’s First Trillionaire:
Lessons From the Richest Man Who Ever Lived

2. Breakfast of Failures: Inspirational Article
3. FREE Breakfast with StreetSmart Marketer in Toronto (July 25)
4. Billionaire Mentoring in New York and Chicago
5. Need a Writer?
6. Subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine
7. Reprint Rights

1. The World’s First Trillionaire: Lessons from the Richest Man Who Ever Lived

While experts predict Bill Gates will become the world’s first trillionaire, there may have been one who came before:

“Solomon not only gained a worldwide reputation as the wisest man in history, his wealth was legendary as well,” writes Steven K. Scott. “His gold reserves alone would be worth nearly a trillion dollars in today’s dollars. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon reveals his strategies for achieving success, wealth, and personal happiness.”

I just finished listening to Steven K. Scott’s audio series, Lessons From the Richest Man Who Ever Lived, and I found he did such an AWESOME job of deciphering the deep wisdom of King Solomon’s secrets that I’m personally recommending it as a great resource to have in one’s learning treasure chest.

Who is Steven Scott? Even though Steve flunked out of nine jobs in his first six years after college (with an income less than half the national average and a boss who told him he’d never succeed), he persevered and went on to co-found the American Telecast Corporation, generating over 2 billion dollars in sales and becoming one of the most successful marketing entrepreneurs in the history of direct response television marketing.

“Steve later discovered that the same strategies that made him millions in business were equally powerful when applied to marriage and parenting relationships.”

Here’s what my favorite boyhood martial arts movie-star hero had to say about Steve’s breakthrough audio series:

“PHENOMENAL! Steve Scott has ‘cracked’ the Solomon Code. He takes the inspired Wisdom of Solomon and transforms it into simple, yet powerful steps we can take to solve any problem and achieve true fulfillment and extraordinary success, at home and at work.”
- Chuck Norris, Movie and Television Star

Actually, Bruce Lee is my all-time favorite with Jet Li coming in second. But Chuck Norris still kicks butt!

To get your copy of Steven Scott’s life-changing audio series, click on the following link:
Lessons From the Richest Man Who Ever Lived

2. Breakfast of Failures

“If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.”
--Thomas Watson, Sr. Founder of IBM

Before the Breakfast of Champions – there was the Breakfast of Failures:

• C.S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) had over 800 rejections before he sold even one piece of writing.

• Oprah Winfrey was not deterred when she got fired from her television reporter’s job being told, “You’re not fit for TV.”

• Og Mandino (The Greatest Salesman in the World) had lost his family to drink and became a homeless person before becoming an inspirational bestselling author selling over 30 million books.

• Marie Curie, recipient of two Nobel Prizes once said, “I tried out various experiments…and the results were sometimes unexpected. At times I would be encouraged by a little unhoped-for success, at others I would be in the deepest despair because of accidents and failures resulting from my inexperience…I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.”

• Bill Gates and Michael Dell were college drop-outs.

• Babe Ruth had more strike-outs then any other baseball player of his time. He also had the most home runs.

• Ann Bancroft, the first woman to travel across the ice to the North Pole, reminisced later about not reaching a goal to cover 2,300 miles across Antarctica (bad weather forced them to be airlifted off) on an expedition with her sister: “Once again this [expedition] is another successful failure.”

• After auditioning for his band, musician Eddie Bond told a young Elvis Presley to “Stick to driving a truck, because you’ll never make it as a singer.”

• Abe Lincoln lost his job and his sweetheart, failed miserably in business, was defeated for state legislature, had a nervous breakdown, was defeated for nomination for congress, lost the renomination, was defeated for US Senate, defeated for nomination of Vice President, and again defeated for US Senate, before being elected as the sixteenth President of the United States.

Forget about living a ‘comfortable’ life. I’m not interested in the items you’ve crossed off your to-do list today. I want to know: have you failed – I mean really FAILED lately?

To your success,

Sharif Khan
Freelance Writer, Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”
Web: http://www.herosoul.com/; Tel: 416-417-1259

3. Free Business Breakfast with StreetSmart Marketer in Toronto

All this talk of breakfast has made me hungry! So, I’d like to invite those of you who are business minded to a complimentary breakfast networking seminar with Michael Hepworth, author of “The StreetSmart Marketer.”

In this private seminar (see details below), you’ll learn how some business owners have increased their business by as much as 300% using a simple, proven, and low-risk marketing system.

I believe it will be an important activity for anyone who is serious about growing their business.

However, this is an Invitation Only event for business owners, entrepreneurs, sales executives, independent professionals, and consultants.

It is only available by reservation and seating will be limited. Click on the following link to reserve your spot immediately:
Complimentary Breakfast Networking Seminar with StreetSmart Marketer

Cracking the Success Code: The DNA of Rapid Growth in Business

Date: July 25, 2007

Time: Breakfast, Registration, and Networking 8:00am to 8:30am

Session: 8:30am to 11:30am

Location: Toronto, Ontario (details provided on registration page)

Cost: No cost. You must pre-register for this event. No registrations will be taken at the door.

Early Registration Bonus: The first 10 people to register will receive a f-r-e-e copy of Michael’s new book, “The Street Smart Marketer” at the session. A value of $24.95. Sign-up now to immediately reserve your spot:
Complimentary Breakfast Networking Seminar with StreetSmart Marketer

Description: “In this special live session titled ‘Cracking the Success Code,’ Michael Hepworth will reveal to you some of the proven methods he has personally used to build several multi-million dollar businesses during his career.

The following is a partial list of success secrets that will be discussed:

* The 7 common barriers to growth and how to overcome them
* What you need to do to avoid getting caught in a price war
* How to make your customers notice you
* What is ‘marketing clutter’ and how it will kill your business
* Techniques for dealing with prospects who are more skeptical and less trusting
* How to find the time you need to grow your business and have time for your personal life

Note: The ideas in this session aren’t from some textbook. Nor are they just wild ideas that have never been tried before. These are proven, money-making examples that can work in any business.”

RSVP today by visiting: http://tinyurl.com/ysk2la

4. Billionaire Mentoring in New York and Chicago

Self-made Billionaire, Bill Bartmann, will be holding his Live 2 Hour “Mentoring with a Billionaire” Seminar in New York and Chicago. There's no cost to attend but seating will be limited. For details visit: Complimentary Mentoring with a Billionaire Seminar.

5. Need a Writer?

If your organization needs help with an important writing project, shoot me an email with the requirements. I might be able to help.

I’ve been writing for the business and personal development markets for over five years and would be an ideal fit for publishers and organizations looking for content that would fall under the following topics: motivation, success, leadership, personal and professional development, psychology, achievement, organizational performance, as well as entrepreneurship, business, sales, and marketing.

6. Subscribe to the Hero Soul eZine

To get your free copy of the Hero Soul ezine for the latest news and developments in success, leadership, and personal growth, visit http://www.herosoul.com/ and click on the "newsletter" tab or simply email inspire @ herosoul. com with "subscribe to hero soul" in the subject line.

This ezine is copyright © 2007 by Sharif Khan.

7. Reprint Rights

You have permission to use any of the articles in this ezine edition in your own ezine, blog, newsletter, or web site, as long as you include the following blurb with it:

Sharif Khan (http://www.sharifkhan.blogspot.com/) is a freelance copywriter, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, "Psychology of the Hero Soul" (http://www.herosoul.com/). He publishes his monthly Hero Soul ezine for cutting-edge advice on success, leadership and personal growth. To contact Sharif Khan about his writing and motivational speaking services, call: 416-417-1259.

_________________________________________________________

“Heroes are rebels with a cause. Rebels because they challenge the traditional ways of thinking and refuse to follow the herd. They have a cause, a vision, that's larger than life.”

- Sharif Khan, author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”

Law of Success Part III

2007-06-25T09:17:00.000-04:00

A special three part series on Napoleon Hill's "Law of Success" featured in the Hero Soul ezine:

1. The World’s First Trillionaire:
Lessons From the Richest Man Who Ever Lived

2. Featured Quote
3. Law of Success Part III: The Conclusion
4. Billionaire Mentoring in NY and Chicago
5. Subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine
6. Reprint Rights
7. Your Feedback is Welcome!

1. The World’s First Trillionaire: Lessons from the Richest Man Who Ever Lived

While experts predict Bill Gates will become the world’s first trillionaire, there may have been one who came before:

“Solomon not only gained a worldwide reputation as the wisest man in history, his wealth was legendary as well,” writes Steven K. Scott. “His gold reserves alone would be worth nearly a trillion dollars in today’s dollars. In the book of Proverbs, Solomon reveals his strategies for achieving success, wealth, and personal happiness.”

I just finished listening to Steven K. Scott’s audio series, Lessons From the Richest Man Who Ever Lived, and I found he did such an AWESOME job of deciphering the deep wisdom of King Solomon’s secrets that I’m personally recommending it as a great resource to have in one’s learning treasure chest.

Who is Steven Scott? Even though Steve flunked out of nine jobs in his first six years after college (with an income less than half the national average and a boss who told him he’d never succeed), he persevered and went on to co-found the American Telecast Corporation, generating over 2 billion dollars in sales and becoming one of the most successful marketing entrepreneurs in the history of direct response television marketing.

“Steve later discovered that the same strategies that made him millions in business were equally powerful when applied to marriage and parenting relationships.”

Here’s what my favorite boyhood martial arts movie-star hero had to say about Steve’s breakthrough audio series:

“PHENOMENAL! Steve Scott has ‘cracked’ the Solomon Code. He takes the inspired Wisdom of Solomon and transforms it into simple, yet powerful steps we can take to solve any problem and achieve true fulfillment and extraordinary success, at home and at work.” Chuck Norris, Movie and Television Star

Actually, Bruce Lee is my all-time favorite with Jet Li coming in second. But Chuck Norris still kicks butt!

To get your copy of Steven Scott’s life-changing audio series, click on the following link:
Lessons From the Richest Man Who Ever Lived

Now, let’s move on to the conclusion of my three part “Law of Success” series…

2. Featured Quote

“I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature.”
- John D. Rockefeller

3. Law of Success Part III: The Conclusion

Dear Friends and Subscribers,

Welcome to the conclusion of my three part series commemorating the 21st Century Edition of Napoleon Hill's landmark work, "Law of Success," which reveals 17 Principles of Success that can help take your career and life to the next level. These are proven principles based on Hill’s 25 years of research personally studying the lives of over 500 of the world’s greatest achievers.

Law of Success Part I and Part II covered the first 11 of these principles. (Which you can find in previous posts on this blog). Law of Success Part III will now conclude with the remaining 6 of these valuable, time-tested principles which can help you succeed in all areas of your life. Enjoy:

Principle # 12: Concentration

“Concentration is the act of focusing the mind on a given desire until ways and means for its
realization have been worked out and successfully put into operation.” – Napoleon Hill

In this age of mass communications, we are beginning to face a global epidemic of mass distraction that is becoming dangerous – and in some cases lethal. (The rising pedestrian and motor vehicle driver deaths due to the host of electronic distractions is just one sad example).

The Weapons of Mass Distraction available to us are just overwhelming: email, cell phones, pagers, text messaging, video games, GPS navigational systems, video games, DVD players, TV, web cams, blackberries, faxes, ipods, and the explosion of social networking sites, just to name a few. (When used intelligently these tools can be powerful, but when used ineffectively, they become what I call, “Weapons of Mass Distraction!” (Oh my, did I forget to include
propaganda on the list?).

The act of pure concentration and singular focus is something that I wrestle with everyday. As I’m writing, I’ve been going back and forth between my email program and this newsletter. I haven’t even covered the first principle in this ezine and I’m checking my voicemail. Shortly after, I check on my profile on a social networking site I belong to and post a message before returning to the newsletter.

This is ridiculous I realize! I need to produce a quality newsletter that subscribers will find engaging and useful. So, I finally get around to shutting down my email program and closing some websites. But now I’m experiencing email withdrawal symptoms and my thumb and forefinger keep hitting the alt tab buttons on my computer in the hopes of returning to my email program. Yes, I too have been seduced by the Weapons of Mass Distraction!

For concentration to be effective, Hill maintains that it is vitally important to keep your mind focused on ONE subject until you’ve mastered it; to focus on ONE given problem until you’ve solved that problem.

What I find helps is starting a task with a burst of energy and enthusiasm which will provide the momentum to complete the task successfully. Just watch Olympic sprinters at the start of a race and you’ll know what I mean.

Finally, in this age of sensory overload, some sensory deprivation might be in order. Hill recommends that you set some time everyday where you can enter a quiet place, close your eyes, and put your fingers in your ears, blocking all light and sound, and just repeat your chief aim and see yourself in full possession of the object of your aim.

Just practicing this simple technique everyday will help you concentrate on doing the important tasks that will eventually lead to a quantum breakthrough in your life.

Principle # 13: Cooperation

“Cooperation is the foundation of all successful leadership.” – Napoleon Hill

According to Hill, there are two forms of cooperation: 1). The cooperation between a group alliance Master Mind (which was covered in my Law of Success Part I overview) to achieve a desired end, and 2). The cooperation between the conscious
and subconscious minds to draw upon creative intelligence (a theme that continues throughout this overview).

Power is developed through organized effort. And for any organized effort to be successful, the harmonious cooperation of people focused on a singular purpose is required.

Harmony is the key. And it would serve you well to study the main personality types of people before forming a team so you can bring together people who compliment each other rather than compete with each other. (“What Type Am I” by Renee Baron is a good first book to understanding personality types).

One thing in the “Law of Success” that really struck me as very powerful was an important observation that Napoleon Hill made: “A great leader is one who understands how to create a “motivating objective” that will be accepted with enthusiasm by every member of [the] group…Most people will work harder for the attainment of an ideal than they will for money.”

What is your company’s or team’s “motivating objective” or ideal? Figure that one out and the wings of cooperation will carry you and your team members to new heights!

Principle # 14: Profiting by Failure

"If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate."
-Thomas Watson, Sr. Founder of IBM

Profiting from failure is an overdone topic in the field of personal development so I won’t spend too much time on this principle. It’s overdone for the very reason that there’s much truth in the idea of people reaching higher levels of success by persevering and learning from failure instead of quitting. It’s no accident that John D. Rockefeller felt that perseverance is the single most important quality to achieving success.

I’ve observed over the years that success comes to leaders in almost direct proportion to the amount of adversity and failures they’ve overcome and learned from in life.

That old cliché, ‘if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’ applies here. Of course, I’m not saying you necessarily keep on doing the same thing expecting the same results (another definition for insanity).

Seek counselors and mentors that you can trust to help evaluate the effectiveness of your plans. Explore the reasons that are limiting your success by asking them how they see you limiting yourself.

If your first plan to achieving your chief aim in life does not succeed, than change it! And keep on changing it until you’ve reached your target, just as an airplane makes thousands of adjustments and flight corrections before reaching its destination.

Principle # 15: Tolerance

“Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open.” – Lord Thomas Dewar

If we adopt a closed mind we stop acquiring knowledge. And natural law states that we are either growing or dying.

I don’t like the word ‘tolerance.’ I much rather prefer embracing new ideas and having an insatiable curiosity for learning other people’s customs, belief systems, and unique perspectives. I look at it as an adventure!

Finding ways to harness cultural differences within teams and organizations will be the new currency in an increasingly globalized economy.

Principle # 16: The Golden Rule

Napoleon Hill recognized that the frivolous use of power from the knowledge that is being shared with you will only backfire and be destructive to self and others. Selfish pursuit of your chief aim without regard for others will eventually come back to haunt you.

We reap what we sow. What goes around comes around. Therefore, the Golden Rule is: do unto others as you’d have done unto you. Before doing anything, ask yourself if it will benefit or hurt the person involved.

It’s easy to be self-centered. To transcend self, think more of what the other person wants and feels before acting.

See the good in others. Catch people doing things right instead of always looking for the wrong. Kindness and justice toward others goes a long way in establishing successful business and personal relationships. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great.”

Finally, Hill takes us deeper with the Golden Rule philosophy when he said, “think of others as you’d wish them to think of you.” Live this philosophy and your life will be enriched in many unforeseen ways.

Principle # 17: The Universal Law of Cosmic Habitforce

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” - Aristotle

The Universal Law of Cosmic Habitforce is that intangible, unseen force which is made tangible and visible in nature. Just observe nature and you will experience Cosmic Habitforce in action.

When you fix in your mind a purpose consciousness focused on your chief aim in life through repetition of thoughts and deeds, Cosmic Habitforce will take over and carry it to its logical conclusion, just as an acorn seed will always produce an oak tree through proper care and nurturing.

It takes constant vigilance, determination, and willpower to maintain that purpose consciousness, but eventually Cosmic Habitforce will always bear fruit and your life will be richly rewarded.

In closing, I’d like to point out that at the beginning of every chapter in Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success” are the words: “You can do it if you believe you can!”

It’s that simple. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it really is that simple. Mahatma Gandhi once said,
“If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.”

Believe in yourself! Believe you can do it and move forward this day with faith and confidence.

Many blessings to you along your journey. I hope that you’ve benefited from reading this series and I’d like to encourage you to share these important principles with your friends, family, and associates. I’d also like to highly recommend getting a copy of Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success: 21st Century Edition” to add to your personal library. It’s a life-changing book, and I mean that as no exaggeration.

P.P.S. As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, if your organization requires a professional writer to assist with an important writing project, send me a private email with the requirements. I might be able to help.

To your success,

Sharif Khan
Freelance Writer, Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”
Web: http://www.herosoul.com/; Tel: 416-417-1259

4. Billionaire Mentoring in NY and Chicago

Self-made Billionaire, Bill Bartmann, will be holding his Live 2 Hour “Mentoring with a Billionaire” Seminar in NY and Chicago. For details visit: Complimentary Mentoring with a Billionaire Seminar.

5. Subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine

To get your free copy of the Hero Soul ezine for the latest news and developments in success, leadership, and personal growth, visit http://www.herosoul.com/ and click on the "newsletter" tab or simply email inspire @ herosoul. com with "subscribe to hero soul" in the subject line.

If you’d like to share this ezine with your workgroup or friends and family, you have permission to ‘steal’ this Hero Soul eZine by forwarding it in its entirety as is without any changes. (I just ask that you do it nicely by forwarding the whole thing and not in bits and pieces). This ezine is copyright © 2007 by Sharif Khan.

6. Reprint Rights

You have permission to use any of the articles in this ezine edition in your own ezine, blog, newsletter, or web site, as long as you include the following blurb with it:

Sharif Khan (http://www.sharifkhan.blogspot.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance copywriter, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, Psychology of the Hero Soul (http://www.herosoul.com/). He publishes his monthly Hero Soul ezine for cutting-edge advice on success, leadership and personal growth. To contact Sharif Khan about his writing and motivational speaking services, call: 416-417-1259.

7. Your Feedback is Welcome!

Let us know how we’re doing. Are you finding the content in our ezine useful? Any comments, praise, or suggestions for improvement? Do you find the Hero Soul ezine too short, too long, or just right? What kind of topics would you be most interested in receiving in the future? We’d love to hear from you! Send your feedback to: inspire @ herosoul. com
_________________________________________________________

I'll see you next month! Be a hero!

“Heroes are rebels with a cause. Rebels because they challenge the traditional ways of thinking and refuse to follow the herd. They have a cause, a vision, that's larger than life.”
- Sharif Khan, author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”

Hero Soul eZine, Copyright © 2007 by Sharif Khan. A F-R-E-E monthly column.

http://www.herosoul.com/
35 Douville Court, Toronto, Ontario M5A 4E7 Canada
Tel: 416-417-1259

Law of Success Part II

2007-05-22T06:06:00.000-04:00

Second of a 3 part special series featured in the Hero Soul ezine:

1. Featured Quote
2. Law of Success Part II
3. The New Frontier: Space Travel for the Masses
4. Need a Writer?
5. Billionaire Speaks: Your Complimentary Invite
6. Subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine
7. Reprint Rights
8. Your Feedback is Welcome

1. Featured Quote

“Everything you can imagine is real.” – Pablo Picasso

2. Law of Success Part II

Dear Friends and Subscribers,

Welcome to the second part of my three part series commemorating the 21st Century Edition of Napoleon Hill's landmark work, "Law of Success," in which he reveals 17 Principles of Success based on his 25 years of research studying the lives of over 500 of the world’s greatest achievers.

In this special edition of your Hero Soul ezine, I’m highlighting these 17 Principles of Success both as a refresher for those who are already familiar with Hill’s work, and as an introductory guide to the essential qualities of achievement for those who have not yet had the chance to study this great personage who started the personal development revolution.

If you missed the first 5 principles outlined in Part I of my Hero Soul newsletter, I've included it for your benefit in my last blogpost. (To stay on top of the latest developments and cutting-edge news on success, leadership, and personal growth, remember to subscribe to the free monthly Hero Soul ezine by visiting www.HeroSoul.com and clicking on the "newsletter" tab). Enjoy:

Principle # 6: Imagination

“Imagination is the workshop of the human mind and creative power of the soul,” writes Hill. “First comes thought; then organization of that thought into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination.”

According to Hill, there are two types of imagination: synthetic imagination and creative imagination. Synthetic imagination involves rearranging old ideas into new combinations that produce new solutions. Stimulating creative imagination involves a repetition of highly emotionalized thoughts that can be combined with visualization, meditation, and prayer focused on a chief aim or solving a difficult problem, and then surrendering the thoughts to infinite intelligence to come up with new ideas, combinations, and plans.

Artists, inventors, and entrepreneurs frequently use some combination of both types of imagination. For example, many writers will often intentionally stop writing in the middle of a heated sentence or uncompleted paragraph at a particularly challenging point in the plot and “sleep on it.” During the rest of the night their subconscious mind, through the powers of creative intelligence, will work on the solution, and upon awakening, the writer will
write beautifully to complete the idea.

Entrepreneurs will often brainstorm and write down all the ideas, challenges, and available solutions and resources concerning a challenging problem and then “forget about it.” They might go on vacation for an extended period of time. On returning, or even while they’re on vacation, new ideas spring up that help solve the problem.

To further develop your imagination, study yourself; find out the inner motivations that drive you to carry out certain tasks to completion while avoiding other tasks. Study other people and human behavior around you. If you want to know what the other person will do (whether a customer, boss, employee, partner, or competitor), use your imagination to put yourself in their shoes. What would you do if you were that person?

By being able to look from another’s perspective, you not only help build your imagination muscles, you also help build bridges.

Principle # 7: Enthusiasm

Enthusiasm comes from the Greek root “entheos” which literally means God within. Enthusiasm is the vital force that impels action. Great leaders inspire others to action from their own enthusiasm which is highly contagious.

“It’s not so much what you say as it is the tone and manner in which you say it that makes a lasting impression,” writes Hill.

I recall a time when a “recruiter” had called and left a message for me requesting an interview. I checked out the company’s website and liked what I had to see. I was ready to come in for an interview, but when I returned the recruiter’s call and spoke to her, the tone of her voice clearly indicated that she wasn’t happy with her job and that I was just a number to make her appointment quota.

While the conversation was polite and professional, her tone and manner of speaking said she didn’t care. Needless to say, I did not come in for an interview, and it wouldn’t be a far stretch to guess that that recruiting company was losing business by the truckload on account of that one person – probably hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

It’s surprising (or maybe not so surprising given the poor customer service survey results across North America) that companies are willing to go on losing millions by treating their frontline workers who have first line of contact with customers as an “expense” instead of as an investment.

The companies that will turn out to be champions in this information economy are the ones that treat their customer service and sales staff as VPs of Customer Relations. These organizations will have a HUGE competitive advantage by investing just a fraction of the money (money that would normally be lost to poor service) towards paying above industry average rates to retain quality customer service professionals, investing in their professional development, teaching basic human relations skills, and helping to create a better work environment.

Principle # 8: Self-Control

Hill keenly points out that self control directs your enthusiasm. A wise business tenet is to keep cool when others are hot. As Hill says, “Those who control themselves usually boss the job.”

I can’t recall how many business deals I’ve lost because I contacted a potential client in a moment of anger or frustration (either due to the business on hand or something entirely different). It’s amazing how much more business one can drum up by simply counting to ten, taking a couple of deep breaths, and thinking of something pleasant for a few seconds before making or taking that important call!

If you’ve tried these types of techniques without much success and are still angry with someone, at least try ‘writing it out of your system’ before approaching this person. Write a steaming hot letter to this person venting about what you feel is inappropriate behavior or some problem or injustice you feel you might have encountered.

After you’ve read the letter to yourself, tear it up and throw it away! Now you can approach this person and make your case with a level head without blaming or getting overly emotional. Maybe it was a simple misunderstanding.

I’m not saying this method will always work. Sometimes you do have to confront someone and express your anger – but those moments are rare when it’s productive. Using this one technique alone can save you from countless relationship disasters and bad business deals, and might even help get you that promotion over the next person
who blows his top!).

Never retaliate against those who offend you. Be a leader by being a person of poise and self-control.

Principle # 9: The Habit of Doing More Than Paid For

“Giving people a little more than what they expect is a good way to get back more than you’d expect”- Robert Half

We get back in life what we give. By getting into the habit of always doing more than you’re paid for, you will meet with opportunities for expansion, advancement, and promotion at every turn of the corner. (You might not get these opportunities immediately with your current employer; but eventually competitors will take notice and will gladly provide you with plenty of opportunity if your employer is not willing to do so).

Napoleon Hill offers countless real-life examples of ordinary people reaching extraordinary heights of achievement and success using this one principle alone in his magnum opus: Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition.

Principle # 10: A Pleasing Personality

Hill states that a pleasing personality is a person that attracts. It’s all about your character and how you carry yourself. Are you dressed for success as it relates to your field? Do you speak with self-confidence? Do you offer a firm handshake and a warm smile, or a limp, ‘dead fish’ handshake with a rigid, forced smile? Do you offer an appropriate level of eye-contact given the cultural context or do you have shifty eyes that makes people feel uncomfortable? Are you flexible in mind, body, and spirit? Do you express genuine interest in others?

The best way to develop a pleasing personality is to show a keen interest in other people. If that recruiter had expressed even the slightest interest in what I did as a person, I would have overlooked the initial awkwardness of the call and come in for an interview. Her lack of a pleasing personality cost her and her company a number of lost contracts.

It’s so much more FUN and PROFITABLE to have a pleasing personality!

Principle # 11: Accurate Thinking

“The facts, just the facts, ma’am” – Sgt. Friday in Dragnet

Don’t believe everything you read in the news. Much of it is planted by powerful lobbyists and corporations with hidden agendas. Get into the habit of basing your decisions on factual information and avoiding gossip, rumors, and conjecture.

Even common day practices that are widely accepted can be based on wrong assumptions. In the Middle Ages, bloodletting was a common practice that was believed to help cure a variety of illnesses. It was a common belief among doctors that bad blood caused disease and so they bled patients for every imaginable ailment under the sun. This crude and ineffective medical ritual continued for 2,500 years until it was discovered that germs, not bad blood, were responsible for disease.

Today, we have our own version of bloodletting that is far more devious than in the Middle Ages. Take for example invasive medical practices such as coronary stenting and angioplasty. Freakonomics author, Steven D. Levitt, sites a recent NY Times article which, according to Levitt, “tells of the compelling study which found that coronary stenting is typically no more effective than heart drugs, even though it is far more invasive — and, to be sure, profitable for the medical personnel involved.” (According to the NY Times article, “angioplasty and stenting generally cost between $25,000 and $50,000”).

I think we need a new name for 21st Century bloodletting. If you’ve read this far, perhaps you can convince Mr. Webster to add the term moneyletting to the dictionary.

If someone makes a sweeping statement that raises doubts, you can ask this person the question that Napoleon Hill likes asking: “How do you know?”

We haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of accurate thinking. But to get to the heart of Hill’s main idea, accurate thinking is about separating the important facts from the unimportant ones.

The important facts being any fact you can use in the attainment of your chief aim. I’m not saying that the unimportant facts can’t also help enrich your life. But by focusing most of your time on the important facts as it relates to your chief aim will help get you there further and faster…

I hope you enjoyed Part II of my “Law of Success” series. Stay tuned for Part III in my upcoming newsletter. If you missed Part I, you can catch it on my last blog post.

In the meantime, share these principles with your peers, forward this newsletter if you like, discuss the concepts and teach other people what you’ve learned. There’s no better way to learn than by teaching others!

P.S. If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend getting a copy of Napoleon Hill’s classic bestseller: Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition. It really is a great read and I rank it in my personal top 10 list.

To your success,

Sharif Khan
www.herosoul.com
Freelance Writer, Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Bestselling Author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

3. The New Frontier: Space Travel for the Masses

I’d like to share a passage from The Hero Soul (pg. 81): “It will be a momentous day when this book reaches the generation whose average citizens can economically travel into space. Most of us, however, might not have the opportunity in our lifetime to travel into outer space to experience a higher perspective…”

I hope that visionary entrepreneur, Richard Branson, proves me wrong with his new space travel venture, Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline that will be offering suborbital space flights in 2009!

Can you imagine what it would be like to ‘slip the surly bonds of earth’? Let me quote a blurb from Branson’s site:

“The rocket motor has been switched off and it is quiet. But it’s not just quiet, it’s QUIET. The silence of space is as awe inspiring as was the noise of the rocket just moments earlier. What’s really getting your senses screaming now though, is that the gravity which has dominated every movement you’ve made since the day you were born is not there any more. There is no up and no down and you’re out of your seat experiencing the freedom that even your dreams underestimated.”

Wow! Now that would be a fantastic perspective builder!

On my “to read list” is Richard Branson’s business biography:

Losing My Virginity: How I've Survived, Had Fun, and Made a Fortune Doing Business My Way

I admire this unconventional rebel-business hero for being able to combine fun, business, and social responsibility as a way of life. He has managed to break every rule in the book and come out a winner.

4. Need a Writer?

If you need help with a writing project, shoot me an email at sharif @ herosoul. com. I might be able to help.

Of special interest would be owners of mid-to-large circulation publications (newspapers, magazines, ezines, blogs, trade journals) looking for an advice columnist writer or someone to write feature articles, reports, and reviews.

I’ve been writing for the inspirational market for over five years now and would be an ideal fit for publishers and organizations looking for content that would fall under the following topics:
motivation, success, leadership, personal and professional development, psychology, achievement, organizational performance, as well as entrepreneurship, business, sales, and marketing.

For a sampling of my writing, visit: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sharif_Khan

5. Billionaire Speaks: Your Complimentary Invite

Come spend an evening mentoring with a self-made Billionaire. A Complimentary 2 Hour Seminar Invitation. Discover the secrets to achieving personal and financial success from a man uniquely qualified to teach it, a man who went from broke to billionaire, an extraordinary man named Bill Bartmann.

There is no cost to attend but seating will be limited. To register now and reserve your spot immediately, click on: Mentor with a Billionaire

6. Subscribe to the Hero Soul ezine

To get your free copy of the Hero Soul ezine for the latest news and developments in success, leadership, and personal growth, visit www.HeroSoul.com and click on the "newsletter" tab or simply email inspire @ herosoul. com with "subscribe to hero soul" in the subject line.

If you’d like to share this ezine with your workgroup or friends and family, you have permission to ‘steal’ this Hero Soul eZine by forwarding it in its entirety as is without any changes. (I just ask that you do it nicely by forwarding the whole thing and not in bits and pieces).

This ezine is copyright © 2007 by Sharif Khan.

7. Reprint Rights

You have permission to use any of the articles in this ezine edition in your own ezine, blog, newsletter, or web site, as long as you include the following blurb with it:

Sharif Khan (www.sharifkhan.blogspot.com) is a freelance copywriter, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, Psychology of the Hero Soul (www.herosoul.com). He publishes his monthly Hero Soul ezine for cutting-edge advice on success, leadership and personal growth. To contact Sharif Khan about his writing and motivational speaking services, call: 416-417-1259.

8. Your Feedback is Welcome

Let us know how we’re doing. Are you finding the content in our ezine useful? Any comments, praise, or suggestions for improvement? Do you find the Hero Soul ezine too short, too long, or just right? What kind of topics would you be most interested in receiving in the future? We’d love to hear from you! Send your feedback to: inspire @ herosoul. com

_________________________________________________________

I'll see you next week! Be a hero!

“Heroes are rebels with a cause. Rebels because they challenge the traditional ways of thinking and refuse to follow the herd. They have a cause, a vision, that's larger than life.”
- Sharif Khan, author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

Hero Soul eZine, Copyright © 2007 by Sharif Khan. A F-R-E-E monthly column.

www.herosoul.com
35 Douville Court, Toronto, Ontario M5A 4E7 Canada
Tel: 416-417-1259

Law of Success Part I

2007-05-10T08:23:00.000-04:00

First of a 3 part special series featured in the Hero Soul ezine:

Inside Your www.HeroSoul.com eZine Issue:

1. Featured Quote
2. Law of Success Part I
3. Need a Writer?
4. Billionaire Quest
5. Reprint Rights

1. Featured Quote

“After one has discovered what he is called for, he should set out to do it with all of the power
that he has in his system…Do it as if God almighty ordained you at this particular moment in
history to do it.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2. Law of Success Part I

Dear Friends and Subscribers,

Please forgive my rather long absence in writing to you. I’ve been fairly busy working on my next book project (an inspirational novel) which I’ve promised to complete by December 31, 2007. I’ve also spent the last month immersing myself in the teachings of Napoleon Hill and would like to make up my long absence by sharing with you a summary of the main principles from his landmark work, Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition.

Most of you know who Napoleon Hill is. But for the benefit of those who don’t, Mr. Hill is quite arguably the author of the world’s first practical philosophy of human achievement. Commissioned back in 1908 by the great steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie, Hill spent over 25 years researching the lives of over 500 of the most successful people on the planet.

The amazing thing is that most of Hill’s work was not from second-hand research but first-hand knowledge from personal contact with some of the greatest powerbrokers of the day including Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, John D. Rockefeller, Charles M. Schwab, Elbert Hubbard, George Eastman, and US Presidents Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft and Theodore Roosevelt.

While “Think and Grow Rich” is certainly Hill’s most popular book based on the results of his exhaustive research, “Law of Success” (which was first published in a set of eight volumes) is Hill’s most comprehensive work of achievement; a veritable tome of success literature, I’d call it the world’s first and foremost “success encyclopedia.”

The only modern day equivalents that readily come to mind is Anthony Robbin’s “Unlimited Power” in the field of applied psychology, Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” on principle-centered leadership, and the success strategies employed in Jack Canfield’s “The Success Principles.”

Nevertheless, I would rank Napoleon Hill’s “Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition” as the foundational book for developing a practical success philosophy that anyone can readily apply. The fully revised and updated 21st-Century Edition comes in at 1035 pages containing Hill’s deep analysis of the 17 proven principles of success, many personal examples and stories from his own life experiences, and new commentary from the editors providing modern parallels with contemporary events and the latest management theories.

I come across a lot of success literature in my line of work; and after thoroughly reviewing Hill’s “Law of Success,” I can quite comfortably recommend purchasing several copies as treasured gifts for friends and family and as a special collection for your own personal success library.

To get your copy or copies at a 37% discount, you can visit the following link: http://tinyurl.com/2a2cuk

----------

In this special edition of your Hero Soul ezine, I’ll provide a brief summary of each of Napoleon Hill’s 17 Principles from his classic bestseller, “Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition.” I’ve divided this ezine edition into three parts: Law of Success Part I, Part II, and Part III, spread out over three weeks.

Breaking this ezine edition into three parts will give you some time to learn and apply these principles. Master these principles and you will master your destiny:

Principle # 1: The Master Mind

The Master Mind is simply a friendly alliance of two or more minds harmoniously working together in full cooperation towards the achievement of a singular purpose. It’s more than just a brain-trust of accumulated knowledge used for creative problem solving; the Master Mind is a field of accumulated energy created from the combined group’s spirit which can accomplish far more than any individual member could possibly hope to achieve independently.

Hill recommends forming a round table of ideally six to twelve like-minded individuals who will support your chief aim, who are in complete harmony with each other, and who are willing to meet with you regularly to help you accomplish that aim. You must offer each group member something in return that will reward their participation in your Master Mind.

Whether you choose to develop a formal alliance or not, the Master Mind principle will still have a powerful influence over your life – for better or worse. It is said you are the average sum total of the people you spend the most time with which will either help or hinder you. Choose your friends and associates carefully.

Principle # 2: A Definite Chief Aim

Without a definite purpose backed by a definite plan one is as lost and hopeless as a rudderless ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Good intentions and hard work are not enough. You need a Purpose, a Plan, and Perseverance backed with a burning desire to achieve your definite chief aim in life.

To realize your Chief Aim, Hill suggests writing out your WWWH and reviewing it daily: “know what you want, when you want it, why you want it, and how you intend to get it.” Also include what you plan to give in return for reaching your dream.

By reviewing your manifesto daily, with intense feeling, you will begin attracting the people and circumstances in your life to make your wildest dreams come true.

Note: If you’re not sure what your definite purpose in life is, I’d highly recommend getting a copy of Napoleon Hill’s Law of Success: The 21st-Century Edition because it includes a number of self-assessment questionnaires with practical examples and stories to help you clarify your chief aim in life.

Principle # 3: Self-Confidence

To be self-confidant you must know. Know yourself and know your business. Know your strengths and weaknesses, your greatest fears and deepest desires. Those who do not know live in constant fear and anxiety. A leader must know.

Keep a log of all your accomplishments and all the praise you receive and review it frequently. Use autosuggestion or self-talk to tell yourself daily about how you are growing as a leader in your field.

Fill your mind with positive, inspiring thoughts. Surround yourself with people who will empower you. Have faith in others and see the good in people because how you view others is a reflection of yourself.

Principle # 4: The Habit of Saving

Pay yourself first by developing the habit of consistently saving a portion of your income. Hill and many others suggest saving at least 10% of your earnings. (Tip: if you’ve accumulated high-interest debts such as credit card debt, it’s a good policy to allocate 80% of your savings to paying down the debt in order to avoid that debt from growing faster than the rate of return you’re getting on your savings).

Those who have will be given more. Having even a modest savings account will increase your self-confidence and will attract many opportunities that would normally not come your way without that extra cushion.

Successful people will be more willing to back your idea or promote you within their enterprise if they see that you yourself have developed the self-discipline of saving.

Hill recounts several instances in his book where people who had built up a little savings account were able to invest in new business opportunities, attract financing for their ideas, or enter into partnerships that would later result into untold millions.

Principle # 5: Initiative and Leadership

“Do the thing and you shall have the power.” – Emerson

According to Hill, leadership is “doing the right thing without being told.” Leadership is ultimately about taking initiative and getting things done. Bottom line: leaders get paid for results.

By always providing additional service without any expectation for pay, you will build your initiative muscles.

Leadership requires self-sacrifice. Leaders are givers. Inspire and help others and you will be rewarded in direct proportion to your efforts. As American self-help icon, Zig Ziglar, likes to say, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”

I hope you enjoyed Part I of my “Law of Success” brief. Stay tuned for Part II in my upcoming newsletter. In the meantime, share these principles with your peers, forward this newsletter, discuss the concepts and teach other people what you’ve learned. There’s no better way to learn than by teaching others.

To your success,

Sharif Khan
www.herosoul.com
Freelance Writer, Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Bestselling Author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

3. Need a Writer?

If you or someone you know has a mid-to-large circulation newspaper, magazine, or newsletter and is looking for an advice columnist writer or someone to write feature articles, reports, and reviews, feel free to contact me at: sharif @ herosoul.com

I’ve been writing for the inspirational market for over five years now and would be an ideal fit for publishers and organizations looking for content that would fall under the following topics:
motivation, success, leadership, personal and professional development, psychology, achievement, organizational performance, as well as entrepreneurship, business, sales, and marketing.

For a sampling of my writing, visit: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sharif_Khan

4. Billionaire Quest

On May 3, 2007, Bill Bartmann, the self-made Billionaire who is making waves in the personal development industry, is returning to Toronto to deliver his famous Billionaire Mentoring evening seminar.

This time he’s bringing his camera crew along where they’ll be filming his new TV reality show:
“Billionaire Quest.”

This is your opportunity to be mentored by a self-made billionaire on overcoming failure and achieving lifelong success while also being on a TV reality show that will air this Fall on National TV.

Here is your complimentary invitation to sign-up: F-R-E-E Mentoring Session with a Billionaire

P.S. There’s no cost to attend but seating is limited and space will fill up fast. Reserve your spot now before it's too late and the seats are all gone.

6. Reprint Rights

You have permission to use any of the articles in this ezine edition in your own ezine, blog, newsletter, or web site, as long as you include the following blurb with it:

Sharif Khan (www.sharifkhan.blogspot.com; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance copywriter, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, Psychology of the Hero Soul (www.herosoul.com). He publishes his monthly Hero Soul ezine for cutting-edge advice on success, leadership and personal growth. To contact Sharif Khan about his
writing and motivational speaking services, call: 416-417-1259.

_________________________________________

I'll see you next week! Be a hero!

“Heroes are rebels with a cause. Rebels because they challenge the traditional ways of thinking and refuse to follow the herd. They have a cause, a vision, that's larger than life.”
- Sharif Khan, author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

Hero Soul eZine, Copyright © 2007 by Sharif Khan. A F-R-E-E monthly column.

www.herosoul.com
35 Douville Court, Toronto, Ontario M5A 4E7 Canada
Tel: 416-417-1259

How are you benefiting from the Hero Soul ezine? If you have any comments, praise, or suggestions for improvement, please let us know by sending an email to inspire @ herosoul.com

Billionaire Speaks. FREE 2 Hour Live Seminar!

2007-04-13T08:50:00.000-04:00

Come spend an evening mentoring with a self-made billionaire.

In this FREE 2 Hour Seminar you will discover the secrets to
achieving personal and financial success from a man uniquely
qualified to teach it, a man who went from broke to
billionaire, an extraordinary man named Bill Bartmann.

In his seminar he shares his 9 step goal-achieving system along with many success strategies and his inspiring true story from being a high-school drop out and homeless to being inducted into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. If you're interested, here's the link to sign-up:
http://tinyurl.com/t37dx

Seating is limited and space will fill up fast. Reserve your
spot now before they're all gone. For event details and signup
click here: http://tinyurl.com/t37dx

To greater success in 007!

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com/
Copywriter, Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Author of Canadian Bestseller, The Hero Soul
An inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing your leadership potential

*** Join the FREE monthly Hero Soul ezine today for cutting-edge advice on success, leadership, and personal growth to live your highest life! ***

The silly things authors do...

2007-04-12T21:21:00.000-04:00

I was enjoying a cup of coffee today at the downtown Toronto Sheraton Hotel’s newly renovated swank lobby lounge, comfortably settled in a lush orange leather sofa immersed in a book, when I was approached by one of the hotel concierges.

He courteously offered me a pencil and pad saying that if I had any ‘cravings’ I could jot them down on the pad and that he’d drop by later to pick it up and see if I needed anything. (This was not in the restaurant or café but common hotel seating area).

On the “Cravings” pad were a number of selections (such as hot pretzels) with prices that could be checked off.

I felt it was an interesting and unusual approach which deserved an equally original response, so I jotted down the following craving on the pad that was so generously provided:

“a six-figure book deal (with $100,000 checked off in the price section)
Sharif Khan, Author of “The Hero Soul” www.herosoul.com”

Having done so, I promptly left the scene of the authorial crime (to save both myself and the concierge from any unnecessary embarrassment).

I’m sure the concierge wasn’t impressed by my creative prose. Maybe if I had stuck around, the concierge would have brought back a book-deal contract with a check on a silver tray. Highly unlikely, but hey, you never know, maybe he’s related to some big shot publisher or acquisitions editor…you know, that whole ‘six degrees of separation’ kind of thing. ;-)>

Oh, the silly things that authors do…

Yours truly,

Sharif Khan
Author, The Hero Soul

P.S. Would you like to share some of your own silly experiences?? Feel free to share in my comments section!

Do You Believe in Miracles?

2006-12-22T11:35:00.000-05:00

Excerpts from the Hero Soul eZine December 2006 Issue:

1. Quote of the Month
2. Do You Believe in Miracles?
3. Gifts for the Holiday Season
4. Changes to Your Complimentary Billionaire Invite
5. Looking for a Columnist Writer?

1. Quote of the Month

Dance as if no one were watching. Sing as if no one were listening. And live every day as if it were your last.
— Irish proverb

2. Do You Believe in Miracles?

I believe in miracles because I believe we’re all miracle makers.

For those of you who’ve been long-time subscribers to my newsletter, you may recall that my younger brother Junaid (age 33) was diagnosed back in March at Sunnybrook Hospital with advanced stage four base of the tongue cancer. Prospects looked grim. His doctor told him there was less than ten percent chance of a cure and that the cancer was so advanced that it was beyond surgery. He was given seven months to live.

That was over nine months ago. My brother experienced one agonizing ordeal after another, complication upon complication, during his brave struggle as he underwent thirty-three treatments of radiation and chemo. The pain was tremendous. (Imagine having excruciating pain every time you swallow). He literally went through hell and back and experienced the hero’s journey: he transcended death through his cancer – and lived. Yes, he is alive! And that truly is miraculous!

He may not have met the medical term for “cure” which means a patient has to live longer than five years from the date of being diagnosed with cancer. But he is on the road to recovery. His strength and energy (and hair) have returned as the effects of the radiation wear off. The pain has disappeared. The trache in his throat to aid in breathing has been removed. He can now speak in coherent sentences and he no longer requires the g-tube in his belly for liquid meals. While he can’t (yet) eat hard solid foods like steak and burgers, he is happily drinking teas and eating semi-solids such as soups and pastas when at one point we were not even sure he’d ever be able to eat again.

And I have YOU to thank for this! Without your thoughts and prayers of love and healing directed to my brother, I’m convinced the results might have been different. After a long blur of distant, hazy morphine-filled days, I finally have my brother back! And I am truly grateful. If this isn’t a miracle I don’t know what is. But this is not what I mean when I say, I believe in miracles.

Faith is a curious thing. About 2000 years ago, when a blind beggar asked for sight, Christ replied, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you,” (Luke 18:42) and sight was restored. Today, we don’t have a visible Christ-like figure walking the earth. We still have faith; but we also have modern science and technology.

When a person displays strong faith and is cured from a seemingly incurable disease, many people call it a ‘miracle.’ But if this person of faith is not healed, doctors point out the facts as governed by medical science. At the same time, some people in certain religious circles or in the self-help field would say that this person simply did not have enough faith. And yet, we’ve all seen people with incredible faith, surrounded by an ocean of faith, and still not make it. And many times we are angered when our expectations are not met. We ask ourselves: “Where is God? Where is this miracle we had hoped for?”

In search of this one great Miracle, I lost sight of all the miracles that were happening right before me: the special moments I shared with my brother during this ordeal. Like crying and hugging after reading an inspirational story from Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul when my brother was in the hospital, or going for a long silent walk with Junaid in Sunnybrook Park, or drawing a colorful picture of a smiling Wayne Dyer holding up a butterfly from the cover of his book Inspiration to cheer up my brother as he looked on in silence while I drew -- only to reveal to me later that he had drawn that very same picture earlier in his personal drawing book!

Last Sunday I was watching the 10th Anniversary Special of “Inside the Actors Studio” on Bravo! Canada. Host James Lipton was interviewing actress Melanie Griffith when she began crying spontaneously. When Lipton asked her why she was crying, she replied it was because of who he was being in that moment and the incredible sharing and knowledge he was helping to impart to his audience. That moment was a miracle.

The miracle is in the moment. The past is history and the future is a mystery, and all we have left is the here and now. We are all miracle makers because we can consciously choose to live truthfully in the moments that make up that little dash between our birth and death that we call life.

In the mad rush of the holiday season, let’s not lose sight of the miracles that are happening right before us. Let’s honor and treasure each moment and share them the best we can, because at the end of the day that’s all that matters. Let’s consciously choose to be miracle makers by creating magical moments that will help make us and people around us feel special and loved.

May your year be filled with many miracles: wonderful moments filled with awe, beauty, gratitude, love, and joy.

Love and light,

Sharif Khan
Author, The Hero Soul
www.HeroSoul.com

3. Gifts for the Holiday Season

Here are two f.r.e.e gifts that I think you’ll really enjoy as a New Year’s gift for yourself, your friends, or loved ones:

1. Industry Insider, Bob Proctor, viewed as a coach’s coach by many highly successful people is offering his F-R-E-E audio gift “How to Attract the Money You Need” on his website www.BobProctor.com (If you don’t know Bob, he’s the guy who recently appeared on Larry King and the Ellen DeGeneres show to talk about The Secret movie which you can also preview on his website).

2. Journalist Heather Vale and host of the SUCCESS UNWRAPPED RADIO show is now offering a complimentary sampling of some of her rare interviews with successful movers and shakers and industry leaders such as Jack Canfield, John Harricharan, Dr. John F. Demartini, Bijan, and many, many more. For your f*r*e*e sampling visit: Success Unwrapped. (By the way, I personally believe you’ll get some value from sampling her interviews because Vale interviewed me once on her show and I know from first-hand experience that she is a tough journalist who asks original questions).

* Dare I recommend a copy of THE HERO SOUL as a heart-warming, inspirational gift for yourself or loved ones this holiday season?

The Hero Soul (ISBN 0973192208) is an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing your leadership potential. It is available to order in most major bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Chapters, Indigo, Coles, and Amazon. *

4. Changes to Your Complimentary Billionaire Invite

In my last newsletter, I personally extended a complimentary invitation to spend an evening with BILLIONAIRE BILL BARTMANN. Just wanted to let you know that there have been some changes (by the way there are still some seats available if you’re interested):

* Toronto’s date has been changed to January 18 and some new cities have been added to his seminar tour. Here are the cities and dates he will be appearing: Montreal - January 15, Ottawa - January 16, Toronto - January 18, Winnipeg - January 20, Phoenix - February 24, and Los Angeles - May 19.

If you ever wanted to meet a Billionaire this is your chance and he will share with you some key strategies to attain massive success in any endeavor.

The best part is it's F-R-E-E. All you have to do is register because seating is limited. When you register please use my name (SHARIF KHAN) for the “person who referred you”, thanks. To register, go to www.billbartmann.com/bbe.html and scroll down to fill out the short registration form. I found Mr. Bartmann’s seminar to be not only educational but also incredibly inspiring as he shared his life story and I hope you will too.

5. Looking for a Columnist Writer?

If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter over the years and happen to be a Publisher or Editor of a mid-to-large circulation (80,000 + readers) newspaper, ezine or magazine with a budget for a columnist writer, then we need to talk! As a freelance writer I’ve written on a wide variety of topics including Entrepreneurship, Business, Leadership, Success, Personal Development/Self-Help, Marketing, Publishing, and Health/Wellness/Spirituality. For some writing samples visit: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sharif_Khan

You can reach me at 416-417-1259 or shoot me an email at: sharif@herosoul.com

To subscribe to the F.R.E.E. monthly Hero Soul eZine, visit: www.HeroSoul.com

Copyright © 2006 by Sharif Khan

Stranger Than Fiction

2006-11-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

by Sharif Khan

I recently had the pleasure of watching Marc Forster’s film, Stranger Than Fiction, which I found to be a delightfully charming, intelligent comedy written by first-time screenwriter Zach Helm. I give it two guitars up. Way up. (Platonically speaking of course).

It’s about an uptight IRS agent, Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), who realizes that his mundane life is being narrated by the voice of a chain-smoking novelist played by Emma Thompson. The novelist is suffering from a bad case of writer’s block and is on the verge of a nervous breakdown because she can’t decide the ending to her story.

Going mad with the constant narration in his head that accurately predicts his every move, Crick solicits the help of a literature professor (Dustin Hoffman) to help find his voice. To his utter shock and dismay, Crick learns that the voice of his narrator belongs to this eccentric author that writes tragedies where her heroes are killed off.

But Crick does not want to die! For the first time in his life he is discovering who he really is and what his true passions are. He sets out to meet the author with the determination to alter his fate. And upon meeting, the two worlds collide. The author is petrified to see that her main character has come to life and that he is very real indeed.

I can certainly relate to this movie as a writer working on my first novel. (In my last ezine, I made a promise to complete my inspirational novel by December 31, 2007. This was inspired by billionaire Bill Bartmann and I would like to invite you to attend his F-R-E-E seminar. For details, see my last blog post). The movie raises some intriguing questions: What does it mean to be real? To find one’s voice? To express one’s voice? Who is narrating our story? Can fate be altered? Where do the boundaries of fiction and non-fiction collide?

I certainly don’t pretend to know the answers. I can only share my perspective as a writer. One of the challenges writers face is to know their characters inside and out and to have a complete understanding of the world they have created so that everything magically comes to life. As the story-writing guru, Robert McKee, likes to say, “Not a sparrow should fall in the world of a writer that he wouldn’t know.”

I believe in a sense that we are all writers. We are writers of our own play. In The Hero Soul (www.HeroSoul.com), I close the last chapter of my book with a quote from Shakespeare:

“All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.”

The world is a stage upon which we perform. Each age consisting of the acts and scenes of the play. But it’s our play. We choose how we act in each scene moment by moment. What type of play do you want to write? What type of a life do you want to live?

Realizing that he is going to be killed off, Harold Crick asks the literary professor for advice. The professor gives him a deceptively simple answer, “Go, live your life! Do what you love to do!”

At first, Crick is offended by the professor’s triteness; but he realizes later that he has no control over his mortality and decides to do just that: live his life. He’s always wanted to play the guitar but never really had the time. For the first time in his life he walks into a guitar shop and sees this wicked turquoise guitar starring back at him. He picks up the guitar and begins strumming.
In that moment his life is transformed from a tragedy into a divine comedy.

What have we been denying ourselves? What type of play do we want to have a starring role in? Sometimes we act in an “If Only” play with a bit part in shoulding all over ourselves until we are mired in a pile of dung so high we can’t get out of it. I should write a novel. I should exercise. I should be a painter. I should start my own business. I should go on a dream vacation. If only I was younger. If only I was older. If only I had the money. If only I had the time.

In the professional world of writing there is a clause known as the “kill fee.” The kill fee is a fee paid by the editor to the writer for an assigned piece of writing that is killed off and never published. It’s usually a percentage of the total amount that was originally agreed upon between the editor and writer. Although there can be many reasons for rejecting a piece, the kill fee is often executed because the writing simply isn’t up to par.

When we’re not being our best selves, when we’re not expressing our unique voice, when we’re not being true to ourselves and not doing what we love to do, something inside of us dies. Life then pays us a kill fee: something less than what we truly deserve.

Are we living a life that’s worthy of being published, or will we live a life of mediocrity and accept the kill fee that’s assigned to us?

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance writer, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, "Psychology of the Hero Soul." He publishes his monthly Hero Soul ezine for cutting-edge advice on success, leadership and personal growth. To contact Sharif Khan about his writing and motivational speaking services, call: 416-417-1259.

Billionaire Speaks: Complimentary Invite

2006-11-18T18:25:00.000-05:00

I’d like to personally extend to you the opportunity of spending an evening with BILLIONAIRE BILL BARTMANN. If you ever wanted to meet a Billionaire this is your chance and he will share with you some key strategies to attain massive success in any endeavor.

The best part is it's F-R-E-E. All you have to do is register because seating is limited. When you register please use my name (SHARIF KHAN) for the “person who referred you”, thanks. To register online, go to: www.billbartmann.com/bbe.html or you can simply scroll down and click on the Event email provided below to immediately reserve your seat before all the spaces get filled up. I found Mr. Bartmann’s seminar to be not only educational but also incredibly inspiring as he shared his life story and I hope you will too.

From the Desk of:
Sharif Khan
http://www.HeroSoul.com
Copywriter, Inspirational Keynote Speaker,
Author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

Come spend an evening with a self-made Billionaire.

Discover the secrets to achieving personal and financial success from a man uniquely qualified to teach it, a man who went from broke to billionaire, an extraordinary man named Bill Bartmann.

Bill is coming to these US and Canadian cities to give his f.r.e.e. two-hour evening seminar:

Edmonton November 20, 2006
Calgary November 21, 2006
Vancouver December 5, 2006
New York City December 13, 2006
Toronto January 19, 2007
Phoenix February 24, 2007
Los Angeles May 19, 2007

If you'd like to finally understand what is holding you back in life and in business, and to break through this barrier to achieve success, then keep reading.

WHAT'S YOUR GOAL?

It doesn’t matter whether your goal is to become a millionaire or a billionaire or if you just want a bigger house, a nicer car, a better job, a healthier life or a happier relationship!

Bill will show you the secret to accomplishing any goal – without buying or selling real estate, trading stocks, or quitting your job (unless that is your particular goal).

Bill’s seminar is the only one conducted by a person who has actually achieved Billionaire status.

There are dozens of SELF-HELP and SUCCESS seminars that focus on teaching you how to exploit opportunities in real estate, stocks and bonds and a whole list of other “get – rich” techniques. Bill’s seminars are remarkably different. He doesn’t teach people how to buy real estate, although he owns millions of dollars worth of real estate. He doesn’t teach people how to buy stocks and bonds, although he has personally done over $3 billion in Wall Street transactions. Although he has made over a billion dollars in these arenas, he doesn’t teach people how to do either of these things. Instead, he shows them how to be successful with the tools they already have.

In this f.r.e.e. two-hour seminar he will share his copyrighted “Nine Steps To Set And Achieve Any Goal”.

These Nine Steps took him: from poverty and welfare to becoming the 25th wealthiest person in America; from homelessness to a 12,000 square foot home; from high school drop-out to becoming a lawyer and Harvard Business School case study; from working at a traveling carnival to being named National Entrepreneur of the Year, inducted into the Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and named one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs for the last 100 years in America; from street gang member and teenage alcoholic to being awarded the American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award, previously bestowed upon five U.S. Presidents and three Nobel Prize winners, and earning a permanent place in Smithsonian Institute's Museum of American History; from bankruptcy to billionaire...

And these Nine Steps can take you from where you are – to where you want to be!

Come and join us for a F.R.E.E. Evening Event with Bill Bartmann.

This seminar is F.R.E.E. but attendance will be limited to those who pre-register on a “first come” basis. Tickets may be reserved by sending an email containing your name and the name of the person (Sharif Khan) who referred you to:

EventsCoordinator@BillBartmann.com

Reserve your seat at this life changing event – before all the seats are gone.

“Bill, why are you doing this?”

I am doing this for two reasons, the same two reasons that compel me to do anything...it is the “Right” thing to do and it also is the “Good” thing to do.

It is the “Right” thing to do, because I sincerely believe that the secrets I have learned over the course of my life will help others achieve their success. I am also a believer of the old saying “to whom much has been given, much is expected”. I have been given much and now I want to find a way to help others by sharing what I have learned.

It is also the “Good” thing to do. I am a businessman. You don’t get to billionaire status without understanding the rules of business. I learned at an early age to never insult a person’s intelligence and I am not going to do that now. I know that if you come to my two-hour f.r.e.e. seminar and you get REAL VALUE out of what I share with you in that two-hour time frame, you will want more. If I deliver REAL VALUE you will want to participate in my year-long Billionaire Mentor Program that will help you succeed.

Now is this some trick – where I lure you into a two-hour seminar and then persuade you to buy my stuff – no, it isn’t. It is quite the opposite. I’ll tell you now and I’ll tell you at the two-hour seminar, I don’t want you buying anything that won’t help you or that you can’t afford. I don’t need your money. Instead, I will give you two hours for F-R-E-E and then you can make an intelligent decision of whether there is more I can teach you.

I hope I get the chance to meet you and I hope you will let me help you achieve the success you deserve.

Treat from Sharif. Halloween Special Edition.

2006-10-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

Inside This www.HeroSoul.com eZine Issue:
Halloween Special Edition Trick AND Treat from the Author!

1. Quote of the Month

2. The Treat: Secret recipes from a master French chef and his story
of defying those who said he’ll never cook again after a
paralyzing car crash

3. The Trick: The trick to achieving your goals plus a personal share

4. Halloween Scare: A fantasy horror short story from the author

5. Nurture the Champion Spirit in Your Workplace!

1. Quote of the Month

“I don’t ask myself if I can do it. I just ask myself how can I do it. If you
put an ‘if’ in there, you’re already putting an obstacle in front of yourself”

- French Chef, Pascal Ribreau (Taken from “A Quiet Courage” by Paula Todd)

2. The Story of Pascal Ribreau and Two of his Secret Chef Recipes

* “It is cold in uptown Toronto. Snowflakes eddy at the blue lacquered door of Celestin, the chic restaurant on ount Pleasant Road. A slender woman in a little black dress offers you a seat. Plump pockets of rabbit Ravioli infused with shallots, basil and olive oil swim in a big white bowl on your table. The chatter of nearby diners, the warmth from the kitchen, the scent of seared red pepper, butter and anise sauce envelop.

Through the open serving window you can see the cooks as they whiz and whirl silently about their tasks. In the corner, near the prep counter, there is a dark-haired boy-man with bright eyes. Tom Cruise would play him in the movie. He is strapped into a steel contraption that holds him erect and towering over his staff – a charming, hopping, herb-waving mechanical man.

Pascal Ribreau pushes a button on his motorized, stand-up wheelchair and jets over to the fridge. He barely has time to glance out at the swelling crowd, but there is a tiny smile on his face. He is doing his two favorite things: cooking, and proving people wrong.

Did he feel suicidal when his doctor told him he would never walk again and that he must abandon his successful career as a chef?

“No! I ignored her.”

Does he blame the driver, who, on a beautiful autumn afternoon, forced the car in which he was riding with his wife and friends off the road?

“No! Accidents are accidents. They happen. Let’s say the driver made one mistake in his life and it turned into a crisis for me. We don’t need more people to suffer from that. When I drove, maybe I wasn’t perfect. I could have created a situation like that, too.”

Did he succumb, as one easily might, to self-pity? “No! When I ask, Why me? I say, Why not me? It could happen to anybody. If we had decided to wait two more minutes, the accident would not have happened, but then it happens to a lot of people every day.”

Recovering from tragedy is far more complex, of course. But Ribreau is stubborn. Correction: very stubborn. It’s a characteristic that winds its way through his family tree, ruining relationships, estranging mothers and sons – but, ultimately saving his life…”

(After a horrific car accident on a Thanksgiving weekend in Montreal, Ribreau emerged with a broken back and tattered spinal cord leaving him paralyzed from the waist down).

“It would take Ribreau himself considerably longer to truly confront his paralysis. “When the accident just happens, you don’t understand the consequences. Not in the intensive care unit where the doctor says you will not walk; you will not feel your legs. Even there, you don’t realize it because you’re not active. You have drugs and friends and doctors around.”

In an instant, a man of boundless energy became a “T8 incomplete paraplegic,” with use of his arms alone. Two months in a morphine haze would pass before he was sufficiently recovered to fully appreciate that he was paralyzed. “And then you think, damn it, why can’t I move my legs?”

…Ribreau chose to see his new rehabilitation program not as the dreaded consequence of his accident, but as an accomplishment. “Maybe not in terms of mobility, but in terms of doing all the things you’re supposed to do after the injury. So, you see every day you are regaining.”

Ribreau used his willpower and his stubbornness to block the pain and depression. He repeatedly assured his wife: “If I get depressed, I will not let it get me down.”

…His doctor suggested he look for another profession, as cooking would now be too physically demanding. “But I’m good at that, not only at cooking but at directing people. That’s what I do, that is my passion. I didn’t want to find another job!”

So, Ribreau ignored the medical pessimists. “I didn’t even bother arguing with them. This is your belief, but I know what I’m gonna do, so that’s all. Don’t let others decide what will happen to you as a result of your tragedy.”

His accident has left him determined to help those who are also struggling. His eyes flash as he offers this warning: “Don’t let others tell you what your outcome will be. No one knows you except you. Don’t forget that!” ”

A Gift from Pascal

“A reviewer once said that Pascal Ribreau created ‘poetry on a plate.’ Here’s a recipe that will always remind the chef of that critical Christmas, shortly after his paralyzing accident, when he decided to take his fate into his own hands.

Duck Confit and Foie Gras Torte with Savoy Cabbage

2 large Savoy cabbage
2 confit duck legs (can be homemade or purchased) 500 g foie gras
12 very thin slices of double-smoked bacon
2 sheets of puff pastry (3mm thick)
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375°

1. Cutt off cabbage stem and break off leaves. Cook leaves in boiling water until tender (about three minutes).
2. Dry leaves and then sauté them in butter. Set aside to let cool.
3. Remove all meat from duck leg confit and separate by hand into small pieces.
4. Slice foie gras lengthwise into four pieces and pan sear both sides of each piece. Set aside to cool.
5. Once all ingredients have cooled, cut one puff pastry sheet into an eight-inch round, cut the other to twelve-inches.
6. Place the eight-inch puff pastry round on a baking sheet and layer the ingredients in the following order: half of all
cabbage leaves, duck bacon, foie gras. Season with salt and pepper on each layer.
7. Cover with remaining cabbage leaves and then the second puff pastry sheet. Pinch and score edges.
8. Brush top with egg yolk.

Place in the middle rack in the oven and bake for twenty minutes.

Ribreau served this dish to his astonished friends with oven-roasted wild duck and roasted Italian chestnuts with a red wine cassis sauce on the side

…And here is Ribreau’s much-loved rabbit ravioli dish he made before and after the accident, a symbol of life’s continuity:

Rabbit Ravioli

1 small rabbit (about 2 lb.) cut into pieces
1 package of wonton wrappers
1 cup of white wine and four cups of water
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 head of garlic cut in half
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 bunches of fresh basil
1 bunch of parsley
1 cup of olive oil
4 ounces of parmesan shavings
½ cup pitted Nicoise black olives
½ cup toasted pine nuts
salt and pepper

Sear the rabbit on both sides, then add the vegetables and the stems of the fresh herbs, deglaze with the wine and reduce for one minute before adding the water. Add garlic and let the rabbit simmer for two hours until the meat is tender, then let it cool down.

Wash half of the fresh herbs and cook them for fifteen seconds in boiling salted water and cool them in a bowl of ice water. Put the olive oil in a blender and mix these herbs with it and reserve.

Remove all the meat from the rabbit, shred it with a fork and season it with the rest of the fresh herbs, chopped and with some olive oil. Add the balsamic vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff all the ravioli dough with the rabbit meat and set aside.

To serve: Cook the ravioli for two minutes in salted boiling water, then put them in the rabbit stock to finish cooking for another two minutes. Garnish a bowl for each person with the olive oil and herb paste. Add five ravioli garnished with pitted black olives, pine nuts and the parmesan shavings.”

* Excerpted with special permission from Paula Todd, author of, “A Quiet Courage.” Copyright © 2004 by Paula Todd.
A Quiet Courage; Thomas Allen Publishers; ISBN 0-88762-155-4; To order visit: http://www.aquietcourage.com/

Compliments of http://www.herosoul.com/

3. The Trick to Achieving Your Goals

Well, now that I’ve given you a little treat, I can’t leave you on Halloween without a trick as well.
No, that’s NOT the Hero Soul philosophy. The Hero Soul philosophy is you can have your cake
and eat it too! So if you go out trick and treating, ask for both a trick AND a treat!

So what’s the trick to achieving your goals? Well, first of all, don’t call them goals! Instead, call
your goal a PROMISE. Why? You already know why! What happens when you set a “goal” for yourself? About 25% of the time or greater, you don’t end up achieving it, and so your brain is hard-wired not to take a goal that seriously. But when you make a promise to someone, what happens? You do EVERYTHING in your power to honor your promise because your integrity, reputation, and identity are on the line.

I got this excellent tip from billionaire Bill Bartmann (http://www.billbartmann.com/) when he was visiting Toronto, and I would highly recommend that you attend one of his seminars if he is coming to your area.

But there’s more to it than just that. The trick is to put yourself on the spot and tell others about your promise. As the prominent businessman and philanthropist, W. Clement Stone, once said:
“Tell everyone what you want to do and someone will want to help you do it.”

So here’s my promise that I’m sharing with all of you:

“I promise to have my inspirational novel that I’ve started research on to be completed by December 31, 2007!”

Whew! There, I’ve done it. I’ve put myself on the line. Now I have just over a year to complete my novel with everything else that I’m doing. And If I don’t do it, I’ll feel like a schmuck because some of you will be asking me what happened to my novel.

Ideally, I’d like to find the means to take an entire year off to dedicate myself to writing this novel on a full-time basis. So I’d appreciate any ideas, suggestions, or help in making this happen. Otherwise, I’ll have to make do with writing the novel in my spare time. I will also need help in getting a top agent and publishing house for my manuscript. And will appreciate any help in this area as well.

Sharif Khan
Author, The Hero Soul
http://www.herosoul.com/

4. Halloween Scare: A Fantasy Horror Story from the Author

In the spirit of Halloween, I’d like to share with my subscribers a supernatural thriller/fantasy horror short story that I wrote titled, The Witch Doctor. Here’s the link:
http://www.author-me.com/fict06/witchdoctor.htm

Why am I sharing this with my Hero Soul subscribers? Well, duh, it’s Halloween -- Boo! However, if you read my promise above, you’d understand that I’m developing venues to showcase my fiction writing to potential agents, editors, publishers, and a new fiction audience to help prepare the way for the release of my novel. (Which by the way will NOT be a horror title; it will be an inspirational fable/fantasy fiction).

But why is a ‘motivational’ author sending me this? Why not! I hate to break this to you, but I am human. I’m not Mr. Positive 24 hours a day, sunshine coming out my wahzoo, oozing enough enthusiasm to make someone want to puke. I do have a dark side, like everyone else, that I try to channel in safe creative outlets. And speaking of puking, just last night I was enjoying a re-run of The Exorcist with that head-spinning brat of a girl barking explicatives and barfing green ooze for the umpteenth time.

Now, I’m not a horror fan at all. But around Halloween time, I’ll indulge myself once in a while. And some horror films do have well-crafted, meaningful story lines – The Exorcist and The Omen being two of them. Well, okay, maybe also The Shining….“Here’s Johnnnnnnnnnnnnnny!!!”

5. Nurture the Champion Spirit in Your Workplace!

Looking for heroic ways to inspire that winning champion spirit in your workplace and develop leadership?

Here are three suggestions:

1. Hire Sharif as an inspirational keynote speaker for your upcoming conference or annual meeting. Watch http://www.inspirationalspeakervideo.com/ to learn more.

"Sharif gave a very motivational presentation to our members and sales leaders encouraging them to be more, do more, and play their best game. His talk was both inspirational and practical and gave our group some techniques to take away to develop a
successful winning attitude." - Anthony Gagliese, President, The Sum-It Club

2. Order copies of The Hero Soul book to honor the heroes and champions in your organization. (Roy Saunderson, founder of the Recognition Management Institute, has recommended The Hero Soul as a helpful recognition resource for companies to use in their Reward & Recognition programs). See how one organization is using the Hero Soul at their annual conference to inspire champions: http://kthomas.iweb.bsu.edu/pages/book.htm

"Everyone has a HERO locked up in the deep recesses of their mind…when you discover it, your self-image will skyrocket you to previously unimagined rewards. As your eyes travel from one page to the next, you will suddenly become aware of the masterful job Sharif has done in guiding you to this special place. I love it, so will you."
- Bob Proctor, Philosopher, Chairman, Life Success Productions

3. Use the Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide in your workgroup, team, book club, or lunch and learn, for lively discussion and study of the principles of success and psychology of great leaders in order to cultivate that champion spirit in your workplace.

To get your complimentary copy of the Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide, simply send an email to inspire@herosoul.com with "Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide" in the subject line and you will be emailed a copy.

“Our life is completed by modeling heroes. Here is your pick of some of the world’s best heroes which will make your life richer, more meaningful and impactful.”
- Mark Victor Hansen, Co-creator, # 1 New York Times best-selling series:
Chicken Soup for the Soul ®

Hero Soul eZine, Copyright © October 2006 by Sharif Khan. A F-R-E-E monthly column.

About the Author: Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a copywriter and communications specialist, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, "Psychology of the Hero Soul."

Garden of Eden: A Jungle Captive's Lesson in Dreams Come True

2006-09-27T10:03:00.001-04:00

Orchid collector kidnapped and held hostage for nine months in the South American Jungle realizes dream of creating world garden. How you can learn from his example to make your dreams come true.

BBC News recently reported the story of horticulturist and orchid collector, Tom Hart Dyke, who was kidnapped in 2000 in the Darien Gap in Panama by Colombian Guerrillas and held hostage for nine months in the South American jungle. He was on a plant collecting expedition with his friend Paul Winder when captured.

They experienced a horrific kidnapping ordeal and were both threatened with being beheaded. During this dark passage, in order to stay sane, Tom spent his time jotting down plans in his dairy and dreaming of a map garden containing exotic plants from around the world.

The original plan took root, he recalls, when he was threatened with execution: “My guards kicked down the door on June 16, 2000, my sister’s birthday, and said: ‘You’ve got five hours, mate.’ I started scribbling in my diary, drawing the shapes of my garden. It took an AK47 to focus my mind. It was: four walls, start drawing. The whole garden started with that threat. Five hours later the guards came back and we had iguana and armadillo for supper as usual; there was no more mention of being shot.” [Taken from Times Online, Aug. 4, 2006]

After his miraculous release, Tom set about building his dream garden and worked hard on cultivating a neglected two-acre garden at his family’s ancestral home in Kent. His dream garden is now a reality. Like something out of a fairy tale, Tom’s magical walled garden is situated in the historic Lullingston Castle grounds. He calls it “The World Garden of Plants,” which is divided into four continents and is now an award winning tourist attraction open to the public.

Think of this article as that AK47 to focus your mind on your dreams. Okay, so this article might not be as threatening, but it’ll spare you the nine months of captivity in the heart of darkness -- sans iguana and armadillo.

But seriously, since most of us don’t have guns pointed to our heads and we live in a predominantly free society, there should be no excuses for not living our dreams. Take the time now to concentrate your thoughts and focus on your dreams:

* Write out your plans for your magical dream world in a diary as Tom did.

* Re-create your plans by sketching them on paper. Use colors to make your drawing memorable.

* Visit your nearest Staples and get a pin cork board to create a Vision Board. Tack pictures, quotes, magazine cut-outs, and drawings that represent the dream lifestyle you want to live or the BIG goal you want to achieve. Look at that board every day and see yourself living that lifestyle.

* Create a replica ‘vision board’ by putting similar pictures on your fridge with fridge magnets as a further reminder.

* Put another reminder photo near your bathroom mirror; create a screensaver of it on your computer; and discreetly, or not so discreetly, put that dream sketch or photo somewhere near your workspace where you can look at it daily. During your breaks, you can focus on these pictures with intensity and daydream about what it would be like to actually live out your fantasy.

* Kidnap yourself! Take yourself hostage and go into captivity for a while to focus only on your dream world and the new reality you want to create for yourself. Go on a two day or week long retreat (or longer) to refresh and renew your mind, body, and soul and use this quiet time of solitude to reflect on your dreams.

* Watch the DVD movie The Secret which provides a powerful and visceral experience of the magic that can happen when you concentrate your thoughts on what you want, visualize your dreams, and feel the excitement of what it would be like to actually be living your dreams right now!

Become obsessed with your dream! Write down all the steps you need to take, all the goals you need to accomplish along the way, and list all the resources you need to tap into to recreate that Shangri La in your mind.

By immersing yourself in an oasis of dream thoughts, your heart will overflow with positive energy that will seep through and permeate every pore, cell, and molecular structure in your body. This is the timeless Law of Attraction that The Secret movie makes so vividly clear, where what you want, wants you, and you attract the very thing that is top of mind. You can use these dream thought projections to penetrate the far reaches of space and literally create your own Garden of Eden on earth.

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a copywriter and communications specialist, inspirational keynote speaker, and author of the leadership bestseller, "Psychology of the Hero Soul." He publishes his monthly Hero Soul ezine for cutting-edge advice on leadership and personal growth. To contact Sharif Khan about his business writing and motivational speaking services, call: 416-417-1259.

HERO SOUL Inspires Champions at Conference

2006-08-11T13:07:00.000-04:00

Looking for an inspiring conference book to uplift and empower attendees?

See how one organization used the Hero Soul at their annual conference to inspire champions: http://kthomas.iweb.bsu.edu/pages/book.htm

Psychology of the Hero Soul is an inspirational book on awakening the HERO within and developing YOUR leadership potential! *** Based on over ten years research in the field of human development ****

PRAISE FOR THE HERO SOUL:

"Everyone has a HERO locked up in the deep recesses of their mind…when you discover it, your self-image will skyrocket you to previously unimagined rewards. As your eyes travel from one page to the next, you will suddenly become aware of the masterful job Sharif has done in guiding you to this special place. I love it, so will you."
-Bob Proctor, Philosopher, Chairman, Life Success Productions

"This is a book that asks us to examine ourselves and see what we are made of, what we truly value or want in our lives, and to understand that life is not easy but the important things in life are worth pursuing. Drawing on philosophy, mythology, legend and psychology, Khan reminds us to stand up, stand firm, and be the heroes we are capable of becoming."
-Philip E. Humbert, Ph.D., Best Books Review

“Psychology of the Hero Soul will leave you inspired by the triumph of the human soul and show you how to harness the forces within you to live your highest life.”
-Debbie Ford, author of # 1 N.Y. Times Bestseller, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers

The Hero Soul is available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotions, premiums, fundraising, or educational use. For more info call: (416) 417-1259.

*** Ask for your FREE copy of the Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide today! Email inspire@herosoul.com for your free guide. ***

Need a Business Writer?

2006-07-08T15:37:00.000-04:00

“Sharif knows how to write clear and concise copy for business. He is quick, to the point, and a pleasure to work with.” - Carl Nanni, former VP, Kraft Canada

As a successful business writer with strong copywriting skills and a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of sales and marketing, my aim is to help you increase profits, save time, better educate staff and clients, and generate more exposure for your business.

Call 416.417.1259 or send an email to inspire@herosoul.com for a free, no-obligation quote on your next writing project. My writing services include articles, newsletters, website/email copy, reports, press releases, guides, manuals, books/ebooks, business proposals, brochures, circulars, and sales letters.

If you're looking for a top-notch copywriter / business writer to join your team, I'm confident I can help deliver results.

To greater success,

Sharif Khan www.herosoul.com
Business Writer, Former Director MetroActive Writer's Club
Author of leadership bestseller, "Psychology of the Hero Soul"
Author of ebook, “101 Ways to Market Your Business”

Business Writing, Copywriting, Communications, Publishing, Sales & Marketing, Business Development, Educational and Leadership Training Programs, Personal & Professional Development, Reward & Recognition Success Stories, and Freelance Writer Services for Advice Columns and Newsletters.

Where Have All The Heroes Gone?

2006-06-22T02:34:00.000-04:00

WHERE HAVE ALL THE HEROES GONE?
by Dan Castro

We are a society of hero worshipers. But we have had a dearth of heroes in recent years. Most of our leaders, superstar athletes, movie starts, CEO’s, presidents and senators have left us disappointed, frustrated, and disillusioned. These days, we have to look beyond the glitz of Hollywood, the weak excuses of superstar athletes, and the “spin” of politicians and CEO’s to find the true heroes.

Historical research shows that heroes have consistently followed the same set of principles over the last several thousand years without even knowing it. They have left us a well-worn trail to follow by their examples. Each of them, as individual role models, have joined together to form one giant, universal role model.

Heroes have an uncanny ability to look beyond the crisis of the moment and see a purpose so big and all encompassing that they forget, momentarily, about everything else, everything - including their own interests. These are the types of people who have always been our heroes - consistently over the last several thousand of years. These are the types of heroes we need more of today.

But who are these heroes and where do you find them? It turns out you don’t have to look very far.

At my Dad’s recent funeral in the little town of Castroville, Texas, a man came up to me and said, “Your Dad changed my life.” I was shocked.

My Dad was a typical old-style Hispanic authoritarian figure, with a jaw of stone, not prone to show great affection to anyone, including his family. He was a strong disciplinarian. We were terrified of him when we were kids. He could be harsh and cold at times, but he was still my Dad and we all loved and respected him.

He grew up in poverty as a migrant farm worker, traveling with the cotton crop harvest from season to season, living in small tent-cities with all the other migrant farm workers.
At the age of 17, he left home to join the Air Force. He did his basic training at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, like so many other enlisted men during that time. As it turned out, he had a very high IQ and became an intelligence officer, interpreting code as it was transmitted by the Russians during the cold war.

After receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he went to college at the tiny Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, where he decided to study to become a preacher. During the summers, he did volunteer work in the little town of Mason, Texas.

In that town, lived an impoverished teenage boy named Fred Zavala, who was being raised by his alcoholic grandfather in a one-room shack with no furniture in it except a rusty old bed spring. He was an outcast. One day, a skinny Bible student came to visit. The student was out to change the world, one person at a time. The student invited Fred and his grandfather to church. At first Fred resisted. But, because of the student's warm enthusiasm and zest for life, Fred eventually went to church. It was a small Hispanic Evangelical church in Mason, Texas.

At church, Fred developed a crush on a girl named Janie. But Janie's father knew of Fred's background and circumstances and was, therefore, not fond of Fred. Fred was never invited to Janie's house when her father invited other church members over for dinner after church. Instead, he would walk slowly in front of Janie's house with his head held low, his hands in his pockets, gazing longingly at Janie's house, wishing he could go in.

Eventually, as the Bible student's time in that little town was coming to end, he tried to get Fred a job so he could learn a trade and earn a living. He succeeded in getting Fred a job at an auto-mechanic shop, but things didn't work out there. Then Fred got a job hauling rocks to building sites. Every day, under the hot, burning Texas sun, Fred faithfully hauled his rocks. It was not a glamorous job. But it was a job. He looked on with fascination at the skill with which the stone-masons cut and laid the stone to build beautiful structures. He thought, "I’d like to learn to do that." He made an internal decision to learn stone masonry from the masons to whom he carried stone. By watching them and asking questions, he eventually did learn stone masonry. He pursued this craft with passion until his masterful work began to be noticed by others. His work received so much demand that he eventually started his own building business.

Over the years, he did well financially, and he eventually bought houses and land. He even married his dream girl—Janie! He also started a Mexican food restaurant across the street from the nicest steak house in town. Eventually, the steak house went out of business and the bank asked Fred if he was interested in buying the building. Fred did so and he turned the steak house into a thriving business. Now after church in Mason, Texas, most people eat at either Zavala's Mexican Restaurant or Fred's Steak House. The outcast who was rarely invited to dinner is one of the wealthiest men in town and owns two of the busiest restaurants.

How did this turn around come to be? It started with a poor, young college student with a passion for people. He saw what no one else in that little town saw. He saw riches where others saw rubble. The vision then spread and grew in the heart of a teenage boy who chose to believe in a force higher than himself and thus, came to believe in his own abilities. It happened because two unique men pursued their dreams with passion, consistent dedication, and blood, sweat, and tears. Neither Fred nor the young Bible student will ever be famous, but both accomplished their dreams. Both have lived happy, fulfilled lives. Fred obtained all he ever hoped for. The student accomplished his goals as well; he helped turn the life of a young man around from that of a poor outcast to that of a wealthy, highly respected businessman in the community. The student was my father, Daniel M. Castro. That’s why Fred Zavala came up to me at my Dad’s funeral and said, “Your Dad changed my life.”

We can now clone animals, and we may even be able to clone human beings soon. But we can’t clone character and integrity and the kind of selflessness that makes up the heart and souls of heroes. So, where will our future heroes come from? They will come from within. When we learn to see through the eyes of heroes, we will see the kinds of things heroes see. We will see riches where others see rubble. We will see opportunity where others see obstacles. We will be able to walk where heroes walk, and we will be able to act as heroes act. But first, it takes a decision. The decision behind the decision is to focus on a purpose bigger than ourselves.

When hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit, people from all over the U.S. invited complete strangers into their homes, and donated food, water, clothing, books and millions of dollars to the victims. It was a comforting reminder that if we ever suffer such a tragedy, there might be a few people out there who would come to our rescue.

When we help other people weather their storms, something unexplainable happens in the cosmos. Electricity starts to flow, we feel more energized, brain cells get more creative, people unite, hearts swell - and sometimes, just every now and then, miracles happen.

You don’t have to look far to find the true heroes among us. You may not see them on TV or read about them in the newspapers. But they are out there . . . changing the world . . . one person at a time.

Daniel R. Castro is the author of "Critical Choices That Change Lives: How Heroes Turn Tragedy Into Triumph," which is available at bookstores everywhere. Download the first chapter free at http://www.dancastro.com/

Father's Day Gift Idea

2006-05-31T22:39:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers,

Father's day is just around the corner on June 18. Why not honor Dad as your Hero by giving him a copy of The Hero Soul?

The Hero Soul makes a great inspirational gift that will move, touch and inspire!
It is an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and rekindling people's passion for greatness.

Visit Amazon.com to read some of the informative reviews on The Hero Soul or to read a sample chapter to get a feel for the book and determine whether it's a good gift idea for your dad.

Yours truly,

Sharif Khan
Author, The Hero Soul

“Greatness is a choice. And choice is the democratic equalizer of all people. Everyone, regardless of their rank, social status or income level has the power to choose great over good.”
- Sharif Khan, author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

Success Unwrapped Interview

2006-05-25T00:34:00.000-04:00

Inside This Issue:

1. Success Unwrapped Interview and Quote of the Month
2. Extra special greeting from Sharif to brighten your day
3. X-files interview with Stephen Covey on Leadership
4. Your update on my brother’s progress with cancer

<1>----------Success Unwrapped Interview and Quote of the Month

“Greatness is a choice. And choice is the democratic equalizer of all people. Everyone, regardless of their rank, social status or income level has the power to choose great over good.”
- Sharif Khan, author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

Dear Friends and Subscribers,

I’d like to introduce you to the hot success show: Success Unwrapped with Heather Vale!

“Success Unwrapped with Heather Vale is the weekly online radio talk show that ‘unwraps’ and reveals the secrets successful people use, and you can too!”

In this interview with Heather Vale, I reveal my success strategies, leadership insights, and talk more at length about the concepts and principles in my book, “Psychology of the Hero Soul.”

Heather Vale has developed a reputation for being a tough journalist in the personal development industry with an uncanny penchant for asking penetrating questions. She has asked me some questions that I’ve never been asked before and has gotten me to talk about certain matters that I would normally consider ‘taboo.’

I found it to be a challenging and enriching interview and I hope you will too. Here’s the link to our interview: http://www.successunwrappedradio.com/ (just scroll down a bit and hit the green ‘play’ button to listen)

<2>------------- Extra Special Greeting to Brighten Your Day!

As a special treat, I’d like to offer you an inspirational greeting to brighten your day: http://www.sharifkhan.com/

If this doesn’t put a big SMILE on your face then reading the first letter of lines 1 to 3 (“Inside this Issue”) at the top of this blog post most definitely will! :)

<3>------------- X-files Interview with Stephen Covey on Leadership

Speaking of interviews, I had the good fortune to interview Stephen Covey on his latest leadership insights from his seminal, ground-breaking work, “8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness.” To read the complete interview click on the following link: http://tinyurl.com/ksu9v

<4>------------- Your Update on my Brother’s Progress with Cancer

You will recall in my last post that my younger brother, Junaid, was diagnosed with tongue cancer in the advanced T4 stage having spread to two lymph nodes in his throat. As you can imagine, it has been a difficult and stressful time for the whole family.

Last week, my brother finished his radiation and chemo treatments at Sunnybrook Hospital. He had two high-doses of Cisplatin chemo and endured 30 treatments of painful radiation. The complications that have occurred during that time would be too much to mention in this newsletter. But needless to say, my brother has been very strong and courageous during this hellish ordeal. He is my hero. The staff, doctors, and nurses who have been treating my brother are also heroes who can sometimes get jaded because of how much they are underappreciated and unrecognized for the skillful but often unpleasant work that they do. I commend their efforts despite some of the skepticism I’ve encountered along the way.

Right now, my brother has reached peak levels of pain as the full force of the radiation treatments takes effect. It will be another six to eight weeks before he gets a prognosis based on x-ray test results. But the good news is that my brother has reacted positively to the treatments and his tumor has reduced to half its original size.

I believe your prayers and thoughts of love have really helped a lot. Thank you so much for your outpouring of love and goodwill! I can’t begin to express how thankful and grateful I am for all your support. So please keep praying for a complete healing in my brother and keep sending those thoughts of love and positive energy!

P.S. If any of you know of any good homeopaths/naturalpaths in the Toronto area with a successful history of treating people with cancer, please shoot me an email with their contact info. Thanks in advance.

Love and light,

Sharif Khan
Author, The Hero Soul
http://www.herosoul.com/
----------------------------------------------------------

*** Past Announcements & Offerings ***

1. Need F-R-E-E quality content for your publication, website or newsletter?

Visit http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sharif_Khan to access my article database for f.ree re-print. You have permission to publish my articles as long my author byline and website link appear at the end of the articles. My only request is, that as a common courtesy, you notify me when and where my article will be published, and send me a complimentary copy if it appears in any print publication.

Tip: providing valuable advice and useful content is a great way to get more clients for your business and keep them coming back for more. Additionally, if publishing online, it’s an effective way to increase your search engine rankings.

2. Looking for a f.reelance writer to help with your next writing project?

Whether you need a writer to write an ongoing column, feature article, weekly or monthly newsletter, business copy, web copy, or something more extensive such as an e-book or book, I might be able to help as a f.reelance writer.

For a f.ree no obligation quote, email me at sharif@herosoul.com with your specific requirements or call 416.417.1259

* Note: Because of my brother’s situation, and my already extremely busy schedule, I have to be very selective of the projects I get involved with. Also, it might be a while before I can commit to a project. I’m just putting out my feelers now. And please don’t be offended if I decline your offer; I have to carefully select work that I’m passionate about but also pays well.

3. The Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide NOW available!

As a way to further enhance your reading experience and deepen the concepts learned in "Psychology of the Hero Soul," I have developed a complimentary Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide to go along with my book. To get your f.ree copy, simply email me at sharif@herosoul.com with "Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide" in the subject line and I will email you a copy.

You can use the Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide for your own personal study and reflection or with discussion groups in book clubs, classrooms, workplace meetings, conferences, lunch and learns, etc. to stimulate lively discussion on the hero's journey, characteristics of heroes, and leadership development and personal development concepts mentioned in the book.

4. For Inspirational Keynotes and Leadership Seminars, visit my speaking demo online:
http://www.inspirationalspeakervideo.com/

5. Looking for an inspiring conference book to uplift and empower attendees?
See how one organization is using the Hero Soul at their annual conference to inspire
champions: http://kthomas.iweb.bsu.edu/pages/book.htm
(For quantity discounts call 416-417-1259)

6. Intention: I want to manifest the opportunity of becoming a contributor of a
nationally syndicated column for a large circulation newspaper or magazine. I’m not sure how this will happen or what it will look like, but I’m open to the possibilities. If you have any contacts, ideas, or suggestions, please email me at: sharif@herosoul.com

Free Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide

2006-05-20T22:08:00.000-04:00

Dear Readers,

As a way to further enhance your reading experience and deepen the concepts learned in "Psychology of the Hero Soul," I have developed a complimentary Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide to go along with my book. To get your free copy, simply email me at sharif@herosoul.com with "Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide" in the subject line and I will email you a copy.

You can use the Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide for your own personal study and reflection or with discussion groups in book clubs, classrooms, workplace meetings, conferences, lunch and learns, etc. to stimulate lively discussion on the hero's journey, characteristics of heroes, and leadership development and personal development concepts mentioned in the book.

Also, as an additional resource and motivational/inspirational support system, you can subcribe to the free Hero Soul monthly e-newsletter by visiting the hero soul website for cutting edge advice on leadership and personal and professional development. Go to http://www.herosoul.com and click on the "Free Newsletter" link to subscribe now.

Cordially yours,

Sharif Khan
Freelance Writer, Inspirational Speaker
Author, Psychology of the Hero Soul

Quotes from the Author:

"Heroes are rebels with a cause. Rebels because they challenge the traditional ways of thinking and refuse to follow the herd. They have a cause, a vision, that's larger than life." - Sharif Khan, author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

"Greatness is a choice. And choice is the democratic equalizer of all people. Everyone, regardless of their rank, social status or income level has the power to choose great over good." - Sharif Khan, author of Psychology of the Hero Soul

Cancer Treatment: Coping with Cancer

2006-03-16T22:31:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends and Subscribers,

This is probably the first time in over two years of publishing my Hero Soul newsletter that I am openly soliciting help and support from subscribers of my newsletter. I’m a little shaken up and shocked right now and was almost not going to write this newsletter.

My younger brother (Junaid; age 33) was recently diagnosed with cancer. Initially it was thought to be tongue cancer that could be cured by surgery; but the biopsy test results have shown the cancer has spread. It is very serious and could be beyond the stage of surgery.

My brother will have to undergo chemotherapy and radiation treatments. He is suffering great emotional and physical pain. He cannot talk or eat properly due to the severe pain in his mouth and has lost a lot of weight from ingesting only fluids.

All I ask is that you please pray for healing in my brother and mentally send him your thoughts of love. Your combined thoughts of love directed toward my brother will help in his recovery.

World-renowned scientist, Dr. Masaru Emoto, “discovered that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to
negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors.” (Taken from: www.whatthebleep.com/crystals). I believe that Dr. Emoto’s research applies equally to human beings, considering we are all made up mostly of water, and can have a profound positive impact in the art of healing. So, please send your concentrated thoughts of wholeness, beauty,
and love toward my brother and keep him in your prayers!

In love,

Sharif Khan
Author, The Hero Soul
http://www.herosoul.com/

P.S. Due to the circumstances, I will not be able to answer all my emails and return all calls. Any of you who have scheduled time with me, please understand it will have to be temporarily postponed. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

As I lay awake in bed late into the night and early morning with news of my brother’s condition, I debated whether or not I should still write my regular newsletter edition for this month. I decided I will because my calling and purpose in life is to write; and I feel it’s my duty to provide value to my readers. However, the difference is that the tone is more urgent. I asked myself,
if I knew I was going to die by noon today, what advice on success and life would I share with my readers? Here is my unedited response, so please forgive any typos, spelling, and grammatical errors:

First off, I would echo the voice of 18th century French philosopher Voltaire, made popular and relevant in today’s leadership lexicon by “Good to Great” author Jim Collins, who said, “Good is the Enemy of Great.”

1. “Good is the Enemy of Great.” Get rid of the good to make room for the great in your life. Instead of keeping the main thing the main thing, we major in too many minor things. In other words, many people do a few things that are good, a lot of things that are mediocre, but nothing that is GREAT.

Find the ONE thing you can be the best in the world at and focus unrelentingly on improving that one thing, polishing it to perfection.

Choose great over good in ALL areas of your life! It is far better to have a few great things than a lot of good or mediocre things. Instead of having six cheap shirts that you don’t feel so great in, have one fine quality shirt that you can feel proud to wear and that makes you feel like a million bucks! Instead of having five or six ho-hum paintings to decorate your walls, invest in ONE
magnificent masterpiece that leaves you breathless and enriches your soul every time you look at it! Instead of going to the usual cottage retreat every long-weekend, save up your money and go on one GREAT vacation that you’ve always dreamed of like going on a European boat-cruise, snorkeling in the Red Sea, or taking an art class in Paris. Instead of many mediocre friendships, have a few great friendships that energize and inspire you and that you can spend quality time fostering deeper relationships. You get the point.

Greatness is a choice! And choice is the democratic equalizer of all people. Everyone, regardless of their rank, social status or income level has the power to choose great over good.

2. Commit to an annual theme. Instead of making and breaking a number of well-wished but half-hearted New Year’s Resolutions, commit to an annual or lifetime theme. Pick a theme that defines your singular life purpose or what you are most passionate about and stick to it.

For example, my theme is: “Write First!” I have this theme posted right in front of me above my computer. My purpose is to write. I write first and ask questions later. I focus on writing (or things related to developing my writing) first and then worry about the urgent but non-important interruptions (paying bills, answering calls and emails, responding to invitations, etc.) that plague everyone. This theme takes precedence over everything else except my spiritual relationship with my Creator. The only exception to this rule would be a genuinely important priority that falls in one of my top values in life or attending to a family emergency
such as the one I’m facing at this time.

Your main theme for 2006 could be “Family First!” or “Health First!” or “Listen First!” or “Service Above Self.” Just pick one and commit to it.

Beside your main theme, make a list of your top values such as love, health, giving, peace, wealth, etc. to ground yourself and distinguish between important and non-important but urgent matters. In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin listed thirteen virtues (Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and Humility) to which he governed his life and gave a week’s strict attention to mastering one virtue at a time repeating the list in order every thirteen weeks.

3. Practice a policy of planned neglect. In other words, once you have established your theme or singular purpose (the one thing you can be the best in the world at) get into the habit of practicing your main habit FIRST before anything else. Everything else that’s non-important can get neglected and keep getting put-off. In other words, your daily to-do list will keep changing around your main theme which will remain constant – with very few exceptions.

4. Make a stop doing list. I’m not sure where I first heard this idea, but I borrowed it most recently from Jim Collin’s book, “Good to Great.” Too many people have important to-do lists that keep getting longer and longer. But very few people have ‘stop-doing’ lists. Make a list of everything you are doing that is not contributing to your core genius or main purpose and
core values – and stop doing it! Forget about your image and what other people will think, and STOP doing what’s not great in your life.

5. Be Simple. Get rid of the good to make room for the great. Literally! Get rid of the junk in your basement and file folders! Anything you haven’t touched or looked at in a year you probably need to get rid of it. Donate books and magazines you haven’t read and clothes you know you’re never going to wear. Empty your mind and physical space of unnecessary clutter
and make room for abundance! (Daily meditation is a great way to empty the mind and allow new inspiration).

6. Make HEALTH a priority NOW! Get a full physical check-up at least once a year. If something’s bothering you or you don’t feel right about something, get it checked out IMMEDIATELY! Don’t wait, until it’s too late. Take a proactive approach to your
health by taking preventative measures, eating healthy and exercising regularly. And make LOVE a top priority. If you haven’t taken the time to tell your loved ones how deeply you value and love them, then make time for it now.

Are you still reading this newsletter? WHY? Pick-up your phone, right now, and call your doctor to make that appointment! Call your loved ones now and book some real quality time together. Life is short and fragile. You may never get the chance
again.

7. Dreams. The dream is a window into your soul, a gateway into the unseen world, giving access to the unknown and revealing the invisible behind all that is visible. In my book, “Psychology of the Hero Soul,” (http://www.herosoul.com/; Chapter 14; pg. 77) I mention the importance of dreams and how to harness your dreams to awaken your creative potential. I can’t stress enough how important it is to get into the habit of jotting down your dreams and making an effort to interpret them. It is a great way to develop self-awareness and self-understanding and will enrich your life in many, many unforeseen ways.

Self-awareness and self-acceptance is so important in developing your self-esteem. Take the time to seriously ask yourself, “Who am I and what’s my purpose in life?” Write down your strengths and weakness, your highest ambitions and deepest fears, and make a list of everything you enjoy doing and all your hobbies. Take some personality tests to gain deeper understanding of who you are.

8. Face the brutal facts! Never hide from reality. Always get the hard facts about any situation you are facing. It doesn’t matter if you have a Harvard MBA and are the world’s greatest optimist if you pick the wrong location to open up a retail business! Likewise, face the brutal facts about yourself. If you haven’t even come close to achieving your dreams and goals, you need to honestly ask yourself why you haven’t reached your goals and figure out what has been preventing you. A great way to accomplish this is to ask a few friends you trust and who know you the following question: “How do you see me limiting myself?” (I have Jack Canfield to thank for this great question). Once you have the facts and fully understand the problem, spend over eighty percent of your time focusing on the solution.

9. ASK for help! If you need help, ask for it. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Ask for the sale, ask for the date, ask for support. Stop worrying about your image, reject the rejection, and ASK!

But don’t just be a taker. Please also give. Earn the right to ask by being a giver. Be a generous giver because whatever you put out into the world will return multiplied. The hero’s journey is about following your bliss, and doing what you love to do in service to others. “Service above self,” is a great motto to adopt.

10. Take Action! In my Hero Soul book, I have dedicated an entire chapter on taking action. The great succeed by taking continuous and concerted action toward a singular objective. And they continue to take unrelenting, consistent action for a period of years before becoming overnight successes. If you do just five new things every day towards achieving your biggest dream, you will one day be living your dream and as Thoreau once said, ‘meet with a success unexpected in common hours.’ But if you aren’t going to take action on the advice in this newsletter, why the heck are you reading it? Just hit the delete button!

One of my favorite movies is “The Shawshank Redemption” (based on Stephen King’s short story, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) about a successful banker, Andy Dufresne, who is convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife. I’m sure many of you have seen it.

For nineteen years Dufresne quietly chips away at his goal to escape by literally chipping the wall in his cell – a little bit every day – until one day he reaches his goal and escapes. His jail buddy, Red, comments that all it took “was pressure and time.”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen any movie replayed so many times on TV. It really intrigued me. So I did some research and found out that according to IMDB, The Shawshank Redemption is the second most popular movie of all time with The Godfather taking first place! That’s quite the accomplishment given how long The Godfather has been out.

Why is this movie so popular? I don’t really know the answer. But I think it’s because many people feel like they’re living in a prison and have been given a life sentence to doing work they really hate. They want to break free from their shackles. More than anything else, they want FREEDOM! And Shawshank delivers that moment of freedom. It’s a beautiful story that makes
the soul weep with joy and provides the hope and promise of being human.

The great thing about Shawshank is that it also provides a solution: by quietly chipping away at your main goal and consistently taking action everyday, you will achieve the success and freedom you have been longing for. With ‘pressure and time’ you can take the darkest coal and turn it into the most brilliant, most magnificent diamond the world has ever seen.

I hope this newsletter has been of value to you. In closing, I’d like to ask again that you please pray for healing in my brother and mentally send him your thoughts of love. Contributions on behalf of my brother, Junaid, are also welcome to help assist in treatment, care, and recovery.

Thank you so much for your continued support and loyalty.

Sharif Khan
Author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul”
http://www.herosoul.com/

Book Lover's Ball Brings Back Glory Days of Literature

2006-02-21T06:20:00.000-05:00

First inaugural Book Lover’s Ball a smashing success in support of the world’s busiest library

by Sharif Khan

The Toronto Public Library Foundation held its first inaugural Book Lover’s Ball fundraiser gala in support of the Toronto Public Library, the world’s busiest library with over 300,000 people visiting its 99 branches every week borrowing more than half a million items. Proceeds from the ball went towards “developing collections and services that promote reading and life long literacy.”

Held at the elegant The Liberty Grand Exhibition Place with over 500 who’s who guest attendees, The Book Lover’s Ball was a glamorous black tie affair that celebrated the written word in style and brought back the glory days of literature. The event kicked off with a VIP cocktail reception and silent auction held in an old-fashioned library on the balcony, followed by a divine dinner by celebrity chef Michael Stadtlander, a live auction and novel inspired fashion show, and dancing.

Event Chair and Publisher of McArthur & Company, Kim McArthur, congratulated publishers Thomas Allen and McClelland & Stewart on celebrating their 90th and 100th year anniversaries respectively. Canadian icon, Margaret Atwood, recipient of the prestigious Booker and Giller prizes and author of more than forty books, was awarded the Toronto Public Library Celebrates Reading Award recognizing her outstanding contribution to the enjoyment of reading.

Other celebrity authors also present included: June Callwood, Austin Clarke, Katherine Govier, Paul Quarrington, Ninno Ricci, Michael Winter, Canadian political writer, Peter C. Newman, Ken McGoogan, who was dressed up as the literary character John Rae in his novel, “Fatal Passage,” and Canadian South Asian author, M.G. Vassanji, recently made a member of the Order of Canada, and who with his wife, Nurjehan Aziz, founded publishing company TSAR (Toronto South Asian Review) for immigrants and new aspiring writers of literary fiction.

Honorary Chair and Toronto Mayor, David Miller recounted how his mother, who was a teacher and librarian, taught him to read at an early age. Books opened up a whole new world of adventures and dreams for him as a child and he stressed that every child should have access to books. Miller then went on to declare February as keep reading month in Toronto. (Not difficult to imagine considering over 60% of Torontonians have library cards). Canadian personality and Toronto Argonauts Coach, Michael “Pinball” Clemens went on to say how the library was an “equal access” opportunity for all and mentioned that “the only way to help others is to help yourself” by reading and educating oneself.

The silent auction included a 1st edition of “Harry Potter,” “The Complete Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis, and a stunning Tiffany 11.8 carat ring worth $15,000. The live auction offered a number of great escapes including accommodation at Bellavista, a Mediterranean-style, three-story villa overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

The novel inspired fashion show featured breathtaking designs based on classics such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Mutiny on the Bounty, The Great Gatsby, Gone With the Wind, and ended with a ravishing model adorned in a Mark Belford Couture gown gliding across the runway to a romantic solo violin rendition of Dr. Zhivago (sans Omar Sharif). It was an all around high class affair concluding with dancing to The Starz Band featuring Liberty Silver. James Frey and Paris Hilton were not invited...

The Toronto Public Library Foundation was established in 1997. Its mandate is to raise resources for the enhancement of collections, technology and programs of the Toronto Public Library. Heather Rumball is the President and Director of Development and can be reached directly at 416-393-7134.
http://www.tpl.toronto.on.ca/sup_fou_index.jsp

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com; sharif@herosoul.com) is an avid book lover, motivational speaker, freelance writer, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. To reach Sharif directly, call (416) 417-1259.

Sharif Khan Reveals Common Self-Help Myth

2006-02-12T11:50:00.000-05:00

I stumbled upon a rather interesting counterintuitive phenomenon in a Psychology Today article by Annie Murphy Paul titled, "Self-Help: Shattering the Myths":

Common self-help wisdom says, "visualize your goal, and you'll help make it come true."

But in this article, "Shelley Taylor, Ph.D., a psychologist at UCLA, has reservations about visualizing your goals. 'First of all, it separates the goal from what you need to do to get it. And second, it enables you to enjoy the feeling of being successful without actually having achieved anything. That takes away the power of the goal'

"[Instead], you should figure out what the steps to get there are, and then mentally rehearse them," says Taylor.

"In an experiment, Taylor asked some students preparing for an exam to imagine their happiness at having received an "A" on the test, and others to picture themselves sitting in the library, studying their textbooks and going over lecture notes. Those in the second group performed better on the test, and experienced less stress and worry."

This discovery gives us a useful strategy: Namely, to visualize the PROCESS of accomplishing a goal instead of just visualizing the end result.

However, I'm not sure how accurate and conclusive these test results are. I feel a combination of having written goals, visualizing the end result (as Olympic athletes do visualizing themselves recieving the gold medal), visualizing ourselves doing activities that will get us closer to our goals, and having an ACTION plan with daily activities/goals to get us to our target goal to be more effective than using any one strategy.

Sharif Khan
http://www.herosoul.com
Freelance Writer, Inspirational Speaker, Coach, Author, "The Hero Soul"
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Sharif Khan's New Website Launch: http://www.SharifKhan.com!!!

2006-02-09T21:08:00.000-05:00

Ladies & Gentlemen:

Announcing my brand NEW website launch: http://www.SharifKhan.com!!!!

Would love YOUR feedback!!

Sharif Khan
Freelance Writer, Inspirational Speaker, Coach
Author, Psychology of the Hero Soul
An inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing
your leadership potential

*** Join the FREE Hero Soul newsletter TODAY for the best advice in leadership and personal growth ***

Sharif Khan on "Greed"

2006-02-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

I was at an internet marketing seminar where internet marketing Guru, Derek Gehl, related a story about an internet marketer who was making over $100,000 a month by sending one of his product promotions every month through his email subscriber base of 2 million people.

Well, he decided if he made $100K every time he sent a promo email to his subscribers he could make even more money sending out a promo email every week instead of every month. So he started emailing his subscribers with promotions every week. And he was still making money. But the sales started to flatten out. Now he started getting 'desperate' and his greed glands took over and he started sending out his email promotions DAILY!

So what happened you may be wondering? Well, he totally destroyed his list and his reputation and his sales plummeted from a hundred thousand dollars a month to a thousand dollars a month. His customers got fed up with his constant promotions that treated them like cattle. In a nutshell: He got GREEDY! He killed the goose that laid the golden egg.

In an other case, there was a very successful hot dog vendor who prided himself on providing his customers with only the finest ingredients and quality hot dog toppings. By providing his customers with superior value, he built his hot dog business into a multi-million dollar empire.

Then he let his son take over the reins of the business. He was not a highly educated man, but his son had a top-notch MBA from a prestigious business school. Well, his soon took to immediately 'improving' the bottom-line of his father's company. In short order, he decided he could significantly increase the profit margins of the company by taking out some of the ingredients and reducing the amount of toppings.

In a very short period of time, customers realized they were being short-changed and immediately noticed a decline in quality in the hot dogs. They stopped buying from them eventually and switched their business to another vendor. Eventually the father and son operation had to be shut-down.

His father may not have had an MBA, but he had the common sense to provide real VALUE to his customers. That's the lesson we can all learn from this example:

Don't be greedy! Always, always, focus on providing VALUE to people. If you can provide great value at a profit, you will always be successful!

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance writer, motivational speaker, coach, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. He provides inspirational keynotes and leadership seminars and also helps companies develop empowering content through his copywriting services. To contact Sharif directly, call (416) 417-1259.

*** Join the Free Hero Soul newsletter today for best advice in leadership and personal growth ***

What is Your LQ: Leadership Quotient?

2005-12-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

Inside This Issue:

1. Quote of the Month
2. A Call to Leadership. What is Your LQ: Leadership Quotient?

*** Announcements ***

Looking for a speaker for your next event? Check out my new speaking demo online:
http://www.inspirationalspeakervideo.com

Looking for an inspiring conference book to uplift and empower attendees?
See how one organization is using the Hero Soul at their annual conference to inspire
members: http://kthomas.iweb.bsu.edu/pages/book.htm

New Year’s Intention: I want to manifest the opportunity of becoming a contributor of a
nationally syndicated column for a large circulation newspaper or magazine. I’m not sure how this will happen or what it will look like, but I’m open to the possibilities. If you have any contacts, ideas, or suggestions, please email me at: sharif@herosoul.com

FREE GUIDE! If you haven’t already, don’t forget to get your complimentary copy of the
“Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide.” Ask for your free guide today, email: inspire@herosoul.com

<1>-------------Quote of the Month----------------<

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Plato

<2>------------- What is Your LQ: Leadership Quotient? ----------------<

Dear Friends,

As the New Year approaches, I’d like to recommend taking a brief moment of pause from your hectic holiday pace to examine your life and reflect on where you are and where you’re headed.
Whether leading yourself toward a higher path, leading a family, community, congregation, or an entire organization, this is a good time to reexamine your leadership effectiveness. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, how would you rate yourself as a leader? Leadership effectiveness, what I like to call LQ or Leadership Quotient, is primarily determined by a combination of Physical Intelligence, Mental Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, and Spiritual Intelligence. These four areas (Body, Mind, Heart, and Spirit) are essential toward the making of a whole leader. Let’s explore the key leadership factors that bring wholeness:

1. Inspire with Integrity (Spirit or Conscience)
2. Initiative and Innovation (Body and Mind)
3. Impactful Influence (Heart)

An easy way to remember this is LQ = 6I (Inspiration, Integrity, Initiative, Innovation, Impact, and Influence). This exercise will only take about fifteen minutes in which you answer some questions and honestly rate yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 for each factor.

1. Inspire with Integrity (Spirit or Conscience)

Are you energized with a larger than life vision or transcendent goal that serves the greater good and inspires others, or is your focus limited to only your own immediate needs? Are you aware of your highest purpose?

Great leaders subordinate their ego to their spirit or conscience by putting the needs of others before their own and finding a cause or purpose that’s greater than themselves. This gives a leader the moral authority to lead others.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for * Inspiration _________

(*In my book, The Hero Soul, pg. 117, I provide deeper reflections on ‘inspiration’).

Do your actions reflect your vision, beliefs, and values? Do you do as you say and honor your word? Andrew Carnegie once said, “As I grow older, I pay less attention to what [people] say. I just watch what they do.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Integrity ___________

2. Initiative and Innovation (Body and Mind)

Once you know what your highest purpose and core genius is, how well do you execute on your vision and key priorities? Are you focused on doing the right things, what’s important, or are you spending too much time on urgent but not important activities and doing things right?

Leadership is about doing, taking initiative, and getting things done. Do you usually wait for things to happen and wait for others to initiate, or do you make things happen and initiate things on your own?

Additionally, the body is the temple of the spirit. Are you taking care of your body by exercising regularly and eating healthy so you have enough energy to take lots of action, or are you often succumbing to whims of the day?

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Initiative ___________

Are you continually growing and innovating as a leader in the never ending pursuit of excellence, or are you settling for mediocrity by being comfortable with the status quo?

Are you using your creative problem-solving skills and imagination to become a change-agent by experimenting with new ideas, solutions, and technology, or are you continually in fire-fighting mode by being frequently blindsided with change?

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Innovation ___________

3. Impactful Influence (Heart)

Are you reaching out to people and making an emotional impact in their lives? Are you getting to intimately know people in your circle of influence and taking the time to find out their fears, desires, challenges, and goals? Are you touching people’s lives by serving? The old adage, “people don’t care about what you know, until they know you care,” applies here.

The hero’s journey is about following your bliss and doing what you love doing in service to others. Interestingly, through the heart, by making an emotional impact in people’s lives and serving, the spiritual dimension is tapped. Rabrindranath Tagore once said, "I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." In other words, service is spirit.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Impact ___________

Finally, influence is a measure of your character that comes with time and experience. How wide and impactful is your influence? Are people seeking you out for your leadership, mentorship, and guidance? What is the quality of people you have attracted in your work and life?

We are in many ways the sum total reflection of the people in our circle of influence. Look around you. What type of people have you attracted in your sphere of influence? The majority of people you attract in your life, whether negative or positive, bright or ignorant, are mostly a reflection of your own character. If you’re not happy with the quality of people in your circle of influence, it’s time to work on yourself.

On a scale of 1 to 10, rate yourself for Influence ___________

After you’ve rated yourself for all six factors (Inspiration, Integrity, Initiative, Innovation, Impact, and Influence), add all the scores and divide by six. This indicator will give you a rough idea of your total LQ and where you need to make improvements. Make it a goal in the New Year to raise the bar in every category. But don’t wait till the New Year. Start NOW!

We have now come full circle in the leadership cycle starting with spirit (call it whatever you want) and ending with spirit; for everything rises and falls on leadership, everything comes from the spirit and returns to the spirit like the dust in the wind. Our highest purpose comes from spirit and returns to it in the form of service.

By subordinating our vision to the spirit, our conscience, our highest purpose is revealed. If you are not sure about your purpose, ask your higher self for guidance. A great way to do this is to ask a question before you go to sleep fully expecting an answer to be revealed in a dream or when you wake up. It might take several tries, but that’s okay, keep at it -- and the answer will be revealed to you. A question you could ask might be, “What is my highest purpose?” or “How can I use my core genius to serve the greatest good?”

Personally, I’ve found prayer to be the most effective means and have recently adopted a prayer that Oprah Winfrey has used for several years, “Use me God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself.”

May your own hero’s journey meet with the crest of the rising sun.

Many blessings to all of you during this special holiday season,

Sharif Khan

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com; sharif@herosoul.com) is a professional speaker, writer, coach, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. For more information, visit http://www.herosoul.com or call (416) 417-1259.

Copyright © 2005 Sharif Khan

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On Success

2005-11-21T22:52:00.000-05:00

"Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." - Earl Nightingale

Earl Nightingale’s words of wisdom still ring true to this day when he said, “Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.” Sounds pretty straightforward, but how many people really understand what that means, let alone practice it on a daily basis?

Obtaining a car, or a house, might be nice goals to have, but they’re hardly what I call a ‘worthy ideal.’ It’s not going to get you up in the mornings, inspired to take massive action and expend a tremendous conscious effort towards a cause, a dream, that’s larger than life.

Every successful person I know decided at one point who they ideally wanted to be and how they wanted to live their life, while also realizing where they were really at, and then decided to bridge that gap until they were living their dreams.

They bridged the gap by consistently focusing on their dream, feeling it with strong emotion being realized already, and taking purposeful actions that moved them closer to their dream, every single day. And that, my friends, is ‘the progressive realization of a worthy ideal.’ We attract in life what we consistently focus on, act on, and feel through spaced repetition. If you do that, you will be successful.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), the author, poet, philosopher, naturalist, and educator, had this to say about ‘the progressive realization of a worthy ideal’:

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success in uncommon hours."

Take out a blank sheet of paper, and write down on one page, the person you want to become ten years from now and how you want to be perceived, and then begin living that now. In other words, every day, just be and act like that person. And you will, as Thoreau once said, ‘meet with success in uncommon hours.’

Hero Soul
Sharif Khan is a professional speaker, freelance writer, coach, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. Based on over ten years research in human development and leadership, Khan provides inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops that empower audiences to unleash their inner-hero potential for higher success. With several years of writing and publishing experience, Khan also helps companies develop empowering content through his copywriting services. For more information visit http://www.herosoul.com. To reach Sharif directly call (416)417-1259 or email: sharif@herosoul.com

Attitude of Gratitude

2005-11-19T18:45:00.000-05:00

“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” ~ Johannes A. Gaertner ~

Johannes A. Gaertner (1912 - 1996) was born in Berlin and settled in the United States in 1946. He was a well-known professor of art history, and a much-admired poet and a theologian.

I had the opportunity and good fortune to help volunteer, locally, for Anthony Robbin’s Basket Brigade Food Drive. It was an awesome experience helping to supply food and delivering to needy families. As a result, we were able to feed over 87 families in our local neighborhood. What a great feeling!

On one of my food delivery trips, I was invited in for tea and cookies by a Pakistani woman and her family. She was a charming, soft-spoken woman, and was delighted when my co-volunteer and I dropped by with a large box of food and goodies.

I was humbled when I learned that she had a PhD in food science, but couldn’t find any work for years because she wasn’t a Canadian Citizen, and her extensive credentials were not recognized here, along with the race and language barrier she had to deal with. (You just never can know what despair really looks like until you meet face to face. We often have a certain ‘image’ in our minds of what it looks like which is not accurate). Despite her sorrows, she was very grateful we came, and even offered to volunteer.

It was a wonderful gesture on her part and a learning lesson for me. You know, I heard Bob Proctor mention somewhere that “Gratitude keeps you connected to your source of supply.” It’s so true! I couldn’t help but feeling grateful for all that I have. I am grateful for being a Canadian Citizen living in a country of abundance and freedom, with a great and affordable education and health system, doing what I love doing!

The highlight of the evening was getting together with all the volunteers for a potluck dinner and sharing our experiences and giving thanks. We shared lots of heart to heart hugs too, which is proven in research for developing happier, healthier, well-adjusted human beings.
Another highlight was getting a chance to pet the organizer’s chocolate brown and white bunny rabbit, Mocha. Although I love chocolate and Mocha coffee, this is one instance I was grateful that it didn’t turn into a “Fatal Attraction” of some sorts.

When you feel grateful for all that you have and all that you do, you can’t help but feel connected to the Divine, and the sense of fulfillment and joy that comes as a result.

Write down a statement for all the blessings in your life and everything you feel grateful for in your life. Then make a habit of reading your statement out loud every morning for 90 days, and watch the results. You will feel more connected to the infinite potential within you and begin attracting more good things in your life.

Hero Soul
Sharif Khan is a professional speaker, freelance writer, coach, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. Based on over ten years research in human development and leadership, Khan provides inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops that empower audiences to unleash their inner-hero potential for higher success. With several years of writing and publishing experience, Khan also helps companies develop empowering content through his copywriting services. For more information visit http://www.herosoul.com. To reach Sharif directly call (416)417-1259 or email: sharif@herosoul.com

Success Tips

2005-11-15T11:35:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I try out ‘success ideas’ to test their validity or come up with intriguing insights that I just can’t wait to share with my loyal readers. Well, this is one of those moments! Actually, I have TWO quick tips for you:

Tip # 1
You cannot receive more, if your cup is full. In order to receive new inspiration and ideas, one must clear their mind of clutter through meditation. This applies to physical space as well.

My closet was full of old clothes I wasn’t wearing but was still hanging on to for both sentimental reasons as well as not wanting to pay for new clothes. I saw it as wasteful to buy new clothes when I had plenty of perfectly good clothing. Only problem was that certain clothing didn’t suit me anymore and I didn’t like the way they looked on me.

To make a long story short, I emptied my closet of ALL clothing that I hadn’t worn in a long time and donated it to a used clothing facility and said to myself, “I am making room for the universe to provide me with quality clothing I will enjoy wearing and look good in.” Well, within a month, I was talking to a good friend, and out of the blue, he just asked me what size I wore. Turns out my size was close to his. Next thing I know, I’m carrying out a huge bundle of quality clothing from his house (Armani’s, Polo’s, Christian Dior’s, suits, ties, pants, shirts, you name it!). They were used clothing, but in mint condition and most had just been dry cleaned! He just gavethem to me for no particular reason!!

You can do the same: get rid of old clothes in your closet, get rid of that ripped sofa you’ve had for years, or those lack-luster drapes that have been annoying you for so long. GET RID OF THEM NOW! Preferably give them away or donate them. Then just sit back and allow the universe to provide better stuff. In the process, you will raise your standard of living. [Don’t know where I got this idea originally, but I heard it a second time listening to one of Bob Proctor’s Freedom Series tapes and applied it immediately!]

Tip # 2
Take a hundred dollar bill or greater and go ‘abundance shopping.’ For at least a couple hours or half a day, go around the mall or your favorite shopping spot, looking at stuff that you really like. Pick out items and make Mental purchases, saying to yourself, “Ooooh, I really like that! I can get that with my hundred bucks. Oh this is really nice too, I can buy that, I have more than enough! I love that elegant Schaeffer pen, I can get that too!”

Just walk around making thousands and thousands of dollars worth of ‘emotional purchases’ with that one hundred dollar bill. What you are doing is creating the psychology of abundance instead of lack thoughts such as: “Gotta pay those bills. That’s too expensive. Can’t afford that right now.” (Which your mind accepts as your reality and perpetuates lack).

When I first tried this, within a matter of a few weeks, sometimes days, I started getting business deals or money coming to me from unexpected places. A person who owed me money who hadn’t paid in a while and who I didn’t expect to ever pay, called me out of the blue and said he had my money! It’s great! Give it a try. [I got this idea from reading “Excuse Me, Your Life Is Waiting: The Astonishing Power of Feelings” by Lynn Grabhorn]

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance copywriter, motivational speaker, and coach. He is author of, Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. Khan provides inspirational keynotes and leadership seminars to help people live heroically.To contact Sharif directly, call (416) 417-1259.

Copyright © 2005, by Sharif Khan. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Interview with Stephen Covey

2005-11-09T19:24:00.000-05:00

Interview by Sharif Khan

“The call and need of a new era is for greatness. It’s for fulfillment,
passionate execution and significant contribution.”
- Stephen R. Covey, from The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to
Greatness

Making a rare public appearance in Toronto at the Mississauga Living
Arts Centre, world-respected leadership authority and author of the
international bestseller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, named
the #1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century,
Dr. Stephen R. Covey spoke on his latest book, The 8th Habit: From
Effectiveness to Greatness to a packed audience.

Having taught principle-centered leadership for over four decades,
this living legend and world icon, with his quiet energy and grace, epitomized a call to greatness and earned the respect of the audience -- standing as a grandfather figure for unleashing human potential in many generations.

A hero to millions, Dr. Covey is known the world over for his landmark work
around helping people take profound ideas, philosophies, and principles and
distilling them into easy-to-use daily habits that anyone can apply. In his
inspirational presentation at the Living Arts Centre, he conveyed simple yet
very powerful gems of wisdom that I found practical and useful. For example,
if you want your children to develop a love of learning and never have to rag on them again for not doing their homework and not getting better grades, simply ask them when they return from school, “Teach me what you’ve learned today.” By using this one simple habit, Covey claims he’s never had a problem encouraging his children to learn because teaching is the best way to learn.

Another gem he talked about is the habit of seeking to understand before being understood through empathic listening. In the audience of over 800 people, he asked how many people had any formal training on listening; only 13 hands went up revealing just how ego-centric of a me-me-me culture we live in. Covey related how many Native Indian tribes use what’s called the Talking Stick which is used in all meetings where the person holding the Talking Stick is the only person allowed to speak until he or she feels understood; when the possessor of the Talking Stick feels completely understood, then, and only then, is the Talking Stick passed on to the next person. This creates an incredible understanding and synergy among the team. Every business would do well to have a Talking Stick!

Covey then went on to the crux of his message which is the 8th Habit of
becoming an island of excellence in a sea of mediocrity by finding one’s voice and helping others to find theirs. According to Covey, the main problem is that businesses are still trapped in the old paradigm of Industrial Age thinking even though we’re well into the Knowledge
Worker Age.

What’s required is a new paradigm he calls the “whole body
paradigm” of integrating body, mind, heart, and spirit which he respectively
equates to the principles of discipline, vision, passion, and conscience. The Industrial Age is still very much focused on the body (things, systems, structures, procedures, efficiency, bottom-line). But Covey estimates that approximately 80 percent of all the value added to goods and services now comes from knowledge work versus things. Twenty years ago that number
was the inverse: only 20 percent.

So the key is not behavior – it’s the map. The key is the accuracy of the map. Once paradigm shifts the behavior will also shift. Covey clearly illustrated this point by asking everyone to close their eyes and point “North.” When he asked us to open our eyes and look around, I noticed everyone was pointing in different directions! In a similar vein, the majority of organizations have their people pointing in different directions; sighting a recent Harris Poll, Covey states that “only 37 percent of workers say they have a clear understanding of what their organization is trying to achieve and why.” No one knows where true “North” is. There is no moral compass, no conscience, no guiding spirit.

Part of the solution, according to Covey, is to have a transcendent goal, what he calls a WIG or Wildly Important Goal, that serves a greater purpose. Only once this goal is clearly communicated to everyone in an organization can quantum improvements begin to happen in the workplace.

Here is my interview with Dr. Covey revealing his latest insights from his most recent book, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness:

What sacrifices have you made to be where you are today?

I have worked very hard to dedicate my personal and professional life to
principle-centered living. I am driven by a passion and conscience to spread
understanding for principles and how to apply them to reach greatness. To that extent, there is no sacrifice – only a passionate, relentless commitment to my work, family, community and church to make a lasting difference.

What in your opinion is the most important attribute of a leader and why?

I believe the most important attribute for a leader is being principle-centered. Centering on principles that are universal and timeless provides a foundation and compass to guide every decision and every act. I’ve based my life’s work on promoting principles and teaching the power that resides in principle-centered leadership. Principles are not my invention; they are self-evident and are found throughout the world. If you look at all enduring philosophies, religions and thoughts, you will find principles such as integrity, compassion, trust, honesty, accountability and others at their core. I simply translated these principles into a framework of habits, which when followed with consistency and frequency transforms one’s character and allows one to earn the moral authority necessary for enduring leadership.

I must also clarify the definition of leadership, which is sadly and narrowly defined as position, title, status or rank. This is formal authority and not necessarily leadership. Through years of study, teaching and working with people all over the world, from all walks of life, I have determined that leadership is: Communicating to people their worth and potential so clearly that they come to see it in themselves. It is the influence we have with others to help them discover their own voice, to find their own purpose, to make their unique contribution, and to release their potential, that truly defines leadership. Thus, leadership extends to the many personal and professional roles we play – as workers, parents, children, teachers, students, swamis, you name it – and the choice we make to live by principles to help others find their voice.

In your book, 8th Habit, you talk about finding one’s voice and developing one’s “unique personal significance.” How does one begin doing that?

To achieve greater heights each person must be challenged to find their
voice – their unique personal significance and purposeful meaning – and help
others to find theirs. Voice lies at the nexus of talent, passion, need and
conscience. When anyone engages in work that taps into their talent and fuels their passion – that rises out of a great need in the world that they feel drawn by conscience to meet – therein lies their voice in life. The 8th Habit is all about how to find your voice and help others to find theirs.

What leader do you really admire and why?

One immediate leader who comes to mind is Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank. His story is one that illustrates the path to finding one’s voice and helping others find theirs. Muhammad saw a need, felt his conscience move him to try and fill that need and applied his talents and passion to fill it. In the process, he found his voice and helped others to find theirs.

Muhammad wanted to help his impoverished fellow citizens in Bangladesh. He met a woman who made bamboo stools only to make two U.S. pennies each day. He inquired about her work and found that the woman had no money to buy the necessary bamboo, so she was forced to borrow money from a trader on condition that she sell him her finished product at a price he dictated. This poor woman in essence was held hostage by this trader.

This woman was not alone, there was an entire village of 42 hard working people working in unbearable circumstances and Muhammad calculated that it only required $27 U.S. dollars to help them out. He immediately gave the money to the people and told them it was a loan to be re-paid when they were able.

Muhammad even went further to ask the local bank to loan these villagers
additional money and offered himself as a guarantor. Much to the skepticism
and surprise of the bankers, the villagers paid every penny back on several
loans.

Muhammad eventually expanded this loan program by creating his own
micro-credit lending institution called the Grameen Bank, so he could help
numerous villages.

Grameen Bank now works with more than 46,000 villages giving micro-loans,
lending approximately half a billion dollars a year to empower the poor
(96% of whom are women) to produce and sell their goods and build housing.
So far, the bank has assisted 3.7 million people. The micro-credit movement has now spread throughout the world.

What advice would you give youth who will become future leaders of tomorrow?

In my 8th Habit book I share the idea that everyone chooses one of two roads
in life, whether you’re older or younger, man or woman, rich or poor. The most traveled road is the one that takes us to mediocrity and the other less traveled road takes us to greatness and meaning. The first road limits us and prevents us from realizing our full potential. This road is often the quick-fix or short-cut approach to life. It often lures us to it when we don’t take accountability for ourselves or see ourselves as victims. My advice to the youth is to avoid the road of mediocrity. It’s probably hard for them to see into the long-term, but if they will try to see themselves as human beings with vast potential, and see that next to life itself their greatest gift is choice – they can choose their responses to whatever comes to them in life, and take responsibility for their choices, their behaviors, their feelings and choose to create their future.

My son, Sean, wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens to help
[young people] become their best selves. He speaks wonderfully to the youth
(much better than I), and I would recommend his book to anyone wanting to
start good habits at a young age.

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a professional speaker, freelance writer, coach, and author of “Psychology of the Hero Soul,” an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. To contact Sharif directly, call: (416) 417-1259.

Copyright © 2005 by Sharif Khan

Conspiracy Theory Proven

2005-10-24T10:05:00.000-04:00

* * * Warning: Reading this issue may cause severe side-effects such as loss of negative-attitude, increased success-rate, and abundance problems * * *

Inside This Issue:
1. Quote of the Month
2. Conspiracy Theory Proven
3. FREE GUIDE! Get your complimentary copy of the “Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide.”
Ask for your free guide today, email: inspire@herosoul.com
4. Leadership Seminar with Sharif on Oct. 25: http://www.herosoul.nags.ca/
5. Hero Soul Book-Signing: October 29, Coles - Scarborough Town Centre

<1>-------------Quote of the Month----------------< “I’ve always been the opposite of a paranoid. I operate as if everyone is part of a plot to enhance my well-being.” – Dr. Stan Dale, Founder of the Human Awareness Institute <2>-------------Conspiracy Theory Proven----------------< title="http://www.herosoul.com/" href="http://www.herosoul.com/">http://www.herosoul.com/, when an interesting thing happened. Some total stranger had emailed me a link, quite a while back, with a completely re-designed title graphic for my homepage. He didn’t ask for payment – and it was just puzzling to me why someone would do that. After thanking him, I saved the email and quickly forgot about it. But because I was in the head space of expecting good things to happen, as I was updating
my site, I remembered the email and replaced my boring, Arial-font title graphic with the newly designed one. The point is that had I not been in the head space of looking for how people were plotting to help me, I probably would have forgotten all about that email and I wouldn’t be enjoying the better response I’m getting now. How many times do we take wonderful things that people have done for us for granted? How quickly we forget about the generous things that
people do for us.

I have since then adopted this new belief system and I am convinced the conspiracy theory is real. I now believe that there’s a world-wide conspiracy to help make my book, The Hero Soul, an international bestseller translated in over 50 languages – making a powerful and positive impact in the lives of millions of people around the globe!

Action Step

How about trying on this new belief system on for size? If it doesn’t fit, or you don’t like it, you can always return it. What’ve you got to lose by believing that people are out to get you – in a good way? That people are conspiring everywhere to help you?

Try it on for size. (I recommend at least sixty days). Make a list of all the good things people have done for you in the past couple months. Expect great things to happen. Write me at inspire@herosoul.com if you’d like to share any interesting results that you’ve experienced from trying on this new belief system.

<3>-------------Free Book Discussion Guide----------------< title="mailto:inspire@herosoul.com" href="mailto:inspire@herosoul.com">inspire@herosoul.com requesting your free Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide.

As you know, there is strength in numbers. If you can find a partner or a group of people to discuss the ideas in my book, The Hero Soul, you are more likely to remember the key concepts while having a support group to encourage each other along the way. The Hero Soul Book Discussion Guide is ideal for anyone looking to organize a book discussion group
or book club to deepen their understanding of the book’s subject matter while stimulating lively discussion among members.

<4>-------------Leadership Seminar----------------<
Awaken the Hero Within: Unlock Your Leadership Genius
Northern District Library, Room 200,
40 Orchard View Boulevard,Toronto (Yonge and Eglinton)
Date: Tuesday, October 25th
Time: 6:00 pm Phone: (416) 417-1259 Details: http://www.herosoul.nags.ca/

Awaken the Hero Within: Unlock Your Leadership Genius

2005-10-17T21:32:00.000-04:00

PRAUT SEMINARS PRESENTS:

AWAKEN THE HERO WITHIN: Unlock Your Leadership Genius

In his inspirational speech, Sharif Khan, best-selling author of Psychology of the Hero Soul (http://www.herosoul.com), will show you how to unlock your inner-hero potential for higher success. Learn to tap into your Leadership Genius and take your business or career to the next level.

Cost: Free to attend

Location: Northern District Library, Room 200,
40 Orchard View Boulevard, Toronto (Yonge and Eglinton)
Date: Tuesday, October 25th Time: 6:00 pm

Details: http://www.herosoul.nags.ca

10 Ways to De-Motivate Your Employees

2005-09-14T18:33:00.000-04:00

by Sharif Khan

1. Don’t ask for feedback on how you can make things better.

2. Criticize your employees in public.

3. Do spend more time in your corner office not talking with your staff.

4. Don’t offer praise and recognition for improvements and work accomplishments.

5. Punish your employees for taking risks.

6. Don’t empower your employees to make their own decisions.

7. Do spend more time offering unsolicited advice instead of really listening.

8. Don’t offer any mentorship opportunities.

9. Don’t offer any opportunities for personal and professional development.

10. Do overwork your staff without offering any meaningful incentives and rewards.

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance copywriter, motivational speaker, and coach. He is author of, Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. Khan provides inspirational keynotes and leadership seminars to help people live heroically.
To contact Sharif directly, call (416) 417-1259.

Copyright © 2005, by Sharif Khan. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Book Report on Creating a Heroic Work Environment

2005-09-07T00:01:00.000-04:00

A Journey into the Heroic Environment:
A Personal Guide to Creating a Work Environment
Built on Shared Values, 3rd Edition

Rob Lebow
(SelectBooks, New York; 2004;
1590790618) $21.95

REVIEWED BY SHARIF KHAN

Living in what Alan Greenspan called an era of “infectious greed” with corporate titans facing serious jail time, Ex-WorldCom CEO, Bernard Ebbers, leading the way facing life behind bars, and sobering laws in place such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act making ethics and values increasingly important components in every organization, it would do well to learn how to help organizations create heroic environments based on higher standards of excellence. Mr. Rob Lebow, former Director of Corporate Communications for Microsoft, with over twenty years experience helping companies implement his Shared Values Process to create what he calls, a Freedom-Based Workplace, attempts to do just that for readers in his book, A Journey into the Heroic Environment.

Resurrecting an abandoned, ‘failed,’ 1972 study, undertaken by graduate students from the social psychology department of a major United States university, with over 17 million survey responses from workers and managers in 40 countries and over 32 Standard Industrial Codes, that was not able to reveal any conclusive connection between job satisfaction and individual or organizational performance, Mr. Lebow’s research team started their own investigation. Bringing a fresh perspective to the study, Lebow realized that the key to solving the mystery of overcoming cultural challenges to create exceptional levels of performance, was not going to be found in the hard numbers and statistics of the survey, but in the actual, literal comments of all the participants. Using this creative intelligence, Lebow indexed the most often addressed topics in all the discarded surveys by country. And the revelation was that all the surveys from the different countries mentioned the same subjects. This became the Lebow Company’s 20th Century Rosetta Stone that finally cracked the code to the secrets of unlocking high performance that were embedded in the previously undecipherable 17 million worldwide surveys that the original research missed.

Under the scrutiny of this new lens, the Lebow research group discovered that it was Values, not job satisfaction issues, which resided at the core between performance and what managers and workers were really looking for. Lebow’s research suggested that there were eight values that all people respected throughout the world regardless of race, religion, nationality, industry, gender, educational level, or organizational status. Furthermore, the Lebow research group concluded: “that these eight Shared Values…represent the major factors that contribute not only to job satisfaction and employee morale, but to an organization’s performance, competitiveness, speed to change, innovation at every level, willingness to learn new things, and overall operational success. [That] this was the universal Cultural Return On Investment (ROI) linking people to performance.” While the author does not mention exactly how he came to this revolutionary conclusion, he claims that the correlation between organizational performance and these Shared Values has been tested and validated with over 2,300 organizational sites. These universal Shared Values which Lebow calls The Eight Principles of the Heroic Environment ® are as follows:

1. Treat others with uncompromising truth.
2. Lavish trust on your associates.
3. Mentor unselfishly (and be open to mentoring from anyone).
4. Be receptive to new ideas, regardless of their origin.
5. Take personal risks for the organization’s sake.
6. Give credit where it’s due.
7. Do not touch dishonest dollars. (Be honest and ethical in all matters).
8. Put the interests of others before your own.

So that’s the Big secret? Sounds like the everyday sage advice that a Corporate Yoda would give to his executive team of Jedi knights. Admittedly, this is something we all know and have heard before. They are timeless principles – psychic energy patterns memorialized in the collective unconscious - embedded in human experience itself. But how many of us actually practice these principles?

What makes this work significant is not the list of values which are bandied about at boardroom meetings and showcased on fancy plaques, but the Process (“acting Heroically is a process”) that the Lebow research group has engineered in implementing these Shared Values company-wide through stories, examples, illustrations, charts, graphs, ways of communication, and sequential steps to follow. Lebow provides readers with practical tools they can use to actually practice these principles in transforming their corporate culture into a heroic environment.

So what does a ‘heroic environment’ look like? Lebow gives us a model, a vision, to look forward to: “Imagine what would happen in a work environment if people were given the freedom to act the way they really wanted to act – with courage, creativity, and independence from fear of criticism, or worse. And when people are respected and appreciated, they want to contribute even more, to rise to their true potential. I call that kind of place – a place where people act heroically – a Heroic Environment.”

I was skeptical at first with this rather rosy picture – feeling that employees given too much freedom would slack-off or go into their own little dream-world. But after finishing the book, I felt Lebow had pulled it off, in terms of providing tools that managers, employees, and consultants can use in transforming corporate culture for the better. After all, people don’t get up in the morning wanting to fail; they want to feel significant – knowing they’ve done a job well-done.

One of the main tenets of the book is that the traditional corporate approach of solving problems from the top down is the kiss-of-death. Frontline workers need to be given autonomy, responsibility, and accountability to solve problems themselves, letting the customer’s needs, rather than the company’s policies, drive each transaction. To accomplish this, ‘only hire people you trust, but once you’ve hired them, trust them.’ Management’s role is simply to encourage people on the frontlines to experiment and explore new ideas on their own. The best way to manage is to let go and let great, not stepping in to fix problems or criticizing, but to examine the breakdown of the workflow and empowering frontline workers to make their own decisions and changes by providing them with the necessary resources.

According to Lebow, this is the only way to bring back respect to the phrase, “Made in America.” He recounts how Toyota’s plant workers average 50 changes every two and a half shifts, which would give most American managers a nosebleed. In America, Lebow states, fixing problems is management’s job! In contrast, by empowering its frontline people to experiment, fix problems, and make continual proactive changes without fear of failure, Toyota is now financially worth more than Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler-Mercedes all put together. To put things in perspective, Lebow goes on to point out that it took Ford about nine months to make a change to their production line, while it only took Toyota three and one-half hours!

Overall, A Journey into the Heroic Environment, accomplishes its main purpose in serving as a guide to creating a Freedom-Based work environment built on Shared Values. This is not an academic book or scholarly read, nor is it a scientific journal. Use the information and The Personal Work Style Assessment ™ (included in the book) to formulate your own hypotheses and come up with your own conclusions. The book itself, from start-to-finish, can be considered a case study in corporate transformation told in the form of a business story with a chance meeting between John, a disgruntled assistant plant manager of a telecommunications company, and Kip, a mysterious, senior executive mentor figure. The book is simple in its approach, but not simplistic; easy-to-read, but certainly not easy to implement. I highly recommend this book as a path to a rewarding journey that will open up the soul to a brave new heroic world.

Sharif Khan (http://www.herosoul.com/; sharif@herosoul.com) is a freelance writer, speaker, and coach. He is author of, Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the hero within and developing people’s leadership potential. Khan provides inspirational keynotes and leadership seminars to help people live heroically.

Copyright © 2005, by Sharif Khan. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Did you enjoy reading this Executive Book Report? Know anyone that could use professional writing services? Sharif can help with a wide-range of diverse writing needs including: Books, eBooks, Special Reports, Web Copy, Guides, Training Manuals, Proposals, Articles, Press Releases, and more. For details, email sharif@herosoul.com with your specific requirements or call (416) 417-1259

Services to Help YOU Succeed

2005-07-20T02:38:00.000-04:00

As a freelance writer, coach, and professional speaker, my aim is to help you succeed by strengthening your image, making your life easier, and empowering your audience. If it reflects your name, shouldn't it be the best you?

Business Case: As a professional speaker/educator in human development and leadership with an honor's degree in Psychology, over ten years experience in writing and book publishing, and over five years sales and marketing experience, I have the ability to COMMUNICATE effectively to generate results for you: improved sales and profits, enhanced performance, inspired learning and co-operation, and increased awareness of your business.

Services Offered:

Copywriting

• Web copy
• Reports
• Trade Articles
• Newsletters
• Press Releases
• Guides
• Brochures
• Training Manuals
• Proposals and Business Letters
• Speeches and Scripts
• Ad Copy

Ghostwriting

If you need help in writing your book/e-book or a special report/article but simply don't have the time or talent, this service is specifically for you. Mostly Non-Fiction, Self-Help, and How-To books with some Fiction exceptions such as converting a business/leadership/personal development concept into an inspirational story/fable.

Book Consulting

Need help in developing your book project, self-publishing, or marketing your existing book? 'Rent a brain' with a pro in the book publishing business. Save yourself time, money, and possibly years of frustration down the road by doing it right the first time.

With several years book publishing experience -- five years as GM for a Bestsellers Book Franchise in the area of book marketing, promotion, publicity, and merchandizing, over three years developing my own book project, and taking over $40,000 worth of training and book marketing/publishing courses over the years -- this might be a great way for you to save valuable time and fast-track your book’s success by booking an hour or more consultation with me personally.

Coaching

I can also help coach you in the human development area to help increase your drive, focus, and determination, reach your goals, improve performance, get over fears that are blocking you, and serve as a mentor/advisor/sounding board.

Speaking

As a professional speaker and author of "The Hero Soul," an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing your leadership potential, I provide inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops and seminars to help energize, educate, and empower people to unlock their inner hero potential for higher succes.

For more information on the services I offer, feel free to call me at (416) 417-1259 or shoot me an email at sharif@herosoul.com with your specific requirements. To purchase a copy of "The Hero Soul" visit http://www.herosoul.com/ or order through your local bookstore.

Leadership Skills for Small Business

2005-07-19T02:51:00.000-04:00

Enterprise Toronto Small Business Forum Presents:

Leadership Skills for Small Business

Sharif Khan, bestselling author of, Psychology of the Hero Soul, will empower you to become a better leader and pursue excellence for life in his inspirational business seminar. In this seminar you will learn how to increase your earning power as an entrepreneurial leader, generate new ideas for success, overcome business challenges, develop the winning mindset of an effective leader, and take your business to the next level.

Bio

Sharif Khan is a professional speaker, freelance writer, coach, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people's leadership potential. Based on over ten years research in human development and leadership, Khan provides inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops that empower audiences to unleash their inner-hero potential for higher success. With several years of writing and publishing experience, Khan also helps companies develop empowering content through his copywriting services. For more information visit www.herosoul.com or call (416)417-1259.

Where: At the Enterprise Toronto Small Business Forum; Metro Toronto Convention Center
(This small business tradeshow and conference is an all day event with 80 exhibitors attracting over 3500 entrepreneurs)

When: September 26, 2005; starts at 3:30pm sharp. Room 206A.

Length of Seminar: 1 hour

For tradeshow details visit: http://tinyurl.com/9mnue

Cost: The seminar and tradeshow are FREE to attend!

Looking for new ways to market and promote your business?
Get your copy of Sharif’s latest ebooklet, “101 Ways to Market Your Business” today!
To order, click on the link: http://tinyurl.com/6z2w7

Special Film Festival Invite

2005-07-18T23:45:00.000-04:00

Indigo Books Presents:

Intro to Method Acting with Jim Ross and Sharif Khan

Sharif Khan, acclaimed author of, Psychology of the Hero Soul, will introduce very special guest, Jim Ross, director, producer, and Founder of the Canadian Academy of Method Acting, who will provide film buffs, aspiring actors, and curiosity seekers a special presentation on Method Acting during the Toronto International Film Festival. (Author, Sharif Khan, has dedicated his book, Psychology of the Hero Soul, an inspirational book on awakening the HERO
within, to Mr. Ross for his years of excellence in teaching method acting and heroic living, and will be available to sign copies of his book).

Thursday, September 8, 6:30pm
Indigo Books Manulife Centre - 55 Bloor Street West (Bay & Bloor)
(416) 925-3536

Interview with Publisher of Penguin Canada

2005-07-07T13:10:00.000-04:00

Interview with Mr. David Davidar, Publisher, Penguin Canada

Interview by Sharif Khan

Mr. David Davidar began his career in journalism and is founder of Penguin Books India. Currently, he is Publisher of Penguin Canada and also is author of the novel, The House of Blue Mangoes.

1. How did you first get started in the publishing business?

Twenty years ago I was working in Bombay and there was a colleague I knew who had done a publishing course at Harvard. And she said, “Why don’t you go there and check it out?” So I came to the States, and I did the course, and at the course was Peter Mayer, Chairman of Penguin world-wide. He said, “Look you’re from India?” (I said “yeah”). He said he was thinking of starting a company in India and asked me, “Would you like to run it?”

I was then twenty-six years old, I’d never done a publishing company in my life, I had little or no idea, but when you’re twenty-six years old sometimes you’re foolishly confident about your abilities, so I said “yes.” I went to Delhi where the office was going to be and I had never been there before, starting from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Delhi – and there was nothing there. There were exactly 3 employees in the first year of operations and they invested ten thousand US dollars in the company in 1986. And that was it…Now Penguin India is Asia’s largest English publishing company and has done over 10 million dollars in sales. It was quite an interesting experience and I had a ball! It kept growing and growing. It’s so fascinating…Now every multinational is in India. Penguin was the first.

2. What project are you particularly proud of as a publisher?

The fact of having created this company (Penguin India). We publish 200 books a year in India in the English language now. We’ve started publishing in 4 or 5 languages other than English (the first time Penguin has published in any other languages) and will be 25 years old in five years. Its just been a win-win situation because when we started, it coincided with the boom in Indians becoming global superstars like Vikram Seth, Arundathi Roy, and Upamanyu Chaterji, etc., etc., etc…The whole lot…so it is the #1 company by a long stretch and so that is my greatest pride because I started out as an editor but am now trying to develop companies and just the fact of helping create Penguin India has been enormously satisfying.

3. Can you tell us about the BUSINESS of publishing? (I think for most people it’s a mystery veiled in secrecy and delusions of grandeur).

There is the myth that if you write a novel you’ll become rich, famous, attractive to women, or whatever the case may be, but I think that’s largely a myth. Very few books break out in a way such as God of Small Things and A Suitable Boy did because its only 1% who get to superstardom because they won a big prize or it’s an amazing book and enough readers caught on to the fact. But think of the odds…There are about 100,000 books published every year. How on earth are you going to get each of those books to a reader’s attention! Let’s say you walk into a bookstore, you face the first novel that appears and you have no idea what it’s about. There is so much competing for your attention. Most novels sell only about 400 or 500 copies. If it’s a good seller it will sell 5000 copies if it won an award and got great reviews. It is only superstars that sell more and superstars are very few and every one knows who they are. The question we need to ask is why are there so few superstars? Why isn’t every writer published famous? There isn’t enough attention available for these writers. So that TV time, radio time, bookstore sales, all mitigate against every writer getting in.

Two or three industries suffer from the same thing, movie and TV, and music being closest to the book industry. Think of the tens of thousands of artists who’ve produced CDs and nobody’s heard of them, and nobody will hear of them because that is the way the system works. So what happens say if you’ve written a book and you approach a publisher? Well normally you approach the publishing house through a literary agent because they are the top filter, and a top agent comes to me and says this is a wonderful book…I’ll say I’ll read it. But if you approach me directly you probably won’t get through many of the sieves…there are assistants, there are people in the mailroom, and there are book manuscripts at the back because of overflow…everyone thinks they can write a book!

Finding a good agent is becoming increasingly tough because they too are inundated with manuscripts as well. The agent comes to us generating interest in a book and we have special editors, one specializes in Canadian writers; she says okay or no, I like it or don’t like it. The book is brought to a meeting where she says she wants to pay this kind of money. You have a price on this book say $35 dollars, so the author will get a percentage royalty on every book sold. For a 10% royalty you will get $3.5 dollars on every copy sold. So what we will do, is advance the author, through his or her agent x amount of money, say $35,000 dollars because we expect to sell 5,000 or 6,000 hardback and 10,000 copies in paperback, so we figure its worth about $35,000. So it’s not an outright gift…it’s an advance against royalties. Then hopefully the book is published and lives up to expectations and earns out and the response is we’re happy, the author is happy, and the agent is happy…but in 90% of the cases it doesn’t earn out the advance and so you’re in trouble. Of the 100 books published in Canada, I expect 20 books to support the rest.

4. Where do you see the Canadian publishing industry heading? How does it compare with what’s happening in the Indian publishing industry?

Canada has certain problems and certain advantages like many markets in the world. I’ll deal with the problem first. It’s a small market. It’s 35 million of which 5 million are French speakers, so you can’t do much with that size of market. Whereas America is 200 million plus, UK is over 60 million, Australia is really small, about 20 million. So tens of thousands of books are jostling for attention in this country. Plus you have the major superstore Indigo Chapters which controls over 50% of market, so if they don’t support a book it’s dead in the water. And there is immense pressure on them as well because there are so many books pouring in. So these are the problems people have to deal with including the fact that there are lots of writers, agents, lots of publishing houses, everyone competing for that elusive customer. Fortunately, Canadians read quite a lot, but they don’t read enough to make everyone prosperous. It is probably very difficult for a writer to break out in a major way unless you are someone like Yan Martel, Michael Ondaatje, Rohinton Mistry, Margaret Attwood, etc., these are people already established and are stars because they’ve built up over period of time. Beyond that, it’s very tough to break through.

On the positive side, because of the way Canada has been encouraging immigration for the last 30 years, you have the whole world sitting here, and so Canada’s stories are quite fresh; whereas writing about one’s experiences living in Mississauga that’s where a lot of these books get bogged down because if your domestic experience is not interesting, how will you make your book interesting? Your life is interesting to friends, family, and about a 100 people who know you. That is were most first novels fail because they are so autobiographical, instead of trying to sell a story. Why would people want to read a book unless they’re interested in your life?

The interesting thing here is you have people from Somalia, Kosovo, Taiwan, India, and they’re all writing books about their own experiences and that’s what makes it interesting. So I think Canada has a great future about the stories its writers are starting to tell. And it is a very good domestic market for its size because per capita people read a lot more here than other countries.
I was once asked at the Canada Book Expo, where I was giving a presentation, what advice can I give aspiring writers. My reply is they should always take risks. There’s no point in writing a small, safe, book…it just disappears. Take risk! What do you have to lose? Stretch yourself, write a big, huge, ambitious book! And those are the books that always leave a mark because there’s so few around.

The Indian publishing scene in 20 years will be the second or third largest in the world overtaking Canada and Australia; I’m talking about English language publishing. I’ve heard there are about 300 million Indians using some form of English, so they’ve already taken over the US and UK, but for the publishing industry you need to use English as first language or frequently because otherwise you’re not going to go to the bookstore to buy a book. You might go to a street fair, but you’re not my market. That’s going to take a while. I think today there are 7 to 8 million Indians who use English effortlessly, so that’s about the size of New Zealand, but because you have next generation teenagers and young people learning English at the speed of light, they are going to join the market in another 5 to 10 years; this generation will continue to be the market, and there’s going to be bit of the previous generation also in the market, so from about 7 to 8 million India will go to 30 to 40 million in the space of 15 to 20 years which means it’s just going to explode. It’s already the fastest growing market in the world and it’s a huge market. Penguin India is fortunate, we came in the beginning so we got in on the ground floor; all we need is to reap the benefits of our earlier labor because this market is growing, while the Canadian market is pretty much static. However, it is growing through some immigration. That is why Canada needs to look out for itself constantly and build its strengths to the world if it’s going to keep its economy and lifestyle going.

5. Who are your heroes?

I started out with heroes and along the way you lose the need to have heroes. I greatly admire my mentor, Peter Mayer, former Chairman of Penguin, Sunny Mehta, who runs Knopf…I greatly admire writers like Vikram Seth, Arundathi Roy, Ondaatje, Rohinton Mistry…but at some point in your life you stop having heroes. You figure everyone does their best, some people have luck on their side, some people have some advantages, but everyone’s a hero.

6. What makes them heroes in your mind?

They are exceptionally talented, and they have arrived…You know, I was reading a poem by Rudyard Kipling which goes, “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds' worth of distance run,yours is the Earth and everything that's in it…” Which means you do your best every single moment you can, and if you happen to have the talent as well, then you get to a stage where you are slightly set apart from your peers because you have done things that it is not possible for them to do.

So for example, you have great artists, like the South African writer Coetzee; they’ve written novels that’s not possible for average novelists to write because of their level of skill and level of perception. Why do you read a novel today? You have so many sources to choose from. The reason I think you read a novel today is because the greatest novels give you more truth than non-fiction. Non-fiction is information, non-fiction is argument…The Economist will give you insights, but what fiction gives you is insights into the human condition, the great fiction, not the hundred thousand novels that are published every year. There are very few books like Disgrace or A Suitable Boy or 100 Years of Solitude, my personal favorites, which raise the bar. If you can’t do that, why bother? So that’s why they are my heroes.

In terms of publishing, Sunny and Peter have pushed the boundaries of the publishing business and tried to innovate. Anyone who pushes the boundaries needs to be admired. Whether you are a business person, an athlete, or whatever, you need to push the boundaries instead of merely existing. Pearson, the company that owns Penguin, its vision is you need to be “Brave, Imaginative, and Decent.” Which are interesting words that carry a lot of meaning, and is what I look for in people. There’s lots of people that don’t get opportunities, lots of people face much competition, maybe their home situation isn’t so great, maybe their work situation isn’t so great, so their kind of stuck…but I think people make their own destiny don’t they? Yeah, I admire people, but if you ask me whether I have heroes today – probably not.

7. Do you have a dream or vision that guides the course of your life?

The thing about vision is it needs to be renewed every day. Because at the end of the day, what does a person want to do? You have a set path which clarifies itself as you go along. You have a set path – this is what I do, this is what I’m good at, and how can I use this to influence events and people within my ambit? And I think narrowly defined within my job description, my vision for Penguin India was to give India a world-class publishing company. I think that vision has been achieved. My vision of Penguin Canada is to make it the best company of its size anywhere in the world.

You only have one chance, make the best of it!

Sharif Khan is a professional writer, speaker, coach, and author of Psychology of the Hero Soul. He provides inspirational keynotes and leadership seminars and also helps companies develop empowering content through his copywriting services. To contact Sharif, visit www.herosoul.com or call (416) 417-1259.

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