Palace Gambling

You are probably thinking that making your own Civil War Uniforms Slouch hat for almost nothing is impossible.

But, you are wrong. It is very possible. And easy.

1. Frequent flea markets, thrift stores, antique shops, yard sales and look for a felt hat. They are great places to find a hat that someone wants to get rid of - and for a cheap price! I found an unbelievable slouch hat at our local church thrift shop for about 25 cents.

2. If it is good quality felt, wet it and brush it down with a hairbrush to get the shape you want.

3. Stuff it with old towels to get it to a neutral shape.

4. Let it sit for a day or two and take the towels out and decide what type of shape you want to make it.

5. Look at original photos and decide which hat you want to duplicate.

6. Put a band on it or a hat cord. You may need to remove the modern band and put a band on made from a natural material like silk - not synthetic.

7. If it is not trimmed in some type of ribbon you can put that on it but it is not necessary. Keep your eye out for real old ribbon to use on your hat. Check out sewing baskets in antique stores.

8. To find out if it is old, take a few strands out of the ribbon and put a match to it. If it does not ball up and burns clean, it is probably a natural material. If it balls up and smokes, than it is probably a synthetic material.

9. Keep the ribbons a solid color - black, brown, gray - not anything with stripes.

10.You can put a contrasting color band on your hat

11. Blend and use the same color ribbon as the hat.

12. Feathers can be added although that is not my style.

13. I personally do not like all the doo dads - the plain and generic look is the most authentic.

14. Good colors would be black, brown, and gray.

15.Your best bet is to look at original photos and train your eye to spot a hat that you could duplicate for your Civil War Uniform impression.

Making your own Civil War Slouch hat may cost you about $10. The last time I checked the prices of slouch hats at the sutlers, slouch hats were selling for about $110!

So, save yourself some serious money and make your own Civil War slouch hat. You will get exactly the hat you want!

Coach McCoach invites you to join the Civil War Uniform newsletter and receive 41 FREE money and time saving ideas for improving your Civil War Impression.

2005 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on your website so long as the contact information is included to coach@civilwaruniforms.net or http://www.civilwaruniforms.net

Coach McCoach invites you to join the Civil War Uniform newsletter and receive 41 FREE money and time saving ideas for improving your Civil War Impression.

Discover ways to save as much as 80% on your uniform and get exactly what you want. Join now at http://www.civilwaruniforms.net

First things first, you need to know which fish are considered trout. The term can be one that is used for salmon family fish. It includes rainbow, brown, brook, cutthroat and steelhead. You’ll find that they are native to Europe, North America and Asia. But, they have been introduced to many areas around the world. Anglers love going after them for their beauty, taste and of course their size.

You’ll find most of them in cooler lakes and rivers. Look where the rapidly moving water finds the slower moving water and where deep water hits the shallow. You can see them in the rocks in a calmer river too. Other species will tend to migrate towards slower currents or faster ones. You’ll find brook, brown and rainbow trout at the head of a pool and the others towards the middle or end of it. You will find most of your trout in water adjacent to the main current.

Baits For Trout

You’ll find a good variety of bait works for snagging the trout you are after. Some of these include earthworms, crayfish, minnows, spinners, and insects work well. Also, consider marshmallows and kernel corn.

Equipment Needed

For most still water fishing, go with a fiberglass or a graphite rod about six or seven feet. Use a basic reel. Eight to ten pound test line works well. For fly fishing, go with a nine foot fly rod and to catch trout over four pounds add 75 feet to your reel. Make sure to get out those waders and your vest with all the flies, knives and baskets you’ll need.

Trout fishing is a type of fishing that is enjoyable. Most enjoy finding just that right spot, behind the fallen tree or in the shallow rocks where the trout love to hide. They are lurking just out of the way of that main current. Take the time to learn more about trout fishing from a professional, or look to taking a few lessons. It will pay off.

Niall is a keen fisherman always looking at new tools to help him catch more fish. Visit Fish Finder Review for more information and great deals to help you find a Bottom Line fish finder or other GPS and Sonar marine navigation systems. http://www.fish-finder-review.com

This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Fish-Finder-Review.com

With respect to forgiving others for past hurts done to you my
position on this is as follows:

We are all Divine Beings of Love and from Love cannot originate any kind of hurt whatsoever. Hence forgiveness becomes a moot point. We have unfortunately become unconscious of our true nature and have chosen to believe lies about ourselves, each other and our situation.

The “so-called hurt” that one has stored within must of necessity be accessed and released completely before an individual can become fully aware of who they and the other are i.e. Divine Beings as I said above.

I don’t know if you’ve ever watched the early versions of Star Trek but I will refer to an episode that in some way depicts our situation here in this reality.

In this episode the ship was invaded by an invisible force that caused all ship members to turn against each other. Captain Kirk realized this at some point and had everyone injected with a kind of “laughing gas” that made everybody mellow and unable to feel any feelings of anger towards each other. This made it impossible for this force to feed off of the energy of
the members and hence it had to leave the ship.

All hurt due to trauma and otherwise that is stored in our
minds/bodies/energy fields are like movies that never really happened to us. We however call them part of our life history and hence feel and act out the anger towards others for past “hurts”. Hence the difficulty with forgiveness.

In my view forgiveness is missing the point. That is that we are all caught in a force field of illusion that in no way represents who we are or what is actually going on. This illusion is stored and being held in the collective
consciousness of the planet and is feeding off of the vital life energy of humanity thereby disabling it.

Once this illusion is dismantled (see my many articles on the Mind Resonance Process(TM) (MRP) a modality that does just this) one will begin to see all of this clearly.

Unfortunately having said all of this in the end it’s only an experience of MRP that can convey what I am trying to say. Words usually don’t get there because many on this planet are unconsciously programmed at the mind level with limiting beliefs that block like a filter the truth about what is being said.

You may recall another movie here “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers”.

Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.

Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com

Personal URL: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/Spirituality_And_Science.htm

1. CUT THE SIMPLE CARBS.

It’s unfortunate that the majority of people are “carbo junkies.”

This especially applies to you if you’re overweight because your body then struggles with insulin sensitivity.

Your body absolutely needs carbohydrates, but you may need to learn to appropriately reverse the ratio of simple carbs to complex carbs.

Most importantly you’ll need to reduce the amount of sugar you take in. Having a good ratio of complex to simple carbs will let your body regulate blood sugar levels more efficiently, burn more fat as fuel, and ultimately lose more weight.

2. EAT SMALLER, MORE FREQUENT MEALS.

Eating about every 3-4 hours prevents your blood sugar levels from spiking dramatically throughout the day. This helps your hormones stay in check, while regulating hunger as well.

Ultimately, it helps elevate metabolism, it’s easier on your
digestive system, and it can eventually provide you with more
energy throughout the day.

3. CONSUME MORE FUNCTIONAL FATS.

Essential fatty acids, such as omega-6 and omega-3 consumed in appropriate ratios of 2:1 or better yet at 1:1 will allow the body to regulate your hormones, calm down inflammation, and stabilize blood sugar levels.

This eventually leads to greater fat loss.

4. DOWN THAT WATER.

Water is often overlooked, but it’s the number one nutrient for your body to survive. Staying hydrated aids with digestion, curbs your appetite, and flushes out metabolic waste. Make sure to get in at least 1 oz for every pound you weigh.

5. INCREASE FIBER INTAKE.

Fiber keeps your meal moving along your gastrointestinal tract, and like water, it aids in flushing metabolic waste. It also helps you maintain consistent energy levels, slows your rate of carbohydrate digestion, which steadies your blood sugar levels.

6. REDUCE OR ELIMINATE ALCOHOL.

At least while you’re training. Not only is alcohol estrogenic (negatively affects testosterone for men), it can lead to fat gain, and has a whopping nutrition-empty 7 calories per gram,

Alcohol takes precedence over fat metabolism when present in your body. Alcohol actually shuts down your fat burning mechanism for up to 48 hours, so avoid it as much as possible.

7. SPICY METABOLISM.

Including a variety of spices in your foods such as curry, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and certain herbs may help boost your metabolism. Spices also help with stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Cayenne pepper is possibly the healthiest herb available to man kind. Put it on as much as you can if you can stand the heat.

8. MAKE WEIGHT TRAINING YOUR FOCUS.

While aerobic activity may burn a great deal of calories, especially when maintained at a high intensity, you’ll also be burning muscle mass.

You’ll achieve greater results by focusing on resistance training. This is because proper resistance training stresses all of your muscles fiber types and promotes a leaner body.

When you stress your muscles effectively, you either maintain and strengthen your current muscle mass or you even gain some.

For every pound of muscle you gain it equates to 50 extra calories you can burn per day while doing nothing. This melts the fat away quicker and provides you with more strength than you would ever get doing cardio alone.

So hit the weights at least three times per week followed by 15 to 25 minutes of cardio. Then have a protein shake.

9. SLOW DOWN YOUR EATING.

Be conscious of how fast you eat, slowing down the pace prevents compulsive overeating and helps your digestion.

It takes at least 20 minutes between the time you’re full and when your brain actually realizes it.

If you’re too busy to eat slowly then skip the meal and opt for a meal replacement shake instead. You body will thank you because it makes your goals easier to achieve.

10. WATCH FOR FOOD ALLERGIES.

Many people are allergic to dairy and wheat products. Being sensitive to these two food categories have been shown to cause weight gain.

If you’re consuming a diet high in refined foods, these sensitivities become more obvious. This causes digestive problems such as bloating, stomach pain, and water retention.

If you think this may be happening to you consider an allergy test. You shouldn’t be eating all those refined foods anyway.

11. GET YOUR ANTIOXIDANTS.

Getting your daily dose of antioxidants from a good multi-vitamin or a specific antioxidant supplement combination, or even a healthy combination of fruits and vegetables is important for combating toxins held in fat cells.

Antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, E, polyphenols in green tea, etc. help your body reduce the time that toxins stay in your system.

So there it is - 11 basic tips to help you achieve a healthier
and leaner physique. It’s never too late to take action.

Stay motivated and consistently remind yourself of your fitness goal.

-Jaikob

Jaikob Mateo is an Internet consultant and a voracious student of human nature.
Jaikob fashions himself after the Watcher in the Marvel comic series. His heroes are Superman, Dare Devil, the Fantastic Four, Spiderman, and most members of the Justice League. His employment history led him to manage thousands of employees. This provided him with endless opportunities to pursue his near-obsessive fascination with human nature and persuasion. Jaikob claims he used to have super powers but his therapist took them away.
You can visit his Blog at: http://phatbody.blogspot.com/

The buzz almost everywhere these days is about valueless leaders and corporate deception. As Allan Greenspan so aptly puts it, we are living through an era of “infectious greed.” Whether what has gone on was either illegal or unethical, I’m content to let that be determined by the courts and regulators. But, there is no doubt that CEO’s have been looking out for No. 1 at great expense to shareholders and the country. We are dismayed and rightly so. Too often we have witnessed those caught up in this power culture spin out of control. We have seen it politically, in the corporate world and in many other places including the church.

“A successful manager is not a person who can do the work better than his people; a successful manager is a person who can get his people to do the work better than he can.” Fred Smith

The one thing we are beginning to recognize is that we have strayed from the proverbial path. At one time corporations and their leaders had a social conscience. They not only were economically viable but they also allocated a portion of their profits to give back to their community. So is what is happening all bad? I don’t think so. We have just received a huge wake-up call and the time has come for us to examine what type of people we want to be and the type of people we want to have in leadership positions. It is also a time for leaders to examine their own motives and reassess the type of legacy they wish to leave.

WHAT DOES GOOD LEADERSHIP IMPLY?

Leadership is defined primarily by what we do, not by the role we have been assigned. Good leadership starts “in here” and has values, clarity and a vision of what is really important. People instinctively follow good leaders. In essence who you are comes before what you do. If you are wondering whether you are a good leader, simply remember what you were like the last time you were under pressure or stress. Your actions spoke louder than words.

Good leaders have high expectations both of themselves and others. They develop relationships and believe in people. They understand their ability to influence the performance of others. Effective leaders convey an energy and a passion that encourages others. They are not interested in blaming others for problems but rather look for solutions.

Good leaders set an example. From the volumes of literature on leadership research, we learn that above all, people want to believe in and trust their leaders. Credibility makes a huge difference in both our performance and our commitment to an organization.

Unfortunately what we have been witnessing recently is the actions of a few who have climbed their ladder of success wrong by wrong!

Good leaders don’t fake it. As an executive, if you believe the people you lead don’t recognize your weaknesses, think again. As their leader, it is up to you to set the tone by managing your own conduct.

At the same time good leaders don’t devalue the contributions of others. Synergy is built by the exchange of ideas. There is nothing quite so degrading as being spoken down to. Leaders do not have all the answers and it is imperative that they become good listeners. Think of a person you admire and there is a strong likelihood that he or she is the type of person who will listen to your concerns. Strong companies are built one person at a time.

The old militaristic style of leadership just doesn’t cut it any more and hasn’t for quite some time. In my experience, when economic downturns or restructuring take place, there is a knee-jerk reaction to revert back to the old autocratic style of management. In today’s environment, this can be a dangerous move. What was once acceptable behavior is now being routinely challenged.

“Take away my people, but leave my factories, and soon grass will grow on the factory floors. But if you take away my factories but leave my people, soon we will have a new and better factory.” Andrew Carnegie

We each express our leadership strengths in our own way and in our own place of choice. It may be in the corporate boardroom, on the shop floor, or within our family. The most important thing we will ever ask ourselves is: “What kind of legacy do we wish to leave?” How will our children describe us to their friends? What does our staff say about us to others? Will our peers miss our input and insight?

We are all required to move beyond manipulative behavior–the behavior we exhibit when we insist on being right! Our job is to mine the gold that is within each individual. The world needs more people who will encourage one another. We can create an environment that respects the person, improves communications, harnesses the power of the individual and the teams, acknowledges achievement and creates enthusiasm. I’m biased, but I believe that women have a significant role to play in the new corporate environment. This crisis has happened for a reason. The inappropriate use of power has created an opportunity. It is time to create a broader vision of what good leaders can contribute to the corporate world and then let’s set out to accomplish it!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Contact Barb for more successful work performance through improved leadership skills.

Barb McEwen, C.E.C.
Personal Executive Coach
20/20 Executive Coaching Inc.
http://www.2020Executivecoaching.com

Barb uses Enneagram Personality Theory in coaching her clients.

You are welcome to reprint these articles.

Should you do so please send a copy of the publication to us at the following address: 20/20 Executive Coaching, 405 Tudor Court, Thunder Bay, ON P7C 1R9

The following quotation must be printed at the conclusion of each reprinted article. “Copyright Barb McEwen and 20/20 Executive Coaching, Inc. Barb McEwen is a well known, thought-provoking and inspirational speaker. You can reach her at http://www.2020Executivecoaching.com.

As a sales manager for the company you need to make sure that your salespeople on your sales force do not act like children. Many people believe that children are the world’s best sales people because they are good at twisting and manipulating their parents feelings and generally good at getting what they want.

Whereas this may be true, as a sales manager you need to understand that the salespeople on your sales force represent your company and your products or services and you cannot have them running around like a bunch of children even if they may sell a little bit more.

We have all watched little children and their persuasive tactics in order to get mom or dad to see their way or give them something that they want, but this is not the way a professional salesperson should act and it is certainly not a waiver you wish to have your product or service represented.

If you have noticed children will not take “no” for an answer when there is something that they really want. But this is not selling and some marketing executives have noted that kids will go to extreme in the pursuit of their goal. It is important that your sales force also go to extreme, but to please the customer and understand their objections and solve problems.

As a sales manager you need to make sure that your salespeople understand the difference and do not jeopardize the professional nature of your company. Please consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

LCD tellies are discovered in scores of flat display TV’s that are not Plasma. These TV’s came out earlier than plasma & are more often than not less costly presently when put side to side with the current Plasma makes. LCD televisions are the most liked brand of television and are at the moment an appropriate alternative for your prehistoric telly set. LCD TV’s present the greatest Hi-Definition tellies with stunning image and audio quality obtainable to pay for nowadays. Find the best in LCD TV’s at Digital Direct!

It’s a less well-known fact that LCD technology in actual fact go all the way back to the year eighteen-hundred and eighty eight when the elements of liquid crystallization were at first discovered by the Aussie scientist Friedrich Reinitzer.

LCD TV’s are commonly procured in 15″ & 32 inch dimension, nevertheless larger sizes as large as fifty inch and even 60 inch are accessible to purchase if you crave. Tough as you go for huge displays or high end consumer merchandise, they will in reality cost more. It is additionally worth making a note that for full-sized tellies you would be recommended to purchase good quality brackets, or a specially manufactured mount that may possibly cost up-to one hundred & fifty pounds extra.

LCD TV’s are by & large made-up in three individual forms like standard definition (SD), enhanced definition (ED) and high-definition (HD) TVs. LCD TVs at the moment becoming ever more prevalent as a car customisation gadget, as any fans of the well-liked MTV TV program “Pimp My Ride” will be familiar with. LCD televisions are now available with refresh speeds as low as 5ms. Nonetheless this technology is still a considerable time off from being perfect, LCD TVs are developing every day. For that reason, LCD TV’s are getting more well-liked all the time.

Secured Loans facilitate borrowers to avail of capital against the value of the asset placed as security with the creditor. The creditor now has the ownership rights to the asset, which acts as guarantee against the loan. Although the asset is normally in the form of a home, security can also be offered by placing any concrete property, a vehicle or a valuable asset as collateral. This is why; secured loans are often referred to as “Homeowner Loans”, “Home Loans”, “Secured Personal Loans” or “Second Charge Loans”. For secured loans, the loan amount ranges from £5,000 to £75,000 and the repayment period extends from 5 to 25 years. The purpose of taking a secured loan could be consolidation of your existing loans, to clear out unpaid bills, making home improvements or for taking that much needed holiday!

The interest charged on loans is known as APR (Annual Percentage Rate). For Secured loans , it varies, depending on personal details of the borrower (like credit history), the loan amount, the loan term, etc. Although lenders are legally obliged to familiarize borrowers with the effective APR and other costs involved in taking up the loan, many of them, to fill up their coffers involve hidden costs that increase the loan cost tremendously. Sufficient collateral with good financial conditions will get you the best interest rates and a more relaxing repayment option. Converse will be the case if a borrower invokes insecurity with the lender. A creditor will then respond with relatively high interest rates, scrutinize the borrower’s case more minutely and decide on repayment options, which he feels - will bring back his money safely. When one applies for a secured loan, he signs an agreement that is called a security agreement. This agreement reduces interest, because the lender now has security against which he is lending his money.

As secured loans are backed by collateral, most lenders approve loans even in cases of CCJs, defaults, county court judgements and arrears. This make secured loans very attractive to people who would otherwise not qualify for a loan from their local bank. If a borrower has exceptional credit history and good financial standing he can expect amounts ranging up to 125% of his property value. All this depends on how comfortable a lender feels with the borrower’s collateral and credit history. People who have bad credit and disorderly financial conditions might find it difficult to get even a sum of 70% of the total value of their collateral. Thus, you can avail of a secured loan even if you have bad credit history, what you need to have is concrete property that can act as collateral or security.

Benefits of Secured Loans:

• The interest rate charged on secured loans is the lowest because the risk borne by lenders is very minimal.
• Repayment of secured personal loans is spread over a greater time frame.

• The Repayment period can vary from 3 - 25 years.

• The interest for secured loans varies, depending on personal details of the borrower (like credit history), the loan amount, the loan term, etc.

• Secured Loans offer flexible repayment options that should be chosen carefully after shopping around and comparing quotes.

The hassles associated with the process of getting a secured loan, dissuade many borrowers from getting one. They find, filling up applications, answering endless questions, incising enquiries on their credit history and bank balances, too time consuming and obstructive. The solution to these impending problems is to look for a lender who offers online applications or completes the process with minimum documentation and a minimum encroachment on time and privacy. It usually takes around 14 days for a secured personal loan to be completed and you can cancel any time within this period, with no penalties.
The common denominator in all definitions is that borrowers want the amount desired with minimum interest rates, minimum hassles, maximum flexibility in repayments and zero overhead costs. Shopping around and involving yourself in the loan selection will reap these benefits. Hard work bears fruit, so get going today!!!

Marsha Claire is offering loan advice for quite some time.To find UK secured loans,unsecured loans,mortgage visit
http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

A dildo is a very traditional martial toy tried by both gents and gals. Dildos have particularly made it big ever since glamour tapes became celebrated in the seventies. Whilst marital aid come in lots of materials, most often the sensual aids are penis shaped. Some sex toys are specially produced for putting in the bottom. Men who like anal sex with a sensual aid commonly choose dongs that prod the prostate because of the magnificent orgasms prostate play with gives them. There are lots of martial toys out there for guys, and dongs are likewise the best.

The most common sex dildo uses are vaginal or anal penetration. Depending on the kind of dong, some will probably be used for oral penetration or as mouth gags. Regardless of your sex orientation, whether people are straight, gay or bi, female or male, there is a sexual toy out there to fulfil your sexual desires. Double ended dongs might well be tried out between two sexual partners at once. All the above sensual aids may be used for simultaneous anal and anal penetration, and when tried out in this way sexual play will often be even more exciting. Dongs additionally fit into harness mounts for S&M sessions. Dongs are superb fun and sexual toy each and every female should have in their residence. Buy Adult Toys and put a grin back on your face.

Leadership is motivational or it’s stumbling in the dark. The best leaders don’t order people to do a job, the best leaders motivate people to want to do the job.

The trouble is the vast majority of leaders don’t delve into the deep aspects of human motivation and so are unable to motivate people effectively.

Drill down through goals and aims and aspirations and ambitions and you hit the bedrock of motivation, the dream. Many leaders fail to take it into account.

Dreams are not goals and aims. Goals are the results toward which efforts are directed. The realization of a dream might contain goals, which can be stepping stones on the way to the attaining dreams. But the attainment of a goal does not necessarily result in the attainment of a dream.

For instance, Martin Luther King did not say, “I have a goal.” Or “I have an aim.” The power of that speech was in the “I have a dream”.

Dreams are not aspirations and ambitions. Aspirations and ambitions are strong desires to achieve something. King didn’t say he had an aspiration or ambition that ” ….one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’” He said he had a dream.

If you are a leader speaking to people’s aspirations and ambitions, you are speaking to something that motivates them, yes; but you are not necessarily tapping into the heartwood of their motivation.

After all, one might aspire or be ambitious to achieve a dream. But one’s aspiration and ambition may also be connected to things of lesser importance than a dream.

A dream embraces our most cherished longings. It embodies our very identity. We often won’t feel fulfilled as human beings until we realize our dreams.

If leaders are avoiding people’s dreams, if leaders are simply setting goals (as important as goals are), they miss the best of opportunities to help those people take ardent action to achieve great results.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that “Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed,” he was writing about a dream. Not one European government at that time was a democracy. There had been few true democracies in the West since the fall of the Athenian democracy more than 2,000 thousand years before. But Jefferson’s “dream” motivated people to take action. In fact, that dream motivates people to act around the world today.

Understand the dreams of the people you lead. People will not tell you what they dream until they trust you. They won’t trust you until they feel that you can help them attain their dreams. Acquiring that understanding can cement a deep, emotional bond between you.

Dreams are not fantasies. Going to the mountain may be a dream. Standing on the mountain may be a dream. On the other hand, having the mountain come to us is a fantasy. Dreams can be realized, fantasies can’t. Focus on dreams, on what is objectively achievable, not on fantasies.

Dreams are positive, uplifting. The Old English word “dream” means “joy, music, and noise-making.” But that positive, inspirational quality can have negative effects on an organization.

Negative dreams can damage an organization. For instance, union/management issues are often particularly inflammatory because of conflicting dreams, of both sides seeing the other as “the enemy.” Your audience wanting to go back to the “good old days” can be a negative dream. Only a trusted leader can help people reshape their dreams.

Most people have a dream for their life and work. Even people in abject circumstances, such as prisons and concentration camps, dream of a fulfilling existence beyond their present circumstances. If they lose their dreams, they lose an essential quality of their humanity.

People won’t be transformed by your leadership if you have a low opinion of and low expectations for their dream and/or if they are convinced that you can’t help them attain that dream.

Many people don’t consciously realize what they dream. But that doesn’t mean that they are not influenced by their subconscious dream. A subconscious dream can motivate people to act without their clearly understanding why they are acting. Have the people you lead be fully conscious of the content and meaning of their dream or risk having your organization’s activities be impeded by a dimly perceived yet none-the-less potent dream.

Each dream has a price. It’s one thing to think it. It’s another thing to do it. Know the price people will have to pay to attain their dream. Have them understand the price.

As a leader, dream with the people! Without hitching our wagons to stars, the wagons and the stars lose their true meaning in our lives.

Dreams give meaning to emotion and purpose to action. People who believe they’re living their dream see their jobs as part of a higher cause and will work accordingly. Conversely, people who see their jobs as antithetical to their dream, may see that work as oppressive; and they too will work accordingly.

Dreams are supreme reality. Dream graffiti on a Paris wall during the 1968 student rebellion said, “Be realistic: Do the impossible!”

2005 © The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required: mail to: brent@actionleadership.com

The author of 23 books, Brent Filson’s recent books are, THE LEADERSHIP TALK: THE GREATEST LEADERSHIP TOOL and 101 WAYS TO GIVE GREAT LEADERSHIP TALKS. He is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. - and for more than 20 years has been helping leaders of top companies worldwide get audacious results. Sign up for his free leadership e-zine and get a free white paper: “49 Ways To Turn Action Into Results,” at http://www.actionleadership.com