Human Resources And The Champions Who Make Them So

May I recommend a book to you if you are serious about entering the field of Human Resource Management:"Human Resource Champions - The Next Agenda for Adding Value and Delivering Results" by Dave Ulrich and published by Harvard Business School.Why do I suggest this book? Well we hear a lot about organizational capital these days and yet, if the HR department is extremely good they should be able to help create the people needed to increase the formation and attainment of this elusive and highly productive organizational capital. Although this book was written in 1997, it should be noted that many of its primary themes are alive and well today.Each time a person is hired, the human resource person must not only consider the proper hiring procedures, but also how each person hired adds value to the stockholder, increases the productivity of the corporation, assist in streamlining cooperation and will enhance the customers experience or the vendor relationships.Human Resource Departments should be measured in terms of productivity and by the successes of the people they hire for the company. There are ways to manage and track employee contributions to the company and they should be tracked. The HR department should align its strategies with the companies business plan, not just the company's mission statement.Large companies with many special teams working on special products must often wonder how they can get the people they need to complete the projects. Often large companies have the talent from within, and do not even realize it, other times the centralized HR department cannot work directly with them to get the talent or does not understand what they are looking for. This is one issue that the book brought up in a case study that is of interest.The Book is jammed pack with great ideas and concepts to turn the HR department into a super strategic partner of the organization. Now in saying all this, I am not 100% sold on all the ideas and generally have a strong distaste for any such book coming out of Harvard, but still recommend it. dr seuss book collection

Coaching Tips - From Her Corner Office

Coaching sessions are kept confidential.Develop a list of potential books to review, topics to cover, and issues that might be of interest.Sharing tips from a book I reviewed in 2005 by Trudy Bourgeois, Her Corner Office while being the Business Coach Host & Writer at Bella.Identify and tap into every available resource. Don't wait for opportunities for exposure to come to you. Create them.The more diverse the resources, the richer the information and experience you'll gather.Listing of resources for your consideration:The local library, Books, The Internet, A buddy to brain storm ideas withYou might consider setting up a personal board of directors. A personal board of directors is a group of people that you have selected to be your advisors. This team of people should be carefully selected, based upon their character,values, principles and experience.Another option is to form a Mastermind Group. Mastermind Groups are composed of people who want to learn from each other. These groups can be as small as six people or as large as twenty people.Develop a list of potential books to review, topics to cover, and issues that might be of interest.You will need a good mentor. A mentor can play a key role in your ongoing learning and development.You can get most out of your relationship with your mentor by: learning to listen, setting an agenda, don't think that a coach or mentor has all the answers and expect good
things to come out of the relationship.In the last five years,many corporations have chosen to support their staff by using an outside coach.Potential results of using a coach: Increased knowledge, strategic - planning skill development, self-marketing and creating powerful connections.Coaching sessions are kept confidential.We are not certified nor do we represent medical, legal, financial or
other certified professional services.I am sharing my knowledge and journey of 21st Century Learning and ideas.Sharing tips from a book I reviewed in 2005 by Trudy Bourgeois, Her Corner Office while being the Business Coach Host & Writer at Bella. seuss book collection sets cat hat

How to Survive Sudden Leadership Challenges - Covey Has Some Clues

I have decided to start with this text as simply far too many people have said to me I should - it clearly has an enormous following of people who found the message rang true for them.In the introduction to the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Covey talks about how we perceive reality based on certain beliefs or paradigm.As an example, he tells the story of a ship in a fog, apparently on a collision course with another craft. The captain, having become quite agitated at the other crafts refusal to alter course, experienced a significant paradigm shift when it was realised that the other craft was a lighthouse. The captain then faced a situation in a new light(no pun intended). His reality and behaviour altered by the new understanding. The message is that often we forget that what we think is reality, is only what we see. Just ask any magician!!A strong thread through this first section is that people don't do things to you. They are acting on their reality in the same way as you are seeing motives behind their actions based on what you can see. When the feeling of being "done to" rises we too often look to blame something external. What Covey is saying, is that only by understanding the perceived reality of the do'er, can we find the common reality necessary to both appreciate the true middle ground.This is not easy. When I have been in the position where I was sure someone was doing something just to get back at me, I struggle to even consider their position in any unfiltered light. I have needed someone I trust to take me aside and say "Listen Steve, no matter what you think, this person is doing this because they truly believe it for the good of the group". This was something I would not even had heard from the person in question, and frankly was not that easy to hear from my then trusted coach. Covey has a great quote "What you are shouts so loudly in my ears I cannot her what you say" -how many times has that been the case?He speaks of an "inside-out" approach to problems, that means to start with ourselves and what?s happening on the inside. As an example this approach says that private victories precede public ones, that keeping promises to ourselves precedes keeping promises to others."Character is a composite of our habits""habits are the intersection of Knowledge, Skill and Desire."These statements under pin the rest of the book.Covey talks about three levels of maturity. Dependence where everything is about "you"(someone else) that we are dependent upon. Independence, where its all about I - I am responsible and I can do it. This is where I feel many leaders stop. With the confidence of only themselves they try to drive others to their dreams.Interdependence is where its all about we. Being a natural introvert, this is something I have to learn. I am far more comfortable doing my stuff on my own. The thought of having to rely on others for part of my dreams does not feel natural. That may be a bit harsh, in fact there are a few individuals I have worked with where is has not been an issue of leadership, more of partnership. My issue is to expand these to a wider number of people.Covey talks about how interdependence can feel like dependence and therefore not a step forward. Often phrased as "doing their own thing" or being liberated people move back from potential interdependence to independence.The rest of the book is divided into three main parts. The first three chapters deal with taking people from dependence to independence. Now if you are like me, you think this is a step you have already taken. This maybe so, but these chapters are going to heighten our self awareness and cement us at or above the level of independence. Covey describes these as "Private Victories".Habits four to seven are the "Public Victories" that will move us from independence to interdependence, and the last habit is about continuous improvement.Covey then talks about efficiency as the necessary balance between return and investment. Or as he calls it Production and production Capacity (P/PC). An interesting quote here for me was "..always treat your employees as you would have them treat your best customers." He speaks of how you can employ people but the extra special part of the individual has to be won, passionate employees are there for more than the money, is the way I see it. This is where the interdependence and trusting those you work with all starts to come together.The final message of the introduction is:"No one can persuade another to change. Each of us guards a gate of change that can only be opened from the inside".For me this is a moment of commitment. I feel that I have a choice here and now. I can leave the gate closed and go on as before, or open it and dive into the rest of this text... "and see how deep the rabbit hole goes" as Morpheus said.Be brave, be famous.Cheers Steve dr seuss cat in hat quotes

"Follow Me to Glory" by Will Hutchison - Book Review

Award-winning author Will Hutchison has written a detailed fictional account of the battles of the Crimean War of the mid-nineteenth century. This is the story of preparation and training in the early military career of Captain Ian Carlyle.Young Ian is compelled to fulfill his destiny to become a company commander in the Scots Fusilier Guards to lead men into battle and to have them "follow him to glory." His story includes a coming-of-age theme, a romantic interest, and the ultimate opportunity -- to lead men into battle.Faced with the brutality of the Russians and the shortages and chaos of the men in the trenches, Ian comes to terms with the truth about courage, duty, and the price of glory in human suffering including the cost of lives lost.Hutchison has done extensive research on the troop movements, artillery placements, and tactical strategy used in the battles of Alma, Inkerman, Balaklava, and Sevastopol. He has included detailed diagrams of these battles, as well as maps of the Turkey and Crimea area in 1854.Hutchison is an entertaining storyteller. He imparts historical information with amazing dexterity, and is a powerful motivator. By example, Ian Carlyle inspires the reader to follow their dream, to fulfill their destiny, and to face their circumstances with new courage and confidence.In addition to Ian Carlyle's character, Hutchison shows an amazing insight into human nature as he carefully develops individual personalities for a cast of dozens of major and minor characters introduced throughout the novel "Follow Me to Glory."Hutchison's writing is passionate, riveting, and full of action and conflict, with stimulating dialog, a powerful plot and meticulous research.Infinity Publishing (2006)ISBN 9780741435606Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (6/07) dr seuss cat in hat history

Interview With Will Hutchison, Author Of "Follow Me To Glory"

Will Hutchison is an award-winning author whose new novel is set during the Crimean War. He is a graduate of Syracuse University, with twenty-six years as an officer in the US Army and Marine Corps. He has spent his life in interesting and often dangerous endeavors, from leading Marines in Vietnam, to working as an undercover drug agent in Amsterdam with military CID, to serving as a Federal special agent conducting fraud investigations and counter-terrorism initiatives at nuclear plants. He resides in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where he pursues his writing and photography, with occasional law enforcement consulting projects. As an avocation, he has written and lectured on nineteenth century military history internationally for over twenty years.Tyler: Welcome, Will, I'm glad you could join me today. To start off, I know the Crimean War may not be one really familiar to our readers. Can you give us a little background on why that war was fought?Will: Actually, people know more about the Crimean War than they at first realize. For instance, Errol Flynn and the Charge of the Light Brigade - Florence Nightingale...the lady with the lamp - The 'Thin Red Line'...all came out of the Crimean War. It took place six years before the American Civil War, from 1854 through 1856, during the reign of Queen Victoria. It was primarily fought on the Western coast of the Crimean peninsula (present day the Ukraine). This war's origins were shrouded in political mystery and intrigue, ranging from somewhat bogus religious reasons to the expansionist doctrine of the Russian Czar, Nicholas I, in an effort to gain free access between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Russia invaded the then Ottoman (Turkish) Empire, and it hit the fan...Britain and France, the most unlikely of bedfellows, came to Turkey's aid, supported further by Sardinia. Although a Turkish Army basically drove Russia back across her borders, the people and governments of Britain and France felt strongly that Russia needed to be taught a lesson. Thus in September 1854, a combined allied army landed on the Crimean peninsula. Their mission was to capture Sevastopol and sink the Russian Black Sea fleet harbored there.The Russians sunk a good part of their own fleet to block the harbor to British and French ships, and it took the allied army the next two years to capture Sevastopol.Tyler: Thank you, Will. That makes the historical background much more clear. So why did you choose the Crimean War over another war?Will: I've always been interested in 19th Century military history, and particularly the Crimean War and American Civil War. I've lectured and written frequently on both subjects. My original thought was to write a novel about British observers in the American Civil War on General McClellan's staff. There were actually about a dozen of them. However, these officers received their combat experience and became the fine officers they were in the Crimea, six years earlier. I decided that the setting for the first novel would be in the Crimea; then I'd bring my characters into the American Civil War in the sequel. The Crimean War became my passion through about three years of research, before I felt I could put pen to paper.Tyler: Do you then see this novel as a prequel to your intended Civil War book, which will be the primary work, or do you think they are about equal in importance? Will a reader have to read this book to understand the book you intend to write about the American Civil War?Will: It is a prequel. The sequel will bring Ian Carlyle and a few other characters into the American Civil War. There will also be at least a third in the Ian Carlyle series. Each book will be of equal importance, and each will stand alone as a story in itself.Tyler: How do you think the novel would have been different had you chosen a different war or a different era like World War II?Will: I think a writer must follow his instincts and above all his passion. It is my intention to write a series, not merely one book. The first with my main character, Ian Carlyle, coming of age as a man, then as an officer, in the Crimea...and the second bringing him into our Civil War as a seasoned veteran.As for setting it in a different era, there is such a strong connection and impact between the Crimean War and our Civil War, only a few years apart, that I doubt there is any other period or set of wars which would so readily lend themselves to my vision. This was a simpler age. They were still using linear tactics when throwing armies at one another. The lines drawn in cultural values and in war seem to me clearer than more recent conflicts. Of course, there's that passion of mine for the 19th century, as well.Tyler: I'm just curious if you're also interested in the Mexican War? I have often seen that war referenced as a primary training ground for the soldiers in the Civil War, since it was fought by Americans, while the Crimean War was not. Do you reference the Mexican War at all in either of your novels?Will: Not in "Follow Me to Glory," but certainly in the next book. Ian Carlyle will be primarily with Sykes' Regulars at Antietam, surrounded by Mexican War and Indian wars veterans, both officers and enlisted.Tyler: Obviously, war is not a fun endeavor, but the title "Follow Me to Glory" suggests the glamour of war. At the same time, I understand the Crimean war was largely a disaster. Could you tell us what the title you chose signifies?Will: The Crimean War was an absolute disaster. There had not been a major war in Europe for 40 years, since Wellington fought Napoleon. In 1854, the British were ill prepared to fight such a large-scale war. Too many of the lessons learned against Napoleon had been forgotten, and Wellington was no longer around. The butcher's bill for this forgetfulness was paid in soldiers' lives.I chose the title because Ian Carlyle's dream is to follow in his soldier-father's footsteps and lead men in battle. To him, as he comes of age, this means to lead men to 'glory.' In that earlier time, and I fear too often today, those who first go to war, and those at home who cheer them on, have this sense that 'glory' is out there, a prize to be had if your brave enough, or lucky enough. The reality falls way below the expectation.In my book, Ian Carlyle manages to navigate through some rather horrendous challenges. He evolves into a warrior and a leader, but the story is more about his coming to terms with the truth about what glory isn't...rather then what it is. Most folks who have been in harm's way, the warriors who have to fight the dirty, ugly wars, will tell you about that truth. That in the end, it boils down to kinship with your fellow soldiers, an intense commitment to those in your charge, and plain, simple survival.Tyler: Since the war was such a disaster, did the British object to it? Can we equate it in any way with more recent wars like Vietnam and Iraq? I am especially surprised that the English and French would go to the aid of Turkey over Russia since the Turks are not Caucasian or Christian. What did France and Britain seek to gain in the war?Will: Both the British and French populations were infuriated by Russia's invasion of Ottoman territory. Their outrage was fueled by a sea battle at Sinope, won by the Russian fleet, during which Russians allegedly massacred surviving Turkish seamen who were swimming in the water. The people of Britain found out about the mismanagement of the British army through news accounts as they filtered back. They were equally outraged at that, and demanded military reforms, but this did not manifest itself as an overwhelming anti-war movement. All wars have commonalities, in causation, and execution, but this was not a 19th Century Vietnam or Iraq. There are far more differences, than similarities.To try to explain the immediate and general causes of the war is clearly a difficult task. It involves alliances, treaties, past political conflicts, and the state at which the European powers, namely Russia, France, Great Britain, Austria and the Ottoman Empire, were in at the turn of the 19th Century. To attempt a simple explanation, the issue was whether the Christian faith, centered in The Holy Land within the Ottoman Empire, would be protected by the Roman Catholics, a claim supported primarily by France, or the Orthodox Church, with claims supported by Czar Nicholas I of Russia. This complex conflict resulted in Russia invading the Ottoman Empire to protect Orthodox Christians.In fact, most thinking folks of the period saw through this rhetoric immediately. This was a war to put an end to Russian visions of expansion. The Czar, and Czars before him, wanted possession of a warm water port between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, to gain unencumbered access for trade and military purposes. The European powers wanted not only to deny that access, but to teach the Czar a strong enough lesson that he wouldn't try it again.There were also underlying reasons for the British and French, as well. Sinope was a Russian victory at sea. Britain could not allow Russia to grow into a significant sea power in the Mediterranean and threaten their trade and sea power dominance. Napoleon III of France had dreams of restoring the power and prestige of France under Napoleon I. He saw this conflict as a means to do so in the eyes of the world.Tyler, I will bet you're sorry you asked that question.Tyler: Not at all. I think all of history is fascinating. Let's turn now to your novel's hero, Ian Carlyle, who is Scottish. Is there a reason why you chose a Scottish over an English hero?Will: As you've guessed, I'm a bit of an 'Anglophile.' I could easily have made my main character English. On the other hand, my Dad was born in Scotland, and that's most definitely where my roots are entrenched. Give me a kilt and a broadsword, and I'm your man!I wanted Ian to have the historical bloodline of the great highland warriors, and belong to a Scottish regiment, my personal favorite, the Scots Fusilier Guards. I also wanted him to be a bit of a rogue and a rebel among his refined English colleagues at Eton College and within the army. I made him the second son of an Earl, just to complicate his life and make it more interesting to the reader.Tyler: I understand "Follow Me to Glory" also has a romantic plot. Is this partly a tale of a woman waiting at home for her soldier to return?Will: Hardly that. Ian is too much the rogue to be tied down. In fact, the story of how the love interest evolved is interesting in itself. When I wrote the first draft, it depicted Ian growing up in a rather sheltered aristocratic existence...a strict father, and a protective mother--no room for a flirtatious encounter. One night at a local pub, I was told pointedly by no less than six of the fine and perceptive ladies of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that if there were no love scenes, the book would be a dismal failure, and, of course, none of them, or any other female for that matter, would buy a copy.I quickly excused myself, went home, and created Jasmine...a sultry, caramel-skinned London barmaid, who enters Ian's young life a time or two. She and Ian are lovers, allowing me to extend the passion and heat of war beyond combat, but she is anything but a woman waiting at home for her soldier to return. To find out more, you'll have to read the book.Tyler: It's fascinating, isn't it, how someone's comments will lead to a plot shift or change in a character, and especially when you get reader feedback before the book is even published. Another turnoff I think women might find with such a book is that it's about war, which is generally something more of interest to men. How do you balance between historical accuracy and detail and just giving historical flavor without bogging the reader down in too much detail?Will: Regarding women readers, I have found they have enjoyed the book far more than they expected. I suspect that is because this is as much a coming of age novel as it is a war novel. Although the first chapter strikes a war setting, the back-story takes Ian through his developing to manhood in Victorian Britain. The reader is with Ian during all the growing up conflicts and challenges within the family, his years at Eton College, his early years as a soldier in London, and a steamy romance, before he ever goes to war.The primary purpose of fiction is to entertain. I submit that historical fiction may also inform, but, more importantly, it entices the reader--opens a gateway to history, if you will. I would not be a historian if it weren't for my having found and absorbed "The Red Badge of Courage" at age ten. I think your question regarding historical accuracy hits on the greatest challenge to a historical writer, who is a historian by nature...that of creating a balance between a good story, and good his-story. First and foremost, you must have a good story, written with passion. Good history means to me that you do proper research and use it to enrich your characters and storyline. The historical period and perhaps some real historical characters make up the setting for the story. They should not dominate it with contrived or irrelevant historical details.Tyler: Will, are there any other works of historical fiction that have influenced you in your writing?Will: Oh yes. Just to name a few authors and their works: Stephen Crane's "Red Badge of Courage," C.S. Forester's "Hornblower" series, Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe" series, Patrick O'Brian's "Captain Jack Aubrey" series, and all of Jeff Shaara's magnificent works. In fact, Jeff was kind enough to gave me some most excellent advice on the use of accents so that the reader is not bogged down with the writer's interpretation of a 'strong Scottish brogue.' I used the advice, thanked him in the book, and my reviewers tell me it worked out exceptionally well.Tyler: Will, I understand you're an award winning author. Can you tell us a little bit about how you achieved that status and what awards you've won?Will: The reviewers have been very kind. At first I only had reviews from those folks who in some manner knew me, and although they wrote how much they enjoyed the book, I was not convinced I'd written the 'good yarn' I wanted to write until I received similar generous reviews from outside my own circle.My publisher had enough faith in the book to enter it in a couple of prestigious awards programs. To my surprise and delight, 'Follow Me to Glory' received an Independent Publisher's Bronze Award for best regional fiction, and was selected as a finalist for the ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award in fiction.Tyler: Congratulations on the awards. Could you tell us now a little bit about your next book, set during the Civil War?Will: The sequel to 'Follow Me to Glory' is currently being written, and should be out in early 2008. As was my initial intention, the sequel will take Ian Carlyle into the American Civil War, first as an observer on General McClellan's staff at Anteitam, then as a Military Attaché at the British Legation in Washington. Along the way, he will become embroiled in thwarting a conspiracy by profiteering British arms dealers to assassinate Abraham Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address.Tyler: You mentioned above you wanted to write a series--do you perceive Ian appearing in future books. Will he go on to the American Indian Wars or some other military type work?Will: I may have already answered this question above. There will be a third book after Ian comes to the US in the Civil War, but I'm not sure where it will take him. The Indian Wars are a possibility, or the next of Britain's many conflicts, but I'm leaning more toward his reluctantly becoming involved in espionage work for the British Government...a sort of James Bond of the 19th Century.Tyler: Thank you for joining me today, Will. Before we go, would you tell our readers your web site address so they can find out more information about your book or go there to purchase a copy?Will: Certainly. It is rather simple. My web site is: http://www.followmetoglory.com. The book is also on most major book-buying sites and in select bookstores in both the US and UK. I'd like to thank you, Tyler, for asking me to join you.Tyler: Thank you, Will. I hope the success of "Follow Me to Glory" continues, and we'll be looking for your next book as well.Infinity Publishing (2006)ISBN 9780741435606Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (6/07) dr seuss cat in hat book

"I Don't Want to be Your Guru, But I Have Something to Say," by Joyce Shafer - Book Review

"I Don't Want to be Your Guru, but I have Something to Say" is Joyce Shafer's gift to me. This book, short and easy-to-read, makes me realize that other books, sharing wisdom that I have read, were merely building up to this book. The book could be read in one afternoon, but why would you want to? I took my time reading this book and intentionally did not mark in it, highlight or flag any part of it. I want to read it again before I really pull the lessons out of the text.Through an easy going conversation in a cafe, lessons about how we view ourselves and the world around us are shared between two people. Each lesson is one which I want to savor - like a delectable amuses-bouche. An amuses-bouche is bite-sized morsel served before the first course of a meal. And its intent is to tantalize (or amuse) the mouth and indeed tease the diner with what the chef has prepared for the following courses. "I Don't Want to be Your Guru" serves up an array of amuses-bouche - each lesson teasing me with the possibility of how my life could be altered, bettered, lifted by integrating these lessons into it.In "I Don't Want to be Your Guru," the loose story which surrounds these lessons is a young woman named AJ (though I suppose it could be a man, but as I am a woman I suspect Ms. Shafer intended me to view AJ as a woman) who is returning to the site where she had this life-changing conversation with Old Bill. She is returning ten years after the conversation - and I suspect that of everything she learned in her conversation with this "guru," it could take ten years to really integrate and reflect on these lessons as part of your everyday life. And I, for one, can't wait to get started! dr seuss book collection

Interview With Joyce Shafer, Author Of "I Don't Want To Be Your Guru, But I Have Something To Say"

Joyce Shafer is a life coach and a weekly columnist for United Press International’s Religion and Spirituality Forum. She is also regularly published at VisionsMetro, Success.com, iPEC’s iNSPIRE Newsletter (Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching), Selfgrowth.com, and Potential2Success. Besides her book “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say,” she has a second book available, “How to Have What You REALLY Want: An Easy Guide That Can Take You to the Next Level in Every Area of Your Life.” Joyce also contributed to the content and editing of Leeya Brooke Thompson’s 2006 book “The Wisdom of Sound and Number: Phonetic Chaldean Numerology—Reclaiming an Ancient Oracle.”Tyler: Thank you for joining me, today, Joyce. I understand “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say” has been compared to such fables as “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” and “The Little Prince.” To begin, how would you best define your book and will you tell us a little bit about the frame or structure of the book?Joyce: Thank you, Tyler. It’s my pleasure to have this opportunity. “Guru” presents non-fiction, that is, real-life matters in a fictional format so that readers are invited to “overhear” a conversation and give the content consideration as opposed to being told “This is the way.” One humorous note about this format is that when someone wants to categorize it and asks, “Is it fiction or non-fiction?”—my answer is Yes.When we contemplate something and allow our inner truth about it to emerge—what is appropriate for us—it has far more meaning for us as individuals. This process allows us to integrate what we learn about ourselves into our day-to-day lives. Doing so can create a stronger foundation to manage our lives rather than let our lives manage us. It’s true Self empowerment. It takes “To thine own self be true” to the next level, which is precisely the purpose of the book.Tyler: Joyce, how did you come up with the idea to write “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say?”Joyce: First, I want to say the title came to me while having dinner with a friend. He asked me what it was that I wanted to accomplish and I responded, “I don’t want to be anyone’s guru, but I do have something to say.” The Why is that I’ve always been something of a philosophical and practical analyst of behaviors and dynamics—those of others, but especially of my own. Everything is cause and effect, choice and outcome. I had one of those moments where I contemplated something I observed and the thought occurred that a book that touched on this process might be good to share. And, I wanted it to be reader-friendly so it flowed for readers. I wanted to avoid sounding academic or cause readers to have a “Huh?” bubble hovering in their minds about what was being said.Over a two-year period, I made various attempts to get the book started. There was so much I wanted to include, but to arrive at how to organize and present it was a challenge. I finally got frustrated and decided that until I knew exactly how to do this, I wouldn’t give it another thought.Two months went by before I woke one morning and knew what the format had to be. Due to my schedule, my writing time was limited to the first 30 to 45 minutes after waking on weekdays. I also was inclined at that time, to write it long-hand into a notebook. It arrived pretty much as it is over a two-month period, meaning I didn’t edit the story, edits were matters of punctuation.Tyler: Our reviewer at Reader Views, Narissa Johnson, commented that the character A.J. could be a male or female. Would you give us a little insight into what A.J. represents. Do those initials mean anything?Joyce: The names of the characters emerged as the content did; though I realized when A.J. appeared, that I should leave gender non-specific so readers could assign it for themselves. My thought was that readers might see themselves through A.J.’s eyes, so no pronoun ever appears in the book regarding that character. Initially, it was a source of curiosity and amusement for me to ask readers what gender they believe A.J. to be, and they had interesting reasons why A.J. was female or male. A.J. represents us as beings who sometimes move through life too fast or even sometimes as sleepwalkers, rather than participants in our own inner and outer journeys, as well as those whose deeper innate thought processes can be stimulated.A funny thing about Bill was that when he arrived and started to speak, he looked and sounded like the actor Robert Duvall. I suppose many authors envision their books becoming movies, especially now that venues such as Spiritual Cinema Circle and Indies exist; but I was surprised when this happened. However, if anyone could convey the proper vocal inflection and twinkle of the eyes of Bill, Duvall could.Tyler: I also understand this is a new edition of the book. What has changed from the previous edition, and why did you feel a need for a new edition?Joyce: The changes were unrelated to the content. What started the new edition process was I considered entering “Guru” in a competition and saw that the cover was part of the evaluation. The original cover was generic and functional, but I knew it would benefit from a facelift. I’m delighted with this new one since apples are included in the story. I changed my mind about entering the competition because it became obvious that Point A didn’t lead to Point B, it led to Point C. My mantra is, “Commit, but be flexible.” Pricing was also a consideration and primary motivator for the new edition. A global distribution situation created an automatic price hike for the original version and I wasn’t able to change that. The new edition allowed me to put the price of print copies and downloads to ones I felt were more appropriate.Tyler: That’s all really interesting, Joyce. First of all, let me say I love the cover and laughed when I saw how it fit the story so perfectly. But I’m interested in what you say about pricing. Authors often feel like a book is a blessing and a curse—you love your story and want the world to enjoy your book, but at the same time, you have to be careful that the book will sell without losing your shirt, so to speak. Do you have any advice for writers about the financial aspect of the business? Especially in your case, where your book’s goal is more spiritual, how do you balance the material side of being a writer?Joyce: The first thing I want to suggest to authors is that they check out the various Print-On-Demand services available online. The publishing world has changed dramatically in the last several decades. Thankfully, because of the electronic age and those who recognized a needed service and created a way to provide it, new authors can find budget-friendly ways to get into print in a very short amount of time and avoid years of rejection letters that may or may not have anything to do with book quality, as well as avoid an initial cash layout and boxes of books taking up space.Second, it’s easy to forget that money is a man-made concept that represents an exchange of energy for a product or service. People agree to such an exchange if they perceive there is value to having a particular something in their lives whether it serves them short- or long-term. People involved in more spiritually-based endeavors hesitate to properly value what they offer because there’s an intangible quality present even if something tangible is provided. Yet in reality, this is true about every purchase. Someone who sells a product is able to factor in cost of materials and labor to arrive at a selling price. It isn’t feasible for an author to factor in education costs that come from higher learning, books, workshops, life experiences, hours of contemplation, or writing and editing time and dollars involved in creating a book from concept to print form. But if a book changes a person’s life for the better, even to a small degree, what price do you put on that? What value? It’s priceless—to the person and the author. Undervaluing ourselves and what we offer does not empower us, others, or the collective we are all a part of. In fact, it weakens us. However, I add that in certain situations that feel appropriate to me, I give the book away.The topic of denying or limiting abundance in our lives, whatever that looks like to us as individuals, is an entire dialogue on its own. Nothing about the universe we live in stipulates lack or limitation is the way. We make such a decision on our own. We can seek a point of balance; and, everyone’s point of balance is different and changes with time.Tyler: Thanks for that explanation, Joyce. I think it's true that money can't always be the dominant concern. Many authors decide to publish, whether profitable or not, because it's more important for them to share their story with others. I understand part of the lesson of the book focuses on how we view ourselves. Would you give us an example of such a lesson?Joyce: One example is that much dialogue came about regarding how to heal or address the inner child, or as Carolyn Myss once referred to it, the inner brat. Phrases are used to say we are the children of the Universe or other wording to the same effect. One segment in “Guru” poses the question, What if considering ourselves children is part of the problem in our lives and world today? What might happen if we consider ourselves responsible adults instead? How might we behave differently about our individual and global experiences?Tyler: In relation to viewing ourselves as adults, I was struck by the passage on page 25 where you said, “I’m not sayin that someone who’s had something negative happen doesn’t deserve compassion and whatever help can be given. What I’m sayin is some folks get stuck” and you go on to say we have to accept things are over and it is past tense. I think a lot of people use therapy today to ask others to look at all the terrible things that happened in their childhood so they deserve sympathy. How does someone like that move from feeling sorry for himself to behaving like a responsible adult?Joyce: First, to borrow again from Carolyn Myss since she said it perfectly, when we lead with our wounds we, in fact, inform others as to how we’ll manipulate situations and people in our lives. When we lead with our wounds, we position ourselves as victims with no or little personal power to move the self from that stuck place and often believe others need to do whatever we ask of them so we can feel better. This places responsibility for our feeling good about ourselves on others rather than where it belongs—inside us. When we do this, who holds the power?Therapy is sometimes needed, depending on what the situation or condition is. What I appreciate about life coaching is that you may touch on past events for the purpose of getting a bit of information, but you never let a client stay there—because it isn’t happening in the present. The only thing happening in the present is the person’s perceptions about the past. Dragging the past behind us is like dragging heavy boulders. We move forward much faster if we put that load down, assess where we are, and choose where we want to go now. Or as Bruce D. Schneider, Ph.D. and founder of iPEC coined, “Where do we grow from here?” We do at times need to be self-nurturing or nurtured by others when something emotionally or physically painful happens; but if we move into self-pity, nothing changes—at least nothing that leads to positive outcomes. There’s a perfect phrase for this: “Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” We suffer when we resist what is rather than find a way to move forward. Locking into self-pity leaves us unable to properly respond, which is the root of what being responsible is about. We may not be able to change everything about our lives, but we can change our attitudes. When we truly grasp that what we focus on attracts more of the same to us, we would, hopefully, be more mindful about this.Tyler: Joyce, would you tell our readers a little bit about how being a life coach may have influenced your book?Joyce: Actually, the original version was published about a year prior to my training as a life coach. Since I also function as editor for the Dr. Bill’s Health and Wellness Series, my time doesn’t currently include life coach clients. The degree I’m involved in coaching at this time is that my coach and I coach each other. Of course, life offers many opportunities to act as a coach. Many. However, one thing is true about trained coaches—they were always a coach in one fashion or another; so, you could easily say my life as an untrained coach did influence the content.What the training directly affected was “How to Have What You REALLY Want,” which I created over ten years ago for a workshop I conducted. After the training, and a decade of additional life experiences, I modified it and realized it could easily be offered as a book for people who want to look at their lives in a way they, perhaps, never have. It also deals with the concept of what it is we really want, which we usually believe to be something other than what that ultimately is. This new book is an excellent companion to “Guru,” which would be beneficial to read first so certain thoughts are stimulated, though it’s not absolutely necessary to do so. Each book is a “stand-alone.” The underlying theme of both books is that right answers are great, but the ability to ask ourselves the right questions is even more empowering.Tyler: Joyce, how do you feel your book stands out from all the self-help books on the market today?Joyce: One reader who posted a review at the primary seller’s site said it best: It doesn’t preach or direct, it invites contemplation. People evolve at their own paces and I honor that. And, I understand that individuals best know what is appropriate for them. Also, the book consolidates quite a bit into a small space rather than pages and pages or volumes. It’s succinct.Tyler: I would agree with that. I’ve heard several of the ideas you express before in books ranging from Buddhism to quantum physics, but I felt your book was easy to read. I want to go back to the beginning when you said the format came to you after you did nothing for two months. The book is written as a dialogue between Bill and A.J. and in that way, it is both very contemporary and as you said earlier, reader-friendly, while also recalling classical dialogues, like Plato’s. But what I really liked was that it took place in a diner while eating apple pie. Why did you decide on that setting, or if it “just came” to you, what do you feel makes that setting successful for achieving the book’s overall goals?Joyce: Yes, many of the concepts in the book are familiar because they are as old as we are. Sometimes, we grasp an idea as a matter of hearing it stated differently or seeing it worded in a way that allows us to understand how it relates to us directly. Timing can play a role, as well. We may have been aware of the dots, but a pivotal moment occurs to connect them and we see a bigger picture.The setting did just come to me, as did the dialogue. Every word flowed through the pen to the paper so fast, it was sometimes a challenge to keep up. I learned from that experience and now use my computer. I imagine the reason a diner presented itself is because nearly everyone relaxes when they sit down in such a setting. It’s far more casual than, say, a four-star restaurant. Considering the location where the story takes place, it’s also more realistic. Most of us enjoy a diner experience since it’s conducive to conversation—the one we engage in and those we overhear. We love to linger over a meal or coffee and interesting, stimulating conversation.Tyler: The book is a very slim volume of 54 pages. Do you envision people reading it in one sitting, or reading a little bit each day What do you think is the best way for the reader to apply its lessons?Joyce: I love learning how they chose to read it, whether in one sitting or in several. It’s really about what works best for them. And because of its size, many read it more than once. Quite a few people have shared that nearly every page is written on as thoughts occur to them while reading the book. One of the most affirming comments I’ve received from many readers is that a great deal is accomplished in just 54 pages.Since the premise of the book is to inspire consideration, my hope is that readers apply what’s offered in ways that are appropriate for them, through actions that come from head and heart alignment about particular matters. This alignment is more often than not, the result of inner reflection and determining how to make feelings, beliefs, and personal truths congruent with outer actions—how we live in the world. If we look around, we notice a great deal of challenges and conflicts stem from incongruities.Tyler: For readers who haven’t read the book, could you give us an example of such a challenge or conflict that stems from an incongruity, so they can better understand what you are trying to achieve?Joyce: We’re not always aware that what we criticize exists in us, or once did, on some level. As an example, years back, I visited a psychic fair where members of one of the stricter religions picketed outside. The coordinator of the fair said to me, “I cannot tolerate intolerant people,” then walked away, oblivious to what he’d just said.We could expand this a bit and say if he had paused to consider his own level of tolerance, he might have had a simple fleeting thought about the picketers like, “How interesting,” then let it go. Had the picketers felt tolerant, they may have noticed some discomfort and gathered to meditate on the wish that they and everyone attending the fair connected to their spirituality in a meaningful way. We might achieve better outcomes in such situations if we admit we don’t always feel tolerant. Certainly, abuse of any kind should not be tolerated; but we can’t enforce tolerance. We can only re-evaluate it and our relationship to it on a consistent basis.We criticize when we feel restricted. What usually happens in such cases is that instead of placing focus on why we feel restricted and what we can do to effect a productive change within ourselves—even if that means we move on or away—we focus on what’s wrong with the others and on how we can make them behave in ways that make us feel better. We’re all mirrors for each other. Incongruities occur when we fail to notice that what we don’t like in another is a reflection of something we don’t like or want to deny it exists within us. We’re not homogenous, nor will we ever be; but, we can choose to determine what is appropriate for us to become our best selves and allow others to travel their own path, giving them the same respect we desire. And, we have to determine the balance point within society for such respect and tolerance, though it’s an ongoing see-saw type of experience. Incongruity appears when we believe there should only be one way and that everyone should agree on it. That’s unrealistic when we consider nearly seven billion individuals are having individual experiences on the planet at one time.A first thought about this for some may be, What about extremists? If you consider the overall population of the planet, extremists are the minority despite what news reports suggest. The majority of us just want to live a life of purpose and feel fulfilled about our experiences. If we think for ourselves and don’t agree to be incited to different behavior, we are basically kind-hearted as a whole.Tyler: Thank you, Joyce, I think that’s well said, and I think your book will help people understand this better. Thank you so much for joining us today, Joyce. Would you let our readers know your web site address and how they can find out more information about “I Don’t Want to be Your Guru, but I Have Something to Say”?Joyce: Thank you, Tyler. The website is [http://www.joyceshafer.com]. People interested in what others have to say about their experience of reading “Guru” can go to http://www.lulu.com and read the reviews. Their comments have more worth and impact than anything I might add about the book at this time.Tyler: And finally, do you have anything else to say before we release you from your guru position here?Joyce: I’m smiling at you since, of course, the whole idea is that I’m not a guru nor aspire to be one. I just want to be mindful in my own life, as much as possible. If such attention to my life assists others to do the same for themselves, that’s what ultimately matters.I did have one reader email an inquiry about why he should listen to anything I had to say in the book. I responded that he shouldn’t, that the point of the book was for him to listen to himself, but perhaps listen with “different” ears. Another shared that tears streamed down his face as he read it because it touched many inner issues at a deep level. One reader asked for my apple pie recipe.Some interesting things happened since the first version came out, events that I did not initiate. One reader sent a copy to a head librarian which resulted in the Brooklyn Public Library’s board voting to include “Guru” on their shelves and in their computerized catalog. I’m still not certain how this happened, but an organization formed in Manhattan to assist those affected by 9/11, used it for their book-of-the-month discussion the same year the original was published. And, a person who retired from the military and decided to function as a coach to assist others retiring and returning to civilian life, gives a copy to each of her clients. On nearly a daily basis, I get a surprise or gift, if you will, by learning how this little book makes a big difference in someone’s life. Such moments are affirming for me as the writer of this book; but, to be of such service to a fellow being... Words I might use to express this would diminish how this feels.One thing became immediately apparent: This book has a life of its own—beyond what even I imagined.Tyler: I can certainly believe that, Joyce, and I hope it continues to touch many lives. Good luck to you and to the life of “I Don’t Want to Be Your Guru, but I have Something to Say.”Joyce: Thank you, Tyler. I wish you, and everyone, a wonderful life and a life filled with wonders.Lulu.com (2007)ISBN 9781430314110Reviewed by Narissa Johnson for Reader Views (6/07) seuss book collection sets cat hat