Curious about Transparency: What Does It Mean to You? How Transparent Are You, Your Life and Your Business?

“I think it's a good thing that there are bloggers out there watching very closely and holding people accountable. Everyone in the news should be able to hold up to that kind of scrutiny. I'm for as much transparency in the newsgathering process as possible.” - Anderson Cooper, American journalist

I chose “Transparency” for this week’s theme because I feel it is an “in” word right now – and also an important theme today for business and our depiction of our lives. President Obama used it often while campaigning and is promising that we will be experiencing government transparency.

I want to listen to speakers who are transparent and accountable. I want to read news that is transparent and accountable. I want elected constituents to be transparent and accountable. And, I even want those people whom I am meeting through social media to be transparent and accountable.

If you are like I am, we are tired of finding out that businesses and others have been covering up secrets and procedures. My disappointment is great when I hear and/or read about one more company or person that has lied about what has actually been taking place.

Bad things happen. But when a group or a person comes clean and admits a transgression, don’t we have greater respect for them? Once you have been following the so-called gurus on the Internet for a time, it becomes apparent – at least it has for me – which ones are transparent and accountable.

For this theme, I found few quotations and many were from politicians, so realize that as you read the following:

• “Life is filigree work. What is written clearly is not worth much, it's the transparency that counts.” - Louis-Ferdinand Celine, French writer
• “We should insist that governments receiving American aid live up to standards of accountability and transparency, and we should support countries that embrace market reforms, democracy, and the rule of law.” - Lee H. Hamilton, American politician
• “What passes for woman's intuition is often nothing more than man's transparency.” - George Jean Nathan, American editor
• “We do not have a functioning market in the true sense of the word in health care. That's a layer of transparency that's sorely needed in America.” - Paul Ryan, American politician
• “But what I hope for from a book - either one that I write or one that I read - is transparency. I want the story to shine through. I don't want to think of the writer.” - Anne Tyler, American novelist
• “If we want to truly regain the public's trust, we can provide greater accountability and transparency with a simple step. Let's start by communicating to our constituents about the votes we take.” - Melissa Bean, American politician

And, just a few more that make one think:

• “One man's transparency is another's humiliation.” - Gerry Adams, Irish politician
• “What I'm thinking about more and more these days is simply the importance of transparency, and Jefferson's saying that he'd rather have a free press without a government than a government without a free press.” - Esther Dyson, American scientist
• “Similarly, gender-equality, supremacy of law, political participation, civil society, and transparency are among the indispensable elements that are the imperatives of democratization.” - Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish politician
• “A government operates and acts differently than a company. So all we want to do is get some transparency here and then determine if the deal should go forward.” - Mark Foley, American politician
• “It should strengthen investors' confidence. This is done through transparency, high quality financial reports, and a standardized economic market. This is not just for China, but also for the world market as a whole.” - Richard Grasso, American businessman

So, what do you think? And how transparent are you? I just posted “25 Random Things about Me” on Facebook in an extremely transparent way. Am I taking a chance? I guess any time we are posting, we are taking a chance. I would love to hear from you.

Curious about Proportion: How Does It Relate to and Affect Our Lives, Businesses and Beliefs?

Definition of Proportion: The relation or adaptation of one portion to another, or to the whole, as respect magnitude, quantity, or degree; comparative relation; ratio. A part considered comparatively; a share. To adjust in a suitable proportion, as one thing or one part to another; as, to proportion the size of a building to its height; to proportion our expenditures to our income.

When I decided on “Proportion” for this week’s theme, I was answering so many of the e-mails and articles I have recently received recently about business and goals. If you haven’t read, heard, or experienced the 80/20 rule (also known as the Pareto Principle), I will start with it. The amazing part is that it does work in every area of our lives, businesses and beliefs.

One of my favorite bloggers, Yaro Starak, has written an excellent article about it, called, “What Is the 80/20 Rule and Why It Will Change Your Life.”

Let me clarify:

• 80% of our income results from 20% of our clients; 20% of our income comes from the other 80% of our clients.
• 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts – so it is important to figure out what the 20% are.
• 80% of our beliefs are formed by 20% of what we read and hear.
• Even in the area of weight: 20% of what we weigh results from the exercise we do, while 80% results from what we eat. So watch those calories.

I challenge you to find and determine if and in what areas the 80/20 rule is affecting proportion in your life.

However, there are many other ways and habits that affect our proportions. How much of your time is spent watching TV, surfing the Internet, reading, playing games, sleeping, working on relationships, talking on the telephone, and more?

In addition, there is a plethora of interesting proportion quotations that speak to the wide area of thoughts by the experts about proportion. I will share here a sprinkling of the many I found:

• “The results you achieve will be in direct proportion to the effort you apply.” - Denis Waitley, American writer
• “Do a little bit more than average and from that point on our progress multiplies itself out of all proportion to the effort put in.” - Paul J. Meyer, American businessman
• “A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” - Henry David Thoreau, American author
• “We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them.” - Christian Nestell Bovee, American author
• “The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” - Vince Lombardi, American coach
• “We will receive not what we idly wish for but what we justly earn. Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our service.” - Earl Nightingale, American entertainer

A few more:

• “The overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great qualities a sense of humor and a sense of proportion.” - Franklin D. Roosevelt, American President
• The man who can speak acceptably is usually given credit for an ability out of all proportion to what he really possesses.” - Lowell Thomas, American journalist
• “The older I get the more wisdom I find in the ancient rule of taking first things first. A process which often reduces the most complex human problem to a manageable proportion.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower, American President
• “We get real results only in proportion to the real values we give.” - James Cash Penney, American businessman
• “Idealism increases in direct proportion to one's distance from the problem.” - John Galsworthy, English author
• “Men are wise in proportion, not to their experience, but to their capacity for experience.” - George Bernard Shaw, Irish dramatist

So, what do you think? I would love to read your comments.

Curious about Elegance: How Elegant Are You and Your Products? Would Elegance Make You and Your Business More Remarkable?

Definition of Elegance: Refined grace or dignified propriety; Urbanity; Tasteful richness of design or ornamentation; Dignified gracefulness or restrained beauty of style; Polish; Scientific precision, neatness, and simplicity; something that is elegant.

“The only real elegance is in the mind; if you've got that, the rest really comes from it.” - Diana Vreeland, American editor

Ah! Elegance! It is almost an elusive quality in today’s hurry up world. I started considering the many ways that having elegance can make something or someone stand out from the crowd. I am beginning to develop and design a website for an elegant foundation, so my goal is to also make the website portray elegance. And yet, possess all of the qualities so necessary for a usable, helpful, friendly and highly functional website.

In the above definition, I especially relate to, “Dignified gracefulness or restrained beauty of style.” And having been a mathematics major originally, I can really relate to Johnny Ball’s statement, “If mathematics is to be understood widely, we need to emphasize its elegance and its applications. Sometimes it seems that universities want to emphasize how difficult it is!”

As I wandered around the elegance and elegant quotations, I found an interesting variety of feelings about elegance, so here are a few:

• “Isn't elegance forgetting what one is wearing?” - Yves Saint Laurent, French designer
• “But I think beautiful is simple and elegant, like a ballad with simple harmony.” - John Fogerty, American musician
• “If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.” – Albert Einstein, German physicist
• “Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.” - Coco Chanel, French designer
• “If only for the sake of elegance, I try to remain morally pure.” - Marcel Proust, French author
• “Elegance is not a dispensable luxury but a factor that decides between success and failure.” - Edsger Dijkstra, Dutch scientist

And some additional quotations with interesting interpretations:

• “Genius ain't anything more than elegant common sense.” - Josh Billings, American comedian
• “A truly elegant taste is generally accompanied with excellency of heart.” - Henry Fielding, English novelist
• “What convinces is conviction. Believe in the argument you're advancing. If you don't you're as good as dead. The other person will sense that something isn't there, and no chain of reasoning, no matter how logical or elegant or brilliant, will win your case for you.” - Lyndon B. Johnson, American President
• “Teach us that wealth is not elegance, that profusion is not magnificence, that splendor is not beauty.” - Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman
• “A statesman who keeps his ear permanently glued to the ground will have neither elegance of posture nor flexibility of movement.” - Abba Eban, Israeli Diplomat
• “To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance.” - Jean Genet, French dramatist

And the quotation that I am keeping in mind is by the Scottish writer, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The web, then, or the pattern, a web at once sensuous and logical, an elegant and pregnant texture: that is style, that is the foundation of the art of literature.”

How about you? Do you work on possessing elegance? What do you notice when you meet someone with elegance? I would love to read your comments.

Curious about Validation: As a Close Cousin of Appreciation and Recognition, Validation Gives the Receivers a Lift

“When I was 13, I told Henry Winkler I wanted to act. He said, Do it and don't let anyone stand in your way. His validation just made it all the more true. I haven't stopped thanking him since.” - Marlee Matlin, American actress

Even though I found only a few quotations that used the word “validation” I will still stress its importance to both the giver and the receiver. I chose it as this week’s theme because Alex Mandossian wrote about it in his excellent blog and recommended a short movie on YouTube called, “Validation.” Give yourself the 16 minute gift of this movie. I have actually watched it three times already.

Yes, I have also written blogs in the past about appreciation and recognition – both are forms and types of validation – so I will include several of those quotations. The important message here is to realize how we all hunger for validation and so often don’t receive it as appreciation and/or recognition.

If we have weaknesses or areas where we are prone to making mistakes, we hear about those, but are seldom praised for strengths, talents, skills or obvious attributes. I challenge you to notice what is special about another person and praise them for it. Note that I am not suggesting a lack of sincerity. I think you can find something special about everyone – just as Hugh does in the movie.

I have become quite active on Facebook. If I see a photo of a new friend who has a terrific smile, I am sure to comment on it. Not all of the photos give you many clues, but you can often find an area for validation.

I feel that Dale Carnegie said it all, “You have it easily in your power to increase the sum total of this world's happiness now. How? By giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them over a lifetime.”

Here are a few quotations to consider:

• Mother Teresa felt that, “There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”
• “The logic of validation allows us to move between the two limits of dogmatism and skepticism.” - Paul Ricoeur, French philosopher
• “There are two things people want more than sex and money... recognition and praise.” - Mary Kay Ash, American businesswoman
• “There are two kinds of taste, the taste for emotions of surprise and the taste for emotions of recognition.” - Henry James, American writer
• “If my work was about anything, it was about the search for identity, for personal recognition, for acceptance, for communion, and for a big country. I've always felt that's why people come to my shows, because they feel that big country in their hearts.” - Bruce Springsteen, American musician
• “Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition.” - Abraham Lincoln, American President

Take a moment to think about what you appreciate about your family members, friends, employees, and students. Then tell them.

Follow the advice of Margaret Cousins, “Appreciation can make a day - even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” Let me know what happens.

Curious about Being Remarkable – Here Is to a Year that Will Be Remarkable, Along With Our Being Remarkable as People and Businesses

Definition of Remarkable: Worthy of being remarked or noticed; noticeable; conspicuous; hence, uncommon; extraordinary.

“I have learned, as a rule of thumb, never to ask whether you can do something. Say, instead, that you are doing it. Then fasten your seat belt. The most remarkable things follow.” - Julia Cameron, American author

I have decided that my Theme for 2009 will be “Remarkable.” I am planning remarkable goals, will be known for my remarkable accomplishments, will establish many remarkable relationships, and learn a remarkable amount of knowledge and wisdom. It will be my most remarkable year to date.

The coach, Maria Marsala, turned me on by sharing her great idea that rather than making resolutions that are soon forgotten, we should pick a Yearly Theme. In her words, “Themes can make your year fun and focused. They're much easier to create or use and they last much longer than a list of resolutions.” You will find Maria’s brilliant article by clicking Here.

I love the word “remarkable” and feel that it will stretch me in a fun way and a successful direction. And, you may definitely use the idea of having a theme for the year, and, if you wish you can use “remarkable" too!

When I started to search the quotations, I found a good number. However, they vary a great deal in focus and meaning. Let’s get started.

• “Don't live down to expectations. Go out there and do something remarkable.” - Wendy Wasserstein, American playwright
• “The colors live a remarkable life of their own after they have been applied to the canvas.” - Edvard Munch, Norwegian artist
• “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.” - Douglas Adams, English writer
• “The remarkable thing is, we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day.” - Charles R. Swindoll, American clergyman
• “While many of us never knew Ronald Reagan personally, we felt close to him because we shared his lighthearted sense of humor, admired his uncommon virtue, and were moved by his remarkable wisdom.” - Randy Forbes, American politician
• “Children are remarkable for their intelligence and ardor, for their curiosity, their intolerance of shams, the clarity and ruthlessness of their vision.” - Aldous Huxley, English novelist

And, then there are some with a completely different approach and focus:

• “The most remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served the family nothing but leftovers. The original meal has never been found.” - Calvin Trillin, American journalist
• “The British have a remarkable talent for keeping calm, even when there is no crisis.” - Franklin P. Jones, American businessman
• “Nothing is so common-place as to wish to be remarkable.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes, American writer
• “It is remarkable by how much a pinch of malice enhances the penetrating power of an idea or an opinion. Our ears, it seems, are wonderfully attuned to sneers and evil reports about our fellow men.” - Eric Hoffer, American writer
• “His ignorance was as remarkable as his knowledge.” - Arthur Conan Doyle, English writer
• “Through persistent dedication, Susan B. Anthony, and other remarkable leaders, women were finally granted the right to vote in 1920.” - Louise Slaughter, American politician

I’ll end with one that begs for our consideration:

“The remarkable position in which we find ourselves is that we don't actually know what we actually know.” - Bill Bryson, American writer

Have you decided to pick a theme for 2009? If you have, please share it with us. And do have a wonderful and remarkable year. I know that I plan to.