What could be the best gift to give yourself when you begin a new year?  People get excited about many things during this time of year.  What was your best gift in the past year?  Do you feel you have leadership abilities?  How much closer are you to fulfillment, peace of mind, and tranquility?  Do you live a balanced lifestyle: spiritually, financially, socially, mentally, physically, family, and career?

Great changes are taking place in the world every day.  What would be a powerful word for next year and future years?  The word I suggest to you is “courage”.  Courage is not the absence of fear.  Webster defines courage as “that quality of mind which enables one to meet danger and difficulties with firmness; valor.”  Sidney Bremer, author, says, “Courage is the brother to decisions”.  True courage is cool and calm.  Peter Marshall, author and minister, said, “God give us the courage to stand for something lest we fall for anything.”

So let’s look at the word courage as an acrostic (describing the use of a word by having each letter stand for another word or phrase) for the next year:

C – reminds us that it takes courage to communicate -

      verbally, nonverbally, and tactually.  It takes courage

      to listen, to ask questions, and to give undivided

      attention to everyone we meet.

O – reminds us to be open to idea, conversaion, and every life event.  Stretch to new levels of awareness.

R – reminds us to be responsible for everything we think, say, do, and feel.  With intact Self-Esteem, we choose language to help people feel better about themselves.      It takes courage to not defend, justify or explain your behavior.

A – reminds us about our attitudes.  Our attitude is the way we think.

G – reminds us to grow.  How many books will you read in the next year to upgrade your people skills?  How many learning programs/seminars will you attend?

       How many cassettes will you listen to?

E – reminds us of our Esteem.  Self-Esteem is the self repect you feel for yourself.  It takes courage to pracice your Self-Esteem skills.  Many people are threatened when you change. 

Were you aware I left out the letter “U” until now?  The reason I did that was to remind you that you depend on you to show courage.

This is my gift to you for the next year – the gift of courage.  I wish you the courage to create intact Self-Esteem daily.  Have the leadership that you and those around you desire.

Let us create peace on earth by showing courage every day in everything we think, say, do, and feel and then, watch what happens!

How would you describe your father? Did he have   What qualities of his are important to you?  What do you like least about your father?  What qualities do you like best?  When you were a child, did your father push you on a swing, play ball with you, or watch you play sports?  Did he go to PTA (Parent-Teachers’ Association) meetings or encourage you when you brought home a poor report card?  Did he teach you any sport, or to ride a bike, or to drive a car?  Did he help you learn a difficult subject? 

Did he hold you on his lap when you were a child?  Did he tell you stories or read to you?  Did he hug you and tell you, “I love you”?  Did he ever write you a letter?  Did he take you on vacation? 

On Father’s Day we show our love to our fathers.  If your father is not available, can you remember him for his special unique qualities?  If your father is alive, how will you celebrate Father’s Day?  Will you call him on the telephone or visit him?  Will you write a special letter or ask him, “What it is like to be a father”?  Will you thank him for being your father?  Will you forgive him for any behavior that made you uncomfortable?  Will you decide to improve your relationship with him?  Will you commit to talk with your father at least once a week?  Will you recognize the skills and qualities you received from him?  Are you interested in receiving more?

How well do you know your father?  Have you asked him about his childhood years?  How was he parented and what did he like best and least about that parenting?  What were his greatest challenges in his life?  What are his feelings about being a father?  Who are his heroes and role models?  What are his top five skills and values?  What kinds of jobs or businesses has he had?  What does he like best about himself? 

Millions of Father’s Day cards will be bought this year.  Most of the cards will have words written by another person.  What would need to exist to write your own message to your father?  Consider writing him a love letter and thanking him for being your dad.  Also include the characteristics you like best about him in the letter.

Every father creates a lifetime impact.  Women want a man to have inner strength and compassion.   They want leadership.  When you call or write your dad, give him the best Father’s Day gift he could ever receive – just say, “Dad, I love you!” and then, watch what happens!

Have you started your holiday shopping?  Do you like to give presents to people?  Do you like to receive gifts from people?  Do you prefer tangible or intangible gifts?  Do you want a gift to last a short time or a long time?  Have you ever received a gift that would last a lifetime?  What would need to exist for you to receive a gift from yourself that would last a lifetime, and give a gift to others that would last a lifetime?

When I was born I was given the gift of Self-Esteem which could last a lifetime.  However, I did not know how to take care of it.  My gift was nibbled at daily by different people!  Having a leadership role can also nible away at you.  Some people said I was “dumb”.  Others said, “You can’t do that”.  Someone said, “Be careful, you ’should’ be afraid, you can’t learn that”.  I heard many of those statements over and over again and gradually I believed them.  I was afraid to speak to people, afraid to raise my hand in class, and afraid to learn.  I felt other people were smarter than I.  I held back from fulfilling my potential because of all the nibbles.

For more than 40 years I asked the question, “How come people hurt so much and nibble at each other?”  It took all that time to discover that it was a Self-Esteem issue.  In 1976 I met L. S. Barksdale who knew how to stop others and himself from hurting and nibbling.

In January of 1985, I met Kaleel Jamison, an Organizational and Leadership Development Consultant.  She observed all the nibbles people were receiving.  Some nibbles include: “You ask too many questions;”  “You work too hard;”  “You’re too frank;” or, “You’re too helpful”.  A nibble asks you to make yourself less powerful.  Kaleel wanted people to release nibbles so she wrote a book called, The Nibble Theory.  There are only 74 pages in this book.  It is a book about leadership, self-empowerment, and personal development.  Kaleel talks about your kernel of power.  She notes, “That kernel, that central part of you, that self, is your source of joy and serenity.  It is also where you find balance,  respect, competence, stability, and power.”  I believe that kernel of power is your Self-Esteem.  The Nibble Theory is one of the most powerful books I have ever read.  Clothes wear out and food is consumed.  Yet a book can bring happiness for a lifetime.

Give yourself the lifetime gift of releasing nibbles and then, watch what happens!