Mentoring Archives - Sharon M Weinstein

February 7, 2019 By Sharon Weinstein

Success Comes to Those Who Publish

An incredible feeling of success comes to those who publish! The hallmark of a professional is the ability to share knowledge through speaking, coaching, training, facilitating, and yes- through publishing.

I recall my first published manuscript in a professional nursing journal; I was thrilled to see my name in print, to read my content (which I then critiqued), and to know that journal readers throughout the country and beyond would be reading my words. Since that time, I published forty-three peer-reviewed manuscripts and guest editorials in that particular journal and over one hundred in other journals. One of those manuscripts was titled, “Writing for Publication.”

Clear, precise writing is an excellent vehicle for communicating ideas and why not write about something you know well- something about which you are a content expert? How does one begin? Try these 5 steps to success as you begin to share your knowledge:

Choose your topic well (Be able to answer why and what)
Research your intended (target) publication by knowing what they publish and why
Separate the thinking and writing phases, understanding and appreciating the writing process
Follow author guidelines and be prepared for revisions and editing
Respond in a timely manner to editorial requests and deadlines

I recall my first published manuscript in a professional journal. Now, it is your turn to enjoy your first time in print, or perhaps one of many times in print. The feeling remains the same- that of accomplishment and a thirst for more. There is something magical about the word, “ACCEPTED.” Success truly comes to those who publish!

May 22, 2017 By Sharon Weinstein

Do you have/need a spine?

A spine. You need one to survive and thrive!

A lot of people are afraid to tell the truth, to say no. That’s where toughness comes into play. Toughness is not being a bully. It’s having backbone.

— Robert Kiyosaki

Have you ever felt used, abused, taken advantage of, insecure? Chances are we have all felt that way at one time or another, especially in childhood. I grew up with very little—if any—self-esteem, and yes, I was walked on—and over—many times. I gravitated to folks similar to me. One of my first boyfriends was a wonderful guy who would give you the shirt off of his back, and never ask for a thing in return. And everyone took advantage of his generosity and kind spirit.

Being known as Mr. Good Guy may work for a while, but it certainly cannot last forever. At some point, even the most generous of us will finally say, “Enough!” Chances are, when that does happen, things have come to more than enough, and we are at our wits’ end trying to decide how to get on with our lives and assert ourselves.

How much of a spine—or backbone—do you have?

To answer that question and determine where you stand and what you need to do to get out of your own way, ponder these questions. Respond honestly.

Is the whole world out to get you?
Do you moan and groan?
Do you worry too much about what other people think?
Do you avoid taking a stand?
Are you easily distracted from your goals?
Do you avoid all risks, even small ones?
Do you control what you will do each day, or do others control you and your behaviors?

If your responses are anything like mine were at one time, it may be a good time to grow that spine, get a life, and move on! There’s no time better than now!

April 5, 2017 By Sharon Weinstein

Use Your Words…starting with “A”

How often have you told your kids to ‘use your words?’ When we were raising our now adult offspring, we really did not use that term. We noticed it when our kids became parents themselves, or when we watched the movie entitled, Parental Guidance with Bette Midler and Billy Crystal.

Whether we are raising kids, engaging employees, or collaborating with partners – we want to emphasize positive words. In comparison with good words, “angry words send alarm messages through the brain, and they partially shut down the logic-and-reasoning centers located in the frontal lobes,” write Newberg and Waldman in the book Words Can Change Your Brain.

So, I started with the letter “A” and I discovered these positive A words: ‘able, acceptance, accepting, action, activate, active, add, addition, adorable, advantage, affirm, ageless, agree, agreeable, aid, aim, abundance, accountability, accomplished, achieve, acknowledgement, adaptability, adventurous, agility, alertness, ambition, anticipation, appreciative, authentic, awesome, admirable, accommodating, ample, appreciative joy, actability, affable, alacrity, amiable, astounding, attractive, alive, achievable, acts of kindness, adaptable, adaptive, adequate, admirably, admiration, admired, adored, adoring, adoringly, advanced, advantageous, advantageously, affability, affably, affinity, affirmation, affirmative, affluence, affluent, afford, affordable, agile, agilely, agreeableness, agreeably, aligned, alluring, alluringly, altruistically, amaze, amazement, amazes, amazingly, amiability, amicability, amicable, amicably, amusing, appeal, appealing, applaud, appreciable, appreciated, appreciates, appreciation of beauty, appreciatively, appropriate, approval, approve, ardor, art of appreciation, art of stillness, art of well-being, assurance, a reason for being, accommodative, amiably, accolade, acumen, adjustable, admirer, admiring, admiringly, adorer, adroit, adroitly, adulated, adventuresome, and ambitious.’

Think about the words that you use on a daily basis. Are they positive or negative? How do you make others feel with your words?

Whether it is Parental Guidance or Words Can Change Your Brain…give positive words a chance. Use your words to reflect your attitude in parenting, in business, and in life!

January 25, 2017 By Sharon Weinstein

Endorse me for public speaking…

With thousands of LinkedIn connections, I typically see at least 10 popups a day suggesting that I endorse my connections for Public Speaking.

We are not all public speakers; many of us speak as a part of our career responsibilities, or introduce ourselves at networking events, but that alone does not make one a speaker. Many of these self-professed public speakers simply list multiple skill sets on their profiles, but they have no idea that Speaking is itself a true Profession and one that requires talent, training and a commitment to continuous learning. Much of that learning takes place through the National Speakers Association (NSA), the premier professional society for public speakers or aspiring public speakers. Visit the NSA site to explore the strict requirements for membership and the paths toward this goal.

How many ‘skills’ do you list on your own LinkedIn profile? Are you truly skilled in those areas, or are they skills in which you have dabbled? Public speaking, like coaching, seems to be a ‘skill’ that everyone has, but requires a unique ability to engage, empower, and educate audiences. Are you still seeking that endorsement? Are you really a Public Speaker; if your answer is yes, then apply for membership in NSA.

If you have sat in audiences watching the keynote deliver a strong message and thought, “I could do that,” perhaps the timing is right. If you have spoken before small community or work groups and liked the experience, perhaps this the time for a deep dive. And, if you are the kind of person who lights up a room with your presence, connect to NSA now. We are waiting for you!

http://www.nsaspeaker.org/attend/winter-conference/

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Sharon Weinstein, CSP, is a Certified Speaking Professional and one of only 22 nurses in the world with this credential. She is President-Elect of the NSA-DC Chapter and Dean of the Academy. Yes, she does offer public speaker coaching.

December 28, 2016 By Sharon Weinstein

Focus…why it matters!

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams.” –Oprah Winfrey

Our chaotic lives can easily distract us from our focus. How many times in a day do you find yourself in a room, knowing you were there for a reason, but unable to remember the reason you went there? Or, at the end of the day with a heavy sigh, looking over your to-do list from that morning, realizing you barely made a dent in your list? We joke and attribute it to old age—even the young do this—but more likely it is a difficulty in maintaining focus.

Focus: What it is and why that’s important

Focus is the thing that keeps us on track. It’s what we do when we have a goal to achieve. We keep focused on doing what we need to do to accomplish the tasks that cumulatively make up the goal. Focus is also an ability to remain undistracted. It is what we use to intently pursue a goal like running the Boston Marathon, studying for exams, writing a paper, or creating artwork. It is this kind of focus that is the source of the “Aha” moment we hope for when seeking solutions and setting goals. Getting to it, to that Aha moment of achievement or recognition, includes the knowledge of how to define your path and work your plan. Forbes Magazine published an informal study on Aha Moments; this is my favorite: “No one – not your mother, your clients or the vendors you’re working with – wants to tell you ‘No’ when you ask for something; most people want to find a way to tell you ‘Yes’. My “aha” moment was when I realized this and started asking for what I wanted in life.” I truly believe in asking for what you want in life. That became reality when I proposed to my husband on our 5^th date, and we were married on the 10^th day since we had met. What closed the deal for me? The very first phone call, which lasted 3 hours, in which he described his amazing family. Although he was an only child, and his dad had passed when he (my husband was just 14), he depicted a family of which I wanted to be a part. And, so, I asked by simply focusing, and stating, “I’m not working on Wednesday, would you like to get married?” The rest is history!

Are you focused on what the New Year may bring?

To start the process: