Superheroes know their superpowers. Do you? Sometimes our powers come so naturally to us that we don't event recognize them ourselves. So here's a fun survey to send to friends to get some 360-degree feedback and discover your superpowers and how they can be used professionally.
Warning: Side effects include increased happiness, greater self-awareness, & stronger friendships.

STEP 1. Cut, copy, paste, & edit the email template below.

Subject: Looking for some quick peer support...

Hey,

I hope all is well.

As you know, I'm always looking to grow and I value what you think about me. I found this fun survey for friends to give feedback to one another regarding their strengths, passions, and careers. I'm only sending it to 5 people and one of them is you!

Can you please take 5 minutes to complete the survey at the link below? It's only 4 questions. Your answers will help me tremendously as I consider what's next for me. The more specific your answers, the better.

http://jullien.wufoo.com/forms/superhero-survey-by-peersupportme/

I'll share with you what I discover about myself.

Sincerely,

STEP 2. Select 5 close friends to e-mail it to.

Above are examples of the types of people you may want to send the email to. Make sure you choose 5 or more people you think will be honest with you and have demonstrated commitment to your success in the past.

Below is an excerpt from my book "Driving School for Life" describing one of the activities that takes place during the

As the instructor turned her attention to us again, the room got quiet. She stepped to the side of the easel she was writing on and there stood the Today's Theme and Question of the Day. "Principles. What metrics do I use to measure success for myself?"

"Today we're going to discuss principles. We're going to begin the conversation with an exercise where everyone draws the dashboard of their life's vehicle." She flipped to a new page on the flip chart and drew a semi-circle with a gas gauge, speedometer and mileage counter. She continued talking with her back to us as she continued drawing. "Car dashboards measure three things: velocity, distance, and gas level. At each moment, someone can assess how fast they're going, how far they have traveled, and how full they are."

She completed the drawing and put the marker top back on and continued "For some people this dashboard works. "The purpose of life for them is to get as far as they can as fast as they can. But there are other ways to look at life. For example, someone may believe the the purpose of life is to get as far as you can with as many people as you can or to make sure you are full-filled no matter how far or fast you are going. How one chooses to measure their life will determine the type of vehicle they choose to drive."

"For the next 20 minutes, I want you to think about today's question and then draw your personal dashboard to the best of your ability. Around 10:20, I'll ask you to get in your groups to share your dashboard and explain why you chose the metrics you drew. Are there any questions? Okay, then spread out across the room and create."

Spring Cleaning Within 2008

Spring is here and it's time to clean up. Throw out the old; bring in the new. I'm opening my internal closets and shining light in dark corners within.

As of today, I'm trying to stop projecting perfection on the external side of my body or temple when my real estate within is not entirely clean. It's inauthentic to those who "think" they know me and hurtful to myself - the one who has to "act" self-righteous all the time. This post has been inspired in part by Lauryn Hill's journey over the past few years. Most people want the old 1998 Mis-Education Lauryn Hill back, but she has transcended that and moved on, yet many of her fans (including myself) have trapped her in an old box. As Nikki Giovanni once said "Even my flaws are correct".

Oftentimes...

1. I don't listen well because I can be arrogant and think I know it all
   
2. I'm shy because I'm afraid of letting people too close
   
3. I'm quiet to a point of being pseudo-passive because I'm afraid of my own light
   
4. I plan too much instead of being fully present in the moment
5. I cut people off in the moments when I need to embrace them or need them to embrace me
   
6. I project perfection because I thought perfection was more inspirational then authenticity
7. I try to control life because I'm a success-aholic and lack faith
8. I don't trust people because I still haven't truly forgiven my mother
9. I'm selfish and shut down when I don't get my way
10. I'm self-righteous and act like I know what I'm doing when I don't

How To Plan For Success
They say if you fail to plan then you plan to fail. Well, I've created a tool called the Personal Planning Chart to help you track your success and facilitate a process I call the Circle of Purpose. The thing about New Years resolutions is that (if we even follow up on them) we don't follow up until we randomly find the document somewhere or December 31st of the next year when we're trying to write our new ones. The year isn't the only cycle in our life. The Circle of Purpose and Personal Planning Chart make it easy for you to break-down and measure your daily, weekly, and quarterly progress in a way that will make your year great. We spend our careers being accountable to someone else's goals so it's about time that we spend our lives being accountable to our own.

What's hot about the Personal Planning Chart is that:
1. It fits on 1-page
2. It's pretty much just a check list
3. It has an easy way to measure your daily, weekly, and quarterly goals

Download a blank Personal Planning Chart here and then click through this short PowerPoint to see how to fill it out.

| View | Upload your own

• Read for growth
• Eat fruits and vegetables

• Have dinner with a friend
• Blog
• Call mom
  

• Launch the new Mylinia.com website and invite 100 Mylinials to be part of it
  
• Complete 1st draft of my book on purpose-finding and have it read by an editor
  
• Complete 1st version of purpose-finder board game
• Host 3 potlucks in New York
  

Purpose: The healing circle is a great way for people who feel weak in the group for any reason to be strengthened by those close to them.

Size: Any size group

Requirements: To begin, there needs to be a ceremony leader who knows the process and everyone present joins hands in one big circle.

Process:

1. "This is the Healing Circle, it represents 360° of unity. It serves both offensive and defensive purposes. Offensively, if anything should come and attack us, we can put it in the middle and stomp it out (Everyone puts their right foot in the middle and stomps as if putting out a cigarette bud). Defensively, I got ________’s (person across from you) back and _______ (person across from you) has mine. If at any time you are feeling weak, get in the middle of the circle, without breaking the link (as in connect the hands of the two people next to you behind your back before letting go and stepping in). At this time, I am going to ask anyone in our community that is feeling weak to please step inside the Healing Circle so that they may be healed through the love and energy in this room."

2. Allow time for people to choose to step inside.

3. "To the brothers and sisters in and outside the circle, this is a space to speak positive affirmations to members inside the circle, reminding them of their divine perfect self as you have experienced them."

4. People will begin to affirm the weak people inside the circle. Allow up to a minute between affirmations before moving on.

5. "To close the circle, we will ask everyone to rejoin the circle."

6. Wait a minute for the weak to rejoin.

7. "We’re going to put or right foot forward to symbolize a step in the right direction and on the count of three we're going to call on the highest power there is and say "Love". One...Two...Three....Love!"

8. Hug. Heal. And be happy.

Whenever we fill out an application, we define who we are. Typically we are asked about our name, gender, race, age, education, location, and class. We either buy into the definition given to us by society or we define it for ourselves. I have my own thoughts about each of these, but I challenge everyone to think about the following statements on their own:

1. NAME: Society defines family as..., but I believe...

Example: Society defines family as biological, but I believe that famly is based on an unconditional exchange of love. I have 8 last names in addition to Gordon. My last names include Kelly, Ash, Hopkins, Primas, Brown, Ikharo, Shields, and Chambers. All of these people raised me, therefore, to me, family is not biological though that's what society tells me.

2. GENDER: Society defines a man/woman is..., but I believe...
3. RACE: Society defines White/Black/Brown means to be..., but I believe...
4. AGE: Society defines a mature adult by years, but I believe...
5. EDUCATION: Society defines educated as..., but I believe...
6. LOCATION: Society defines community as..., but I believe...
7. CLASS: Society defines rich as..., but I believe...

Live purposefully!

"I get out. I get out of all your boxes." -Lauryn Hill

Purpose: Transform your negative thinking about certain areas of your life in positives

Process:
1. On a sheet of paper, list all of the things that you dislike about yourself and want to change.

Examples:
* I am always late
* I easily get frustrated when things don't go my way
* I am impatient

2. On another sheet of paper, be creative and write a positive affirmation to replace the negatives on the other sheet of paper.

Examples
* I respect my own time and the time of others. I am willing and able to be on time. The world is waiting on me and I commit to being ready when it needs me.
* I transcend attitudes and circumstances. They are temporary. Love is permanent. I readily use my light, my energy, my love to overcome any situation for I know that everything happens for a reason and it is on my to find the lesson to be learned.
* Spirit knows what is best for me, therefore, everything is right on schedule. I will receive my reward at the exact moment I need it, not one second sooner or one second later. I vow to let go and let God, for S/he is in total control, not me.

3. Once the positive affirmations are done, rip up the negative sheet as a symbol of your mental transformation. Read the positive affirmations regularly and watch your life improve before your eyes.

Purpose: To deepen relationships and appreciation of one another's stories among small groups of people

Size: Groups of 3

Requirements: None

Process:
1. Divide the group into groups of 3
2. Allow them to go somewhere peaceful and share their life stories. Each person gets 10 minutes to talk UNINTERRUPTED.
3. Questions, insights, affirmations, and comments come after everyone has spoke.

Purpose: To deepen relationships and understanding between group members by creating an opportunity for people to share their view of themselves

Size: Any

Requirements: Butcher paper and markers

Process:
1. On a big piece of butcher paper, have everyone write adjectives that describe themselves (ie I am spiritual, I am bi-racial, I am an artist, etc).
2. Once everyone is done, have people walk around in silence and view each other’s posters until they have seen at least half of them
3. Afterwards, have a group discussion about what people learned about themselves and each other

Purpose: To show group members that they are not alone in areas of their life where they think they are

Size: over 20 people

Requirements: A reader.

Process:
1. Have people write 6 things that you think you have to hide but are really part of their authentic self. They could be challenges, stigmas, fears, physical disabilities, weaknesses, things they are ashamed of or hate about themselves, childhood events, ugly isms, etc separately on small scraps of paper. Examples are I was sexually abused, I am a foster child, I have cancer, etc.
2. Put all of the small scraps of paper into a bag
3. Have everyone sit in a big circle with their eyes closed and heads down.
4. The reader pulls a scrap of paper out of the bag, reads it, puts his or her head down.
5. The people who relate to whatever is on that scrap of paper open their eyes, put their heads up, and acknowledge one another, and then put their heads back down.
6. After a 10 seconds, the reader returns to step #4. This process goes on until the bag is empty. The reader skips any duplicates.
7. If people are willing, afterwards give them a chance to talk about their feelings, connectedness, or disconnectedness to the group.

Purpose: To develop communication skills among teams

Size: Teams must be at least 5 people

Requirements: A facilitator, teams, prioritization worksheet for each person

Click here to download documents

Process:
1. Read the beginning and explanation.
2. Distribute worksheets and allow time for the individuals to prioritize on their own in column #1 of the worksheet.
3. Join the individuals with their teams and allow time for them to complete column #2 of the worksheet.
4. Read the expert's analysis to everyone and have them fill in column #3 as you read.
5. Give them time to calculate columns #4 and #5
6. Give the teams time to discuss the questions to consider in teams or as one large group.

• Who took the lead?
• Was everyone equally involved?
• Did the people with the lowest individual scores speak up? If not, why not?
• Did you come to a consensus by filling them out in order or did you start with 1-4 and then go to 15-11?
• What does this say about your communication skills?
• Did the people who were wrong talk the most?
• Why didn’t you speak up?
• Does anyone have a difference of 8 or more? What item? Who got that item right in your group?
•