Leadership Exposed: Things You Thought You Knew About Leadership Much has been written about leadership: rules, pointers, styles, and biographies of inspiring leaders throughout world history. But there are certain leadership ideas that we ourselves fail to recognize and realize in the course of reading books. Perhaps Mark Twain was correct when he observed, humans are the only animals that blush or need to. I have not always held such high and lofty views of the New Year s resolution. Once, when I was young and did not know any better, I completely ignored this yearly ritual. My good friend and mentor, the Reverend Frank Simmons, set me straight on this important issue. Plus, the people around the person carrying positive thoughts are usually energized by this type of attitude. Negative thoughts on the other hand have a sapping effect on other people. Aside from making you look gloomy and sad, negative thoughts can turn a festive gathering into a funeral wake. A positive attitude attracts people, while a negative attitude repels them. Your soul in pure form is pure light, pure love, pure joy. The gifts that you have chosen to embody, and carry, and to bring into full fruition upon the earth, are those very gifts that bring you joy, wonder, and excitement. They bring you into a natural place of buoyancy, of the joy of sharing. We amplify your ability to connect with the gifts that you carry within you. This has been termed The Law of Reciprocation . That is, when you do something for someone else, they feel obliged to do something back. By allowing them to do so, you can help to make them feel better about themselves and more worthwhile. Next time someone offers to give you something, ask yourself if it is better for you to receive than give in that situation; by receiving you can often give more than you can imagine. Share your new story with important people in your life. Talk about your specific role in the story and why it appeals to you. The more you talk about your new story, the more it will become a part of you. 4. Commit to living your new role in some way. Make at least one change that is in alignment with the new story.