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For more than 30 years, I've been involved in various segments of
the funeral industry, from the early days in my role as a funeral
director to my more recent 11-year tenure as the executive director
of the world's oldest and largest international association of
independently owned funeral homes. I have witnessed the confusion
and discomfort that can exist for those responsible for arranging
final tributes and services. Throughout my career, one basic
concept has remained very clear: informed purchasers of funeral
services, as with any product or service, are far more likely to
make decisions most appropriate for their unique personal needs and
circumstances. Unfortunately, the subjects of death and funerals
are so discomforting for many people that they don't collect the
information before the need arises. In addition, these decisions
have become more confusing for many people due to contemporary
factors, such as the distances that separate family members, the
virtually unlimited options for personalization of funeral
services, and the growing popularity of "green burial"
alternatives, to name only a few. This guide is a source of
objective and factual information. In it, I'll share information
and insight about the many questions, decisions, and options facing
those responsible for arranging tributes and funeral services for
those they love. It is neither my wish nor intent to influence
personal decisions about any form of final tribute. It is my goal
to equip people with information that reduces the potential for
miscommunication and regret, and lessens stress during what many
describe as the most difficult time in their lives.
For the rest of your life to "work well..". and for you to be able
to help others... you have to focus on yourself first. But, in
order to do that, we all need help and guidance along the way. And
that is the purpose of this book... to offer practical guidance on
how to get from where you are to where you want to be in your
spiritual life-and we all know that what is in our heads and hearts
can be manifested in the real world. What you will take away from
this book is how the things you control are the key in creating a
life worth living and having a relationship with yourself and
others that is fulfilling and sustainable... one that can last...
forever. I have served others as a counselor, pastor, teacher,
leader and friend for many years. In that time I have seen good
people, who were well intentioned, go through life-just getting
by-existing rather than truly living it to the fullest. There are
many reasons for this situation; the most prominent being that
human beings are creatures of habit. We are most comfortable with
what we are most familiar. Left on our own, it's often very hard to
make changes to improve our lot in life. In fact, for many it's
hard to even pinpoint what's really wrong without some sort of
outside stimulus-some prod-that goads us to evaluate or assess
ourselves. And while everybody is responsible for their own lives;
it certainly helps to have something or someone that becomes a
catalyst to break through your life routine and be the "kick in the
pants" needed to take action. Life is short and too often many have
a voice inside that says, "I wish I had...," or "If I only...," or
worse it's whispering to you, "You're just not good enough... not
smart enough...." The voice in and of itself is not a terrible
thing. I believe all humans have heard it inside their head at some
point. The tragedy is when that voice becomes a constant-never
ending-drumbeat in your head that becomes a question you can't
answer or a statement that you can't refute. It becomes something
you believe about yourself that is only true if you let it become
true. I just shared with you something that is worth an
incalculable amount of money if you take it to heart. Things, bad
and good, become true only if you let them or make them come true.
In this book we'll talk about letting light come into your life and
creating a life worth living.
Part of making things happen in your career, as a company or as an
individual, is taking a hard look at things and saying, "These are
my flaws. These are my shortcomings. These are my self-defeating
actions where I've shot my success in the foot." Any person or
company who says they've never done those things is hindering their
success, ruining their achievement, and unwittingly keeping
themselves stuck in the middle. The unwillingness to do a hard
current state assessment is a barrier between getting what you want
and continuing to lack what you need. Finding that progress gap is
the secret ingredient in the magic formula for understanding what
it is that you need (not necessarily what you want) and then taking
the steps to get that result (which leads to what you want). Talent
management is indeed a business imperative to build and grow a
successful organization ... but more importantly it is also a
personal imperative for professionals to build successful careers.
When people don't employ personal talent management in the way of
owning their own succession plan; when companies and organizations
don't build and sustain an integrated talent management strategy;
they remain stuck in the middle; somewhere between who they are and
who they want to be. How to get unstuck, how to break free from the
middle is what individuals and organizations often don't
understand. That critical understanding (and ability to take action
on it to improve your situation) is what you'll find in this book
as told through the eyes of a member of Generation X. About the
Author: Dr. Curtis L. Odom is Principal and Managing Partner of
Prescient Talent Strategists. He has over 15 years of experience in
talent development, performance consulting, training, and
instructional design as a practitioner, researcher, author and
speaker. Curtis has an earned doctorate of education from
Pepperdine University and has been industry certified as both a
Human Capital Strategist (HCS) and Strategic Workforce Planner
(SWP) from the Human Capital Institute. His 10 years of military
service in the United States Navy serve as a solid foundation of
his practical expertise in organizational development, change
management, and integrated talent management strategies to maximize
organizational investments in human capital. Dr. Odom is a member
of the Human Capital Institute (HCI), International Society for
Performance Improvement (ISPI), the American Society for Training
and Development (ASTD), Phi Delta Kappa International Honor
Society, and American Mensa. Curtis was honored with the
distinction of being selected as a member of the Boston Business
Journal Top 40 Under 40 Class for 2010.
Raised in 1950s South Carolina, faced with the barriers of race,
gender and economic status, it all started with $60 and a dream.
Her church collected nickels, dimes and quarters for her initial
$60 tuition for nursing school. That provided the bridge she needed
to get from the cotton field to nursing school and on to an
unexpected and unprecedented successful military and civilian
career journey. The dream was hers. While picking cotton with her
10 brothers and sisters, when planes flew over, she'd tell them
'one day I will fly and work on an airplane'. They and others
laughed-doubting that the daughter of a poor cotton farmer could
ever overcome the obstacles she would face. But she did. Her dream
was not left as "just a dream." Thirty-eight years in the Air
Force/Air National Guard, retired a Major General and concurrent
with that a successful career in healthcare, education and public
service. Pretty darn good for a kid who while picking cotton,
looked up at the sky and dreamed of flying. Though support from
church and mentors helped her-facing enormous challenges in getting
from where she was, to where she wanted to be-it was she who had
the mettle to shape her own destiny and carve a path to success.
Along the way, she became a chief nurse executive, educator,
military officer, commander and White House political appointee. It
is a simple story of faith and determination-and how if you have
that, no goal is out of your reach. All who read it will come away
touched by this remarkable woman.
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