Beacon Bloggers - October 2007

This is the third month in which I am paying tribute to some of the bloggers who have inspired me the most.

As with previous lists, if another blogger inspired you last month, please let me know so I can check them out (and benefit personally from their wisdom!)

In alphabetical order:

1. Copyblogger

In late October, Brian Clark posted an article that caused a quake in the blogosphere, with a message that every teacher, trainer, mentor and coach should tattoo onto their desktop. “Teaching Sells”, my friends. In a time when academic careers barely allow you to pay the rent, Brian and his team offer a carefully researched, structured and packaged report that focuses on the creation of successful, multimedia, learning environments. The subsequent training program is a comprehensive, community-centred approach to instruction that teaches me something new every day. As the ripples of his message spread across the blogosphere, it seems that both the teachers and the tools are marshaling to intertwine the world of education and technology and to create a classroom like no other.

2. Craig Harper - Motivational Speaker

In his article “Developing our Opportunity Consciousness” Craig recognises that “We tend to look for an opportunity which looks great, smells great, is no risk, requires virtually zero effort, can’t possibly fail and has a pretty pink ribbon on it.” Welcome the to world of a man who steps up to the plate, speaks his mind and shares his unique wisdom on the mind, body and soul. Opportunities, he tells us in his humorous, conversational way, are all around us, but too few of us have developed or applied the mindset to recognise their existence. Slide on your “opportunity glasses” and get focused on putting his strategies into practice.

3. Cultivate Greatness

This site is always a treasure-trove of inspirational information and therefore I have selected it two months in a row! But one article in October that I found truly inspiring was Dave Draper’s “Fundamental Tips for Longevity in the Gym”. I am most definitely the sort of girl who needs a lot of inspiration to work up a sweat, but as my two favourite men - my husband and my father - are both dedicated body-builders, this post was a treat. I now sound very knowledgeable when I discuss their gym activities. Read it and feel fitter instantly!

4. Today is That Day

A realist with his finger on the pulse of practical, achievable self-improvement, Aaron Potts explains in his article “A Good Way to have a Bad Habit” that “you can minimize the negative impact of bad habits by offsetting them with a little bit of preventative maintenance!” Recognising the hard facts of life and our inevitable weaknesses, he offers achieveable strategies to balance our negative actions by undertaking positive actions most of the time. Perhaps this article spoke to me so clearly because all of the habits he explores are familiar friends, but one positive habit I indulge in is identifying wonderful new influences - I count Aaron Potts as an inspiration I can adopt today!

5. Wonderland or Not

As is common in her writing, Cooper’s article “Saying No - Multitasking (Speed Kills)” looks at a familiar notion and turns it on its head, revealing an unexpected truth. The real face of multitasking - a habit many of us interpret as a gift - is “blank and pale and drawn” and is not, as we might believe, a form of freedom. Instead, Cooper draws on the wisdom of Walter Kirn who in “The Autumn of the Multitasker” reveals that the practice is “dumbing us down and driving us crazy.” You may be moved beyond your comfort zone when you engage with this honest and analytical blogger, but if you remove all other distractions and focus on her truth, you will reward your brain with information worth both understanding and remembering.

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