Change the Way You See Yourself: Through Asset-Based Thinking is the name of the latest book by Kathy Cramer and Hank Wasiak with "asset-based thinking" at the core (or ABT for short). ABT is about leveraging your assets (what you've got) versus dwelling on your deficits (what you may be lacking).

Their first book was called Change the Way You See Everything and introduced the topic of ABT. The new book helps you to use ABT to help you tap into your own personal source of power, how to influence and figure out your own "Mighty Cause."

Change the Way You See Yourself is the featured title as part of the Post2Post Virtual Book Tour that kicks off on this site on Monday, May 26th.

Below are two things... (1) The tour schedule with links and (2) a survey to help you figure out how strong of an asset-based thinker YOU are!

The good news... if you score lower, the book provides you with what it takes to be an asset-based thinker and figure out your Mighty Cause!

Enjoy.

Tour Schedule

Learn about the book by reading posts on the following websites next week.

Change the Way You See Yourself

by Kathryn Cramer & Hank Wasiak
Author Site | Amazon US | Amazon UK

Site	Date
Idea Sandbox by Paul Williams	Mon, May 26
Livin' Venti by Scott Hodge	Tue, May 27
Sui Generis by Derrick Kwa	Wed, May 28
Personal Branding Blog by Dan Schwabel	Thur, May 29
Make It Great with Phil Gerbyshak	Fri, May 30

Asset-Based Thinker Survey

Bonus Questions

Scoring

Bonus Questions:
Give yourself 5 points for every TRUE answer.

If you scored below 39 points.
You are at a great starting point to become an Asset-Based Thinker

If you scored between 40 and 49:
You are ready to make great leaps forward toward becoming an Asset-Based Thinker.

If you scored between 50 and 59:
Way to go! You are ahead of the game as an Asset-Based Thinker.

If you scored between 60 and 69:
You get an "A" in Asset-Based Thinking.

If you scored 70 points or more:
You are an amazing Asset-Based Thinker.

Learn more at AssetBasedThinking.com

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"You will never look at yourself the same way again!" declares the Asset-Based Thinking website of authors Kathy Cramer and Hank Wasiak.

Idea Sandbox is pleased to announce that their book, Change the Way You See Yourself: Though Asset-Based Thinking," is the selection for the May '08 Post2Post Virtual Book Tour.

This is Kathy and Hank's second book featuring the philosophy of asset-based thinking... (Their first was Change the Way You See Everything).

The tour launches on Monday May 26 right here at Idea Sandbox and continues for the week following the schedule below.

Site	Date
Idea Sandbox by Paul Williams	Mon, May 26
Livin' Venti by Scott Hodge	Tue, May 27
Sui Generis by Derrick Kwa	Wed, May 28
Personal Branding Blog by Dan Schwabel	Thur, May 29
Make It Great with Phil Gerbyshak	Fri, May 30

I hope you'll join us for this tour!

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Yesterday, Monday the 30th of April, was Queen's Day in the Netherlands... A national holiday and all-country celebration of the Queen's birthday.

The best description of Queen's Day I can convey is to imagine...

a 24-hour: home team victory celebration + an ALL street, street fair + an all country yard sale + boat parade + drinking

There are parties in the streets, bars, food vendors, bands and music playing... and we all wear orange!

Additionally, it is a day when citizens may sell items without paying taxes. What's that expression? One person's junk is another's treasures?... Young and old drag their stuff to the curb and sell... treasures.

Finally... and the purpose of this post... enterprising Dutch kids, offer entertainment and games in exchange for a few cents or a Euro.

We saw a young woman playing the accordion like an expert. Drum players. Break-dancers. Several willing to be pelted with eggs for a buck a chuck. Several games of skill...

However, the most creative and uplifting of all were these two, cute girls offering personal compliments for 20-cents each.

Here's how it worked.

Pay a 20-cent piece... then they would thoughtfully take a look at you... together they formed the compliment... finally, you received your pronouncement...

"You have pretty hair!" was Shannon's (she does).

"You are wearing a nice bracelet!" was Marijn's (she was).

"You are wearing a nice hat!" was mine (it was).

What a positive thing to do. They provided smiles to all who stopped. And 20-cents is quite a low barrier to entry!

What a lesson for all of us, huh? Instead of looking for ways to make fun of others... look for the compliment. Sure, when we find someone interesting or attractive - we're ready to compliment - but to judge a perfect stranger with compliments... how empowering.

I'm pretty sure that these young ladies aren't getting too philosophical about what they were doing on this Queen's Day, but I predict that this activity will have an everlasting impact on how they think about life, and view other people.

"You are a valued reader!"

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How do you take a negative situation and see it for it's value versus dwelling on the potential harm?

That's what asset-based thinking is all about... Shift your thinking to focus on the assets of a situation (what you have) versus deficit-based thinking (what you don't have). "Small shifts make seismic differences."

The authors of "Change The Way You See Everything: Through Asset-Based Thinking" Kathy Cramer and Hank Wasiak have put together a handy bookmark featuring an asset-based thinking (ABT) alphabet. For each letter of the alphabet they've identified the deficit-based way to think about something... and the asset-based way to think about it...

My favorites include... shifting from Beat-Up to Build-Up, Gotcha to Generous and Nay-Sayer to Nurturer.

[right-click to view larger image.
Print, clip, and bring with you to meetings]

Brainstorming - The ABT Alphabet is helpful when brainstorming or when ideas are being pitched. Instead of immediately jumping on why it may NOT work... Pause before you pounce, and try to build the idea up using ABT.

Cynics in your office? - While ABT isn't specifically designed as the remedy for cynicism, it has the power to deflate a cynic attack... Most cynics seem to have the energy to be a "devil's advocate" - use this list to challenge them channel that energy for good versus evil.

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Brer Rabbit is one of the main characters in Disney's 1946 movie, "Song of the South." And he always found himself getting into trouble...

Brer Rabbit was one of the first asset-based thinkers.* He truly practiced "how can I turn this problem into the best thing that ever happened?"

One of the ways the Brer Rabbit would cope in challenging situations is that he would go to his laughin' place... from his laughin' place - things wouldn't seem so unbearable...

In "Song of the South" he sings...

Hee hee hee hee ha ha ha
Boy I am in luck,
I think about my laughin' place!
Yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk, yuk...
Everybody's gotta laughin' place,
A laughin' place, to go ho ho!
Take your frown, turn it upside down
And you'll find yours I know ho ho...

It's one thing to read the lyrics, you gotta hear Brer Rabbit sing it himself... (it's hard to listen without cracking a smile...)

Ev'rybody Has A Laughing Place, mp3, 1.16 MB

In fact, "Song of the South" is full of ABT... it's also where the song Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah is from.

So next time you're faced with a challenge at home or work... first go to your laughin' place... then... see how you can turn that problem into the best thing that could have happened.

*Asset-Based Thinking - a concrete, cognitive process aimed at identifying the assets (e.g. strengths, talents, synergies, and possibilities) that are immediately available in yourself, other people, and any situation.

Image and sound file © The Disney Company. Please do not distribute.

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I bumped into a one minute video featuring inspirational guru Deepak Chopra speaking about creativity.

I've transcribed what he said below.

Like intuition, creativity is an aspect of your soul. When you create something it has to be something that never existed before. So when you heal your body of an illness, that's biological creativity. When you invent something new, that's scientific creativity.

Creativity comes from having an intended vision and then gathering information and then analyzing the information and incubating. Incubating means quieting your internal dialogue and just resting in your soul. Sooner or later there is a quantum leap of insight which is called the "eureka experience." If that insight is genuine and authentic then you feel inspired, you implement what you have found out and you incarnate into a new experience.

View the video posted on Google Video here. The video is a program featured on Lime.com... LIME is about "Healthy living with a twist." and "Fresh ideas for living a greener, more balanced life."

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At first I thought Asset-Based Thinking had something to do with finance and inventory... but the title, "Change The Way You See Everything: Through Asset-Based Thinking" piqued my interest.

This new business/self-help book by Kathryn Cramer and Hank Wasiak offers a transformational philosophy, "which can instill success-oriented habits in even the most die-hard cynic."

The book starts by introducing Asset-Based Thinking (or ABT) like this...

Just think what could be possible if people focused their attention on:

• Opportunities rather than problems
• Strengths more than weaknesses
• What can be done instead of what can't

Yeah. I love that approach. It reminds me of the book "Now Discover Your Strengths," by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton, which helps us understand our personal strengths, but "Change The Way You See Everything" extends to an entire life philosophy.

No, it's not a feel-good, fluffy, Pollyanna book... (actually it is feel-good)... It's a realistic what-you've-got (assets) approach rather than what-you-don't-got (deficit) approach.

Here's how the authors put it...

Asset-Based Thinking is not blind optimism or magical thinking. It does not offer the quick fix or over-promise results. It's not based on theory alone. It's based on direct, systematic observation into how a growing minority of highly effective, satisfied people think, feel and act.

Asset-Based Thinking takes "positive thinking" to a whole new level of engagement. While positive thinking calls for a positive attitude about life and the future, Asset-Based Thinking calls for positive action and traction in the present moment. ABT puts the power of personal, interpersonal, and situational assets in your hands so that you can make progress and create the future you most desire.

Action is the key word! Ideas bestowed with 'positive attitude' remain just ideas. However, if you take an idea and add 'positive action and traction' to it, it becomes innovation.

The book offers true stories, realistic examples, and engaging exercises. The website also offers a good preview of what you find in the book.

You'll hear more from me about asset-based thinking in the future. I guarantee.

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