Dear {{FirstName}}

1. Mindset Shift Seminar Schedule.

The Mindset Shift breakfast seminar

This high-level seminar, which I introduced for the first time in 2007, has now been presented to leaders in Sandton, Pretoria, Durban, Richards Bay, Cape Town, Walvis Bay, Windhoek, Krugersdorp and Polokwane. In a nutshell, if you are ready to take your results in to new territory, it's time you provided yourself with the fuel to do so. The next scheduled Mindset Shift seminars are:

• Thursday 1 November The Blue Lagoon Hotel, Beacon Bay East London
• Friday 2 November The Lighthouses, Boardwalk, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth
• Tuesday 13 November Milpark Business School, Johannesburg

Bookings are now open, and the online booking form can be accessed here or simply phone Ninette on share call 0860 503 191. For information go here, for more detail here.

You may access the current seminar schedule by going here to see what the next event is near you. The Mindset Shift seminar will be coming to the Southern Cape early in 2008. Enquire about in-house presentations on 0860 503 191.

The Congruence current public course schedule is available here. It includes programmes on Conflict Resolution, Advanced Custopmer Relationship Skills and the last Winning Attitude workshop for this year. All are scheduled for Johannesburg in November 2007. You can enquire here or book here.

2. The Characteristics That Make You Unique

*feature article October 2007*

If you are a member of a team, and your team goes out to play in a match, you will want every player in your team to have the same objectives - to score goals against the opponent, but to protect your own goal from attack. In this way, each player performs with a "common goal". Having a similar objective, does not, however, make each individual player the same. If it did, a football team may field eleven centre forwards, and you can just imagine the chaos, not to mention the heavy defeat that would ensue!

In order for any team to function optimally, it requires a blend of vastly differing skills that combine in a common cause to produce an overall winning combination. Teams find these skills by either developing people with the right characteristics, or searching for individuals who have independently acquired the skills demanded. So the formula for a successful team, roughly is a blend of individuals with complimentary skills combining with the identical objectives - or both.

The point is that working towards a common objective has little relationship to turning you in to a clone, it is in fact quite the opposite. It is the forging of teams of individuals with complimentary skills into harmonious performance that makes team enhancement processes so rewarding. But how do we select the right skills to compliment the team?

Some of the most costly and intense research in the field of recruitment has gone in to identifying the traits that make individuals, like you, unique, so that they can be matched to a career that best suits natural talents and preferences - research that is currently ongoing.

Genetically speaking, each of us has entered the world with an absolutely unique DNA profile - our own completely flawless set of characteristics. During our lifetime, which incidently begins at conception and not birth as some would believe, we are exposed to influences which modify our behaviour in to habits that create patterns to which we become addicted. Due to the influences to which we're exposed, people with extraordinary DNA profiles can be led down a path of uselessness, and folk with far less mental computing power can become extraordinary achievers beyond belief. It is upon this that I base my theory that intelligence has zero to do with success. This exemplifies the irony, and the unrestricted possibilities of human life.

Due to our extraordinary inherent abilities, many people overcome limiting and often destructive influences and conditioning to become great at whatever they choose to do. Why, and how?

By sheer willpower, good judgement and the exercising of choice. I can no longer understand why any person who has discovered their own creative abilities accept limiting beliefs imposed by others in their pasts, without discarding them.

We all have choices. Some of us enjoy vastly greater freedoms than others, but within our circumstances, we all have choices. By exercising them we can, through persistence, alter those circumstances if we want to badly enough. If you combine your choices with your own unique set of characteristcs your possibilities are limitless. And by sheer weight of the laws of influence, you will be able to affect the lives of countless numbers of people - hopefully in a positive sense! You can not do this when you are stripped of any influence by limiting beliefs.

So, if you're standing up to give a speech, it's great to be well trained - it gives you an enormous advantage. But, your greatest advantage is the uniqueness of your own extraordinary character. So use it - and rejoice in it. If you've decided to be a leader, it is up to you to identify the traits in your unique character that will be make this quest successful. There is no one remotely like you. You can be yourself, be hugely creative, and still function perfectly normally, productively and efficiently individually or in the context of a team - whether as a member or leader. The only thing that can limit your progress is your thinking.

Amazingly, it is your thinking that will manifest any possibilities you entertain. Depends how you use your mind. That's your choice too.

Paul du Toit

Professional Speaker, Mindset Shifter, Presentation Skills Expert, Facilitator, Coach, Long Distance Runner... and addicted to Dadhood.

3. Learn to Make Dazzling Presentations

This November we have something special for those wanting to make a quantum leap in their speaking and presenting ability. On 14-15 November, Mind Blowing Presentations, our 2-day Presentation Skills programme will be conducted at the Conference Park, Rivonia, the following week, Monday 19 November, Dion Rachelson will be presenting "Professional Presentations using Powerpoint" - same venue. You may enrol for both, or attend one or the other - your choice. For those who have already attended Mind Blowing Presentations days one and two, there is a Day 3 scheduled for 12 November. For more info go here or contact us on share call 0860 503 191. The schedule is:

• 12 November Presentation Skills Day 3 (Advanced). Only people who have attended days 1&2 previously may attended this date.
• 14-15 November Mind Blowing Presentations (2 days).
• 19 November Professional Presentations using Powerpoint

All the above will be run at the Conference Park, 43 Homestead Road, Rivonia, Sandton.

Congruence Training (Pty) Ltd is a recognised national leader in presentation skills training. For more info and complimentary tips, please visit www.presentationskills.co.za

4. Is There a Book in You? Dan Poynter in Cape Town end October

I attended Dan's book writing, publishing & promoting seminar in Sandton on 1 September and must say it has got me going on my book again - with a mission. It was really a brilliant investment in time and money. If you're an aspiring writer and can get to Cape Town on 27 October, this is about the best investment you can make in your writing career.

To enquire or book, contact Val Waldeck, +27 (0) 83 273 4700, mailto:vwaldeck@telkomsa.net. It's a week away, and will cost you only a few hundred bucks, so procrastination is not an option.

Dan Poynter hails from Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of over 100 books and now speaks extensively all over the world teaching aspirant authors how to write the book that is inside them.

5. Never in Doubt.

Springbok World Cup Triumph in France. The only surprise for me was that the margin of victory wasn't bigger. On the day, the worthy defending World Champions were playing a Springbok side that had thumped them a month earlier in the pool stages, and twice earlier this year. No defending champions had ever retained the trophy, and the English had managed only one try in the knockout stages - and a fortunate one at that. In contrast, the Boks had an established, balanced side, were the only unbeaten team in the tournament, had notched up over 30 points in each of their world cup matches, and still never really played to their full potential at any stage in the tournament. Saturday was a grinding, clinical performance, but it was full of heart and exactly what was needed on the day.

However, the story leading up to it is far more interesting. How Jake White managed to keep the show on the road while being politically undermined as coach, was inspirational - and rhino skinned!

It really shows that anything is possible if the will is there. He is the only SA coach since readmission who has managed to hang on to the job for a full four year contractual term - but not without severe challenges. We must be the only country in the universe who advertises the position of coach just before the incumbent wins the world cup. And he may apply for his current job with a promise of increased interference? Fat chance. The world is his - every team in the world will be offering him what he wants to be their next coach - on merit.

On Saturday the Bokke showed huge character, Percy a steely nerve, Butch and Fourie calm composure, our locks were majestic and our front row gave 110%, the loosies were awesome, our backs defended ferociously, and our Australian import, Eddie Jones just smirked. As a nation we're proud, and will savour this triumph. Lets hope the administrators don't ruin it all for the future.

Just for the record, the controversial moment would have netted England four points in total and probably would have unleashed Bryan Habana, so better for our opponents that Stuart Dickenson ruled against them resulting in SA keeping the match tight. (I'm expecting to be disallowed entry to the UK in December on account of this last statement, but the truth, she must be writ!)

At least Bafana Bafana will have the crowd on their side in 2010. We look forward to Parreira unleashing the genius of our young football stars and doing us proud when we host the world's biggest sporting extravaganza.

Comment - To round off this last weekend: England's weekend of misery was completed when rookie racing sensation Lewis Hamilton capitulated in Brazil and handed Kimi Raikonen his first F1 Drivers Championship by a single point. However, Hamilton almost single handedly reignited motorsport for those of us who had become bored with Michael Schumacher's dominance and what appeared to be a never ending circus of controversy in the sport. It's not a matter of if, Lewis, just when. Still a great rookie year - well done! And finally, thanks to all my gracious English (and Australian and New Zealand!) friends who have sent messages of congrats. It may be a game, but it means plenty to us. And so does your sportsmanship!