An important skill for achieving success in life is learning how to respond to feedback from the people around you. When you master this skill, you'll have the power to improve almost every aspect of your life.

Positive feedback (complements) are gifts that should be acknowledged and appreciated like any other gifts. Surprisingly, many people dismiss positive feedback with off-hand, dismissive comments, which is the equivalent of being handed a gift and tossing it over your shoulder without even opening it. A good way to respond to positive feedback is to simply make eye contact, smile and say, "Thank you." By doing this, you will acknowledge and enjoy the gift of positive feedback.

Constructive negative feedback is the most beneficial type of feedback of all. While positive feedback can help you feel better, constructive negative feedback can help get you better. Many people get defensive when someone gives them constructive negative feedback and say things like, "What would she know!" or alternatively, they try and justify themselves and prove the other person wrong.  A better way to respond to constructive feedback is to thank the person for taking the time to provide you with feedback and then ask yourself, "How can I use this feedback to improve?"  This can be a powerful tool for improving your business, your work environment and your relationships.

Destructive negative feedback is negative energy that is meant to cause pain rather than help you to improve. The important thing to understand about destructive feedback is that it is often a way for someone to lash out at the world around them.  In many cases it has very little to do with you and everything to do with the way that person is feeling about themselves and their own problems.  The best way to deal with destructive negative feedback is to recognize it for what it is and just let it go without taking it to heart.

Unfortunately, many people have their "feedback model" back-to-front. They dismiss positive feedback, fight constructive negative feedback and dwell on destructive negative feedback.  If instead you can learn to accept and enjoy positive feedback, use constructive negative feedback to constantly improve and avoid destructive negative feedback, you will greatly accelerate your progress to success.

(Source: Dr. Anthony Fernando, www.anthonyfernando.com)

It is never too early to start planning for filing your next year's federal tax return. The IRS recently published organization tips for helping taxpayers reduce tax-time stress:

o  Generally, you should keep any and all documents that may have an impact on your federal tax return. In most cases, you are not required to keep these in any special manner.

o  Individual taxpayers should normally keep the following records supporting tax returns for at least three years: Bills; credit card and other receipts; invoices; mileage logs; canceled, imaged or substitute checks or any other proof of payment; any other records to support deductions or credits you claim on your return.

o  You should normally keep records relating to real estate until at least three years after you sell or otherwise dispose of the property.

In its summer 2011 issue of the Statistics of Income (SOI) Bulletin, the Internal Revenue Service reported that nearly 22.7 million individual income tax returns reported non-farm sole proprietorship activity for 2009. Reported profits for those sole proprietorships were $244.8 billion.

Oct. 4: Child Health Day, National Golf Day; Oct. 6: Physician Assistant Day, National German-American Day; Oct. 7: World Smile Day; Oct. 8: National Children's Day; Oct. 9: Leif Erikson Day; Oct. 10: Columbus Day; Oct. 14: Peace Corps Birthday; Oct. 16: National Boss Day, Dictionary Day, World Food Day; Oct. 22: Make a Difference Day; Oct: 23: Mother-In-Law Day; Oct. 24. United Nations Day; Oct. 27: Navy Day; Oct. 30: National Candy Corn Day; Oct. 31: Halloween Day.

Notice: Mazon offices will be closed on Monday, Oct. 10^th in observance of Columbus Day. We will resume normal business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11^th. You may still submit invoices during our closed hours via fax, e-mail or drop-slot to be processed on Tuesday.

Now that I am ninety-five years old, looking back over the years, I have seen many changes taking place, so many inventions have been made. Things now go faster. In olden times things were not so rushed. I think people were more content, more satisfied with life than they are today. You don't hear nearly as much laughter and shouting as you did in my day, and what was fun for us wouldn't be fun now.... In this age I don't think people are as happy, they are worried. They're too anxious to get ahead of their neighbors, they are striving and striving to get something better. I do think in a way that they have too much now. We did with much less.

- Grandma Moses (1860-1961)

Decency, by Charles S. Lauer, ISBN 0-9743860-2-2 (hard cover); 0-9743860-3-0 (soft cover). Available from www.SecondRiverHealthcare.com

Decencyis about doing the right thing and being a good person. This book weaves stories of these passions into a quilt of reminders. As Chuck Lauer spins tales from his experiences and observations, he incorporates a lesson. And in each lesson touches on an aspect of decency. (This book is part of the Chuck Lauer Trilogy available in paperback or hardcover editions: Decency; Reach for the Stars: Pursuing Success Through Excellency; Soar with the Eagles: A Challenge to Excellence.)

There was this haunted house on the outskirts of the town which was avoided by all the townsfolk - the ghost which "lived" there was feared by all.

However, an enterprising journalist decided to get the scoop of the day by photographing the fearsome phantom. When he entered the house, armed with only his camera, the ghost descended upon him, clanking chains, etc. He told the ghost, "I mean no harm. I just want your photograph." The ghost was quite happy at his chance to make the headlines and posed for a number of ghostly shots.

The happy journalist rushed back to his darkroom and began developing the photos. Unfortunately, they turned out to be black and underexposed.

So, what is the moral of the story?  The spirit was willing but the flash was weak.