Contents on this page:
- Elizabeth’s book
- Connect with Elizabeth
- Elizabeth Cottrell’s presentation
- Simple Self-awareness questions
- Self-assessment and self-awareness resources
- Leadership and personal development resources
- Books
- Articles
- Websites and Blogs
- Inspirational Quotations about leadership and achievement
- Elizabeth Cottrell bio
Elizabeth’s book
Details, ordering options, sample pages, testimonials, and more: CLICK HERE.
Use the form below to get support, tips, and updates about note and letter writing:
Connect with Elizabeth:
- Her blog and the Essential Connections edition of her newsletter
- Join her Facebook group “The Art of the Heartspoken Note”
Elizabeth Cottrell’s presentation
“Connection Strategies for the Heart-Centered Sales Professional”
Simple Self-awareness questions you can ask yourself
Write the answers down and think about them. Your answers can help guide you in making choices and decisions. If you see an intersection in your answers, you may be onto something that could become your life’s calling.
What are you good at?
What do you love to do?
What do you hate to do?
What do you see as problems you’d like to solve or pain in the world you’d like to heal? (I’ve always loved the quote by Frederick Buechner: “Vocation is the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”)
What training, education, or certification would help you move in the direction of your dreams or vision?
Self-Assessment and Self-Awareness resources
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The book shows us how to take charge of our happiness. It explores the characteristics that define successful and happy people.
Eurich, Tasha. Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think. Most of us are poor judges of ourselves, so we need to make the effort to gain insight into ourselves and how others see us.
Four Tendencies Quiz by Gretchen Rubin: find out if you are an Obliger, an Upholder, a Questioner, or a Rebel: https://gretchenrubin.com/quiz.
Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak – Here’s my book review: https://heartspoken.wpenginepowered.com/6623/book-review-let-your-life-speak-by-parker-j-palmer/.
Personality Tests. Many of these tests have more in-depth versions that cost money, but if you want some insights into your personality, here are some good free ones:
- Enneagram Type Indicator: http://www.9types.com/rheti/index.php
- Nettle, Daniel – Personality test “What makes you the way you are”: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/07/personality-test
- Rubin, Gretchen – The Four Tendencies Quiz that measures how you tend to react to inner and outer expectations: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3163256/Gretchen-Rubin-s-Quiz-The-Four-Tendencies-Fall2016
Rath, Tom. Strengths Finder 2.0 – designed to help people uncover their talents. The book includes an access code to get your own assessment.
Leadership and Personal Development Resources
Books
Allen, James. As A Man Thinketh– the classic about how our thoughts shape our character and our accomplishments in life. “The choice is yours: either master your thoughts and create the life you want; or remain mired in negativity, frustration, and failure.”
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The book shows us how to take charge of our happiness. It explores the characteristics that define successful and happy people.
Cottrell, Elizabeth H. HEARTSPOKEN: How to Write Notes that Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire. Inspiration and practical tips for using notes to strengthen and nourish the important relationships in your life, both personal and professional. There is a whole section for professionals called “Take It To The Office,” including some specific advice for nonprofits.
Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The book shows us how to take charge of our happiness. It explores the characteristics that define successful and happy people.
Chapman, Gary. The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts.
Eurich, Tasha. Insight: The Surprising Truth About How Others See Us, How We See Ourselves, and Why the Answers Matter More Than We Think. Most of us are poor judges of ourselves, so we need to make the effort to gain insight into ourselves and how others see us.
Gilbert, Elizabeth. Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – I reviewed this book HERE.
Hill, Napoleon. Think and Grow Rich – this is still a class for those who want to achieve.
Isaacs, Florence. Business Notes: Writing Personal Notes That Build Professional Relationships. While the sections on email are dated, there are fantastic examples and wording samples for a wide range of professional situations that call for a personal note. I recommend this book to business and sales professionals as an excellent companion to Cottrell/HEARTSPOKEN above.
Katie, Byron. Loving What Is: Four Questions That Can Change Your Life. The author offers four questions that can help you reframe the most troubling issues or decisions of your life.
Levine, Larry. Selling from the Heart: How Your Authentic Self Sells You. This book serves up practical strategies to build trust, add value, and create deep relationships. You can get this book for only the cost of shipping and handling from their website: Selling From The Heart.
McKeown, Greg. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. Marvelous strategies for focusing on what’s really important for us in today’s culture of information overload.
Osler, William. A Way of Life: An address delivered to Yale students in 1913. This book is out of print, but the Amazon link I’ve provided takes you to a Kindle version. From there, you can find used copies from other booksellers. I’ve written about its life lessons HERE.
Palmer, Parker J. Let Your Life Speak – Here’s my book review: https://heartspoken.wpenginepowered.com/6623/book-review-let-your-life-speak-by-parker-j-palmer/.
Pierce, Carrie. Handwritten Notes: Learn How a Small, Powerful Act Can Enrich Your Life. This is a great companion book to Cottrell/HEARTSPOKEN above – lots of specific wording examples.
Pink, Daniel. The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need. This is a career guide written in the form of a comic book. His main points are:
- There is no plan.
- Think strengths, not weaknesses.
- It’s not about you.
- Persistence trumps talent.
- Make excellent mistakes.
- Leave an imprint
Rath, Tom. Strengths Finder 2.0 – designed to help people uncover their talents. The book includes an access code to get your own assessment.
Rubin, Gretchen. Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits–to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life. A fascinating look at what it takes to make and break habits. The answer is: it depends on your own personality. I’ve reviewed this book HERE.
Rubin, Gretchen. The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How To Make Your Life Better (and Other People’s Lives Better Too).
Sandburg, Sheryl. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
Zuckerberg, Randi. Pick Three: You Can Have It All (Just Not Every Day)
Articles
Boogaard, Kat. “3 Myths About Success You Need to Stop Believing.” Inc.com.
Chernoff, Angel. “5 Popular Myths About Success that Need to be Ignored.” Marc & Angel Hack Life blog.
Cottrell, Elizabeth. “It’s Never Too Late To Try Something New.” Heartspoken blog.
Denver, Chris. “7 Surprising Myths About Success.” Huffington Post.
Seppala, Emma. “Don’s Fall For These Six Myths of Success—Do This Instead.” Forbes Leadership Forum.
Tracey, Brian. “5 Common Myths About Success.” Brian Tracy International.
Websites/Blogs
Art of Nonconformity by Chris Guillebeau. Great blog, and he has also authored some excellent books, including Born for This: How to Find the Work You Were Meant to Do and The $100 Startup: Reinvent the Way You Make a Living, Do What You Love, and Create a New Future. His podcast “Sidehustle School” is terrific for getting ideas about making money on the side.
BrianTracy.com – Brian Tracy is a motivational speaker and author with great content on leadership, goal-setting, and achievement. His audiobook, The Psychology of Achievement is a classic.
Change Your Thoughts; Change Your Life by Steve Aitchison – some powerful free ebooks and content dedicated to changing the thoughts and beliefs that hold us back.
Everyday Power by Jeff Moore – this blog is a treasure trove of mindset, inspiration, and motivation articles to fuel your success. The site is a curriculum resource for many schools across the country. Jeff Moore’s TEDx talk on what he calls “personal innovation” is HERE.
Heartspoken by Elizabeth Cottrell – this blog explores the four essential connections of a Heartspoken Life: with God, with Self, with Others, and with Nature, and includes support and information about a powerful free connection tool: personal notes.
Live Bold and Bloom by Barrie Davenport – great book reviews and inspiration for purposeful living.
Make It Happen: For a better you and a better world by Arvind Devalia – when you subscribe, you get a free ebook called “Make it Happen For yourself and the World.” He also wrote Get the Life You Love and live it: Change your life for the better – forever.
MichaelHyatt.com by Michael Hyatt – his free newsletter provides great tips for life, leadership, and productivity. You can get it free by scrolling to the bottom of his home page and subscribing.
Selling from the Heart – Home of the movement to equip sales leaders to be a new class of genuine, authentic sales professionals who turn transactions into transformation. Scroll down the home page to get your free copy of Larry Levine’s best-selling book: Selling from the Heart. You can also order it from Amazon HERE.
Zen Habits – by Leo Babauta – about simplicity, productivity, and enjoying life.
Inspirational quotations about leadership and achievement
“Sales is a person-to-person business. You cannot send the sales manual out to make the sale. Sales manuals have no legs and no voice.” – Jim Rohn
“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Howard Thurman
“I was once afraid of people saying, “Who does she think she is?” Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.’” – Oprah Winfrey
“There is only one you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.”– Anonymous
“No matter what your current role or title, you’re always CEO of Yourself, Inc., and your company’s most precious asset is you.” – Elizabeth H. Cottrell
“You will make a lousy anybody else, but you will be the best ‘you’ in existence.” – Zig Ziglar
“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung
“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.” –Andrew Carnegie
“Done is better than perfect.” –Sheryl Sandberg
“What you do has far greater impact than what you say.” –Steven Covey
“Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others.” –Robert Louis Stevenson
“The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.” –Jim Rohn
“Forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion.” –Oprah Winfrey
“Life asks us to make measurable progress in reasonable time. That’s why they make those fourth grade chairs so small—so you won’t fit in them at age twenty-five!” – Jim Rohn
“There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” –Edith Wharton
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” –Ayn Rand
“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” –Sam Walton
“To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” –Eleanor Roosevelt
“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.” – Sigmund Freud
“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.” – Hardy D. Jackson
“Accept everything about yourself–I mean everything, You are you and that is the beginning and the end–no apologies, no regrets.” -Clark Moustakas
“Be what you are. This is the first step towards becoming better than you are.” – J. C. Hare & A. W. Hare
“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” -Dr. Suess
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” – Maya Angelou
“By your own soul, learn to live
And if men thwart you take no heed.
If men hate you have no care.
Sing your song, dream your dream,
Hope your hope and pray your prayer.” – Parkenham Beatty
“You glance at an e-mail. You give more attention to a real letter.” – Judith Martin
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”– Mahatma Gandhi
Elizabeth H. Cottrell Bio
Elizabeth’s circuitous career has taken her from published leprosy researcher to stay-at-home mother, to community activist and leader serving on nonprofit and corporate boards. In 2016, she was elected the first female board chair of First Bank/First National Corporation in its 100+ year history, and she is still one of the few female board chairs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Elizabeth is a freelance writer/editor and blogger at Heartspoken.com and author of the award-winning HEARTSPOKEN: How to Write Notes that Connect, Comfort, Encourage, and Inspire published in 2022 by Koehler Books.
Above all, she is a connector and encourager whose writing explores the four essential connections of the Heartspoken Life. Her book—reflecting her expertise and passion for note writing—came at just the right time to touch a pandemic world desperately in search of connection. What better way to connect when we’re forced to stay apart physically than to write and send a heartspoken note? Elizabeth is the right person at the right time to help readers find their own heartspoken voice and learn to harness this powerful tool for nurturing their most precious relationships.