The more comfortable you become in your skin

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“The more comfortable you become in your skin, the less you need to manufacture the world around you for comfort.”

—Cory Muscara, mindfulness advisor & Univ. of Pennsylvania instructor

Image from Unsplash by Coen Stahl

How many ways can you think of to seek comfort from the world around you? Explore this list and add a few more of your own:

  • The foods you eat
  • The temperature of your home
  • The clothes you wear
  • The time saving devices you use
  • The job you perform
  • The people with whom you associate
  • The apps on your computer or phone
  • Your focus on entertainment and leisure

EXERCISE:

Experiment with increasing longer blocks of time just sitting in the skin you are in.

Focus on just breathing and notice where your mind goes when you are not going anywhere or doing anything.

What insights can you take from this exercise that could apply to the rest of your day?

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile

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“There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”

—Robert Staubach, former Dallas Cowboy Quarterback

Image from Unsplash by Kathy

My signature coaching program — Personal Excellence Training — includes six months of weekly one-on-one coaching to support my client’s personal and professional objectives.

Today’s quote encourages each of us to lace up our sneakers and go the extra mile.

It’s not just about reaching the finish line, it’s about how the journey shapes us along the way.

We know we are on to something special when we push beyond our comfort zones, embrace challenges and give our all when so many others settle for less.

EXERCISE:

Where and when do you strap on your determination and ignite your passions?

When traveling these less crowded roads, don’t be surprised if you meet other champions along the way!

To experience the “Givers Glow” and the “Helpers Halo,” offer

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To experience the “Givers Glow” and the “Helpers Halo,” offer your acts of service and support in direct and specific ways.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Maria Ziegler

A close friend of ours was recently hospitalized. We live in the same building and after her first call to 911, she called us.

As part of our mutual friendship, we exchange keys to one another’s condos to let ourselves in and support one another when there is a need.

In addition to our visits to the hospital, daily check ins, and making a few of her favorite foods when she got home, she kept recounting that getting to her so quickly was the key to knowing she was going to be OK.

EXERCISE:

What direct and specific acts of support and service are the keys to open the doors of your most important relationships?

We can take a wonderful vacation in spirit, even though

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“We can take a wonderful vacation in spirit, even though we are obliged to stay at home, if we will only drop our burdens from our minds for a while.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, late author of Little House on the Prairie

Image from Unsplash by S’well

Taking a vacation usually means heading out on the open road and going someplace new.

There is almost always a good deal of anticipation and excitement during these times, and who doesn’t need a break from the routine trials and tribulations of everyday life?

How many days a year do you get or give yourself for actual vacations?

To what degree is it never enough before you have to return to the usual, ordinary grind?

When we go on vacations there is usually a shift in our mindset and attitude. Why is it that we wait for only a few weeks a year to give ourself permission to drop our burdens of the mind?

EXERCISE:

How could you introduce vacations of spirt into many more of your days?

How would doing so lighten your load and free your mind to lead a more richly rewarding life?

I’ve got some advice for the young

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“I’ve got some advice for the young. If you’ve got anything you really want to do, don’t wait until you’re 93.”

—Charlie Munger, late philanthropist and Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway

Image from Amazon

My wife and I are snowbirds, spending around three months of the year in Florida. In our community there, we are members of various clubs and engage in numerous activities to keep that youthful pep in our steps.

A few weeks ago, we took a day trip to Fort Myers with about 35 other seniors.

Along with the 2½ hour bus ride, our excursion included a delicious buffet lunch and a fantastic production of the Carole King musical, Beautiful.

Although many of our bus mates were moving a bit slower than in years past, they clearly weren’t waiting to seek and find more beautiful things about life.

EXERCISE:

Regardless of your age, where in your life are you waiting for “some day” to do the things you want?

As Sam Horn’s book title declares: Someday is Not a Day of the Week.

We must all suffer one of two things

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“We must all suffer one of two things: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.”

—Jim Rohn, late American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker

Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan

Who hasn’t heard the expression, No pain, No gain?

Regarding the things we must suffer, discipline seems like the wise choice.

Where in your life — or in your observations of others — has good old hard work proven successful in the achievement of a worthy goal?

Embrace and celebrate the pride and satisfaction associated with the grit it took to prove you had the right stuff.

Alternatively, where have you and others taken the easy way out and skated by with only minimal effort?

How much regret and disappointment lingers even now for not giving things your all?

EXERCISE:

Where in your life can and will you embrace the pain associated with discipline to realize far more of your fullest potential?

Maintaining healthy boundaries is integral to your well-being

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Maintaining healthy boundaries is integral to your well-being. Be aware of where others end and where you begin.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Drew Hays

Where and when in your world do other people cross the line and encroach on your personal boundaries?

Most of us are familiar with the feeling when our physical space is entered and others are getting too close for comfort. In these cases, moving away and creating more distance usually does the trick.

What other situations do you face where people and things intrude in your world?

Consider your five senses as your “canary in a coal mine,” where various sights, sounds, sensations, smells — and even tastes — can come into play without your full awareness.

EXERCISE:

Conduct a sensory inventory of your environment.

Who are the people and what are the things that diminish your well-being?

What actions can and will you take to keep everything and everyone at a healthy distance?

Friday Review: Observation

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Friday Review: Observation

How strong are your powers of observation? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

“You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.”

 

 

 

“Notice if you are watching what is happening or if you are a part of it.”

 

 

 

“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way.”

 

 

 

I think about decision in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos

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“I think about decision in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos.”

—James Clear, author of Atomic Habits

Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan

I first learned about today’s quote from a fellow blogger named Stephen St. Amant, whose work at savenwood.com is brilliant! I highly recommend adding his blog to your list of daily reading.

James’ post reads:

“I think about decisions in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos:

Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don’t like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats.

Some decisions are like haircuts. You can fix a bad one, but it won’t be quick and you might feel foolish for a while. That said, don’t be scared of a bad haircut. Trying something new is usually a risk worth taking. If it doesn’t work out, by this time next year you will have moved on and so will everyone else.

A few decisions are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them. Some mistakes are irreversible. Maybe you’ll move on for a moment, but then you’ll glance in the mirror and be reminded of that choice all over again. Even years later, the decision leaves a mark. When you’re dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully.”

EXERCISE:

What is the right amount of time and energy to allocate to your hat, haircut, and tattoo decisions?

Where are you acting too slowly or too quickly given the potential down side of being wrong?