Category Archives: Attitude

Hard to See a Halo when you’re looking for Horns

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“It’s hard to see a halo when you’re looking for horns.”

—Cullen Hightower, late American quip writer

Image of a halo hanging on devel's horns

Image from VG24

Are you a good person?

Most of us like to think we are – and could even prove it through the kind and generous gestures we make throughout the day.

Take a moment to look at the variety of people in your personal and professional worlds. How many have the same size halo you see above your own head? Perhaps more disturbingly, how often do you see their not-so-pleasant horns, because you are focusing on their faults and shortcomings?

EXERCISE:

Abraham Lincoln once said, “I don’t like that man. I need to get to know him better.”

How can you, too, rise above your own fault-finding perceptions and discover far more halos in those around you?

 

Don’t Argue Your Path

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“Don’t argue your path with other people. Walk it.”

—The Lazy Yogi

Meme of today's quote

Check out this cornucopia of statements that may help reduce arguments and improve your worlds:

  • Actions speak louder than words.
  • Walk your talk.
  • I don’t trust words. I trust action.
  • Let your success make the noise.
  • Don’t tell people your dreams. Show them.
  • Practice what you preach, or change your speech.
  • The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.
  • Characterize people by their actions, and you’ll never be fooled by their words.
  • People lie. Actions don’t.
  • What you do speaks so loudly I can hardly hear what you are saying.
  • Good words won’t cover up ugly actions.

EXERCISE:

Select at least one of the statements from this list and display it in your professional and personal space, where you will see it throughout the day.

Please let me know which you selected, and how it impacted your day.

keep stillness inside you

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“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside you.”

—Deepak Chopra, Indian-American New Age Author/Speaker

meme of today's quote

Image from QuoteFancy

What is your current level of stress? How fast is your world moving? How much chaos do you experience in your personal and professional communities?

What strategies do you use to slow things down to find greater calm, and the peace of mind we all seek?

Sadly, the weekend to rest or that vacation we so desperately need to recharge may be days, weeks, even months away.

What can you do at this very moment to keep a source of stillness inside you, to call up and use at a moment’s notice?

EXERCISE:

Check out these links to add new or alternative strategies to your repertoire:

10 Steps to Keep Calm and Carry On

40 ways to achieve peace of mind and inner calm

 

scratching the itch

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“Too many young people itch for what they want without scratching for it.”

—attributed to Tom D. Taylor

Meme of today's quote

On a scale of one (low) to ten (high), rate your own perception of the work ethic, general persistence, and grittiness of the six generations of people currently on the planet:

  1. GI Generation, born 1901-1926
  2. Mature | Silents, born 1927-1945
  3. Baby Boomers, born 1946 -1964
  4. Generation X, born 1965 – 1980
  5. Generation Y | Millennials, born 1981-2000
  6. Generation Z | Boomlets, born 2001 and after

What do you think are their goals, desires, and wishes?
What general environmental and societal factors have shaped their attitudes towards work and improving their lives?

EXERCISE:

To what degree do you and others in your multi-generational communities scratch the itches in the hard-to-reach places?

Check out this link to discover some interesting characteristics of each group.

Friday Review: Negativity

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FRIDAY REVIEW:  NEGATIVITY

What role does negativity play in your life? Here are a few posts related to negativity you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.”

 

 

 

 

“Complaining is Draining.”

 

 

 

 

“Life is like photography. You use the negatives to develop.”

 

 

 

Don’t Be Discouraged

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“Don’t be discouraged. It’s often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock.”

—Author Unknown

Image of keys in a circle

Image from Flickr by Hayley Mechelle

What current personal or professional issue has you upset, frustrated, and perhaps at a breaking point? Where are you ready to throw in the towel and give up on a matter of great importance?

You may even feel that you have tried everything possible and don’t have it in you to go on.

Beyond the RAH-RAH of the If at first you don’t succeed… stuff, how can you remain patient and persist in new and different actions to open the locks of opportunities you seek?

EXERCISE:

Seek out the support of a friend, mentor, family member, or coach to tackle this matter. They will likely help you find the inner strength to go on, and the added perspective to achieve what you desire.

Don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart

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“Don’t let a hard lesson harden your heart.”

—Sophia A. Nelson, American Opinion Writer

Image of a hard fist

image from Flickr by Giulia Forsythe

Consider the following list of “hard lessons,” and others that have occurred in your life:

  • The breakup of an important relationship
  • Being fired from a job you enjoyed
  • The failure of a business or entrepreneurial venture
  • Loosing a good sum of money on an investment or purchase
  • Missing out on a promotion or a job you really desired

What are some typical responses for you or those you know when such events occur? I often hear people say things like, I’ll never do that again! or You just can’t trust… or What’s the Use? I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up!

Unfortunately, when we engage in such heart-hardening decisions, we actually shoot ourselves in the foot. Hoping to protect ourselves, we keep ourselves from achieving the wonderful things that make life so worthwhile.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can and will you remain more open-hearted and open-minded in the pursuit of the extraordinary life you desire?

When You Run Away

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“It’s when you run away that you’re most liable to stumble.”

—Casey Robinson, Screenwriter/Producer

Image from findapsychologist

I’m not completely sure if today’s quote is always true, but watching action films and TV shows, I see the main characters often fall when they run away from their pursuers. Perhaps in film and TV land this is to create more suspense. Invariably, though, they stop, turn around, and summons the courage to take on the bad guys and win the day.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently in retreat mode? What is causing you to stumble? What attitude shift or other resources are required to turn things around so you can move forward professionally or personally?

 

What Seemed Best Each Day

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“I have simply tried to do what seemed best each day, as each day came.”

—Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

image of the ocean with today's quote superimposed

A state of calm centeredness came over me when I read today’s quote. My first thought was “I can do that!”

Many of us experience overwhelm in the enormity of all that must be done in our lives. Far too often we are exhausted by the end of the day, and frustrated by not having achieved what we intended. We then add insult to injury by throwing in our own negative commentary.

Alternatively, being satisfied with our best, which can differ from day to day, grants a peaceful and accepting sense of our humanity, and what Brené Brown would call the “Gifts of Imperfection.”

EXERCISE:

How would taking your life one day at a time, doing your best regardless of what happens, be the source of a happier and more fulfilling life?

Your Best Day at Work

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“What does your best day at work look like?”

—Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook

Image of a woman with a laptop and some papers

What do you typically say when someone asks, “How was your day?”

I usually hear phrases such as, “Not Bad,” “it was OK,” “Pretty Good,” “Awful, Stressful, Chaotic.”

From time to time I also hear from those super-positive, optimistic, people glowing with excitement and enthusiasm about how great their day has been.

How often do you actually believe those folks?

Today’s quote asks us to visualize our best days so we have a benchmark or a beacon of what is possible for the activity in which we spend most of our waking hours.

EXERCISE:

Identify what frustrates you and exacerbates your workdays.

Identify the parts of your day in which you feel energized and strong, when you may even lose track of time.

Given your answers, how can you modify or redesign your day to include less of the first and more of the second?

Applying this exercise on a daily basis for yourself and those in your company can be critical to both individual and organizational success, and a more fulfilling life.