Category Archives: Choices

Your assumptions are your windows on the world

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“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.”

—Isaac Asimov, Science Fiction Writer

Image of "The Four Agreements" book cover

Have you every read The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz? If not, please order a copy today.

The third agreement in this masterpiece is “Don’t Make Assumptions.”

Unfortunately, we all tend to make assumptions about everything and everybody. This is often the root of much dysfunction, chaos, and general unhappiness in our world.

EXERCISE:

Where would greater openness and clarification of issues, personally or professionally, let more light in so you could lead a more fulfilling and satisfying life?

Remove a Mountain

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“The person who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

-Chinese Proverb

Image of a boy carrying stones

Image from Flickr

Where are you today in regard to some of your most ambitious personal or professional goals for the new year? Are you in full stride, ahead of schedule?

Perhaps you are stalled, have lowered your sights considerably, or have stopped completely.

Today’s quote points to the small, consistent efforts we can all make on a daily basis to begin again, make progress, and eventually move mountains.

EXERCISE:

What are the “small stones” you will move today, to make progress toward your most desired personal or professional objectives?

If it came from a plant, eat it

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“If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t.”

-Michael Pollan, Professor, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

Image of today's quote

Image from Harmless Harvest

A few weeks ago, at the turn of the new year, millions of people committed for the umpteenth time to live healthier lives. Among the keys to success is the focus on optimal, high-quality nutrition.

In general, the fewer ingredients on the label, the better the choice. Or, choose only those made by Mother Nature herself. A simple way to decrease poor choices is to do the majority of your shopping around the periphery of your market, and avoid the aisles full of items produced in a plant.

EXERCISE:

Consider turning your next shopping trip into a food safari. Bring more tasty, naturally grown foods into your home and body. Reducing or purging many of the packaged items already in your cupboards and fridge will reduce the chances of making poor choices.

 

Grab a Star

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“Most look up and admire the stars. A champion climbs a mountain and grabs one.”

—Author Unknown

Image of man on mountaintop grabbing stars

Image from CDP Safe

What stars are you reaching for these days? To what degree do you leap out of bed each morning, eager to jump into your personal or professional quest?

Perhaps you, like many, simply examine and admire the efforts or accomplishments of others through social media, or more traditional methods.

You may also compare yourself to others and get excited to summon your own “Go For It!” perspective.

EXERCISE:

What personal or professional mountains will you begin or continue to climb today, to grab your own star with the heart of a champion?

Friday Review: Choices

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FRIDAY REVIEW: CHOICES

What sort of life are you choosing? Here are a few choice-related posts you may have missed. Click on the link to read the full message.

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“Life is all about choices. How many people are trapped in their everyday habits: part numb, part frightened, part indifferent? To have a better life we must keep choosing how we’re living.”

 

 

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“Words empty as the wind are best left unsaid.”

 

 

 

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“Easy Street is a blind alley.”

 

 

 

 

 

too many choices

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“You have too many choices. The process of elimination is your sedimentation tank. What remains are the priorities.”

—Laurent F. Carrel, Messages from Melanie

Image of the aisles of a superstore

Image from brainfodder.org

When was the last time you visited a big-box supermarket? It has been estimated that the number of food products in these megastores are in the tens of thousands. Clearly it is impossible to get everything in our shopping cart, so we all go through some process of elimination. We use criteria such as healthiness, value, shelf life, and taste as factors to make our choices.

EXERCISE:

What criteria do you currently use in your personal and professionals worlds to filter out unhealthy or undesirable options that do not serve your highest priorities?

How could being more selective improve your world?

The Best of My Life

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“I choose to make the rest of my life the best of my life.”

-Louise Hay, American Motivational Author

Image from acelebrationofwomen.org

Image from acelebrationofwomen.org

 

Louise Hay is an American Motivational Author and the founder of Hay House. Through her healing techniques and positive philosophy, millions have learned to create more of what they want in their lives.

Hay House has published about 300 books and 350 audio programs by authors who align with Louise’s positive self-help perspective, and are supportive of healing our planet.

EXERCISE:

What actions will you choose to take today, and in the future, to make the rest of your life the best of your life?

How can you support and inspire others in your personal and professional communities to do the same?

As a small gesture, please consider forwarding this post to at least one person who would most appreciate its message.

Rainbows Won’t Wait

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“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you finish the work.”

-attributed to Patricia Clifford, Film Producer

QC #964

Image from Flickr by Elvis Kennedy

Do you sometimes feel life has passed you by?

Do you tell yourself you will have time – on the weekend, on the vacation, when you retire – to get to the things that matter?

Are you missing too many rainbows?

We cannot schedule the rainbows of our lives – we must seize precious moments as they occur.

EXERCISE:

How can you be more intentional and tuned into your world, so that you can find greater joy and fulfillment in life’s special moments?

Move On

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“Everything will change when your desire to move on exceeds your desire to hold on.”

—Alan Cohen, Author of Daily Dose of Sanity

Image from Joomlaworks.net

Image from Joomlaworks.net

The ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes once said that if he were given a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, he could move the world.

Consider, today, your most deeply held commitments for a better future as your long lever, and your most important and foundational values as the fulcrum on which to place them.

One of my other favorite quotes is, your commitment supersedes your comfort.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you experience the world-moving changes you desire by living each day more consistently with your most cherished commitments and values?

 

Walk Your Talk

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“You cannot talk your way out of something you behaved yourself into.”

—Stephen Covey, American self-help author

Image from nxtlvlc.com

Image from nxtlvlc.com

Actions speak louder than words. They are all we really have to turn our dreams of a better future into a reality.

Consider a business leader whose behavior is inconsistent with the core values and corporate vision he claims to follow.  Consider the individual who constantly brings up his interest in health and wellness, yet makes unhealthy choices and rarely engages in physical activity.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life can you bring greater alignment between your words and your actions?
To whom, beside yourself, will you make the promises? What added support will be required to ensure this new level of personal responsibility?