Category Archives: Memories

“Your mind is for having…”

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“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

—David Allen, American productivity consultant & author

QC #756Among the books I recommend most often to clients who are challenged with managing their professional and personal time is Getting Things Done by David Allen.

One of the critical insights I derived from his work was the idea that too many people use their minds and memories to hold too much information. It turns out that doing so makes most of us far less productive and also causes overwhelming feelings and considerable stress. Perhaps that is why the subtitle of this valuable book is “the art of stress-free productivity.”

EXERCISE:

Please pick up and study Getting Things Done, and do whatever you can to “have” ideas, but “hold” them in memory-keeping or commitment-keeping technologies, where they will be available to you in the moments you plan to work on them.

“All it takes is one song…”

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“All it takes is one song to bring back 1,000 memories.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Gordon Marino

Photo from Flickr by Gordon Marino

I’m a big fan of satellite radio. In the States, we have Sirius XM. I like that it is commercial free, that I can receive the signal wherever I may be driving, and that I can select the programming that suits my taste at the moment.

Last summer, I took a road trip back east with my wife Wendy and my father Marvin. The trip is well over 600 miles and can take anywhere from 11 to 14 hours depending on traffic and rest stops. Each of us had a favorite station. Mine was Watercolors, which highlights contemporary jazz. Wendy prefers The Bridge, which plays folk rock and music of the 60s and 70s, and my dad takes many trips down memory lane listening to Seriously Sinatra.

EXERCISE:

Select your favorite CD, radio station, or satellite channel today. Listen, and allow any memories that may rise to surface. Consider doing this exercise with someone close to you to bring back some of their most cherished times.

Please feel free to reply to this post with a short list of your favorite songs, and the memories they stir up in you.

“Yesterday is but…”

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“Yesterday is but today’s memories, and tomorrow is today’s dream.”

— Khalil Gibran, 20th century Lebanese artist, poet, and writer

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The human mind is a wonderful thing. It can be a calculator when it is in analytic mode, and it can also venture into wondrous arenas of creativity and innovation. The mind also has the ability to travel back and forth in time, from the beginning of the universe to the end of time.

EXERCISE:

How can you tap into the wondrous power of your mind to learn from the past, enjoy the experiences of today, and venture into the possibilities of the future? Consider doing this exercise with others within your professional and personal communities to explore what will likely be an even more remarkable experience.

“If you want to keep your memories, you first have to live them.”

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“If you want to keep your memories, you first have to live them.”

– Bob Dylan, American singer-songwriter

506Image from Flickr by shutterhacks.

Over the years, one of my strategies to get to know others better and deepen relationships has been to take a sincere interest in their interests.

One method I’ve used to get to know my daughter Rachel is to read books she has enjoyed. Among these are:

1. The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino (http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Salesman-World-Og-Mandino-ebook/dp/B004G8PIQ8)

2. Take the Stairs, by Rory Vaden (http://www.amazon.com/Take-Stairs-Steps-Achieving-Success/dp/0399537767)

3. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Don Miller (http://www.amazon.com/Million-Miles-Thousand-Years-Learned/dp/1400202981)

The last one made a particular impression on me, in that its focus was on a life well lived and the fantastic memories that can accompany it.

Exercise:

Consider picking up a copy of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years for yourself and turn up your “memory meter” of life.

Consider reading books and exploring other forms of shared experiences with those you care about to take this memory-sharing and memory-developing journey together.