What does the world outside you and inside you need

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What does the world outside you and inside you need? Embrace the satisfaction and nurturing qualities of caring for others and yourself.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Celpax

How do you determine if you are having a good day?

In what ways do you measure your areas of progress and success?

What factors must be met for just surviving versus thriving?

In his book Drive, Daniel Pink points out three areas to consider to experience that “get up and go” that drive us forward in life. They are:

  1. Autonomy and the ability to direct and influence our lives
  2. Mastery and increased skills and capabilities in areas of importance
  3. Purpose or the feeling we are making a positive difference in the lives of others and the world

EXERCISE:

To what degree do your days include these factors?

What steps can and do you take to grow and expand your autonomy, mastery, and sense of purpose in order to feel the drive to get up and start each new day?

Make a mistake? Release the guilt, remember the lesson

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“Make a mistake? Release the guilt, remember the lesson.”

—James Clear, author of Atomic Habits

Image from Unsplash by Francisco De Legarreta C.

Today’s quote contains three separate nuggets of coaching:

  1. It encourages us to experiment and try new things.
  2. It tells us to release the guilt or shame many of us experience when we fail or come up short of what we intend.
  3. It urges us to be mindful of these events so that we capture the knowledge and wisdom gained from these experiences.

EXERCISE:

How frequently do you stretch yourself to try new things that may or may not work?

How caring and compassionate are you with yourself when you fail or make mistakes?

How do you capture and keep the lessons learned to limit or prevent yourself from making similar mistakes in the future?

I would rather be a little nobody than an evil somebody.

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“I would rather be a little nobody than an evil somebody.”

—Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

Image from Unsplash by Caleb Fisher

What qualities and character traits do you associate with Abraham Lincoln?

What pops in my mind is the moniker “Honest Abe.” A close second is his focus on serving others, and his considerable humility when it came to serving himself.

If you follow the work of Jim Collins, Abe would be considered a level 5 leader. Collins’ work and extensive research focused on making organizations that were built to last, and what it took to have them go From Good to Great.

EXERCISE:

How does today’s quote reflect your views of yourself and the world around you?

How can Lincoln’s words serve as a guide for all of us as we step into each new day?

“In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.”

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“In the book of life, the answers aren’t in the back.”

—Charles Schulz, creator of the comic strip Peanuts

Image from Unsplash by Patrick Tomasso

Today’s quote takes me back to grade school. Back then, we had hefty textbooks to lug around from class to class.

I specifically remember the math books. What made them different from the rest was that they had an answer key in the back to check our work. They usually contained only half the answers, and we were left to work out the rest on our own.

In life, many of us wait too long to discover the answers to the problems we experience along the way.

There is no answer key even at the end of many years with the right answers. The only thing we often find there is regret.

EXERCISE:

As you turn the pages of your life, how can you trust the answer keys of your head, heart and gut to come up with many more of the right answers for you?

Observe your thoughts like water rushing over a waterfall

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Observe your thoughts like water rushing over a waterfall. Watch them as they splash in the river below and flow downstream.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Jeffery Workman

What is your average attention span? How many minutes or even seconds can you maintain your ability to concentrate and remain focused on a specific activity or train of thought?

When was the last time you saw a waterfall? Beyond the water cascading over the edge, how often did you follow it long enough to see the splash below? For many of us, our focus stops there, and our attention reverts back to where the action is.

EXERCISE:

How often do you find yourself distracted and pulled away from people and things that require prolonged attention and focus?

How can you exercise and practice extending your attention to build and strengthen your mental muscles?

Friday Review: Balance

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Friday Review: Balance

What can and will you do to find and maintain balance in your life? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“During times of change it is common to look for things we might lose or gain. Considering what will actually stay the same can steady your ship in the frequent rough seas of life.”

 

 

 

“Discover the right balance between effort and ease.”

 

 

 

 

 

“When you change direction radically, the loads can shift, and it can throw you off balance.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

My comfort in exploring and expressing new ideas

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“My comfort in exploring and expressing new ideas appears inversely proportional to my sense of stability.”

Arthur C. Brooks, American author, public speaker, and academic

Image from Unsplash by Hanson Lu

In virtually all sports, athletes do their best to begin and return to a stance of stability.

From these positions they can move powerfully and flexibly in any direction they choose. Because most sports move quickly, we don’t always recognize these rapid returns to regain their footing.

EXERCISE:

How does the concept of stability and coming up with new ideas relate to you in your personal and professional efforts?

Where does stability provide a strong foundation to explore and express new idea in your life?

Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions

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“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.”

—Barbara Hemphill, author of Less Clutter More Life

Image from Unsplash by Tomas Yates

How do you feel about clutter?

Where do you see clutter in your world? What impact does it have on your general mood and attitude?

The idea of clutter being postponed decisions piqued my curiosity and caused me to take a deeper dive into my desires or aversions to tidying up.

Since I enjoy cooking I decided to de-clutter my fridge.

Checking and using only the freshest ingredients raised my spirits knowing that I was deciding to serve tasty, quality dishes to those I love.

EXERCISE:

Where are you experiencing clutter in your life?

What decisions can you make and what actions can and will you take to bring greater order and peace of mind to your world?

The test of a student is not how much he knows

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“The test of a student is not how much he knows, but how much he wants to know.”

—Alice Wellington Rollins, 19th Century American Writer

Image from Unsplash by Monica Melton

As a proclaimed lifelong learner, I enjoy the idea that in life we are tested first and then receive the lesson.

My school years were not as engaging because the lessons came first, and my desire to be tested on things of low interest seemed pointless.

These days, it’s up to me — and each of us — to decide what we wish to learn.

Having the freedom to choose what we want to know makes the idea of school is always in session far more appealing.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of your life are you an eager student?

Where do you experience the greatest passion and drive to learn more?