“What you think means more than anything else in your life. More than what you earn, more than where you live, more than your social position, and more than what anyone else may think about you." ~~George Matthew Adams~~
“I think, therefore I am” - Descartes - from Discourse on Method
What I think matters. What I think determines what I do. What I think drives how I react, respond, and move forward. What I think helps shape how I live, and helps create my reality.
An affirmation for today “I am energized, focused, and effective.”
What do YOU think?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Preparation
"Life is like a combination lock; your job is to find the right numbers, in the right order, so you can have anything you want." ~~Brian Tracy~~
Have you figured out your winning combination? If you have, consider yourself extremely lucky. Most of us are still working on ours. Even when I think I have determined mine, something changes and I need to figure out a new one. That’s life. I have often heard the sentiment that the only thing that is constant is change. (I would love to give credit so if you can figure out who said that first, please let me know…) In light of that, here’s my next attempt at my winning combination. It’s a lot less specific than others have been in the past. Maybe that’s the answer… Prepare. Plan. Stay flexible. Bend. Prepare. Might that work for you?
Have you figured out your winning combination? If you have, consider yourself extremely lucky. Most of us are still working on ours. Even when I think I have determined mine, something changes and I need to figure out a new one. That’s life. I have often heard the sentiment that the only thing that is constant is change. (I would love to give credit so if you can figure out who said that first, please let me know…) In light of that, here’s my next attempt at my winning combination. It’s a lot less specific than others have been in the past. Maybe that’s the answer… Prepare. Plan. Stay flexible. Bend. Prepare. Might that work for you?
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wednesday: Positive Attitude
“Lighten up, have fun, and remember; life is much too important to take seriously.” ~~Joel Pashkin~~
Who’s that, you ask? He’s my dad. And in times when I have serious trouble maintaining a positive attitude, he likes to remind me to laugh a little, and lighten up. I know that when I have a positive attitude, when I just KNOW that I’m going to have a great day, it really impacts my productivity and often even my results. When I go into my day feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and gloomy, well, my day doesn’t typically turn out so well and I end up wasting an awful lot of energy. I KNOW I need to change my attitude! This morning I am reflecting not only on my dad reminding me to lighten up, but also on my son’s book, “The Pout-Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen. It starts, “Deep in the water where the fish hang out lives a glum gloomy swimmer with an ever-present pout.” And as the story goes on, and the pout-pout fish spreads the “dreary-wearies”, much to his own chagrin, he eventually is able to turn his frown upside down and become the “kiss-kiss fish” who spreads “cheery-cheeries” instead. Today, I am the pout-pout fish, and you are my catalyst. Thank you for helping me to find my positive attitude. And, Dad, thanks for listening and laughing. I wish you all a cheery-cheerie day!
Who’s that, you ask? He’s my dad. And in times when I have serious trouble maintaining a positive attitude, he likes to remind me to laugh a little, and lighten up. I know that when I have a positive attitude, when I just KNOW that I’m going to have a great day, it really impacts my productivity and often even my results. When I go into my day feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and gloomy, well, my day doesn’t typically turn out so well and I end up wasting an awful lot of energy. I KNOW I need to change my attitude! This morning I am reflecting not only on my dad reminding me to lighten up, but also on my son’s book, “The Pout-Pout Fish” by Deborah Diesen. It starts, “Deep in the water where the fish hang out lives a glum gloomy swimmer with an ever-present pout.” And as the story goes on, and the pout-pout fish spreads the “dreary-wearies”, much to his own chagrin, he eventually is able to turn his frown upside down and become the “kiss-kiss fish” who spreads “cheery-cheeries” instead. Today, I am the pout-pout fish, and you are my catalyst. Thank you for helping me to find my positive attitude. And, Dad, thanks for listening and laughing. I wish you all a cheery-cheerie day!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday: Focus (and determination)
“We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history.” ~~Sonia Johnson~~
I am once again feeling inspired, empowered, revitalized and excited by the sheer determination and focus I witnessed today. There are some people out there doing some really great things, and these things are often thankless and random. Whether it’s sharing your network, assisting someone through a rough time, or otherwise giving of yourself in some way, how can you help someone today? It’s amazing how taking your focus off of yourself for a time can really help you actually get things done!
I am once again feeling inspired, empowered, revitalized and excited by the sheer determination and focus I witnessed today. There are some people out there doing some really great things, and these things are often thankless and random. Whether it’s sharing your network, assisting someone through a rough time, or otherwise giving of yourself in some way, how can you help someone today? It’s amazing how taking your focus off of yourself for a time can really help you actually get things done!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday: Preparation
“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. There is a very great distinction because when you are planning for an emergency you must start with this one thing: the very definition of 'emergency' is that it is unexpected, therefore it is not going to happen the way you are planning.” ~~Dwight David Eisenhower~~
Truer words may have never been spoken! All the preparation in the world may not actually prepare you for reality. However, being prepared can certainly help you feel more in control of your uncertainty! OK, that sounds esoteric… I’m not trying to be cryptic. Here’s where I’m coming from: I sat down last night, as I do on “good Sundays”, and planned out my week. I put some things in place that would allow me to stay focused on the work I have to do. I paid some bills, cleared out my physical inbox, and cleared off and organized my desk. I deleted “junk” emails, cleared out personal emails that had come through over the weekend so as to minimize distractions for Monday morning, and even set out some hardcopy resources and reference materials. I had a solid plan for today. And, at 7:30 this morning, they all went out the window. So be it. The good news is that I was so well prepared, that even with a two hour delay, I am confident that I will accomplish everything I set out to do today. And, since I was comfortable with the planning I did, I got a good night’s sleep and didn’t stress about the amount of work I have to do. So, plans may be worthless, but preparation is priceless! In the words of Tim Rice (The Lion King) Be Prepared!
Truer words may have never been spoken! All the preparation in the world may not actually prepare you for reality. However, being prepared can certainly help you feel more in control of your uncertainty! OK, that sounds esoteric… I’m not trying to be cryptic. Here’s where I’m coming from: I sat down last night, as I do on “good Sundays”, and planned out my week. I put some things in place that would allow me to stay focused on the work I have to do. I paid some bills, cleared out my physical inbox, and cleared off and organized my desk. I deleted “junk” emails, cleared out personal emails that had come through over the weekend so as to minimize distractions for Monday morning, and even set out some hardcopy resources and reference materials. I had a solid plan for today. And, at 7:30 this morning, they all went out the window. So be it. The good news is that I was so well prepared, that even with a two hour delay, I am confident that I will accomplish everything I set out to do today. And, since I was comfortable with the planning I did, I got a good night’s sleep and didn’t stress about the amount of work I have to do. So, plans may be worthless, but preparation is priceless! In the words of Tim Rice (The Lion King) Be Prepared!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Friday: Motivation
“We cannot discover new oceans until we have the courage to lose sight of the shore." ~~Muriel Chen~~
Fear is often a motivator, but in my opinion, the wrong kind of motivator. While it can certainly be powerful, I’m not certain it’s truly helpful. Fear of not being able to pay your bills is surely motivation to find a job; but will it be the motivation you need to find the right job? While I get that fear might be the push you need to get moving, but it is not a healthy long-term motivator, and more likely is the thing that’s holding you back from being your best and accomplishing all that you are capable of accomplishing. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is hard. Examining your fears can be overwhelming. Expanding your horizons, living in the possibility, and overcoming that which historically overcame you is liberating! Step away from the shore! It’s time to discover new oceans! In fact, GO SWIM!
Fear is often a motivator, but in my opinion, the wrong kind of motivator. While it can certainly be powerful, I’m not certain it’s truly helpful. Fear of not being able to pay your bills is surely motivation to find a job; but will it be the motivation you need to find the right job? While I get that fear might be the push you need to get moving, but it is not a healthy long-term motivator, and more likely is the thing that’s holding you back from being your best and accomplishing all that you are capable of accomplishing. Stepping outside of your comfort zone is hard. Examining your fears can be overwhelming. Expanding your horizons, living in the possibility, and overcoming that which historically overcame you is liberating! Step away from the shore! It’s time to discover new oceans! In fact, GO SWIM!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Thursday: Goals
“Map out your future, but do it in pencil.” ~Jon Bon Jovi, quoted in Reader's Digest, "Quotable Quotes," September 2002 ~~ I’ve been doing a lot of talking lately about the importance of a 10 year (or 20 year) plan. How can you know how to get where you’re going, if you don’t *know* where you’re going? It has come to my attention that one thing that holds people back from creating a 10 year plan, is the fear that once they “write it down”, they have to stick to it. And, nobody wants to feel stuck. So, here’s my solution. Give yourself permission to change your mind. It’s ok. You need a plan; you need goals. They help you map out your future. It’s much easier to know what you should be doing now if you know where you want to end up. It’s wise to think about the steps you can take now that will help you get to where you want to be later. And be secure in the knowledge that nothing is set in stone. Things change. People change. Life happens.
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