Man arrives as a novice at each age of his life

“Man arrives as a novice at each age of his life.”

Nicolas Chamfort, 16th Century French writer

Image from Unsplash by Jelled Vanooteghem

Watching our grandchildren grow provides us with much joy and many valuable lessons.

Babies are perhaps the best example of being a novice. Grasping, crawling, making sounds, and those all-important first steps are excellent examples of new worlds emerging for our little ones.

As we age, being a novice and unable to do certain things can be very frustrating.

Our awareness of setbacks and stumbles can cause us to give up too soon and not push through our difficulties.  Where are the feelings of being a novice keeping you from taking some important first steps in your life?

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully embrace a beginner’s mindset and appreciate your novice status on your journey toward greater personal mastery and excellence?

The purpose of education is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions

“The purpose of education is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions.”

James Baldwin, 20th Century American author

Image from Unsplash by Kyle Glenn

It’s pretty common at this point in the year for people to continue wishing each other a happy new year. I feel comfortable doing so even into early February.

As the days after the winter solstice become slightly longer and we pine for an early spring, many of us hope that 2023 will be a better and brighter year.

What were some of the most significant decisions you made in 2022?

How did they influence where you are today and the trajectory of the months ahead?

Perhaps it may be time to head back to school and expand your educational opportunities.

EXERCISE:

Instead of—or in additional to—formal schooling, please be sure to enroll in the “university of you.”

Consider creating your own personal and professional curriculum.

What would you like to learn? Who will be your teachers?

How might the lessons learned help you look more closely at the world and make even better decisions moving forward?

“In the game of life, there’s no high score list, but you never want to languish on level one.”

“In the game of life, there’s no high score list, but you never want to languish on level one.”

Jay Shetty, life coach and former Hindu monk

Image from Unsplash by Erik Mclean

I’ve never been a big fan of video games. Except for space invaders and PAC Man many years ago, I never seemed to get the rush of leveling up in the multitude of games and systems that came after.

I have, however, always been interested in the game of life and the pursuit of growth and achievement. Tackling some worthy objective that filled my desire to learn and feel purposeful always had me want to take the next steps in my capabilities and impact.

EXERCISE:

Where do you have a keen desire to level up and build on your current abilities?

How can you measure your progress in these areas with your own inner scoreboard?

If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality

“If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?”

—Arthur Aron — A More Beautiful Question

Image from Unsplash by Kenny Eliason

We are all works in progress if we choose to be.

From the day we are born, we have the capacity to take in all types of inputs and mix them with our previous experiences. This ongoing journey helps us become a better version of ourselves.

When it comes to our prized abilities and qualities, we all likely have some level of competency.

EXERCISE:

What qualities and personal characteristics do you value most?

How would you rate yourself in these areas?

Where can and will you choose to focus your attention and efforts today?

Friday Review: Ability

FRIDAY REVIEW: ABILITY

Are you living up to your fullest abilities? Here are a few ability-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

 

“Of all knowledge, the wise and good seek most to know themselves.”

 

 

 

 

“Like an oyster cultivating a pearl, cultivate something that is special to you.”

 

 

 

 

“Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.”

 

 

 

 

“Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.”

“Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.”

—Roy L. Smith, 20th Century American Clergyman

Image from Unsplash by Samuel Giacomelli

Heat treatment is the process of heating and cooling metals to change their micro-structure and to bring out the physical and mechanical characteristics that make them more desirable.

Before modern metalworking techniques were invented, blacksmiths used heat to make metal more workable in forming them into the shapes they desired and in making them stronger.

EXERCISE:

Where can and will you apply the fires of greater personal and professional discipline to expand your talents into more masterful abilities?

Friday Review of Posts on Ability

FRIDAY REVIEW: ABILITY

Are you living up to your fullest abilities? Here are a few ability-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

 

“Like an oyster cultivating a pearl, cultivate something that is special to you.”

 

 

 

“The greatest thing about man is the ability to transcend himself, his ancestry, and his environment, and to become what he dreams of being.”

 

 

 

“We learn by pushing ourselves and finding out what lies at the outer reaches of our abilities.”

 

 

 

We learn by pushing ourselves

“We learn by pushing ourselves and finding out what lies at the outer reaches of our abilities.”

—Josh Waitzkin, American chess prodigy and author

Image of a man doing a handstand on the beach

Image from Unsplash by JanFillem

Did you know that only about one in five people meet the total recommended amount of exercise?

Of particular relevance is renewed interest in strength and resistance training. The stretching and stresses on our muscles cause micro-tears in the tissue, which then actually heals and grows even stronger.

This growth and increase in muscle mass has the added benefit of increasing your metabolism by up to 15%. That helps with weight loss, or at least a reduction in body fat.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of interest would a few more cerebral push-ups help you stretch and grow beyond your current perceived abilities?

“Inspiration exists, but it has to…”

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”

—Pablo Picasso

Image from worldonafork.com

Image from worldonafork.com

How often do you find yourself or others in your life waiting to be inspired by some outside source? During his 75-year career, Pablo Picasso created 13,500 paintings, 100,000 graphic prints or engravings, 34,000 book illustrations, and 300 sculptures and ceramic pieces. He was also a stage designer, poet, and playwright.

To say he was a man of action is a massive understatement. He was definitely an individual who used his propensity for action and ever-present momentum to continually inspire creative expressions of his genius.

EXERCISE:

How can you find greater inspiration through the various personal or professional work projects underway? What additional work could more fully utilize your gifts, talents, and unique abilities to inspire even more of your own genius?

“A bird sitting on a tree

“A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because its trust is not on the branch but on its own wings.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Martin Heigan

Photo from Flickr by Martin Heigan

Where in your professional or personal life are you leaning too much on the help and support of others? How would you cope and adjust if their support were suddenly withdrawn? Do you have a “Plan B”?

A dual strategy to proactively address such scenarios is to sit more lightly on the branches of others, and of course, exercise your own wings to fly solo when necessary.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life could you strengthen your capacity, trust your own abilities, and operate more independently?

How could you be a branch to support others, when needed, as they develop their ability to fly on their own?