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?

You have to wait for the falling tide

“You have to wait for the falling tide.”

—Arthur C. Brooks, faculty member of the Harvard Business School

Image from Unsplash by Aidan Hodel

As a young boy, Arthur Brooks was fishing along the shore without success. After a while an elderly fisherman from the area came along, and noticed his frustration that nothing was biting.

Today’s quote was the wisdom offered, indicating that when the tide recedes is when all the plankton and bait fish gets stirred up, making the game fish crazy and willing to bite at everything.

How might this idea relate to your life?

Where do the tides in your personal and professional worlds seem to be headed out to sea?

How could this be a time where things are getting stirred up with new possibilities to catch a big one?

EXERCISE:

Where in your life are the falling tides offer you some new fertile opportunities?

How can you avoid the mistake of not having your line in the water?

 Become one with your point of focus and fall into flow

Become one with your point of focus and fall into flow.

—Tamara Levitt, Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Ravi Perchik

Our grandson Weston has been taking swimming lessons at a local aquatic club since last fall. Over the past few months, we’ve noticed a plateauing effect on his progress. His weekly 30-minute classes have a single instructor and three other students, thus limiting his individualized attention.

With the warmer weather, he now swims outside on a regular basis with the family and gets many more hours of personal attention and wrinkled fingers. To our delight, his progress has taken a giant leap and he is quickly moving from a guppy to a dolphin in his abilities.

EXERCISE:

Where do you demonstrate the greatest level of focus?

How does your single-minded attention impact your experience of these events and your ability to perform at your best?