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Contemplate how your inner narrative influences how you see yourself

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Contemplate how your inner narrative influences how you see yourself and the world. Remember, we always have the power to write a new chapter and tell a more empowering story.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Jakob Owens

What are some of your favorite movies?

Close your eyes and visualize the lead characters and the story told through the wordsmithing skills of the screenwriters.

What made these diversions in your day so engaging and memorable?

Consider the idea that you are making a movie and that your inner narrative is the screenplay on which it is based. Who would be interested in seeing this movie and what actor would you want to play you?

EXERCISE:

Write a short story based about a new and more interesting you. How could this exercise add a bit more excitement and engagement to the life you are actually leading?

Friday Review: Confidence

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Friday Review: CONFIDENCE

How much confidence do you have in yourself and those around you? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

“Inhale confidence, exhale doubt.”

 

 

 

 

“Every small positive change we make in ourselves repays us in confidence in the future.”

 

 

 

“A surplus of effort could overcome a deficit of confidence.”

 

 

 

 

“Trust is built in drops but lost in buckets.”

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“Trust is built in drops but lost in buckets.”

—Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired magazine

Image from Amazon

Who are your most trusted advisors? Consider the following categories as a way to begin building your list:

  • Doctors
  • Lawyer
  • Accountant
  • Banker
  • Best friend(s)
  • Family member(s)
  • News sources

How did you select these individuals or sources? How important is it that they reflect your views and values?

How long does it usually take you to determine if someone is trustworthy? What does it take for you to lose trust in people?

EXERCISE:

Consider sending me an email at barry@dempcoaching.com and I will send you my trust-o-meter handout.  If you happen to be a business professional, consider checking out the classic book The Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister.

 

Friday Review: Clarity

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Friday Review: Clarity

Where do you go to seek clarity? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

“You don’t need clarity on the rest of your life, just on what’s next in your life.”

 

 

 

Sometimes just stopping makes space for something new to show up.

 

 

 

“Before picking up the phone, pause for a moment and think about the purpose of the call.”

 

 

 

 

“The heart is not a knee that can be bent.”

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“The heart is not a knee that can be bent.”

—Senegalese proverb

Image from Unsplash by Willian de Oliveira

We live in two fifty-five and older senior communities — one in Pennsylvania, one in Florida. For many of us, the added trips around the sun come with various maladies — including conditions related to the wear and tear on hips, shoulders, and — given today’s quote — knees.

Some of the people I know have experienced many of these conditions on multiple occasions. What always inspires me are their courageous hearts, which have them face their challenges and continue to take each step to live as fully and meaningfully as possible.

EXERCISE:

How does your own courageous heart help you stand tall and steady when life tries to bend you over and knock you down?

Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights your way.

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“Purpose is the reason you journey. Passion is the fire that lights your way.”

—Anonymous

Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan

Passion and purpose are definitely the one-two punch of success and achievement.

Having one without the other is often not enough for us to persist and stay the course.

Many of us feel the pull of purpose to begin our journeys only to be faced with dark times that slow us down or stop us completely.

To keep the lights on and the fires burning we need the inner flames of passion when we stumble.

Passion give us the strength and resilience to pick ourselves up and take the next step and the next.

EXERCISE:

How passionate and purposeful do you feel in your current personal and professional efforts?

How can you summon this powerful pair to punch through anything that may be standing in your way?

Drink in each moment and savor them slowly.

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Drink in each moment and savor them slowly.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Mineragua Sparkling Water

To what degree do you race through your life?

Some ways to estimate your pace is to examine your driving habits or the time it takes to eat your meals.

Sometimes — if you are like many of us — you do both at the same time.

Driving fast and eating fast food are clearly not wise things to do.

If you have ever taken the Real Age test, you already know that these behaviors can reduce your biologic age to something below your chronological age.

EXERCISE:

Schedule a candlelit meal with your significant other.

Block out twice as much time as you usually do to sip and savor your meal and the time with this special person.

Where else in your life may you be missing the full flavors of life?

How could slowing down and drinking in more moments add more life to your years?

When we investigate and anticipate the exciting and enjoyable aspects of the future, we enhance our happiness

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When we investigate and anticipate the exciting and enjoyable aspects of the future, we enhance our happiness

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Rachael Gorjestani

How do you usually feel on Friday compared to Monday? If you have engaging plans for the weekend or have a career you enjoy, your answer is usually very positive for both scenarios.

What happens to many working folks on Sunday evenings if their jobs don’t exactly light them up?

The situations above are examples of positive and negative “Creative Tension,”  where the nature of the future has a significant effect on our moods and overall satisfaction with life.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can you be more intentional with your life to use the power of “creative tension” to envision and realize more of your hopes and dreams?

On a Scale from One to Ten

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On a Scale from One to Ten… This post is a fill in the blank exercise.

Image from Unsplash by Mike Tinnion

Consider the following statements and choose the number (1-10) that represents where you are today.

My level of happiness is_______
The quality of my relationships is_______
My mental and physical health score______ and _____
My career satisfaction is_______
The level of balance and personal freedom I experience is_______

EXERCISE:

Create a list of one to ten items for 2023 and rate yourself.

Consider partnering with a friend, colleague, family member or coach to clarify, pursue and achieve far more tens in the year ahead.

A useful book that can help with this exercise is Your Best Year Yet by Ginny Ditzler.

Friday Review: BEHAVIOR

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Friday Review: BEHAVIOR

What do your behaviors say about you? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

Upgrade your morning routine to get an even better start to your day. What small or significant adjustments will you make?

 

 

 

 

To be. To do. To have. Take life in this order.

 

 

 

 

“Your beliefs don’t make you a better person — your behavior does.”