Friday Review: Winning
How do you define “winning”? Here are a few winning-related posts you may have missed.
“There is nobility in the struggle; you don’t have to win.”
“The man who runs may fight again.”
“When the eyes say one thing and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.”
“When the eyes say one thing and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson, 17th Century American essayist, philosopher, and poet
Image from Unsplash by Austin Human
There are a number of stories and legends behind Missouri’s sobriquet, “The Show Me State.”
The slogan, although not official, is commonly used throughout the state and is on Missouri’s license plates.
The most widely known legend attributes the phrase to Missouri’s Congressman, Willard Duncan Vandiver. In an 1899 speech, he declared:
“I come from a state that raises corn and cotton cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquences neither convict nor satisfy me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me.”
EXERCISE:
How and in what ways can you be more of a practiced person who relies far more on the language of the eyes and not just those of the tongue?
“Always have old memories and young hopes.”
“Always have old memories and young hopes.”
—Arsene Houssaye, 17th century French novelist
Image from Unsplash by Jon Tyson
We are moving. After 34 years in beautiful Michigan, we are moving back to our hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to be closer to family.
Recently, our two adult children — Daniel, 35, and Rachel, 33 — came to Wendy and my rescue for a week, helping us stage our home for sale. In the basement, we discovered tons of memories in the form of old toys, keepsakes, and virtually every homework assignment, report card, dance costume, and trophy they left behind.
Although a tear or two was shed reminiscing about the good times together, that week was filled with much youthful hope for the next phases of our lives.
EXERCISE:
Take some time this week to engage your family and friends in a trip down memory lane to rekindle some of your best times.
Open a dialogue about your individual and collective hopes for the future, which will provide you more happy times to reminisce over in the years ahead.
“Remove the mental candy from your environment.”
“Remove the mental candy from your environment.”
—James Clear, author, entrepreneur, and photographer
Image from Unsplash by Amit Lahav
When was the last time you visited the dentist? If you are like many, the idea of opening your mouth for an hour and having someone poking around in there seems foolhardy.
I’ve been even more diligent this past year in brushing and flossing, and have avoided popcorn with its frequent rock-hard kernels that are often the source of a dental emergency.
A few of us may even be cutting back on sweets but my guess is that with the need for comfort this year, both actual sweets and a few extra servings of mental candy may have caused some decay.
EXERCISE:
What sources of mental candy are most readily available in your environment? How can you avoid their enticing and addictive qualities by putting them out of reach or eliminating some completely?
“Sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us.”
“Sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us.”
—Author Unknown
I have referenced the Serenity Prayer — written by American theologian Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971) —numerous times over the 10 years of writing this blog.
Take another look at a popular version of it, given the year we’ve been through and your perspective on who you are today and what the future holds.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
How many times have you glanced over this saying, popularized in the Alcoholics Anonymous community? How does its wisdom resonate with you today?
EXERCISE:
How and in what ways have you changed this past year? In what ways are you far wiser and able to navigate life more serenely by acknowledging, allowing, and even accepting the circumstances and things you cannot change?
Friday Review: Motivation
Friday Review: Motivation
To what degree are you self-motivated, situation-motivated, or motivated by others? Here are a few posts about motivation you may have missed.
“Plant the seeds of beautiful ideas in your mind and water them with belief and action.”
“When we do what we have to do we are compliant. When we do what we choose to do we are committed.”
“Work for a cause, not for applause.”
“Show them the doors that they didn’t know existed.”
“Show them the doors that they didn’t know existed.”
—Paul Jun, on Mentor Programs, The Impresario
Image from Unsplash by Michal Dolnik
Being a mentor and a coach for others is one of the most satisfying and rewarding ways to spend a day. Teaching others and showing them new doors that lead to greater knowledge and opportunities is always accompanied with raised eyebrows and delighted smiles as new worlds emerge.
I have gained a sense of deep appreciation as I watch the parenting strategies of my daughter Rachel and her husband Chris as they direct and guide our three-year-old grandson, Weston. Each day includes new discoveries, new words, and new ways to play in and with his expanding world.
Wendy and I continue to mentor and coach our two children, now in their 30s. It is a pleasure to see how many doors they can now find and open on their own.
EXERCISE:
Who are the mentors and coaches that opened doors in your personal or professional life? How and with whom can you recognize their kindness and generosity by paying forward their gifts with someone deserving your special guidance?
“Choose to think of yourself as a founder.”
“Choose to think of yourself as a founder.”
—Laszlo Bock, Work Rules
Image from Unsplash by Shannon Rowies
Founder is a title with a good bit of prestige. It carries connotations of leadership, creativity, determination, intelligence, and boldness. Founders start things and are courageous enough to take risks to create something new and better.
You can think of yourself as a Founder if:
- You develop a plan to start something new or different
- You establish a vision or mission for your goals
- You seek and put together a group of advisors
- You recruit others to help execute your idea
- You garner the resources to fund your project
EXERCISE:
Where have you been a Founder in either your personal or professional communities? Where are you currently feeling the call to be a Founder once again, on some new opportunity bubbling up within you?
“Sit. Or stand. But never wobble.”
“Sit. Or stand. But never wobble.”
—Zen saying
Image from Unsplash by Nasim Dadfar
Over the past year my little SUV has spent most of its time sitting in my driveway. I drove so few miles that I recently swapped out my snow tires from the winter 2020, when the pandemic began.
As of early April, with two vaccines in my arm, I have stood up and ventured out with a new set of tires and a few fluid changes.
It feels good to stand and step forward with greater hope and intentions for the future. What indicators are you seeing where others are also standing with positivity and purpose?
EXERCISE:
Where is your world — or the world — still a bit wobbly? Where is it time to sit, rest, and regroup, or stand up and step forward to help it regain its footing?
“Open your eyes to the beauty around you. Open your mind to the wonders of life. Open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself.”
“Open your eyes to the beauty around you. Open your mind to the wonders of life. Open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself.”
—Maya Angelou, late American poet, memoirist, civil rights activist
Only four presidents — John F. Kennedy in 1961, Bill Clinton in 1993 and 1997, Barack Obama in 2009 and 2013, and Joe Biden in 2021 — have included poets in their inaugurations. Maya Angelou was one of those six poets. I hope her nuggets of wisdom in today’s quote resonates for you.
EXERCISE:
Please take a look and explore the work of these six poets, and the messages for their time in history:
2021: Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb”
2013: Richard Blanco, “One Today”
2009: Elizabeth Alexander, “Praise Song for the Day”
1997: Miller Williams, “Of History and Hope”
1993: Maya Angelou, “On the Pulse of Morning”
1961: Robert Frost, “The Gift Outright”