“Reading can teach you the best of what others already know. Reflection can teach you the best of what only you can know.”

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“Reading can teach you the best of what others already know. Reflection can teach you the best of what only you can know.”

—James Clear, author, entrepreneur, and photographer

Image from Unsplash by Ben White

How are reading and reflecting a bit like eating and digestion?

Depending on what you read, you may consume both good and not so good nutrients. Just like reading the labels on packaged foods, we all need to be more discerning as to what we take into our minds as well as our bodies.

With many having made resolutions to be healthier and fit in 2021, we could all more carefully reflect on concepts worthy of digesting and assimilating into our lives.

EXERCISE:

How would greater selectivity in your reading and far more thoughtful reflection help you lead a more wonderful and wiser life?

“When the music changes, so does the dance.”

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“When the music changes, so does the dance.”

—West African proverb

Image from Unsplash by Mitchell Orr

For most of us, it has been quite some time since we’ve gone anywhere to dance. Weddings and other large gatherings where we celebrate and let loose with our best moves seem like distant memories of better times.

It feels like we’ve been engaged in a kind of musical chairs where the chairs are being removed and the music of change starts and stops without notice. We’re all on heightened alert, anxious about staying in the game and securing our seat.

As we look to find our footing in the new year, many of us are beginning to feel the beat and rhythm of new opportunities and possibilities to dance again.

EXERCISE:

How can you make and listen to the music of a better future for yourself and your communities? Where can you discover and create new opportunities to dance and celebrate your life in the year ahead?

“Help the punch move past you.”

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“Help the punch move past you.”

—Aikido Saying

Image from Unsplash by That Le Hoang

Do you remember the TV show Kung Fu from the 70s, with David Carradine?

If you do, it might have been both his martial arts mastery as well as his wisdom about life that made the program so popular.

I particularly enjoyed his masterful dance-like moves as he avoided the aggressive punches of his adversaries.

Not getting hit in the first place is a good way to keep standing and step forward into tomorrow.

EXERCISE:

How many punches did you take in 2020?
How many were unavoidable?
How many could you have allowed to move past you, so you could step forward?

“When was the last time you listened to the stories of others?”

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When was the last time you listened to the stories of others?”

—Question put to the sick by a native American medicine man

Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan

I love the idea that when you listen to others you honor them. I also value that we learn most of life’s lessons when our ears and hearts are opened and our mouths are closed.

How much have you learned in the past year by listening to the stories of others?
How fully did you honor their efforts and courage to distill their nuggets of wisdom?
What opportunities did you miss by focusing on your stories and the desire to be interesting versus interested?

EXERCISE:

Take a few extra minutes today to listen more deeply and carefully to the stories of others in your personal or professional communities. Please reply to this post with a lesson you learned or how your relationship was enhanced.

 

“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been.”

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“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been.”

—Rainer Maria Rilke, 19th Century Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist

Image from Unsplash by Age Barros

Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred moments so dear.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes.
How do you measure? Measure a year?

The Broadway show Rent was ahead of it’s time when it premiered in 1996. The cast contained characters who were black, white, brown straight, gay, bisexual and transgender.

EXERCISE:

What would be possible if we all believed in the five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes that is given to us, new and untouched each year, full of things that have never been?

Listen to Seasons of Love

 

Friday Review: Challenges

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FRIDAY REVIEW: CHALLENGES

How do you perceive and react to challenges in your life? Here are a few challenge-related posts you may have missed.

 

“No-one would ever have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm.”

 

 

 

 

“Some of the best gifts come wrapped in sandpaper.”

 

 

 

 

 

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“No man steps in the same river twice.”

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“No man steps in the same river twice.”

—Heraclitus, Ancient Greek, pre-Socratic, Ionian philosopher

Image from Unsplash by Roma Ryabchenko

When you examine the pace of change in your life, what do you see?

When you look at your various communities, where do you notice small, subtle changes? Where are the tectonic shifts far more noticeable?

Just as a river changes its flow and its course over time, our lives are always flowing from one day to the next. To fight or resent such change is like grabbing a handful of air.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently upset and angry about the course of your life?

Where are you trying to paddle upstream against the currents of change?

How can and will you instead step into the new river of each day, embracing and influencing your journey?

 

“Negative thoughts are nails.”

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“Negative thoughts are nails.”

—Jon Gordon, Author of The Carpenter

Image from Unsplash by travelergeek

Where do you stand on the negative to positive spectrum of thought? How do you view yourself when you listen closely to your inner voice?

Carpenters use nails all the time to fasten and hold things together. Adding an extra nail or two can make a structure even more rigid and solid. As someone who isn’t particularly handy, I often use nails to hang pictures on the wall as a way of hiding a blemish or mark.

How are you seeing the world and relating to the people in your personal and professional communities these days?

How do you judge others on this spectrum when you examine their words and actions?

EXERCISE:

Where do you see the negative thinking in your world keeping people stuck and rigid?

How would greater positivity and optimism offer greater possibilities to build a better future?

“You can only untie one knot at a time.”

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“You can only untie one knot at a time.”

—https://kabbalahwisdom.org

Image from Unsplash by Joshua Hoehne

Each morning I lace up my New Balance sneakers to take my 45-minute walk. Since the beginning of the pandemic, walking has become my go-to form of exercise, and a key for me to reduce stress and maintain my sanity.

The act of tying my shoes to the proper tightness occurs habitually. Moments later I’m off into the great outdoors with arms and legs in unison. Taking in the sights and sounds, practicing gratitude and greeting my fellow walkers are bonuses.

When I untie my shoes upon my return, it is pretty common to experience a knot in one or both laces. Although I experience some frustration due to the delay, I am also thankful for my opposable thumbs and the level of dexterity needed to release the knots.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently experiencing a few knotty areas in your life?

How can you more patiently untie them, one at a time, as you navigate your day?