FRIDAY REVIEW: LAUGHTER
We could all benefit from more laughter these days. Here are a few laughter-related posts you may have missed.
“A person who belly laughs doesn’t bellyache.”
“Laughter is an instant vacation.”
“There is a fragility to life. Behavior has consequences.”
“There is a fragility to life. Behavior has consequences.”
—Author Unknown
Image from PBS
The ten-part PBS series, Expedition with Steve Backshall, should definitely come with a huge “Don’t Try This at Home!” warning. Of course, there’s really no way you could, since his adventures take him to far-flung locations that take many days or even weeks to reach.
The photography is breathtaking. Steve and his adrenaline-infused team risk life and limb to go places and engage in adventures rarely or never done before.
In the episode called “Bhutan – White Water,” Steve’s kayak capsized in rapids for over four minutes in the freezing melt water of a high-altitude mountain river. Thankfully, he survived, due to a quick rescue by his crew.
EXERCISE:
Are any of your current behaviors a bit too risky, evoking potential serious consequence to the fragility of your life? Where within your personal or professional communities are you observing others you care about taking unnecessary risks?
“A level-headed person is one who doesn’t get dizzy doing good turns.”
“A level-headed person is one who doesn’t get dizzy doing good turns.”
—O.A. Battista, 20th Century Canadian-American chemist and author
Image from Unsplash by Dayne Topkin
There is no question that the world is a dizzying place these days. What has recently changed in your personal and professional communities that has turned your life upside down?
To help you stabilize your world and regain some footing, many folks are bringing new levels of empathy, compassion, and generosity to those around them. What good turns are you observing these days in your various communities?
EXERCISE:
How and in what ways can you both acknowledge and actively participate in these efforts to realize a more level-headed world?
Please reply to this post with some examples of the good turns you are seeing and doing to regain your footing.
“Perspective is worth 80 IQ points.”
“Perspective is worth 80 IQ points.”
—Alan Kay, American computer scientist
What would be the value of adding 80 IQ points in your professional or personal life?
What would be the value of being more focused and creative in your thinking?
What benefits would occur if you could significantly improve your communication skills and decision making?
If you would like to progress in these areas, challenging our habitual ways of thinking, which often limits us, is a good place to begin. For new worlds to emerge, perspective-shifting exercises and tools can open up far more possibilities and progress.
EXERCISE:
One of my favorite perception-shifting resources is the book, Six Thinking Hats by Edward DeBono. If you reply to this post, I will happily provide you with a one-page document to help you add a few more IQ points.
“Your fierce spirit and efforts will, in time, transform those boulders in your path into pebbles in the sand.”
“Your fierce spirit and efforts will, in time, transform those boulders in your path into pebbles in the sand.”
—Peg Streep, American author
Image from Unsplash by John Salzarulo
A respected fellow blogger, Rohan Ravi, who writes A Learning a Day, recently wrote a short commentary on the subject of values and virtues. His perspective was that although many of us espouse our values and heartfelt beliefs, quite often our actions do not fulfill these standards and become actual virtues.
EXERCISE:
Where is it most important for you to combine your fierce spirit with courageous actions in order to transform the boulders in your path into pebbles?
Who are the friends, colleagues, mentors, family members, or coaches that can support you in these efforts?
FRIDAY REVIEW: DETERMINATION
FRIDAY REVIEW: DETERMINATION
What is the basis for your determination in life? Here are a few determination-related posts you may have missed.
“To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”
“The scariest moment is always just before you start.”
“I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.”
“I’d rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.”
—Emma Goldman, 20th Century Russian-American political activist
Image from Unsplash by César Abner Martínez Aguilar
Did you know that there are planets in our universe that are made of diamond?
These rocky worlds are composed primarily of carbon and the atmospheric pressure is so great, diamonds result.
Although fascinating – and one might consider a future occupation as a space miner – the more prominent focus of planetary scientists and astronomers is the search for life.
For this group, the inspirational possibility and beauty of life takes on far greater importance than any inanimate object, no matter how much it may sparkle.
EXERCISE:
What are the roses in your world? How can and will you more fully appreciate their value and beauty, to live an even more richly rewarding life?
“Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art.”
“Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art.”
—Leonardo Da Vinci
Image from Unsplash by Gary Tresize
One of my clients is a master fisherman. Last year, he kindly took me out on his boat to share his joy and the artistry of his passion. Over the course of our six-hour adventure, he coached me to catch a single fish – meanwhile, through his mastery of the skill, he brought in many.
Think of the times in your life you experienced a sense of flow, or a feeling of complete engagement.
Examine your personal and professional worlds for examples of times in which there is great satisfaction in the doing, and significant anticipation of upcoming activities.
EXERCISE:
Where and in what ways can you more fully engage your spirit in your personal and professional pursuits? How might this bring you a more beautiful and artistic life?
“He who knows best knows how little he knows.”
“He who knows best knows how little he knows.”
—Thomas Jefferson, Founding Father & 3rd President of the United States
Thomas Jefferson
Who are the “know it alls” in your personal and professional communities? Who are those who insist on showing everyone that they are the human version of Google?
How do you feel when you are around them? To what degree might you be on someone else’s “know it all” list?
Being interesting versus interested can only take us so far, and it almost always backfires. Wanting to be understood versus seeking to understand with more of a beginner’s mind seems like a wiser path to take.
EXERCISE:
Click on this link to explore more of Jefferson’s wisdom and learn more about his brilliance.
“Time is how you spend your love.”
“Time is how you spend your love.”
—Zadie Adeline Smith, Creative Writing Professor, New York University
The Serenity Prayer
So much has changed in our personal and professional lives over the past months.
How we spend our time has dramatically changed, and the normal routines and momentum we previously expected have been thwarted.
How are these events impacting you and those you love?
What aspects of your world can you control and influence? Which can you not?
Revisiting the Serenity Prayer might prove useful as a mindful exercise. How you are spending your time with your head, hand, and heart?
Despite the hard realities presented by this global crisis, I am delighted to see the outpouring of love within and between communities at all levels around the world.
EXERCISE:
Where and in what ways can and will you spend your life and time today to make a difference in your communities?