“The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.”

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Barry

“The chief function of the body is to carry the brain around.”

—Thomas Edison

Sillhouette of a child with drawing of a brain

Image from NorthTexasKids

Tomorrow is my grandson Weston’s first birthday. There are so many people in his life that want to celebrate this special day that my daughter rented a pavilion in a local park to accommodate everyone.

Watching the transformation of Weston’s body and brain this year through visits and video calls has been a delight. Rolling, crawling, cruising, and of course being carried and taken many places has revealed an exponential development of how he takes in and interacts with the world.

EXERCISE:

Where will your body take your brain today? What wonderful sights, experiences, and people will you meet to bring new lessons and growth opportunities into your life?

“When someone asks for a glass of water, don’t hose them down.”

Posted on May 15, 2019 by Barry

“When someone asks for a glass of water, don’t hose them down.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Manu Schwendener

Who doesn’t enjoy it when people take an interest in us? After all, we are being given a chance to talk about our favorite subject – ourselves.

Questions such as, How are you?, What’s going on?, and even What’s up? can sometimes lead to a torrent of information well beyond a quick update.

A little secret to fostering better relationships can be summaries in six simple words:

More of Others Less of You

EXERCISE:

To what degree do you hose people down when they ask you for your thoughts on a particular topic?

Consider using and sharing the code W.A.I.T. with those close to you – it stands for Why Am I Talking?

Speak your truth even if your voice shakes”

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Barry

“Speak your truth even if your voice shakes.”

—Robin Sharma, Author of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari series

Image of man holding his finger to his mouth

Image from Unsplash by Ricardo Mancia

“Cowards die many times before their deaths,” said the lead character in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, using the metaphor of death to describe how a person feels when they avoid or run away from a challenge.

In such circumstances, we all die a little when we shrink back from the core values and personal truths that are the basis of our personal power and character.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what personal or professional matters have you been silent? When has fear of failure or being judged by others stopped you from stepping up and voicing your truth?

What has this silence cost you? What would be possible if you spoke up even with a bit of shaking?

The easier it is to do something

Posted on May 13, 2019 by Barry

“The easier it is to do something, the harder it is to change the way you do it.”

—Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple, Inc.

Consider how easy it is to cross your arms, clasp your hands, and brush your teeth. You probably don’t need to think about these tasks because they occur habitually.

What about traits like hitting the snooze button, eating out of boredom, watching TV or using social media? In many situations, taking the fastest and easiest path is helpful, productive, or at least has no real negative consequences.

On the other hand, sometimes what is easy can have significant negative impact to the lives we profess to desire.

EXERCISE:

What automatic and easy behaviors do you practice that are limiting or preventing you from realizing your top priority goals? What disciplined effort and added support can and will you put in place to fulfill your commitments in these areas?

Friday Review of Posts on AGE

Posted on May 10, 2019 by Barry

FRIDAY REVIEW: AGE

What are your attitudes and beliefs about age? Here are a few age-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

“We are always the same age inside.”

“You Can Change at Any Age.”

“Youth is eternal to those with a curious, loving, joyous spirit.”

Careers are a jungle gym not a ladder

Posted on May 9, 2019 by Barry

“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.”

—Sheryl Sandberg, Founder of LeanIn.ORg

Image from Indiamart

To what degree does your company or organization offer a well-defined career path?

Prior to entering the working world, many of us in the Baby Boomer generation experienced an educational system that was very linear and predictable. This approach won’t work for our 21st century workforce, and thankfully, things are changing.

For all of us, especially members of our younger generations, there will likely be far more zig-zagging, climbing, and leaping due to the exponential nature of change occurring in our world. Continuous learning of new and diverse skills will be an absolute necessity for motivated and hard-working people to reach the top levels in their chosen fields.

EXERCISE:

How can you, your colleagues and perhaps most importantly, your children and other young people be better prepared and engaged in navigating the jungle gyms of their current and future vocational playgrounds?

Make today so awesome that yesterday is jealous

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Barry

“Make today so awesome that yesterday is jealous.”

—Author Unknown

Most mornings when I work out, if I’m not chatting with one of my fitness friends, I find myself watching ESPN’s Sports Center. I particularly look forward to the show’s Top 10 Plays of the Day, to see the awesome feats of athletic excellence.

Consider your life a sport. What awesome events and experiences would make your Top Ten list for this week, this month, and this year?

If your list is not quite as awesome as you would like, you are not alone. On a day-to-day basis, we all get caught up in our routines and habits. One day seems to run into the next, with few, if any, highlights.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you step up the level of awesomeness today, and perhaps make this effort a new habit, to make all of your yesterdays jealous?

As children we are taught not to play with fire not how to play with fire

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Barry

“As children we are taught not to play with fire, not how to play with fire.”

—Steven Kotler, American Author, Journalist, and Entrepreneur

Image from Unsplash by Peter John Maridable

Looking back to childhood I remember two times when playing with fire got me in big trouble. The first time was when Mom caught me playing with matches. The second was when I decided it would be interesting to put my paper napkin into our lit Hanukkah candles.

The control and use of fire was a pivotal point in human evolution and cultural advancement. Providing heat and the ability to cook food are just two factors that permitted the expansion of human activity across our planet.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can we shift our thinking regarding the potential risky fires of life, and harness their power more fully?

How would doing so with our children inspire greater creativity, innovation, and achievements to better our world?

It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society

Posted on May 6, 2019 by Barry

“It is no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

—Jiddu Krisnamurti, 20th Century Indian philosopher, speaker and writer

Image of a woman wearing a surgical mask

Image from Unsplash by Ani Kolleshi

How healthy are you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually? What daily habits, rituals, and practices do you engage in to optimize your well-being?

What factors do you consider when you evaluate the health of your local, state, national, and global communities? To what degree do they require a rigorous annual physical, and a health optimization plan for the years ahead?

Unfortunately and to a certain degree, we all can be a bit selfish in that we tend to prioritize our inner worlds and our local environments to protect, insulate, and secure ourselves from the considerable negative and sick elements of society.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you more fully optimize the health of both your inner and outer worlds? What would be possible if all people on our beautiful planet did this as well?