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

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

—Steven Kotler, American Author, Journalist, and Entrepreneur

Image of a man spiraling a wand of fire

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

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“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?

 

Friday Review of Posts on Ability

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FRIDAY REVIEW: ABILITY

Are you living up to your fullest abilities? Here are a few ability-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

 

“Like an oyster cultivating a pearl, cultivate something that is special to you.”

 

 

 

“The greatest thing about man is the ability to transcend himself, his ancestry, and his environment, and to become what he dreams of being.”

 

 

 

“We learn by pushing ourselves and finding out what lies at the outer reaches of our abilities.”

 

 

 

Does running late count as exercise

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“Does running late count as exercise?”

—Author Unknown

image of a digital watch

Image from Unsplash by Jens Kreuter

Along with optimal rest and nutrition, exercise completes the trifecta for healthy living. Adequate exercise – which includes aerobics, strength training, and flexibility activities –  provide all sorts of benefits to enhance our physical, mental, and even emotional well being.

On the other hand, running late and the stresses induced by this over-adrenalized state bathe our system with cortisol and other chemicals that can have serious, negative consequences over time.

EXERCISE:

Consider adding more buffer and free time in your days. Take the approach of being more focused and effective on fewer priority matters.

Feel free to reply to this post regarding how such strategies help you live a healthier, happier, and more productive life.

No trees were harmed in the transmission of this email

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“No trees were harmed in the transmission of this email but trillions of electrons were excited to participate.”

Image of excited electrons

Image from Extreme Tech

Where do you stand on environmental issues? What are your thoughts on deforestation, fossil fuels, and the use of plastic straws?

What is your current carbon footprint? Given your awareness of such issues, which direction is it headed?

Today’s quote was at the bottom of an e-mail sent to me by a coaching colleague. Unfortunately, without my full awareness, I printed it out on a sheet of paper to develop this post.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways are you doing your part to support and perhaps exceed the goals and objectives of the Paris Agreement?

Feel free to use a few trillion electrons to share your current exciting efforts by replying to this post!

A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers

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“A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.”

—H.L. Mencken, 20th Century American journalist and critic

Image of Judge Judy on the bench

Image from Flickr

Judging others is fundamental to being human. Consider this list of TV shows:

  • Judge Judy
  • The People’s Court
  • Divorce Court
  • Judge Mathis
  • Kid’s Court

This is just a handful of the dozens of court programs over the years. If you add to this list the hundreds of shows that involve the process of judging singers, dancers, and other forms of competitions, you’ll become tired of counting.

It seems that judging others through the interpretation of the law and perhaps by our own standards of right and wrong and good and bad is fundamental to being human.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently Judge and Jury in your personal and professional life? What standards beyond your own beliefs, opinions, and experiences do you use to guide the decisions and verdicts you hand down to those in your communities?

If you must speak ill of another

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“If you must speak ill of another, do not speak it. Write it in the sand near the water’s edge.”

—Napoleon Hill, 20th Century American self-help Author

Image of "Time" written in the sand

Image from designtuts

Holding one’s tongue is pretty difficult to do, literally and figuratively. In both cases, it can be slippery and make you look bad, or at least silly.

Awareness of our inner voices can provide a few seconds of buffer time before we put those views or opinions on an external speaker. In many cases, prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure.

The same is often true for e-mail and especially texting, given the rapid turn-around on these forms of communication.

EXERCISE:

Where would waiting and allowing more time to pass before you speak or communicate through the written word enhance and improve your personal and professional relationships?

Friday Review Encouragement

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FRIDAY REVIEW: ENCOURAGEMENT

How encouraging are you to others? How much encouragement do others give you? Here are a few encouragement-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

 

“Rain and sun are to the flower as praise and encouragement are to the human spirit.”

 

 

 

“Words of encouragement fan the spark of genius into the flame of achievement.”

 

 

 

“Sometimes you just need to be reminded: ‘You Got This!’”

 

 

 

 

I’ve been afraid of people playing their life away with too many toys

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“I’ve been afraid of people playing their life away with too many toys.”

—Ray Bradbury, late American author and screenwriter

Image of two toddlers playing with a computer

Image from Unsplash by Jelleke Vanooteghem

Take a trip down Memory Lane and look at the toys you played with as a child. For me, the top three were a used sled for winter, a banana-seat bike for the rest of the year, and of course, a pimple ball for all sorts of games we would invent.

I vividly recall that before the age when I could venture out with friends, my mom would give me a bucket of water and an old paint brush. I would express my artistic talents on the sidewalk before the summer sun erased all traces of my work. It was like an Etch-a-Sketch without the cost!

Fast forward to today and look at the toys you and your children or grandchildren play with. How many are digital? How many can be and are often used alone, instead of with friends or family?

EXERCISE:

Where would taking more of a “The Best Things in Life are not Things” approach help you lead a simpler and more satisfying life?

Don’t close the book when bad things happen

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“Don’t close the book when bad things happen in your life. Just turn the page and begin a new chapter.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a page-turning book

Image from Unsplash by socialcut

Did you know that the average Social Security payout for retirees is just 29 months?

Although most of us think of retirement as our “Golden Years,” and while we continue to hear of all sorts of fantastic new medical breakthroughs to extend the quality and length of life, this statistic is shocking. But it improves considerably when three critical factors are present:

  • Friends, family, community
  • Financial stability – a nest egg
  • A future-oriented mindset

The level of engagement and overall life purpose can diminish with retirement. Retirees  often find much less meaning in life and a reason to get up in the morning when their vocational years are over.

EXERCISE:

What relational, financial, and mindset factors can and will you put in place to keep writing each new exciting chapter in your life for many more healthy, and happy years to come?