There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path

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“There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”

—The Matrix

Image of a stone maze by the ocean

Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash

How crystal clear is your life path?

How certain are you of your personal or professional priorities?

How often do you not only experience clarity in these areas, but also share your intentions with others in your world?

Give yourself a Grade – A, B, C or a score of 100%, 90%, 80% on down, on the “Walk Your Talk” scale. Make sure to be fair and objective in your assessment.

How pleased are you with your rating?

EXERCISE:

In what situations is it time, personally or professionally, to put on your working shoes – maybe even running shoes – to pursue the path destined for you? If you need a bit of support with this exercise, consider spending more time with people who always walk their talk and consistently travel their own life paths.

A Single Leaf Working Alone Provides No Shade

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“A single leaf working alone provides no shade.”

—Chuck Page, American Politician

Image of a single leaf along with today's quote

We’ve all heard phrases such as:

“It takes team work to make the dream work,” and “Together everyone achieves more. (TEAM)”

Instead of responding with “I know,” “Of course,” or “DUH!,” I suggest we each take a moment to revisit the idea more closely.

Most would agree that cooperation, collaboration, dialogue, alignment, and agreement are virtuous interpersonal qualities and characteristics.

How often do you exhibit these qualities rather than preferring to be “right,” go it alone, or perhaps actually undermine the efforts of those around you?

It’s OK to do an honest assessment of the personal tendencies we all prefer to hide and keep to ourselves.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you put your personal or professional agenda aside and join the other leaves on your tree of life to achieve more of the extraordinary outcomes you desire?

To the Wrongs that Need Resistance

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“To the wrongs that need resistance, to the rights that need assistance, to the future in the distance, give yourself.”

—Carrie Chapman Catt, 20th Century American Women’s Suffrage Leader

Image of Carrie Chapman Catt & her quote

I love the idea that time is the Coin of Life. How we spend this precious resource, and those with which we spend it, makes all the difference in the world.

Fundamental to living a happy life is the need for purpose and having a reason to leap out of bed each morning. In other words, what are we giving ourselves to each day?

EXERCISE:

Consider these questions as you create and pursue your future:

What “wrongs” in your world need resisting?
What “rights” or causes need your assistance?

Feel free to reply to this post regarding the areas of life you intend to give more of yourself.

Friday Review: Generosity

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FRIDAY REVIEW: GENEROSITY

How generous are you? How has the generosity of others made a difference? Here are a few generosity-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“To have what you want, don’t want it—give it.”

 

 

 

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

 

 

 

 

“One of the sanest, surest and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.”

 

 

 

Gathering the Honey

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“It is not the bee touching the flowers that gathers the honey, but her abiding for a time upon them, and drawing out the sweet.”

—The Mother’s and Young Lady’s Annual, published in 1853

Image of a bee gathering nectar

Image from Unsplash

Pollination and making honey are the two primary jobs of bees. Most of us have seen those nature shows on TV in which the brightly colored flowers put on their spring display to attract these amazing creatures.

Upon close inspection, the journey from flower to flower involves the bee’s hard and enduring work of nectar-gathering. The fortuitous by-product of their efforts – the wonderful honey they produce – is achieved by the flowers passing their stores of pollen to a neighboring blossom.

EXERCISE:

What personal or professional projects are not progressing as you wish due to your less-than-optimal attention and efforts? Where would greater intensity, persistence, and tenacity help you achieve more of the sweet success you seek?

In The Long Run a Shortcut Never Is

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“In the long run, a short cut seldom is.”

—Malcolm Forbes, Founder of Forbes Magazine

Image of a "shortcut" sign

Image from wordher

In the never-ending battle between efficiency and effectiveness, the shorter “Road to Hell” may be paved with good intentions, but often results in unexpected problems.

I’m not referring to organizational initiatives such as Six Sigma or Lean, but to more common, daily occurrences, such as handling e-mail.

How often do you overlook or delete emails with the intent of greater speed, efficiency, and overall productivity, then have them come back to haunt you?

How often have you sent an important message to a client, colleague, or your boss, with one or more significant spelling or grammatical errors, and wish you could have a “do-over”?

EXERCISE:

Where and on what issues is it the wise call to slow down and not take a short cut, to assure the result you desire?

I Want People Who Have to Dance

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“I don’t want people who want to dance. I want people who have to dance.”

—George Balanchine, Founder of the New York City Ballet

Image of a Ballerina on a City Street

Photo by Kevin Lee on Unsplash

It is an unfortunate fact that some 70% of the working population doesn’t care much for the work they do.

Many would actually say they dread the thought of Monday morning, and rejoice in the “TGIF” theme song.

I consider this a tragedy for both employee and employer. A vast amount of time is spent in a spirit of boredom, apathy, regret, or just plain indifference. The accompanying lack of commitment, enthusiasm, and genuine passion for our work sometimes puts a dark cloud over our co-workers, and the organization as a whole.

EXERCISE:

What would be possible for you and your organization if you insisted on attracting people who absolutely have to dance?

Trying to Impress Others

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“The time men spend in trying to impress others, they could spend in doing the things by which others would be impressed.”

—Frank Romer, History Professor

Image of 80/20 rule

Image from Social Media Today

If we were to apply the 80/20 rule to today’s quote, it might go something like this:

“80 percent of the effort we put into impressing others creates 20 percent of the value we hope to produce.”

Although it seems pretty wasteful, many people put far too much effort in dressing for success than they should. Perhaps it is because these surface-only pursuits take less time and effort to make us look good. Unfortunately, they rarely produce the deep and significant outcomes we desire.

Consider shopping for a major purchase such as a home or a vehicle as a metaphor. Without a doubt, you would surely get a complete home inspection, or definitely look under the hood before making this kind of investment.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you flip the 80/20 rule to your benefit by taking more substantive actions to provide the valuable outcomes you desire, and likely impress others as a side benefit?

Friday Review: Failure

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FRIDAY REVIEW: FAILURE

How do you define failure? Here are a few failure-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“One of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder.”

 

 

 

 

“Don’t think of it as failure. Think of it as time-released success.”

 

 

 

“Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.”

 

 

 

 

When a Dog Runs at You

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“When a dog runs at you, whistle for him.”

—Henry David Thoreau, 19th Century American essayist and historian

Image of a rowing team

Image from Flickr by Andrew Blight

If you have ever swum in a river, rowed a boat, or hit a golf ball, you have experienced the concept of going with the flow, and the underlying phenomenon of momentum.

When we put forth our efforts in the same direction, we discover the synergy and compounding benefits of the forces of wind and current.

Where in either your personal or professional worlds are you in the flow of success, with the wind at your back, or going with the current?

EXERCISE:

What additional encouraging efforts can you apply to these situations to more fully realize extraordinary levels of achievement?