Your Best Day at Work

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“What does your best day at work look like?”

—Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook

Image of a woman with a laptop and some papers

What do you typically say when someone asks, “How was your day?”

I usually hear phrases such as, “Not Bad,” “it was OK,” “Pretty Good,” “Awful, Stressful, Chaotic.”

From time to time I also hear from those super-positive, optimistic, people glowing with excitement and enthusiasm about how great their day has been.

How often do you actually believe those folks?

Today’s quote asks us to visualize our best days so we have a benchmark or a beacon of what is possible for the activity in which we spend most of our waking hours.

EXERCISE:

Identify what frustrates you and exacerbates your workdays.

Identify the parts of your day in which you feel energized and strong, when you may even lose track of time.

Given your answers, how can you modify or redesign your day to include less of the first and more of the second?

Applying this exercise on a daily basis for yourself and those in your company can be critical to both individual and organizational success, and a more fulfilling life.

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

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“A rising tide lifts all boats.”

—Author Unknown

Image of the new Panama Canal

Image from The Daily Mail

I recently watched a program about the building of the new Panama Canal. This engineering marvel permits the new mega-container ships to pass through the canal, no longer having to spend ten days to two weeks going all the way around South America.

For a single vessel to make this short journey costs nearly one million dollars. Given that time is money, it must be worth it, not to mention the savings on fuel and potential cargo spoilage.

Perhaps most remarkable is the engineering feat of lifting these massive ships through the power of water displacement. In nature, the gravitational effect of the moon and sun are the primary forces that pull our oceans, causing low and high tides.

EXERCISE:

What if all the people you cared about were actually boats? What methods could you employ to raise them up, or better help them and yourself navigate the waterways of life?

Worries are like Birds

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“Worries and tensions are like birds. We cannot stop them from flying near us, but we can certainly stop them from making a nest in our minds.”

—Rishika Jain, rishikajain.com

Image of a woman walking among birds

Image from Unsplash by Ben White

When I think of a “nest,” I think of home, safety, comfort, security, and peace. What other words come to mind for you?

Consider the visitors you invite into your home, and those whom you would never allow past your welcome mat. We all want to keep the good stuff in and the undesirable things out of our homes.

How much does the inner world of your mind act as a sanctuary – a safe and secure nest? How often do worry or tension-related intruders find their way in, disrupting your world?

EXERCISE:

What are some of your most effective strategies for preventing, or at least limiting, worry and tension from making a nest in your mind?

Please reply to this post and share your most effective techniques. Invite others in your communities to also share their most helpful methods.

Friday Review Determination

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FRIDAY REVIEW: DETERMINATION

What is the basis for your determination in life? Here are a few determination-related posts you may have missed. Click to read the full message.

 

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.”

 

 

 

 

“If you take another step, and another, you will be surprised to know how far you can go from the point you thought was the end.”

 

 

 

“Hustle and heart will set you apart.”

 

 

 

 

The Chain of Destiny

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“It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.”

—Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Image of a gold link chain

Image from Unsplash by Mike Alonzo

My wife Wendy and I have been watching a National Geographic series titled, “Year Million.”

Standing in the middle of year 2017, we can take an historical perspective of man’s place on earth. The concept of “Year Million” – that very distant future – could hold either great promise or considerable trepidation in what lies ahead for the human race.

I am currently reading Thomas Friedman’s book, “Thank You for Being Late,” subtitled “An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations.” The book pulls me back from Year Million to the last 10-30 years. Friedman points out that societal changes and adaptation seem to be lagging behind the wide variety of technological and environmental changes we now experience regularly.

EXERCISE:

Rather than being fearful of, or overwhelmed by our eventual future, how might you embrace Churchill’s strategy to create your own destiny one day at a time?

How You Climb A Mountain

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“How you climb a mountain is more important than reaching the top.”

—Yvon Chouinard, American rock climber and founder of Patigonia

Image of climber facing a mountain

Image from Unsplash by Daniel Burka

Are you an explorer? How often do you venture out on a quest or journey, to scale life’s mountains?

What are the factors that inspire you to put on your hiking boots and venture outside your comfort zone, personally or professionally?

How critical or important is it to arrive and actually reach the summit? How much attention do you usually pay to your individual steps? How often do you take in the scenery and the people you meet along the way?

EXERCISE:

Examine your level of excitement, anticipation, inspiration, curiosity, and passion relative to the mountains you are climbing. How can you discover far more rich rewards through the way you climb the mountain, whether or not you reach the top?

Mindfulness Gives You Time

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“Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom.”

—Bhante Henepolo Gunaratana, Sri Lankan Buddhist monk

Image of a pink flower with "Mindfulness" above it

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The choices we make make us.”

Do you agree? Perhaps if we were all able to make even better choices, we would experience the freedom and fulfillment of an even more wonderful life.

Today’s quote suggests that through increased mindfulness and greater self awareness we can all find time to make better, more discerning choices about how we spend this precious resource.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you invest a bit more time on a daily basis to strengthen and build your mindfulness muscle?

If you are new to such practices, consider starting with 5 minutes in the morning or evening in a practice such as meditation, gratitude reflection, or some form of life review, to enhance this skill.

A Great Perhaps

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“I go to seek a Great Perhaps.”

—François Rabelais, 16th Century French Writer

Image of sky with quote in the clouds

Throughout recorded history, man has inquired into his own existence and humanity’s place and purpose on this earth.

Having a reason to get up each morning to explore and realize the possibilities of life seems fundamental, but all to often, some of us get stuck or stalled in a daily rut in which our lives feel less inspired and engaging.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you intentionally and proactively seek your next personal or professional “perhaps”?

Feel free to reply to this post with any insights you have had, and actions you plan to pursue.

There is Nobility in the Struggle

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“There is nobility in the struggle; you don’t have to win.”

—Sharon Pollock, Canadian Playwright

For many people, winning is the only thing that counts. Just look at how our society celebrates success in all forms of personal and professional pursuits. Who won the Gold? Who is “The Best”? Who is first in their class, or first in this race or that contest?

Consider all the upset, frustration, and discouragement this causes when people fall short of the mark. This is always the case, even for those who reach the very top, and is related to the Law of Impermanence, with its inevitable ups and downs.

EXERCISE:

Where in your world would celebrating your noble efforts and struggles be the source of winning the daily game of life?