A Strong Foe

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“A strong foe is better than a weak friend.”

—Edward Dahlberg, 20th Century American Novelist

Image of The Joker from Batman

Image from tomztoyz.blogspot.com

Most of us have heard the idea that we are a product of the five people with which we associate the most.

If these individuals happen to be weak friends, we may wish to make a few adjustments.

Unfortunately, weakness in those around us often causes us to become complacent and even a bit lazy, given that the bar of success is relatively low.

Strong foes and even adversaries challenge us to rise to compete with ourselves, if not them, to become a far better version of ourselves.

EXERCISE:

How can you use the example of your most challenging foe to thrive and grow, professionally and personally? How can and will you surround yourself with a much stronger set of friends to support your efforts?

Never too Late to Learn

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“It is never too late to learn to be on time.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a swirling clock

Image from Flickr by cea+

Time seems to fly these days, whether or not you are having fun. The pace of life has quickened, jamming our calendars, and stretching our schedules to the limit.

Unfortunately, these challenges come with some negative consequences in the form of emotional, physical, and social stressors.

How do you feel when you expect to be late, or miss an important commitment or deadline? How do you feel when family, friends, or work colleagues keep you waiting or don’t fulfill their promises? What does it cost you, and is it worth the price?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you simplify your personal and professional worlds by reducing or eliminating the commitments that are simply not a priority? How can these changes provide you the added buffer to not only be on time, but fulfill virtually all of your personal and professional commitments?

The Empire of Habit

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“Powerful indeed is the Empire of Habit.”

—Publilius Syrus, ancient Syrian writer 42 BCE

Image of "Small Move, Big Change" book Cover

I wonder if Publilius Syrus was an influence in the creation of Yoda in the Star Wars series. Today’s quote sure sounds like a Yoda-ism!

Take a moment to examine your personal and professional empires. How satisfied, fulfilled, and generally happy are you in regards to what you have built through your daily habits?

How are things looking regarding your health, relationships, career, finances, community engagement, and spiritual pursuits?

If you are falling short of the mark, examine your current habits, which are the key to over 90% of our lives.

EXERCISE:

Daily microresolutions can help set you on a more successful course. You can learn about microresolutions through the work of Caroline Arnold and her book, Small Move, Big Change.

Friday Review Perspective

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FRIDAY REVIEW: PERSPECTIVE

Our perspective can change in an instant. Here are some perspective-related posts you may have missed. Click to read the full message.

“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”

 

 

 

 

“The optimist already sees the scar over the wound; the pessimist sees the wound underneath the scar.”

 

 

 

“There are people who would love to have your bad days.”

 

 

 

 

 

A light heart lives long

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“A light heart lives long.”

—Irish Gaelic Proverb

Image of two old women laughing

Image from Flickr by Patrick

Did you know that workplace stress has been proven to increase the risk of heart attacks and shorten your life span? I am sure you could list five or ten other factors that make the impact even worse!

Listed below are are some lighthearted or heart-related activities, proven effective to add both years to your life and life to your years.

  • Laughter: just 15 minutes of laughing at a funny video can improve blood flow to your heart by 50%, reduce blood clot formation, cholesterol deposition, and inflammation.
  • Optimism, meditation, and other mindfulness efforts help us view the world through a more hopeful and lighthearted lens.
  • A short nap or frequent breaks in your day to recharge have been shown to reduce coronary mortality by 37%.
  • Social engagements which include family, faith, and other forms of community involvement help us lighten our burdens, share more joy, and fill our hearts.

EXERCISE:

Explore at least one of the strategies above to brighten and lengthen your days and let me know what happens.

Consider replying to this post with some of your own lighthearted strategies to live a longer, more fulfilling life.

The Tree of our Thinking Minds

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“We are sitting under the tree of our thinking minds, wondering why we’re not getting any sunshine!”

—Ram Dass, American Spiritual Leader

Image of a person sitting in the shade under a tree

Image from Flickr by Kat Northern Lights Man

On a hot, sunny day we all enjoy being in the shade, perhaps with a frosty beverage. It’s cooler, and just more comfortable.

Our own thinking often plays the role of a shade tree in that we are literally blocking out new, more creative or innovative input, which might enlighten us.

If, for some reason, you feel stalled, stuck or plateaued in your growth and development, take a hard look at how often and how much you are sitting under your limited thinking canopy.

EXERCISE:

How can you let in more bright ideas and alternative perspectives by welcoming the light of other people’s input, personally or professionally?

Words are Thoughts with Wings

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“Our words are our thoughts with wings. We open our mouths, our minds fly out.”

—Barbara Ann Kipfer, Author of Self-Meditation

Image of a flag reading "Watch your words"

Image from A Place to be Encouraged

We humans have a superpower not shared with any other creatures on Earth.

Given today’s quote, you would be correct in labeling language as our superpower.

With it, mankind has literally shaped and manifested all kinds of wondrous things, and some horrid things as well.

I’ve been watching a National Geographic Channel series called Origins: The Journey of Humankind, which points to a wide variety of moments that have shaped our society. Consider the impact of language on technology, medicine, government, monetary systems, and even war and terrorism on our world today.

EXERCISE:

Consider your inner voice and the words you choose to let fly into your personal and professional worlds. Be sure you are giving only your best when you decide to give others a piece of your mind.

If you check out the Origins series, let me know your thoughts!

Examine Everything

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“Examine everything as though you had just taken off blinders.”

—Barbara Ann Kipfer, Author of Self-Meditation

Image of a blindfolded woman

Image from The Bittersweet Score

Imagine losing your sight for 24 hours. Perhaps you had a surgical procedure and were required to wear blinders to protect those sensitive windows into the world.

What would that be like? What would be the impact on your other senses? Perhaps most interestingly, what would you observe and appreciate even more when you removed the blinders?

Although this is an extreme example, consider that fact that we all wear blinders or at least perceptual lenses by which we view the world. Some are particularly dark and negative, doing a number on our happiness and overall life satisfaction.

EXERCISE:

Take off your blinders or at least your perceptual sunglasses today and look deeper and completely at the people and things around you.

Feel free to reply to this post to share what new, brighter, and surprisingly different things you observe.

Friday Review Achievements

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FRIDAY REVIEW: Achievements

What’s on your list of achievements? Here are a few achievement-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

 

“If we were to do all we are capable of doing, we would astonish ourselves.”

 

 

 

“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is the little extra.”

 

 

 

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”

 

 

 

Keep the Bigger Perspective in Mind

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“Keep the bigger perspective in mind, not getting caught in life’s little whirlpools.”

—Barbara Ann Kipfer, Author of Self-Meditation

Image of a whirlpool

Image from Clipartfest

What are some of the events in your personal or professional life that have brought you down, upset you, or even caused you to feel angry?

Select just one event, and play with it through a variety of perspectives to see if you can rise out of the downward spiral.

Who in your world would barely notice the issue, or not be impacted at all? How would they view this issue?

Who do you know who would find the lesson in this issue and use the silver lining to better their life?

Who in your life is creative and innovate, always finding a way to achieve their objectives in spite of obstacles or challenges?

EXERCISE:

What new and different approaches and perspectives can you try to better navigate the swirling whirlpools that pull you down?

Consider asking some of the people you identified above for their coaching.