the value of intuition

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“Intuition becomes increasingly valuable in the new information society precisely because there is so much data.”

-John Naisbitt, American Author and Specialist in Future Studies

Image of Google Search Results

When was the last time you did a Google search? What subject were you investigating? How many hits did you get, and how many were actually relevant to your inquiry?

I recall doing book reports in my youth, going to the library, or examining my own World Book Encyclopedia to piece together my paper.

Today, we have infinite amounts of information on most subjects. Navigating the world with some sense of sanity has made our intuitive skills and abilities of discernment more important than ever before.

EXERCISE:

What are some of your most useful intuitive strategies to sort through the volumes of information  to help you make optimal decisions? Consider seeking input on this subject from others, to discover ideas you might not have considered. This may be just the data you need most.

Ships don’t sink because of the water around them

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“Ships don’t sink because of the water around them. Ships sink because of the water that gets in them. Don’t let what’s happening around you get inside you and weigh you down.”

-Author Unknown

Image of the wrecked SS Edumund Fitzgerald

Image of SS Edmund Fitzgerald by NewsMax.com

As a citizen of Michigan, I greatly appreciate our five Great Lakes, the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. The lakes have been traversed by native people since the dawn of time, and by western man since the 17th century.

Thousands of ships have sunk in these waters, and an estimated 30,000 people have lost their lives as a result. The most famous was the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in a Lake Superior storm in November, 1975, with the loss of the entire 29-member crew.

What personal and professional waters are you navigating these days? What stormy or rocky events are causing you to take on water and giving you that sinking feeling?

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you bail any water that has entered your worlds, and begin sailing toward calmer, more prosperous seas?

before borrowing money from a friend

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“Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need most.”

-A Farmers Almanac Philosofact

Image of hands trading money

image from The Storage Facilitator

If you are a fan of Shakespeare, consider the advice Polonius provides to his son Laertes in Act I, Scene III of Hamlet:

Neither a borrower nor a lender be, for loan oft loses both itself and friend.

What has been your experience with such matters? Where did things work out just fine, and where did things go wrong?

How do these sayings influence your point of view and perspective on being generous and helping others in need?

EXERCISE:

Consider responding to this post with your thoughts or perhaps discuss your view on this subject with a friend.

Are You Trustworthy

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FRIDAY REVIEW: TRUST

How trusting are you of others? How trustworthy are you? Here are a few trust-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“To trust yourself, to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed.”

 

 

 

 

“Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”

 

 

 

“Trust that when the answer is ‘no,’ there’s a better ‘yes’ down the road.”

 

 

 

Are you following a path or blazing one

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“Are you following a path, or blazing one?”

-Michael Bungay Stanier, Sr. Partner of Box of Crayons

Image of a path in the forest

Image from Flickr by Vinoth Chandar

We are all creatures of habit. Just take a look at a typical day to explore all of the routines and rituals that engage your time.

The good news is that habits are often extremely helpful in that they usually provide us the necessary momentum to pursue and achieve many of our goals.

On the other hand, new goals that we passionately desire rarely come to fruition because we continue to follow our current path, using familiar strategies and tactics.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what personal or professional goals is blazing a path the thing to do to achieve what you most desire? What new and different behaviors and attitudes will be required to do so?

The Knowledge of the World

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“The knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet.”

-Lord Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield

Image of Milford Sound in New Zealand

Image of Milford Sound from Flickr by Bernard Spragg

What do the following places have in common?

  • Bay of Islands
  • Milford Sound
  • Auckland
  • Dunedin
  • Tauranga
  • Wellington
  • Akaroa

For those who wish to travel more, these are wondrous destinations in New Zealand.

I visited these amazing places as part of my 60th birthday adventure. Getting out into the world can be transformational! In just a few weeks, I felt I took a quantum leap in my awareness and knowledge of geography, history, culture, plants, animals, and many other subjects.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you investigate and explore your world more fully to add and expand to you awareness and knowledge?  Consider scheduling one of your most exciting “Bucket List” travel adventures soon.

Quarrels Would Not Last Long

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“Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side.”

-Francois Duc de la Rochefoucauld, 17th Century French Author

Image of two men arguing

Image from Times of Malta

How often do you observe quarrels in your personal or professional worlds? If, for some reason, you don’t see much, simply take a look at our political environment and the resulting media circus!

Since it clearly takes two to tango, why is it that many of us blame others for missing a step or for stepping on each others toes?

What if, instead of pointing our index finger at others, we acknowledge the three fingers pointing back at us and take greater responsibility for our current realities?

EXERCISE:

What would happen in your relationships and your world if you looked at what’s right and good about others, and take greater responsibility for the quarrels you may experience?

The Center of the Universe

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“When science discovers the center of the universe, a lot of people will be disappointed to find they are not it.”

-Bernard Baily, DC Comic Book artist

Image of a nebulae

Image from nasa.gov

Early man believed that Earth was the center of everything, since they observed moons, planets, and stars revolving around it in the night sky. As science advanced, we learned that Earth is actually in an elliptical orbit around the sun.

With further advances in science⏤particularly in astronomy and astrophysics⏤we now know that we are a small speck on a small planet in a small solar system tucked away in the far corner of one out of two trillion galaxies in the universe.

And yet, many people believe they are the center of the universe, and that the world should somehow work out in whatever way they desire. History has clearly proven this idea ridiculously untrue, yet many still want to believe it.

EXERCISE:

How would seeing yourself and others as part of the oneness of all things provide you greater peace of mind and contentment? Consider the fact that we are all stardust, and that we have an important role to play in this infinite universe.

Friday Reviewing Worry

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FRIDAY REVIEW: WORRY

Have you ever questioned the benefit you get from worrying? Here are a few worry-related posts you may have missed:

 

“I have lived a long life and had many troubles, most of which never happened.”

 

 

 

 

“Worry is like a rocking chair: It gives you something to do but never gets you anywhere.”

 

 

 

“Worrying won’t stop the bad stuff from happening. It just stops you from enjoying the good.”

 

 

 

the highest expression of love

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“Nothing is a stronger influence psychologically on their environment and especially on their children, than the unlived lives of their parents.”

-Carl Gustav Jung, 19th Century Swiss Founder of Analytical Psychology

Image of a father and daughter

Image from Flickr by Michelle Ress

Parenting is perhaps the highest expression of love I can imagine. Having two special kids in Dan and Rachel⏤now 31 and 29 years old⏤I know both my wife and I would do anything to support their happiness.

Jung’s statement caused me to ponder just how good a job we are all doing, coaching our children through the lives we live and the examples we set.

How excited are you when you share your life pursuits and adventures with your children?

How much dismay or regret do you experience as you look back, even on today, or into the days ahead? It’s not too late to turn things around or turbo-charge your efforts. I’m sure your children are still watching!

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can and will you step into living an even more extraordinary life as an example of what is possible for those you love, especially your children?