Praise Does Wonders

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“Praise does wonders for our sense of hearing.”

—Arnold Glasgow, Psychologist

Image of earplugs

Image from Flickr by Team Omega Racing

If you’ve ever been to a loud concert, or slept next to someone who snores, you know the value of a good set of earplugs!

When we consider the difference between what people say and what others hear, we may think that some people forget to remove their earplugs when they rise in the morning.

Those little foam rubber buds may protect our ears from harsh noises, but we may also want to investigate the harsh judgements and criticism we choose to hear or block out.

EXERCISE:

How would more praise and acknowledgement improve our ability to listen, hear, and relate to one another?

The Darkest Nights

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“The darkest nights produce the brightest stars.”

—Author Unknown

Image of the Milky Way

Milky Way Image from NASA.gov

If you enjoy viewing the night sky, or are an avid stargazer, you’re probably somewhat disappointed these days. The thousands of stars we were once able to see each night are now obscured by the glare of city and industrial lighting and the haze of pollution.

Sometimes life’s difficulties, challenges, and setbacks—our darkest nights—can provide a high degree of illumination on brighter possibilities.

EXERCISE:

In what ways do you block the lessons available to you through your darkest nights? How can you view those moments through a new lens, finding brightly shining lessons to light your path in the future?

Avoiding Problems

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“Avoiding a problem doesn’t solve it.”

—Bonnie Jean Thornily, Illustrator

Image of an ostrich with its head in the sand

Image from www.dailymail.co.uk

The ostrich doesn’t really bury its head in the sand —it wouldn’t be able to breathe! But the female ostrich does dig holes in the dirt as nests for her eggs. Occasionally, she’ll put her head in the hole and turn her eggs.

People, on the other hand, often “bury their heads in the sand,” ignoring problems for long periods of time, hoping they will simply go away.

EXERCISE:

What issue or problem have you been avoiding, professionally or personally? Where would summoning the courage to take this issue “head on” make the biggest difference?

 

Friday Review on Thinking

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FRIDAY REVIEW:  THINKING

How much time do you give to the art of thinking? Here are a few thinking-related posts you may have missed. Click on the link to read the full message:

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“No man can think clearly when his fists are clenched.”

 

 

 

 

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“From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own.”

 

 

 

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“The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you enter the house of his wisdom, but rather, leads you to the threshold of your mind.”

 

 

 

Things you do for yourself

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“The things you do for yourself are gone when you are gone, but the things you do for others remain as your legacy.”

—Kalu Ndukwe Kalu, former NFL Defensive End

Image of hands, one giving a flower to the other

Image from Unsplash by Evan Kirby

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak at an Optimist Club meeting here in southeast Michigan. Part of their meeting was given to announcements about a half-dozen public service and fundraising projects with which the group is involved.

It was inspiring to see how engaged, enthusiastic, and full of life the club members were as they put others first. They are clearly building a legacy through their passionate, contributory efforts.

EXERCISE:

Who in either your personal or professional worlds could benefit most from what you have to give? How will you both feel when you do?

Feel free to let me know what happens if you choose to take on this exercise.

The Day Must Be Saved Early in the Morning

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“The day must be saved early in the morning.”

—Laurent Carrel, author

Image of a sunrise

Image from Flickr by Peter Harris

What time do you wake up in the morning? What is your morning routine? How productive do you feel at various times throughout your day?

Here are a few reasons to become a morning person, or if you are already one, to become even more:

  • A high percentage of geniuses say they do their best work in the morning.
  • Morning people tend to be proactive, happier and perform better at school and work.
  • It is far easier to stick with an exercise routine if you are an early riser.
  • The morning is usually a quiet time, for focused work with fewer distractions.
  • It provides quality time with your significant other if you are both engaged in this habit.
  • You get to see one of the prettiest times of day, which many people miss.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you save even more of your day by starting it off a bit earlier?

 

Today will be what you make of it

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“Today will be what you make of it.”

—Author Unknown

Image of "Mindsight" book

I recently learned about a new skill called “Mindsight,” based on the book of the same name by Doctor Daniel Siegel.

Siegel suggests this skill is a kind of focused attention. Mindsight allows us to see the internal workings of our own mind, including our mental processes, without being swept away by them through the autopilots of ignorance and habitual responses.

How often do you notice each day blending into the next? To what degree do you experience a bit of insanity and upset by not seeing better results, and feeling less engaged and alive?

EXERCISE:

How would a greater awareness of your inner thinking and outer efforts help you make more of each day?

Principles have no real force

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“Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed.”

—Mark Twain, pen name of Samuel Clemens

Image of a feast

Image from Flickr by Igor Shatokhin

What would you be willing to do if you and your family were literally starving? Would you be open to the possibility of stealing, or even killing an animal to survive?

When we look to the news these days, we see far more unprincipled behaviors from people around the world and within our own communities than we ever have in the past.

What is all this craziness about?

Twain’s quote suggests that many around the world are starving for things other than food, such as respect, dignity, freedom, peace, and leadership.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you satisfy the fundamental appetites of your communities to more fully live in a more principled world?

Friday Review: Optimism

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FRIDAY REVIEW: OPTIMISM

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? Here are a few optimism-related posts you may have missed. Click on the links to read the full message.

image of a candle burning

“An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?”

 

 

 

image of water down the drain

 

“Complaining is Draining.”

 

 

 

image of "Life's Little Instruction Book"

“Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.”

 

 

 

Nip it in the bud

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“Nip it in the bud!”

—Author Unknown

Image of fingers pinching off a new leaf

image from haveyoueverpickedacarrot.com

Today’s quote comes from the world of horticulture, where trimming a bud from a plant prevents it from becoming a flower or a piece of fruit.

Since most of us appreciate the beauty of flowers and the sweet taste of fruit, it would seem there would be little use for that advice, but this form of gardening prevents overgrowth or the spreading of unwanted issues.

As a metaphor in our lives, nipping things in the bud is a good practice when we wish to stop a potential problem before it blossoms into a major issue.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what issue would nipping it in the bud serve you best, personally or professionally?