FRIDAY REVIEW: FOCUS
How intense is your focus on the goals you have set? Here are a few focus-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.
“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.”
You see but you do not observe The distinction is clear
“You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.”
⏤Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia
image from BBC
Do you enjoy a good mystery? You know, tales of intrigue with twists and turns, and a wise individual who uses the power of perception and deduction to discern who done it from all sorts of information?
Most of us fall a bit short of identifying all the clues we need to solve the mysteries of life.
Take, for instance, the mysteries of our most significant relationships with a spouse or life partner. On may occasions we really do seem to be from different planets!
EXERCISE:
How can you expand your capacity to observe your world like Sherlock Holmes, to see the people and events around you far more clearly?
The faintest pencil is better than the strongest memory
“The faintest pencil is better than the strongest memory.”
⏤Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism
Image from Flickr by Chris
Sam Horn was one of the speakers/conversation starters at a coaching conference I attended last year. One of her favorite sayings is “Ink it when you think it.” She always has a notebook in her hand.
Productivity guru David Allen, who wrote Getting Things Done often advises his readers that brains were meant for thinking, not as a storage device for information of limited value.
EXERCISE:
How would an “Ink it when you think it” strategy foster less stress and far more productivity in your life?
A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men
“A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men.”
⏤Roald Dahl, 20th Century British Novelist
image from Deism
When you think of the word “genius,” who is the first person to come to mind? If you are like many, you likely selected Albert Einstein.
A theory he postulated 100 years ago regarding gravitational waves was recently proven correct by the very best of today’s top scientists.
Unknown to many is the fact that Einstein often exhibited a lighthearted, playful, and humorous disposition. He must have believed that all work and no play would make Albert a dull person indeed!
Based on his rock star image at the time, he was often invited to participate in many gatherings and social events, to the delight of those he accompanied.
EXERCISE:
Where and with whom would a bit more fun, playfulness, and good old-fashioned nonsense be just the ticket for you to have a more fully satisfying life?
Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.
“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”
⏤Lao Tzu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher
Image from os-ivanovec.skole.hr
If you were a musical instrument, which one would you be? If nothing comes to mind immediately, consider your favorite artist to see what instruments get your toes tapping, body moving, or has you singing along.
Consider your values, beliefs, and most cherished qualities and abilities as aspects of your soul. How often and how loudly do you express these in your personal and professional worlds?
EXERCISE:
How and in what ways can you more fully broadcast your own soulful music throughout the universe?
Friday Review Uniqueness
FRIDAY REVIEW: UNIQUENESS
What makes you unique? Here are a few uniqueness-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message
“Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.”
“Do more of what makes you awesome.”
Each night, when I go to sleep, I die
“Each night, when I go to sleep, I die, and the next morning, when I wake up, I am reborn.”
⏤Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India
Image from Flickr by Andrew Roberts
When I first read this quote, I felt pretty down at the thought of dying each evening, with a sense of finality that something⏤in this case, my day⏤was over.
Many of us experience similar feelings when our weekends, vacations, or other happy times come to an end.
Consider that the same is true for bad times, and uncomfortable events we may want to wish away.
To wake up and be reborn each new day excites me with the possibilities of new and wondrous things I can intentionally do, with a fresh perspective and a fresh canvas to draw upon.
EXERCISE:
How can you interpret today’s quote to make the very best of each new day you are fortunate enough to experience?
Make decisions by design
“Make decisions by design, rather than default.”
⏤Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism
Seth Godin is one of my favorite authors. He has been blogging longer than almost anyone, and has written somewhere around 20 books. I particularly enjoy his provocative and edgy thinking on a large number of diverse subjects, especially when it come to being the leader in our own lives.
His recent book, What to Do When It’s Your Turn, points out that it is always our turn if, as today’s quote suggests, we make our own life decisions by design, not defaulting to the decisions of those around us.
EXERCISE:
Examine the degree to which you make your own important life decisions by design rather than default. How can you “choose yourself” more often, and decide that it is your turn to lead the life you were meant to live?
Nobody in the history of the world has ever washed their rental car
“Nobody in the history of the world has ever washed their rental car.”
⏤Author Unknown
Image from ultimatecarwashanddetail.com
Are you familiar with the “Endowment Effect”?
I wasn’t either, until I learned that it is our tendency to undervalue things that aren’t ours, and to overvalue things because we already own them.
Do you, like many people, have drawers, closets, or even entire rooms filled with items that you haven’t used or worn in years? What are these items worth to you, and what might it be costing you in having them take up space in your world?
Consider what you would actually pay for these items, if you didn’t own them already.
EXERCISE:
Imagine that you are planning to change your place of residence. The two criteria I’d like you to consider as you go through the things you own are:
- You will be downsizing your living and storage space by 25-35 percent.
- You must pay a substantial extra fee to bring all non-essential items along.
What would stay, and what would go?
What actions will you take based on your answers?
When you’re happy you enjoy the music
“When you’re happy you enjoy the music. When you’re sad, you understand the lyrics.”
-Frank Ocean, American songwriter and rapper
If you were asked to name your favorite songwriters, who would make your list?
Rolling Stone’s Top 100 Songwriters include:
- Taylor Swift, the youngest artist on Rolling Stone’s list
- Eminem, contemporary pop artist with head-spinning wordplay
- Sam Cook, one of the first African-American civil rights songwriters
- Loretta Lynn, Nashville’s feminist revolutionary
- Bert Berns, who wrote hits like Twist & Shout, and Piece of My Heart
- Willie Nelson, whose hits include country, reggae, and standards with strings
- John Lennon / Paul McCartney, powerhouse duo of The Beatles
- Paul Simon, who wrote The Sounds of Silence, and Bridge Over Troubled Water
- Chuck Berry, music’s first ever guitar hero
- Bob Dylan, 1960s folk music hero
Recently, Bob Dylan was recognized with a Nobel Prize in Literature for the lyrics he wrote that moved so many with their power and meaning. He was also #1 on Rolling Stone’s list.
All of these songwriters are lyrical poets, sharing their most moving and significant life moments in song.
EXERCISE:
How might you glean even greater insight and life wisdom by listens more closely to the words of masterful songwriters, regardless of your mood?