#69: “There are powers inside of you, which, if you could discover and use…”

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“…would make of you everything you ever dreamed or imagined you could become.”

– Orison Swett Marden

What are we capable of? What is our fullest potential as human beings? Perhaps we can consider the Guinness Book of World Records – or the Olympics – as a starting point.

We might think about great feats in areas such as:

  • Speed at running, or swimming (Ye Shiwen and Cameron van der Burgh both set new world records for swimming in the 2012 Olympics)
  • Endurance and strength (Kim Un-Guk set a weightlifting world record)
  • Throwing, climbing, jumping, shooting… (a team from the Republic of Korea set an archery world record)
  • Writing and speaking
  • Mathematics and sciences
  • Mastery in the arts, music, or other creative disciplines
  • Memory (such as in a spelling bee)

Exercise:

With the above capacities already realized by human beings, what would a “world-record you” be capable of?

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“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive…”

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“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

—Howard Thurman, 20th Century African-American author, educator, and civil rights leader.

Image from Unsplash by Jakob Owens

I support a strength-based approach to work performance and life in general.

The work of many individuals, including Marcus Buckingham, has established that the average person works in their area of strength perhaps only 20 – 25% of the time. However, some of the most satisfied and highly-successful people work in their areas of strength and unique abilities 40 – 50% of the time.

Exercise:

How could you design your life and career to shoot for spending 60%, 70% or 80% of your time in your areas of strength?

If you did this, how alive would you be and what difference would you make in your life and the lives of those around you?

#67: “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire…”

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“…sincerely believe and enthusiastically act upon must inevitably come to pass.”

– Paul J. Meyer

How many blogs, newsletters, and books have you seen that tout the “X steps to success” and then go about taking up a few hundred pages to describe them?

Meyer’s quote contains four simple steps:

  • imagine = dreams = vision
  • desire = passion = purpose
  • belief = core values = authenticity
  • action = results = achievement

Exercise:

Select one area of your personal or professional life and go through these steps.

Repeat as often as you wish.

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#66: “To raise new questions, new possibilities…”

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“…to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science.”

– Albert Einstein

When I was in school, success was all about getting the correct answer. In recent years, I have become fascinated by powerful questions and the fact that there are often many possible answers.

I am becoming far more comfortable with ambiguity and shades of grey. I think Einstein, through his study of quantum physics and his quotes pertaining to the mysteries life demonstrates, has led many (including myself) in this direction.

Exercise:

How can you use powerful questions to do some heavy lifting and find the added strength and capacity to advance your life?

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#65: “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart…”

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“…Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.”

– Carl Jung

The past year has been particularly difficult for me and my family, due to the passing of my mother, Rose. As we all took the time to be with each other and to experience the deep feelings within our hearts, I experienced a significant awakening. I even serendipitously discovered Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening to assist me on this inner journey.

Exercise:

How can you look into your own heart through inspirational reading, faith-based practices, meditation or other means to find greater depth and meaning in your life?

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Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower

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“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.”

—Albert Camus, 20th Century French Philosopher

Image of bright autumn leaves

Image from Unsplash be Val Vesa

Our society embraces youth, beauty, and vitality. These qualities seem to coincide with the spring and summer, where new growth begins and we bloom into our fullness.

As we age, we enter the autumn of our lives. I embrace the metaphor of leaves, in all their wondrous colors, being a second spring. With aging and life experience, we can discover new forms of inner beauty and wisdom.

Exercise:

How can you embrace every moment and every season of your life?

What beauty can you find in where you are and who you have become?

#63: “Life is playfulness…”

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“…We need to play so that we can rediscover the magic all around us.”

– Flora Colao

As a child, I remember being told “you cannot go out and play until the work is done.” It turned out that there was always work to do – in the form of chores and schoolwork.

Years ago, I took a one-year course called The Wisdom Course that was all about bringing greater playfulness into my life. It was around this time that I left my 12-year corporate job to begin my coaching career.

As the saying goes, when you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life. Most days, my work feels like play.

Exercise:

How can you bring greater magic into your life by bringing more playfulness into your work and your personal life?

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#62: “The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow…”

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“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won’t wait while you finish the work.”

– Patricia Clifford

Are you missing too many rainbows? Do you sometimes feel that life is passing you by? Do you tell yourself that you will have the time in the future – perhaps on the weekend or on vacation, or even when you retire – to get to the things that matter?

We cannot schedule life’s rainbows. We have to seize the precious moments when they occur.

Exercise:

How can you be more intentionally tuned into your world and find greater joy and fulfillment in life’s special moments?

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#61: “The longest journey is the journey inward.”

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– Dag Hammarskjold, diplomat, economist and author

I have just finished driving 845 miles over two days through Canada, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. My journey included stops in Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes, a winery, and a very cool hole-in-the-wall diner with the best all-you-can-eat fish and chips I’ve ever had!

Most people I know like going on such adventures. This quote, however, is about our ability to journey within our own minds. Think about it: you can instantly go anywhere at any time without 15 hours in the car and two and a half tanks of gas.

Exercise:

Where have you already gone on this inner journey so far?

What new and expanded adventures are possible for each day, week, month, and year ahead?

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#60: “Do what you know is right, do the best you can, and let the loose ends drag.”

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– Steve Strickler (attributed)

Life is a journey. It’s a game of progress, not perfection. When we live a life true to our nature and give it our all, perhaps we just need to let the chips fall where they may.

If we let go of the loose ends of life – the small stuff, the minor parts – then we can travel lighter.

Exercise:

Where do you sweat the small stuff, or major in the minors?

How can you simply let the loose ends drag?

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