Friday Review: Aspirations
What do you aspire to be or do in your life? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“How will you measure your life?”
“Go as long as you can, and then take another step.”
If there was no money, and everything depended on your moral standards
“If there was no money, and everything depended on your moral standards, the way that you behave, and the way you treated people, how would you be doing in life?”
—Tupac Shakur, 20th Century American rapper and actor
Image from Unsplash by Markus Spike
Money and possessions are a primary way many of us measure our success and status.
Who are the people at the top in your various professional and personal communities?
What are their extrinsic and intrinsic measures of excellence and achievement?
How do you measure yourself against these people?
How often do you use good character and high moral standards as benchmarks for a meaningful life?
EXERCISE:
If you were to eliminate all external evidence of success how well would you be doing?
Create a list of 5-10 people in your life that model the moral standards and behaviors you most admire.
Do your best to spend additional time with these folks and let their example help you up your game.
Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow
“Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.”
—Robert Glazer, Founder and CEO of Acceleration Partners
Image from Unsplash by Acton Crawford
A few weeks ago, we pushed our clocks ahead an hour to begin daylight savings time here in the U.S.
For a couple of days, my wife and I experienced disruptions in our sleep where our effectiveness and focus the next day was noticeably off.
How do you feel when your sleep is disrupted by such things as jet lag or insomnia?
In what ways do you prioritize a good night’s sleep so that you can be your best the following day?
EXERCISE:
Consider checking out Matthew Walker’s book, Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams so you can be your best in all your tomorrows to come.
When you lean in, your risk being hit
“When you lean in, your risk being hit.”
—Rich Litvin, co-author of The Prosperous Coach
Image from Unsplash by Nicholas Green
In how many areas of your life do you sit on the sidelines as a spectator?
Where in your personal or professional communities are you playing it safe, avoiding the bumps and bruises of the players on the field?
Whether it is in your career, a competitive sporting event, or even in a significant relationship, leaning in has its risks.
What potential rewards will never be realized if you are always keeping your distance?
EXERCISE:
Where is it time to lean into something of great importance or urgency?
How can you best prepare yourself for the possible hits you may receive in your efforts to reach some worthy objective?
Lighten up! Notice what is heavy in your life and release it.
Lighten up! Notice what is heavy in your life and release it.
—Calm App Reflection
Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan
Where in your life does it feel like you are carrying the world on your shoulders?
What are some of the personal and professional burdens and responsibilities that are weighing heavy on you these days?
What percent of this heaviness is coming from people and external events and how have you internalized many of them through self judgement and critical thinking?
Consider taking a look at these situations through the eyes of people you know who handle such pressures with ease. How do they do it?
How often have you asked these folks for some coaching or support to lighten your load?
EXERCISE:
Where would you like to lighten things up in your life?
How can you begin releasing these pressures through shifts in perspective and the use of outside resources that can help?
Friday Review: Criticism
Friday Review: Criticism
How critical are you? How do you react to criticism from others? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Behind every criticism is a veiled wish.”
“Counting other people’s sins does not make you a saint.”
Meditation applies the brakes to the mind
“Meditation applies the brakes to the mind.”
—Ramana Maharshi, 20th Century Hindu sage
Image from Unsplash by Jan Kopřiva
Over the past several years I have become increasingly fascinated by my meditation practice and other mindfulness activities.
In my experience, meditation has never stomped on the brakes to bring my mind to a complete stop.
It does, however, help me tap the brakes to slow things down, so that I may take in my inner and outer worlds at a calmer and more peaceful pace.
EXERCISE:
Where might meditation and other alternative mindfulness practices help you slow down your mind to more fully experience your days at a more optimal pace?
Space is where miracles happen
“Space is where miracles happen.”
—Rich Litvin, co-author of The Prosperous Coach
Image from Unsplash by NASA
If you happen to be a fan of Star Trek you may have always believed that space is the final frontier.
Keeping your feet planted here on earth, where are you present to the space between things in your life?
How much physical space do you have in your personal and professional environments to breathe and be your best?
How much head space is available to do your best thinking and most creative work?
EXERCISE:
What wonderful things might happen in your life if you made more space for the miraculous to occur?
Where do you need and deserve this space the most?
I am out with lanterns, looking for myself
“I am out with lanterns, looking for myself.”
—Emily Dickenson, 19th Century American poet
Image from Unsplash by Julia Florczak
As a kid, my entire family spent July and August at Indian Lake Camp in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, swimming, boating, and participating in many other outdoor activities.
On evenings when our activities ended after dark, we made our way back to our cabins with our trusty flashlight complimenting the star-filled skies.
EXERCISE:
What flashlights and lanterns do you use to illuminate your paths in life?
To what degree are you clear about what you are looking for, and where you are headed?
When we feel burned out and depleted
When we feel burned out and depleted sometimes we need to plug into a new source of energy that renews and restores. Resting is only one available option.
—Calm App Reflection
Image from Unsplash by Clint Patterson
When was the last time you experienced burnout or a significant state of energy depletion?
To what degree was this experience physical, mental, emotional, or even spiritual?
Beyond our frequent default of resting, what other ways have you discovered to plug in to a different energy source when your get up and go is gone?
EXERCISE:
Imagine you were a vehicle with four separate fuel tanks labeled physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
How might tapping into another tank when your current tank points to “E” be a hidden source of renewal you’ve never considered?
Consider checking out the book The Power of Full Engagement for other ways to manage similar situations when you are out of gas.