How do you perceive and react to challenges in your life? Here are a few challenge-related posts you may have missed.
“No-one would ever have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm.”
“Some of the best gifts come wrapped in sandpaper.”
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.”
Image from Unsplash by Roma Ryabchenko
When you examine the pace of change in your life, what do you see?
When you look at your various communities, where do you notice small, subtle changes? Where are the tectonic shifts far more noticeable?
Just as a river changes its flow and its course over time, our lives are always flowing from one day to the next. To fight or resent such change is like grabbing a handful of air.
Where are you currently upset and angry about the course of your life?
Where are you trying to paddle upstream against the currents of change?
How can and will you instead step into the new river of each day, embracing and influencing your journey?
Image from Unsplash by travelergeek
Where do you stand on the negative to positive spectrum of thought? How do you view yourself when you listen closely to your inner voice?
Carpenters use nails all the time to fasten and hold things together. Adding an extra nail or two can make a structure even more rigid and solid. As someone who isn’t particularly handy, I often use nails to hang pictures on the wall as a way of hiding a blemish or mark.
How are you seeing the world and relating to the people in your personal and professional communities these days?
How do you judge others on this spectrum when you examine their words and actions?
Where do you see the negative thinking in your world keeping people stuck and rigid?
How would greater positivity and optimism offer greater possibilities to build a better future?
Image from Unsplash by Joshua Hoehne
Each morning I lace up my New Balance sneakers to take my 45-minute walk. Since the beginning of the pandemic, walking has become my go-to form of exercise, and a key for me to reduce stress and maintain my sanity.
The act of tying my shoes to the proper tightness occurs habitually. Moments later I’m off into the great outdoors with arms and legs in unison. Taking in the sights and sounds, practicing gratitude and greeting my fellow walkers are bonuses.
When I untie my shoes upon my return, it is pretty common to experience a knot in one or both laces. Although I experience some frustration due to the delay, I am also thankful for my opposable thumbs and the level of dexterity needed to release the knots.
Where are you currently experiencing a few knotty areas in your life?
How can you more patiently untie them, one at a time, as you navigate your day?
Image from Unsplash by Anna Kolosyuk
The world is in great pain and could use some healing. Hardly a day goes by without many examples of suffering and stress.
My coaching conversations almost always include personal issues as well as professional priorities. Among the many strategies to calm down and cope with the stressors, a good number of individuals are seeking and engaging in artful expression, to wash away the dust in their souls. Cooking and baking work nicely in the Demp household!
Please reply to this post with the artful strategies you use to brighten your days.
Consider discussing this topic with friends, family, and others to help realize a more beautiful and soulful life.
What level of accountability do you hold, personally or professionally? Here are a few accountability-related posts you may have missed.
“Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.”
“Quarrels would not last long if the fault were only on one side.”
Image from Unsplash by Caleb Martin
Close your eyes and picture the following:
Note that these examples involve an external/extrinsic source of happiness.
Venture within yourself to where the intrinsic sources of happiness reside. Notice that many of the best things in life are not things.
Take a few minutes alone or with others to create a second list of intrinsic sources of happiness. Perhaps you can also expand the first list, just for fun.
Feel free to reply to this post with what you discover.
Image from bbc.com
As a child, The Wizard of Oz was one of my favorite movies. Given its length and the fact that you had to watch it live with no way to record it, my mom would let us eat dinner carefully on those tacky plastic trays in the living room, gathered around our only TV.
As Dorothy traveled the yellow brick road with her little dog Toto, she teamed up with the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion — they were hoping the Wonderful Wizard would give them a brain, a heart, and courage, respectively.
Where is your life calling on you to follow your heart and use all of your brains to courageously pursue your dreams and find your way home?
Image from Unsplash by Omar Lopez
Take a close look at the state of the world. Begin by zooming out for a big-picture view, then zoom in to your own communities, family, and lastly, to yourself. Explore the numbers factors that have and are depleting your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual energies.
Take another look at how and in what ways you renew and recharge yourself to take on each new day.
How have you included adequate rest, proper nutrition, daily exercise, hobbies, time with family and friends, and mindfulness efforts into your days?
Where and to what extent have you intentionally brought greater humor and laughter to recharge and reboot your world?
Recently, I have been asking my digital assistant to tell me a joke. Although the jokes are often corny, I do find a few more chuckles that boost my mood and raise the corners of my mouth.
Please reply to this post with a few laughter-inducing activities that recharge your batteries.
Image from Unsplash by Aliyah Janous
On Veteran’s Day in November, My wife and I were very moved by a news anchor describing an army nurse called to serve our country in World War II. Now 101 years old, this extraordinary woman came from a family in which most members also served in the military.
This normally stoic and forceful news anchor was moved to tears as he shared many heart-warming aspects of her life of generosity, contribution, and service.
Where and how are you currently moved to tears regarding various aspects of your world? How can you more fully see these moisture-filled expressions of emotion as a source of greater aliveness and strength?