How often, and how quickly, do you take action? Here are a few action-related posts you many have missed. Click the links to read the full messages.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”
“The world will never discover a person who is hiding in the crowd.”
Image from Flickr by Toshihiro Gamo
Can you imagine people barking like dogs at people they don’t know?
In many ways, we do just that, except our bark is often silent, much like a dog whistle is to we humans.
This inner bark is often our judgement, criticism, and prejudice, showing that we are rarely open or receptive to another’s point of view, perspectives, or beliefs.
Take a look at the communities within your personal and professional worlds. What, overall, is the cost of the silent and not so silent “barking”?
Peace and a sense of unified community is hard to find, even if all signs point to things being fine on the surface.
Where would acknowledging and working on your own judgmental and critical tendencies support your cooperative and collaborative nature with those you’ve barked at in the past?
Begin a conversation with any of the Six Honest Serving Men from Kipling’s quote and you’re off to a great start in learning something new. You may even develop or nurture a new or existing relationship.
Powerful open-ended questions beginning with one of the Six Honest Serving Men open doors to new knowledge. They also demonstrate a genuine interest in others, which we all relish.
For today, I suggest you direct these probing and door-opening words toward yourself, to see what new worlds of discovery lie within.
Ask and answer some of your most important and pressing questions of the day. Then consider asking “What Else?” to see what you can learn by probing deeper than your surface answers.
Image from The Telegraph
In my opinion, Gary Oldman is a top Oscar candidate for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the recent film, Darkest Hour.
Churchill was definitely the right leader at the right time, taking a powerful stand for the British people against Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Throughout the movie, many of Churchill’s close advisors encouraged him to engage in peace talks. He did not accept this advice, because he saw it as a blow to the dignity of the proud British people. Instead, he rallied Parliament and the country to stand proudly and powerfully against Hitler’s tyrannical quest to dominate all of Europe.
Where and on what personal or professional issue is it the time for you to “dare and endure”?
How will you find the courage and internal fortitude to enroll others within your communities to follow your lead?
Image from Flickr by Danny Molyneux
Are you a sports fan? How many hours a week do you watch sporting events on TV? How often do you go to games or events in person?
Without question, the energy and excitement around sporting events – football, baseball, the upcoming Olympics, even golf – can be off the charts. Many people experience the by-product bursts of adrenaline through our proximity to these spectacles.
What if you lived in Roman times and were among the spectators in the Colosseum, where the game involved life or death? Clearly you would not wish to be one of the people facing the lions!
Where in your personal or professional life are you sitting on the sidelines as a spectator, thinking that somehow, you are actually in the game?
Where is it time to suit up and get on the field to actually experience life’s contests yourself?
How do you define “spirit”? Here are a few posts about spirit you many have missed. Click the links to read the full messages.
“Rain and sun are to the flower as praise and encouragement are to the human spirit.”
“Youth is eternal to those with a curious, loving, joyous spirit.”
“Music in the soul can be heard by the universe.”
Image from Flickr by Jona Nalder
I’ve been an early riser my entire life. Even as a child, I would wake early on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons. There were no video recorders or DVRs in the 60s!
These days, I consistently wake before dawn to get a quick start on my day through meditation and a multi-faceted exercise routine.
The noise level of the world is substantially lower in the early morning hours. I find the quiet supports greater creativity and the ability to listen to whispers of wisdom that are often drowned out by higher decibel levels during the day.
How might an “early to bed early to rise” strategy help you hear more valuable secrets of the dawn, to live a more full and happy life?
How many of the following roles do you currently play in your personal or professional life?
• Parent • Teacher • Coach • Trainer
• Mentor • Advisor • Consultant • Role Model
• Spiritual Guide • Trusted Friend • Subject Matter Expert
If you selected several, you must have a considerable amount of life experience to share with family, friends, and colleagues who may be experiencing various setbacks and challenges.
Although I frequently encourage a “coach approach” to facilitate the internal learning capacity of those around us, please take the wisdom of today’s quote and note when it is time to share your stories and experiences generously as a contribution to those in need.
Image from Flickr by Sebastien Wiertz
Think back to your biology or life science classes in high school. How much do you recall about the central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, or in the case of today’s quote, the digestive system?
The journey a single bite of food takes from our mouth, into and through the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon takes somewhere between 18 and 24 hours.
What do you think would happen if the length of digestion time were cut in half, and food was processed in 9 to 12 hours instead? What percent of the vital nutrients would be available to nourish our bodies?
Consider speed reading, executive book summaries, the classic CliffNotes or Monarch notes – and even Twitter – as ways we short-cut the learning process. What valuable nuggets of wisdom are being missed or lost through the use of short-cuts?
Where specifically would greater reflection on the materials you are currently reading make the biggest difference?
Consider re-reading one of your most highly prized and valuable books from your past. Read it slowly, with the intent of digesting and teaching the most important lessons to a class composed of people you know would benefit the most.
Please let me know which book you would re-read, and what you discovered in the process.
Image from disney.com
Running fast and climbing high are definitely part of any success journey. They represent the positive and affirming aspects of achievement and progress.
On the other hand, setbacks, stumbles, and outright failures beset us all. Quite often, we get the wind knocked out of us, leaving us reluctant to get up and bounce back into the game.
Where and on what issues do you need to be more “Tigger-like,” and bounce back to gain greater resiliency in your world?