Tag Archives: practice

The wedding is an event, love is a practice. The Graduation is

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“The wedding is an event, love is a practice. The graduation is an event, education is…”

—James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan

Full Quote: “The wedding is an event, love is a practice. The graduation is an event, education is a practice. The race is an event, fitness is a practice. The heart, mind, and body are endless pursuits.”

Too many of us rest our hopes and expectations on the big days of our lives.

We are constantly looking to capture and highlight moments to post on social media, to proclaim to the world we’ve arrived, or that we are at the top of our games.

But life isn’t just about peak experiences.

It involves the ordinary and often mundane daily efforts of doing our best even when few people ever notice. It definitely includes the rituals, routines, and daily practices that give our lives purpose and meaning.

EXERCISE:

In what ways do you sharpen the saws of your mind and body through your daily efforts?

What heart-based activities keep your life beating to the often-whispering tunes of your soul?

What are your most restorative activities

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What are your most restorative activities?  How can you use them as natural remedies to pick you up or calm you down when needed?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Jenny Hill

Meditation, exercise, and sleep are three of my most restorative activities.

Whenever I find myself a bit off my game or feel out of sorts, I go to these habitual activities to renew and restore my balance and well-being.

When meditating, the focus is often on the breath where the inhale picks you up and the exhale calms you down.

Knowing this is not enough.

It’s in the daily practice that we ingrain the capacity to routinely smooth out the rough edges of our lives.

EXERCISE:

What activities do you use to pick you up and calm you down throughout your day?

Consider exploring this subject with friends and family to expand your repertoire of options.

“Don’t swing at every pitch. Wait for the right ones and then knock them out of the park.”

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“Don’t swing at every pitch. Wait for the right ones and then knock them out of the park.”

—Rohan Rajiv, author of A Learning a Day Blog

Image from Unsplash by Josh Hemsley

I recently had the opportunity to observe two different sporting events on the same weekend.

One—as you might guess from today’s quote—was baseball. The other was tennis.

When I compared the two, I noticed a significant difference.

In tennis, the receiving player tries to return every serve that makes it into the service area, no matter how fast or how much spin it may have.

In baseball, the batter has a number of chances to be more selective on when to swing at what’s being offered by the pitcher.

EXERCISE:

Where do you find yourself swinging at every pitch coming your way?

How often do you strike out or get on base, given your ability to discern which pitches are right for you?

How would more practice increase your batting average and add more home runs to your stats?

“We learn who we are in practice, not in theory.”

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“We learn who we are in practice, not in theory.”

—David Epstein, author of Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

Image from Unsplash by Giorgio Trovato

I just finished binge watching the Disney+ 6-part series Welcome to Earth with Will Smith. It reminded me a bit of the series Running Wild with Bear Grylls but on steroids.

Instead of each episode highlighting a different celebrity, Welcome to Earth took a deeper dive into our breathtaking natural world, and into the world of Smith’s fascinations and fears of exploring.

Watching from the safety of my recliner I felt his excitement in stretching beyond his physical and emotional limits. I too wanted to be an explorer and yet I realized it is hard to do that wearing fuzzy slippers!

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you learn a great deal about yourself by becoming more of an explorer? What opportunities present themselves to you each day that you have yet to embrace?