How strong are your powers of observation? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.”
“Notice if you are watching what is happening or if you are a part of it.”
“It’s on the strength of observation and reflection that one finds a way.”
Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan
I first learned about today’s quote from a fellow blogger named Stephen St. Amant, whose work at savenwood.com is brilliant! I highly recommend adding his blog to your list of daily reading.
James’ post reads:
“I think about decisions in three ways: hats, haircuts, and tattoos:
Most decisions are like hats. Try one and if you don’t like it, put it back and try another. The cost of a mistake is low, so move quickly and try a bunch of hats.
Some decisions are like haircuts. You can fix a bad one, but it won’t be quick and you might feel foolish for a while. That said, don’t be scared of a bad haircut. Trying something new is usually a risk worth taking. If it doesn’t work out, by this time next year you will have moved on and so will everyone else.
A few decisions are like tattoos. Once you make them, you have to live with them. Some mistakes are irreversible. Maybe you’ll move on for a moment, but then you’ll glance in the mirror and be reminded of that choice all over again. Even years later, the decision leaves a mark. When you’re dealing with an irreversible choice, move slowly and think carefully.”
EXERCISE:
What is the right amount of time and energy to allocate to your hat, haircut, and tattoo decisions?
Where are you acting too slowly or too quickly given the potential down side of being wrong?
Image from Unsplash by Drew Coffman
Many people treat life decisions like a game show.
When posed with a critical question, they feel that they must buzz in with an immediate answer. If these answers aren’t instantly available, they often give up and move on to some easier ones.
Rarely does operating this way result in any significant insight or growth.
Taking our time and patiently wrestling with our more challenging issues is a proven method of building our mental muscles and resilience.
EXERCISE:
Where would a more relaxed and patient approach to life’s questions offer you more and better answers to the significant issues facing you?
Image from Unsplash by Mick Haupt
Are you a golfer or have taken a lesson or two before deciding it may not be the sport for you?
If so, you might have begun your efforts holding the club with a death grip and swung with all your might.
This approach never works and we eventually learn that a more flexible and looser grip is the way to go.
EXERCISE:
On what life matters are you gripping too tightly?
Where would a more relaxed and flexible approach help you perform better and enjoy more strolls along life’s fairways?
How often do you enjoy the beauty and bounty of nature? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Go outside. There is bliss in the silent expanse of nature.”
“See what happens when you tune your pace to the trickle of a stream, or the waft of a lazy breeze.”
“Without jumping off its perch, the bird would never fly.”
Image from Unsplash by krakenimages
In the early years of my coaching career most of my time was spent networking and pursuing various business development activities.
Back then the world saw coaching as an activity only related to sports. The idea of a business or life coach seemed weird and a bit too far out to be widely accepted.
To capture my efforts, I used a customer relationship management software called ACT and LinkedIn to keep track of things.
In numerous cases it took years of steady and consistent effort and doing things right to build the necessary trust to eventually establish the partnerships to move forward.
EXERCISE:
What is an example of a relationship you created over time that was built on integrity and doing things right?
Please email me at barry@dempcoaching.com if you would like copies of my Masterful Networking and Masterful Relationships workbooks.
Image from Unsplash by Kym Ellis
What is your favorite sporting event, reality TV show, social media feed, or other activity in which you watch others doing cool things?
Notice your level of engagement in seeing others stepping out and taking risks while you observe behind a screen or sit in the stands.
We do these things because they are pleasurable and safe at the same time.
We get to experience the thrill of victory with little or no real agony of defeat.
When — across your years — did you do something remarkable that others envied?
What did it take for you to jump into the deep end and what was it like to feel the exhilaration and excitement of these activities first hand?
EXERCISE:
Where have you pulled back and stepped away from experiencing the rewards associated with taking risks?
Where can and will you jump in again to feel the rush of being back in the game?
Image from Unsplash by theblowup
I recently watched the documentary Mission Joy—Finding Happiness in a Troubled World, which highlights a visit between his holiness the Dalai Lama and archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Although their faiths and spiritual backgrounds of Buddhism and Christianity seem worlds apart, their life journeys involved numerous similarities.
In this carefully crafted set of interviews from their meeting in 2015, they each pointed to the critical role significant hardships and setbacks defined and refined their lives.
EXERCISE:
I hope you will explore the official movie trailer and choose to watch the film in its entirety. The humor and wisdom of these two beloved icons offers many more nuggets for finding happiness in these troubled times.
Image from Amazon
Living with intention is described as a way of living consciously and deliberately according to one’s passions, purpose, goals, and values.
It can include simplifying your environment, engaging in mental and physical practices, and choosing where to invest your time and energy.
Today’s reflection points to our hearts as the source of their power. It is still up to us to aim them, pull back our life bows, and let them fly.
EXERCISE:
It has been over 20 years since Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book The Power of Intention was published. Consider reading or re-reading this classic and learn some of the enduring lessons of co-creating your world your way.
How do you define and acknowledge mastery in yourself and others? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Though you can love what you do not master, you cannot master what you do not love.”
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.”
“The shortest distance between two points is under construction.”