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Simple Thoughts Sunday: Priorities

In Matthew Kelly’s classic book ‘The Rhythm of Life,’ he shared that he often sites this prayer during the day, especially during busy times.

His theory is that finding the “rhythm” is largely about assessing and reassessing our resources and energies, ensuring they are in alignment of fulfilling our purpose.

Most of us do this annually, or maybe a few times a year, but daily? That is powerful thinking.

As you launch into February, my prayer is that you will take pause to make sure your efforts, time, actions and focus are in the direction that aligns with you being the best and most amazing version of yourself! I will for sure tuck this one in my proverbial back pocket to ask throughout my week. It’s pure gold in my opinion!

Today I will do one push up.

(Photo creds: Canva)

Our own personal growth happens over time, whether or not we’re aware of it. Growth can be real growth, as in getting stronger. But it can also be more meaningful or purposeful.

We can stunt our growth with our habits we’re unwilling to confront head on. One of my habits is hitting the snooze button daily, and oftentimes more than once. I recently decided it was time to stop the silliness and get the heck up. It’s still January – and anything could change – but for now, I am putting in place a firm call to action to get up at the sound of the first alarm.

We all know that growth is achieved by making consistent healthy decisions over time… an apple a day-type thinking. In his book, “Mini Habits,” Sam Davis lays out that the foundation in establishing habits. He explains that we should put in place “stupid-small” steps to help us move toward success. (Hence, the example in the title of this blog.) It gives you the notion that you are creating steps that set you up for “too small to fail.” In other words, you’re set up to succeed. Even if your goal is to do 25 push ups a day. By the end of the day, you’re not going to let the hurdle of doing one stop you from achieving your goal. (Thank you Levi Lusko for the example.) Here are some others:

Goal: To eat more greens each day.

Stupid Small Step: To eat one piece of lettuce a day.

Goal: To walk two miles, or 30 minutes, every day.

Stupid Small Step: To walk to the end of the driveway and back each day.

Goal: To develop a habit of sending three thank you notes out each week.

Stupid Small Step: To send one thank you text in a week.

I think you get the concept here. Small steps repeated over time equal new habits that create GROWTH. If you stay focused, they will produce MASSIVE GROWTH! I like that idea a lot!

Where do you need to start today?

Time well spent: next-level thinking

I thought since the year is closing in, it would be good to spend one of the last work weeks focused on a deeper topic. One that just might help you as you’re closing in on your goals and establishing your big, bold and amazing 2018 plan! (We’ll get to that soon, too. I have some great content to share.)

In Tim Ferriss’s new book, Tribe of Mentors, he showcases a transcript of the same few questions he asked about 200 people that have inspired him in some way. His question was: “What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you have ever made?”

One of the stand-out answers for me was from Brené Brown who said, “PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION.”

That resonated because I like to move straight to the ACTION part of solving a problem. In fact, her comment was that “most of us are plagued with action bias and really struggle to stay in the problem identification part… ” The idea that getting clear and digging deep into what the root is would be pretty helpful, don’t you think? Here’s where my mind went:

When someone I love is struggling, it is easy to assume the problem is something obvious (their significant other, work, school, etc.). For the most part, it’s a combination.

When you can’t seem to work through a project at work easily, is it because you haven’t asked the “right” questions and haven’t been engaging your mind to next-level thinking?

When I’m even in “innovation” mode and ready to conquer the world with ideas for my clients, do I even know what their real problems are? What research can I do to dive deeper?

When I can’t seem to sleep, could it be because of something not immediately clear?

Answering what’s not so obvious seems like the perfect place to go when problem solving. Being more thoughtful, spending more time in research, asking better questions… yes please.

I’d love to know if this resonates with you!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: As the season starts, this is a great thought!

What a great reminder, and a needed one.

In the gospel of Matthew (18:3) we are instructed that we need to become like a child to enter heaven. To me, that means to truly understand the world as it was intended and live it out in its full glory. As the season starts, we can choose this option and be absolutely filled with WONDER. The experiences that surround our lives generally dilute the way we view the world.

What if we could truly approach the rest of 2017 with the excitement of a child? What if we limit distractions, judgement and responding in a way that doesn’t fill us with joy? (And if we do have a tantrum… let’s keep it short and sweet!)

I love these two little girls and hope to emulate their “fun” spirits starting… now! Anyone want to join in?

Simple Thoughts Sunday: A week of serving well

I am so THANKFUL it’s THANKSGIVING WEEK!

I have to admit, it feels too early this year. But nevertheless, I’m ready to hug some folks!

I don’t know about you but Thanksgiving has to be one of the best creations ever. If you give it some thought, it’s not only about being thankful and spending time with those we love, but it is rooted in SERVICE. Service and honor to those we love. Generations have been built on those gatherings where true service and love were the main ingredients, strengthening our families and communities. What could be better?

As I read Rick Warren’s quote above, I think about how we can use a season like this to truly serve well. To not only serve our families and friends but to look out and consider those who may not have been served in anyway this year. I think of patients that I have met who looked forward to their doctor appointments because it was the only time during the year they felt cared for.

We must remember that for some, we are their only smile, their only human interaction with kindness. What a great opportunity we have. Service is as simple as a smile and the great news is that whatever our situation, we have all been given the gift of service.

Have such an amazing week.

 

 

 

Getting to mindfulness

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I absolutely loved swinging as a child — I still do when I get the chance. When we were in Tuscany, the property we rented for a few days had a wonderful swing and I snuck on there as soon as I got my chance without an audience. I am not sure why I find it to be so exhilarating, but I imagine it’s what it’s like to be “mindful.” To be a child again, not a care in the world, feeling the wind hitting your face, your feet swinging around and overall being aware. I like the idea of doing that more… If you do as well, follow the next few thoughts that I dug up.

With the onslaught of social media and life in general just plain being increasingly fast-paced, distractions are imminent. This is the genesis for the focus by wellness experts on “mindfulness.” As I shared Tuesday, the idea being that you get to a higher level of awareness and focus. I had no idea it had gone so mainstream… There is even a website addressing this — who knew?

So with or without the distractions we have today, the mind in general is wired to wonder 50 percent of the time, according to a Harvard study. The idea of  being more mindful doesn’t mean those distractions go away, but it does mean that our we handle them better via the mental training practices that we establish. It was related in one of the articles to a “mental gym.” I liked that idea, and thought you might too since it’s a bit challenging to wrap your head around.

So, what does this gym look like? I like the Huffington Post for topics like these, because they seem to drill it down to my level. Here are some of the many ideas they share:

  1. When you eat, eat. When you drink, drink. Focus all of your attention on the act of mindful eating.
  2. Walk mindfully. Pay attention to the movement of your body and your surroundings. This time of year is my  favorite because of the leaves crunching.
  3. Observe your breathing. When you pay attention to your breathing pattern it takes you out of your mind and into your body.
  4. Connect with your senses.  Touch, smell, taste, sound and sight: they are the gateway to the present moment. When you are lost in thought you don’t experience all your senses have to offer.
  5. Get lost in the flow of doing what you love. Incorporate more of that into your daily life.

As you power through the rest of your week, I hope that you’ll stop and think about the idea of being truly aware. Fall is a beautiful time to observe what life has to offer and going into the holiday seasons even more so… Enjoy! We have one life!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Spread more joy

(Photo creds: Unsplash.com)

(Another throwback for you on this glorious Sunday, because who doesn’t need a reminder to spread some joy?) 

Joy is contagious! It transmits the type of energy needed to thrive. If you are in the work place and happen to be a leader, this may just help your employee satisfaction or engagement as well. Bottom Line: Folks want to work, live and serve where they are happy!

Joy makes a person more productive! I don’t know about you, but getting a bit more done in my given 24 hours would be a huge positive! I found this great little article to back that up.

Joy can make you healthier!  That same article highlights the great benefits of joy, which include reducing stress, solving problems easier and fighting disease! I am all about all of those! A great blog post here that goes a bit deeper!

As you get ready for another week, remember to take some time to spread joy! I promise you will be better for it.

By the way, don’t put it off until later, stop now and send three brief messages and fire up the joy. It will be the best five minutes of your day.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: CHOOSE JOY

(Photo Creds: Canva)

Happy Sunday! We are hitting the second half of September and closing in on starting the final quarter of the year. Many have worked through the first month of school and started fall projects… yard work, remodeling, work, etc. I’ve even started seeing homecoming pictures… seems too early, but here we are! Fun fall events and action-packed days. Let’s remember to stop and CHOOSE JOY in those days! These moments mark our lives and this is such an important scripture for us to start our days with! I’m cheering you on as you conquer this week!

It is not the critic that counts; it is the man in the arena… Battling it out… Doing the work…

(Photo creds: Canva)

Don’t you love how something said in 1910 is still true today? You may not be familiar with this speech, so please read it. It’s terrific. It resonates with me considering how our world today seems to be infiltrated with sideline judges.

Granted, most of us do what we can, jump in where we see a need, vote on issues that are important, etc. But we can easily fall victim to those “judges” often hiding behind computer screens. These are the “Monday morning quarterbacks” reporting on how we “should” have navigated whatever the trials of the day may be… Hurricane preparations, actual game day errors, conversations that should have taken a different direction, etc… What we need are those that call out what was done WELL! To focus on what we really desire… EXCELLENCE.

I just LOVE the idea and ACTION of GRIT, of working it out with blood, sweat and yep, tears at times. The key words of GREAT DEVOTIONS, WORTHY CAUSE, DARING GREATLY… are STRONG, RESILIENT, LIFE GIVING, ENERGETIC, and IMPORTANT.

Step into an ongoing effort to build a WORLD OF ENCOURAGEMENT… In your home, work place, school, community… and GET ENGAGED with the GREAT WORK OF BUILDING AN EVEN GREATER WORLD!

Go deep: We need to build our root system

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If you’ve ever stood under a redwood tree, you know that their height is something magnificent. The extent of their root system is shockingly not deep at 6-12 feet. So, how do we account for the crazy growth, with many reaching 300 feet tall? (The tallest pine measures in at 268 by comparison.)

“Redwoods create the strength to withstand powerful winds and floods by extending their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk and living in groves where their roots can intertwine.”

Perfect! Another very cool illustration for just how important going “DEEP” in your relationships is to your ability to grow and optimize your gifts. Of course… I LOVE THIS – and so should you!

“Community” is what allows us to live a joy filled life. (“Community” also defined, as families, friendship groups, circles, tribes, colleagues… you get my drift.) To SERVE WELL, it is almost required that we are encouraged, held accountable and ultimately pushed toward our “best self.” For most of human history, this has been a normal part of life, starting out with the earliest Native American tribes and, for my generation, playing kickball in the street until well after the sun has gone down. Today, many find themselves immersed in technology and other distractions. That seems almost too obvious to state but when the shoe fits… Heck, I don’t even like to get out of my car to go in the bank. God forbid I can’t take care of business on my phone or through a machine.

I like the idea of GOING DEEP. I need to work more at this. I’d love to achieve the greatness of a REDWOOD GROVE… to lock arms together with some amazing people and establish root systems that allow us all to grow and flourish.