Last week, I wrote to you about not taking “No” for an answer. “No” was simply not an option! It was such a powerful reminder to "stay calm and carry on". It was remarkable how fast an alternate solution came to mind when I became present in the moment, was clear with “my ask”, and then waited to receive an answer. I remained calm when I realized the person in front of me was not going to be in any way helpful. No point wasting my energy on something that she is unable to change, so it was best to keep moving forward. While waiting at the attendant’s desk, I did what I teach: I practiced … [Read more...]
Do not take NO for an answer!
A couple of months ago, I used Expedia to arrange a Friday evening departure flight from Toronto so I could deliver a 12 hour program in St. Louis, Missouri. I am a faithful Air Canada flyer but they had no evening flights available. Suddenly, I found myself using Expedia to find flights with an alternate airline carrier. With my ticket purchased, I had secured a connecting flight to St. Louis via Chicago with the first leg departing at 6:40pm. My Friday meeting in Toronto finished earlier than expected so I decided to go to the airport uber early to see if United Airlines could accommodate … [Read more...]
Getting Stuck
A few weeks ago it was really difficult to blog about anything. Nothing was coming to me and I post only after being inspired to write something. For one month, writing just wasn't working for me. While initially it bothered me due to self-imposed deadlines for my weekly posts, I did something different. I just "let it go". I figured I wouldn’t post a blog for however long it took. After all if nothing was coming to me, I should listen to that. Right? So after 3 weeks of nothing, I began a few different meditations and tried one by Dr. Joe Dispenza. The words came pouring out of me and I … [Read more...]
Mediocrity, the Bane of Personal Growth
From last week’s blog I’m excerpting a paragraph from Stewart Emery with emphasis on a few sentences. “It’s remarkable how much mediocrity we live with, surround ourselves with daily reminders that the average is acceptable. Our world suffers from terminal normality. Take a moment to assess all of the things around you that promote you being “average". These are the things that keep you powerless to go beyond a “limit” you arbitrarily set for yourself. The first step to mastery is the removal of everything in your environment that represents mediocrity, removing those things that are limiting. … [Read more...]
Do you have tunnel or funnel vision?
Have you ever been so wrapped up in accomplishing a task or goal that you don't see an opportunity that’s right in front of you? I certainly have. My awareness concentrates to the challenge at hand and I miss other solutions because I just do not see or hear them. Tunnel vision is helpful when your focus needs to be honed in on something specific. Our concentration is so intense we can ignore distractions like noises, hunger pains, or the time. There is however an advantage in stepping back to gain new perspectives when working on a project or with people. Focus on what you need to get … [Read more...]
Spring and Autumn are here, now is the time…
As Spring has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, now is the time for spring/autumn cleaning. Both are great times to renew and plant or shed and dump those niggly chores that are taking up your mental real-estate. You know what I'm talking about – the in completions that we keep thinking about, but not doing. They will not go away no matter how much we think about them. What can we do? To help get at it, chunk it down. Make a list and divide them into subheadings – like Home: garage, closets, kitchen, study, garden; or Office: desk, filing, … [Read more...]
Do you have Grit?
There's been a lot written recently about Grit. It's a hot topic of study! I saw an article recently which stated that grit is the mental strength to conquer fear, stay focused and drive relentlessly towards our dreams. Angela Duckworth defines grit as the "perseverance and passion for long term goals. In her research, she found that grit accounted for 4% variance in success outcomes." 1 Let's take Rocky Balboa: No matter what, he kept getting up. In the original and every sequel of the movie, his spirit and sheer determination brought him back on top! Grit is mental toughness – it's the … [Read more...]
Make a Decision
Ever notice how we get stuck in limbo? We cannot decide which direction to go and there’s a lot of mental energy that goes into 'thinking' about it? This happened to me in a humorous way this past summer. I was kayaking and had a choice to go two ways around a shoal or turn around. For some reason I delayed my decision. I was thinking about it. So as I approached, I waited, and waited until my rudder hit the shoal. Decision made for me as I came to a full stop. I didn’t do anything about it. It’s like life isn’t it? How often do we delay making important decisions until we create an event … [Read more...]
Reviewing Your Year….
As we move into the final month of 2013, how did your year go? Which word would you pick? Okay...ho-hum...not great..good...as anticipated...better than I'd planned...exceptional... wow-what-a-year! When was the last time you reviewed your goals and what did you accomplish? If you did not meet or exceed your goals, what positive lesson can you take from it? Was your goal unclear, too much to take on, or did you get sidetracked? What happened? Rather than punishing yourself, ask how you can recommit to your goal, and consider taking smaller steps and getting a coach or accountability … [Read more...]
Do It Once
I’m a bit slow at some things. Honestly, I do have to laugh at myself. I found myself the other day picking up the same piece of paper I had opened, looked at, put on my desk to look at later when I could focus on it, then looked at it again to put it in a pile to respond to “later”, only to pick it back up later and respond...then I put the paper in another pile to file again yet "later"! Does anyone else do this? I know better, and I usually do much better, but it was still a reminder I could be far more efficient. Read once - handle - and file. That’s my usual style. The “filing” might be … [Read more...]