The Futility of Forcing Belief

Thursday March 12, 2015 #707

“To believe in your choice you don’t need to prove that other people’s choices are wrong.”

~Paulo Coelho

Social media and daily conversations are filled with people attempting to persuade others to accept their views and their vision of reality.  Often this leads to heated arguments and worse.  All this shows is people with weak character and insecurities which require them to “prove” they are right.  When you possess true character and courageous conviction, you have no need to convince anyone in your beliefs.  Stop trying to persuade others and calmly go about your life, secure in your core beliefs.

Your Life

Tuesday March 10, 2015 #706

“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.”

~Joseph Campbell

Not always, but often, our true path lies in a direction we had never envisioned.  The moment of recognition may come as a shock as you realize that your purpose, and your path to real joy and ultimately success, requires letting go of what you and others expected of yourself.  It’s the career person who realizes they must become an entrepreneur.  It is the financier who recognizes their true passion is in charitable works.  Or a million other less dramatic choices.  What is your true purpose, your true passion? Is your current life fulfilling your potential?  Alignment to your gifts and passions will create true joy and contentment.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Thursday March 5, 2015 #705

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”

~Guillaume Apollinaire

A simple message today to remind you to occasionally pause from your fast-paced, multi-tasking existence and remember why you are working so hard and so fast on so much:  your unique definition of the “pursuit of happiness”.  Reflect on the people and activities you are blessed to have in your life.  Relax, smile, and be happy in the moment, before getting back into the wild ride of life.

The Benefits of Failure

Tuesday March 3, 2015 #704

“Remember that sometimes not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck.”

~Dalai Lama

No matter your skills and capabilities, or your well-laid plans, you can never avoid all failures.  And that’s OK.  In fact, never having a serious failure is counter to reaching the levels of success you are capable of.  It is only through the growth you will experience while navigating challenges and learning from failures that you will reach your potential.  So don’t fret when you face hardships and even fail.  Just be sure to recognize and take advantage of their learning and growth potential.

Making Dents

Thursday February 26, 2015 #703

“The world is more malleable than you think and it’s waiting for you to hammer it into shape.”

~Bono

There are many times when it may feel like the world is conspiring against you and everything seems so difficult.  It is easy in these times to feel defeated and lose confidence in your ability to change your circumstances.  Almost always this is an illusion.  You can always find small actions you can take to begin making dents in seemingly impenetrable obstacles. Your will and your capability are your hammer.  Dents become cracks, which open to a new path through to a winning result.  Find your will and swing your hammer!

Encouragement vs. Criticism

Thursday February 19, 2015 #702

“Be an Encourager.  The world has enough critics.”

~Dave Willis

Honest and direct feedback is essential to our growth and development.  If you are not receiving a critical assessment of your performance regularly, be sure to seek it out.  You also have an obligation to provide critical feedback.  But don’t think that this is your main occupation.  Effective leadership and being a valued friend comes not from your criticisms, but rather your encouragement.  In fact, studies have shown that the ideal encouragement to critical feedback ratio, known as the “Losada Ratio” is approximately 3:1.  By all means, provide honest and critical feedback when it is warranted.  But pay attention to the Losada Ratio and be sure that your positive feedback is outpacing your negative feedback at least 3 to 1.

Learning From Our Mistakes

Tuesday February 17, 2015 #701

 “Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

 ~James Joyce

 Rather than focusing on avoiding mistakes, which are inevitable for anyone trying to push themselves to achieve their dreams, to challenge their capabilities, and to explore possibilities, the real value-add activity is to use mistakes to learn.  When mistakes are a result of carelessness, the key learning is the need for intentional action.  But when mistakes are the result of intentionally pushing boundaries, the discoveries can be profound – but only if you take the time to carefully reflect, learn and apply the learning to your actions ahead.  Push yourself to discover the wisdom in your inevitable mistakes.