Eye of the beholder: Captivated, Enthralled, Awed

April 19, 2020 By
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When I think about Sundays, what I value is communion, reflection, music, words, and community. These values have developed over a lifetime of Sundays. But in reality, those are my values every day.  Sunday is just the day I set aside to celebrate those values. The day we choose is not important.  What matters is that we take the time.

Taking time to commune and reflect, alone and within a community, is how new perspectives can be born.  We all need those moments that form the genesis of creating a new lens – a new portal for seeing ourselves, our loved ones, our work, our lives, our world.  We all need this now more than ever. A year ago, I posted a music video selection that focuses on the idea of perspective and how things shift depending on what we allow ourselves to see, or even not to see.  It’s an incredible work and worthy of sharing again.

I would encourage you to expand your screen (mind) and let the images and words soak in. Borrowing from the title, make this a moment for beholding the world anew.

What a wonderful moment to take us into the week. As we return to our routines, old and new, let’s once again see that world of our childhood and as the speaker exhorts us: be captivated, enthralled, awed.

Filed Under: Inspiration & Creativity, Personal thoughts & insights, Possibilities & Perspective, Winds of Change Tagged With: , ,

Resiliency: What does it really take?

February 19, 2020 By
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We all have aspirations for something.

Even if we haven’t translated it yet into a specific goal, there’s something we want more of, less of, or different.

It is the ultimate dichotomy I think of our humanness: We resist change, and yet change is what we crave.

The underlying conflict in this seems to be that we want the change we want and nothing else.

We do not want to have to put change to work; we only want change that works for us. And we believe we are the best judge of what that might be.

Author and leadership expert Simon Sinek recently shared these thoughts on change that I found insightful:

“People don’t fear change.

They fear sudden change.

People fear revolutions.

People don’t fear evolutions.”

Sometimes though, evolution may not be recognized. Because the best change quite often masquerades as something else, something perhaps we don’t recognize for its true potential.

That’s the essence of resilience. Being able to recognize opportunity in whatever comes our way. Once we’ve made the decision for what we want, then everything gets put to work to accomplish that. It’s one of the principal lessons I learned from Napoleon Hill’s work, Think and Grow Rich. The decision begins everything. Without a decision, there is no touchstone.

But what does it really take to go from decision to done? What does resilience need in order to work? From studying those who are repeatedly successful, it would appear that there are three things that happen with resilience.

First is that everything becomes a resource and gets put to work. You see things differently. You see them through the lens of possibility. You become resourceful instead of just waiting on resources.

Second is a steadfast sense of resolve. Jim Rohn tells the story of a young girl who, when asked to define resolve, explained that it was a promise you make to yourself. When things go awry, as we know they will, it is our resolve that keeps us on track and moving forward.

The third element is not just what we get in the end; it’s what we continuously produce, and that is results. Results are the most effective way to light our path. They show us which direction is working. They guide us along the way. That is why we have to measure from the first step, so we can harness the power of those results, adjusting our sails as we go.

What it really takes is not just one thing, in fact it’s really not a thing at all. When you think about it, what it takes is us. We make the decision, we become resourceful, we resolve to persevere, and we follow the best results until we get there.

What is it you want? Decide. Start there. Let it begin.

Live (decide) today like you want tomorrow to be. Live (decide) well.

Filed Under: Possibilities & Perspective, Resilience, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From Here to There to Anywhere: Living in Resilience

September 22, 2018 By
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A great deal of my body of work focuses on exploring possibilities. Quite often, we have the drive and desire and certainly the commitment.  But we lack the plan.

We explore the possibilities so that we can craft the best plan.

Focusing on what is truly possible is perhaps one of the most important things we can do in order to live our lives as fully as possible.

Remarkable stories abound of people that defy the odds and go on an incredible journey beyond any boundaries that were imagined.  For all of us, because of the velocity of change in the world today, the skill of being able to fluidly go from here to there is what will in fact take us anywhere we wish to go. This is the true meaning of resilience.

One such story is British author, the late Dick Francis.  Because his later in life season showcased his skill as a superb storyteller, it would be easy to overlook how he came to that place in his journey.

I discovered him many years ago. I was a young single Mom that loved a great story and he certainly delivered. He authored 40+ books and I proudly have them all in my personal library, including those that he began co-authoring with his son, Felix before his death. His stories were full of rich characters, intriguing plots and breath-taking endings, each meticulously researched by he and his wife, Mary. You felt as if you were being taken on a private journey with him through every story.

What bears notice is that this was in fact his second career. His first was as a horseman. A renowned and gifted jockey, he was lauded in those circles for many years.

What brought him from horses to stories? Life. Injuries, age, family – all the things that happen. So how did he do it? All of his stories were set in the world he knew so well. The world of horse-racing. The people, the places, the horses. Those pictures he painted literally came off the pages. But inter-laced were new things. New places. New characters. And always intrigue.

He had always loved a story. He transported himself from the horses to his next place in life through story-telling. It is a wonderful example of how resilience serves us as we migrate through life.

When we go from here to there, we take who we are and what we know. We use it in a different way but it remains with us. There is a comfort in that.  By approaching life from this perspective, we can literally go anywhere.

The video shared below is a clip from the Memorial Service that honored him.  Listen well and hear his story.  Then live your own adventure.  The possibilities are endless.

And never forget that there is always more value from the rest of your own story than you ever dreamed possible.

 

Live today like you want tomorrow to be. Live well.

Filed Under: Adjusted Sails, Inspiration & Creativity, Learning & Growth, Possibilities & Perspective, Resilience, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Seven Books in Seven Days – What was your last challenge?

July 29, 2018 By
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It seemed like an easy challenge.  A friend tagged me on a social media challenge to post a picture of seven books over seven days. No reviews or explanations – just a picture of the cover of books that had impacted my life and work. With each day’s post we also invited someone from our community to join the challenge.

For me, a lover of all things words, particularly books, this would seem on the surface to be an easy task and yet it turned out that the challenge was in fact challenging.

Things don’t have to look difficult to be hard.

Sometimes, it isn’t the challenge itself that’s tripping us up. Most of the time it’s our own thoughts.

The dilemma? (and hence the challenge…) Which seven books? What’s in and what’s out?

It would have been easier if the number was larger. There was a lesson there for me. It’s a lesson all writers face at some point. Not everything we do has to encompass everything we do. When we sit down to write a book, the editing process is often the most traumatic. What comes out?

I’ve just recently completed a certification course in editing and it was an insightful look into my own processes as a writer. We want to put it all in… but the message is clearer with a bit of editing.

The same is true for our calendars. What if we only chose one thing to be our priority or focus each day for seven days? What I’m learning about myself is that if I give myself all seven on day one, on day seven, none of them are finished. When I tackle them day by day – they get done.

I’m grateful to my friend and colleague Candy Barone for bringing this challenge to my doorstep. There is learning in everything. Now on to the doing and then the leading.

Curious about the seven books? Here they are:

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

A book I read every year at least once – more if needed. It helps me remember who I am and what matters. As of this past year, the audio version (narrated by Jeremy Irons) is my favorite.

A More Beautiful Question – Warren Berger

The teachings in this book shifted my entire way of thinking about possibilities.

If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God’s What If Possibilities – Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson first came to my attention as a spiritual mentor and guide with his book The Circle Maker. It shifted my faith walk into something more powerful than I had ever imagined it could be. His writings take up an entire shelf in my library.

Willpower Doesn’t Work – Benjamin Hardy

A new favorite this past year. I heard him speak at a writers’ conference and began reading his posts on Medium. Ben Hardy’s life focus is inspiring. His story is remarkable. His book was a game changer for me, particularly in my health practices.

Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done – Jon Acuff

Jon Acuff is why my own book – Adjusted Sails: What does this make possible? is finished. I’ve read a number of his books and participated in his coaching program. He is another favorite for audio. Jon does all of the narration himself. His natural humor and wit will have you laughing your way right to insights that will change you.

The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday

This is another multi-book author favorite. I started with him with this book and went on to Ego is the Enemy, Daily Stoic and Perennial Seller. He also does his own narration. Sometimes it seemed that there was a master class within each sentence. I’ve gained the most from his writings by listening with the printed book in hand while taking notes.

The Miracles in You – Mark Victor Hansen

All of these books have the capacity to change the reader. This one however marked the most significant change overall in my own life. I was able to spend time with Mark Victor Hansen and talk with him about this book and his thoughts on significance. I don’t know of a single day in my life that shifted my view of my work and influence in the world more than that day.

When was your last challenge? What did you learn along the way?

Jim Rohn taught that we should all aspire to be millionaires. Not for the money – but for the person we would have to become to achieve that challenge.  Well taught and well lived, Mr. Rohn. Message received!

Live today like you want tomorrow to be.  Live well.

 

 

Filed Under: Adjusted Sails, Learning & Growth, Possibilities & Perspective, Resilience, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Do you have your finish line in view?

July 8, 2018 By
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Laughman_Oct 2015_Article 4_Finish line

Back on January 1st, as the calendar rolled over to 2018, I was reminded that time waits for no one. I’m sure you have experienced similar feelings. When we begin our year, we have such grand plans! We claim this year as OUR TIME and we are filled with nearly giddy excitement about all the accomplishments we will be celebrating in the coming months.

All too often though it doesn’t take long for the realities of life to bring us back “down to earth” and what we envisioned starts to fade.

We are now just over six months into 2018 and in many ways, it feels like January 1st again. Time seems to be increasing its velocity – or at least life does. So many things that are true in my life and work today were not even on the radar screen at the beginning of the year. Some goals lost focus and momentum, some new ones appeared, and some came to fruition.

The key remains keeping the finish line in view.

Here are some thoughts I shared in the first post of this year that I still find helpful (perhaps you will too!):

One crucial life lesson is that deciding what we want, even how to get it is only part of getting us to where we want to be.  To be successful there is another element required: Knowing why we are doing what we plan to do. Without that clear motivation– we will lack an essential element we need to sustain us through to success. And one thing that has proven true in every case I know is that when we don’t keep going, we stop going. Knowing why we are doing something is the glue that holds everything together.

But how does motivation work? How do you know it’s going to hold? While there are many illustrations, my experience has shown that it comes down to these 5 essential principals:

  1. Sometimes the work is hard. It’s really that simple. Sometimes the work is hard. And we need to be certain we can stick with it. Jim Rohn taught that when the promise is clear, the price is easy. When the price begins to get hard, the promise is what pulls us through.
  2. Sometimes the work takes time. The emotion of the moment when we committed to something can and will fade over time if we don’t bring it back, even if not at the same sensory level. I was recently reminded that there is very little that is action dependent that does not require some constancy, even daily re-commitment to that action. Whether it’s our health, money, work or relationships. Our motivation (why) is what creates the power we need to keep making the commitment over time.
  3. Sometimes the work needs to change. This is an important one to think about. Sometimes the method we choose to do something doesn’t bring us the result we wanted. That’s not failure. That’s experience. Without knowing why we were doing it in the first place, we don’t have the ultimate creative pool to work from for finding our next strategy and getting it in place. The why keeps us focused in the RIGHT direction, even if we change the vehicle we’re riding to reach the destination.
  4. Sometimes the work requires help. When we are clear about why we are doing something our enthusiasm and passion are evident and infectious. Others will not only respond to requests for help – they will volunteer! There is nothing more binding and bonding than a shared desire to transform something for good. Even if they don’t know, like and trust you yet, if your why is clear and they can align to that, it can actually be the catalyst for the best relationships.
  5. Sometimes the work requires a choice. This point goes beyond the first one where we talked about work being hard at times. This is about sacrifice. This is about choice. If you do THIS (something that honors your why) then you cannot do THAT (something else you really want to do!). It’s called opportunity cost. The promise being clear is still part of the rationale on this but it goes deeper because you are making a conscious choice to not only have something, but also to give something up. If the value equation isn’t clear, those choices can get very difficult.

Having the right motivation makes a difference in getting started but it makes all the difference for staying started. And one thing is certain: We can and will have more than one start along the way.

How to put this to work? Choose one area of your life (health, finances, work, relationships, community) where in the past you have struggled staying on track with your goal and action settings. Go through a series of questions focused on the word why to get to your core reason for what you are doing. That is the promise. Don’t take your first response. Why? Because chances are fairly high that it is not your real reason. Don’t be surprised if it takes you a number of times to get to your true motivator. In the words of Pat Riley, “A champion needs a motivation above and beyond winning.”

You’ll know you are there when you can take that reason and ask yourself these questions:

  1. Is this reason strong enough to keep me going when it’s hard?
  2. Is this reason strong enough to keep me going when this takes a long time?
  3. Is this reason strong enough to challenge me to always find a way?
  4. Is this reason strong enough to allow others to see the value in the work?
  5. Is this reason strong enough to support the right choices along the way, even when it means a sacrifice?

When you get to five yeses – you are there! More importantly, you know you’re going to be able to begin and experience the journey to go to your desired place of achievement with joy and ease.

Live today like you want tomorrow to be. Live well!

Filed Under: Adjusted Sails, Learning & Growth, Possibilities & Perspective, Resilience, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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