Is it a pencil or a masterpiece in the making?

March 13, 2013 By

This story was sent to me by a friend.  It came with a number of pictures that were amazing.  But it was the parable that resonated.  There was no credit given to the artist or the author in the e-mail and my searches have only found others that shared it.  But to the artist and author I pay homage – even if you remain anonymous because this is a great life lesson.  Take from this what you are meant to hear:

PencilA pencil maker told the pencil five important lessons just before placing it in the box:

1)  Everything you do will always leave a mark.

2)  You can always correct the mistakes you make.

3)  What is important is what is inside of you.

4)  You will experience painful sharpenings, but they will make you better.

5)  To be the best pencil, you must allow yourself to be guided.

My thoughts on this…

The parable can be that we are the pencil or it can be that we might be the hand that holds another.  Either way, the truths here remain.

  • Everything we do is the cause for an effect.  For ourselves and for others.  Every thought, word and action leaves a mark.
  • There is no mistake that cannot be corrected.  It cannot always be reversed or removed, but it can be corrected.  And what might appear at first to be a mistake, can also be the pivot point for a new image in the hand of the master.
  • Our value comes from inside of us.  And we all have value.  We all matter.
  • Throughout life, our value may be covered by protective shells that need to be whittled away so that our inner glory can shine.  Those sharpening can be painful but they are mean to reveal our purpose and allow us to grow.
  • On our own, we will never achieve our best.  We need to allow ourselves to be guided and to also be willing to guide.

Just a pencil?  No indeed.  Any more than we are just a person.  We are both a masterpiece – now and in the making!

 

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

Is anything really everything?

March 10, 2013 By

Gears of Life - Balancing Faith Family Work and CommunityThere is a quote often referred to when talking about personal development and peak performance that says that how we do anything is how we do everything.  As I’ve thought about this it became clear to me that it isn’t really that how we do anything is how we do everything.  A better statement is that how we do anything affects everything else.

We are better at some things than others.  We do have more discipline in some areas than others.  Because we care about some things more than others.  But the point is, that if we’re not on our game in any one area, if we cut corners anywhere, it’s going to show up in both likely and unlikely places.

The reason this has been an area of thought for me recently is that I’ve moved health off the “back-burner” as a priority.  It has come front and center.  Getting committed to good health starts in the mind.  It may be our bodies that do the “heavy lifting” – but our minds control the process.  In the past, when it came to mindset and motivation though I would seem to always get stuck.  I realized that I had to look beyond health to find sustainable motivation.  That is where this principle came front and center.

Unhealthy living costs more money.  It just does.  We waste more money on unhealthy food, we spend more on medications and doctor bills.  In my case, I ate out far more than I needed to for convenience and it wasn’t healthy eating either.  And it cost a lot of money.  Far more than buying fresh food and preparing it in a healthy manner.

Unhealthy living costs more time.  Did you know that?  When I realized that it took me longer to do things because I was tired, or not feeling well or just overall not on my game because I wasn’t taking care of myself, time became another cost of being unhealthy.

Time and money.  The two resources we need to be able to invest wisely everyday in order to achieve the life of our dreams.  And being unhealthy puts a burden on both.

How I manage my health does affect everything else.  I have less energy, less money and less time to do the things I want to do.  So there’s the motivation to get healthy I needed.

Take a moment and think about the one area of your life where you know you aren’t performing at the top of your game.  It may not be health for you.  It might be finances, your career, your family, or even your community.  We all have an area where we know we can perform at a higher level.  Now consider what that one area is costing you in every other area.  Quite a different perspective isn’t it?  If our finances are undisciplined, we lack resources for our businesses, our families and cannot give back in our community.  If we do not take care of our relationships, it’s going to show up in almost every other area.  That inter-dependency of all aspects of “us” is the key.

So the next time you want to “cheat” – be it calories, money or anything else, ask yourself if it’s worth it.  I’m tired of cheating myself.  Enough.  How I do anything affects everything.

Food for thought…

 

 

Filed Under: Personal thoughts & insights, Success & Significance, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Behind the quote: A science fiction writer on change

February 24, 2013 By

FreedomIn 1995, Octavia E. Butler was the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant. Impressive.

She’s also been the recipient of both Hugo and Nebula awards. Very impressive.

As an African-American woman, she also brings great insight about change.

Yes – she can definitely teach us about change.

Leveraging her ability to tell a gripping story, she has been one of its greatest champions.

Here are her thoughts on the subject:

“All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you.. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change.”

A remarkable woman. A remarkable truth.

A compelling thought to take with us into our own lives.

Filed Under: Personal thoughts & insights, Possibilities & Perspective, Success & Significance, Winds of Change Tagged With: , ,

Integrity & Discipline: Two Halfs of the Whole

February 8, 2013 By

Integrity=Disciipline=Keeping PromisesIntegrity is about following through on our words consistently with our actions. Our words are the “promise”.  Our actions are the “performance”.  To have integrity, the promise and performance need to match.

That is true, even when the promise is to ourselves.  Can you relate to that?  Have you ever made a promise to yourself and not followed through?

Does it seem like the priorities and commitments you make for YOU seem to drift to the bottom of the never-ending “to-do” list?

If I say that I value good health but I do not act in the best interest of my health, then I have an integrity issue.  If I say that I value financial freedom but I do not practice good financial disciplines, then I have an integrity issue.  If I say that I value relationships but I do not invest in them, I have an integrity issue.

We cannot give (or teach) what we do not have (or live).  Before we make promises to others, we need to look at the promises we have made to ourselves.

What promises are we making to ourselves that foster our growth?  Are we keeping them? What promises are we making to others to foster their growth? Are we keeping them?

Integrity and discpline are twin spirits.  One is reflected by the other.  Brian Tracy said it best when he defined discipline as “doing what you resolve to do”.  Isn’t that also integrity?  We do what we resolve to do.  We keep our promises.  To ourselves first and then to others.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Personal thoughts & insights, Success & Significance, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Where are you on the changescape?

February 4, 2013 By

The rules have changed.  In fact, just about everything has changed.  More importantly, everything is going to continue to change and at an accelerated rate.  That’s why it’s important for us to examine our perspective about change overall and see where we’re at on this new changescape.

Where would you rank yourself in this progression:

 

Level 1: ____I fear change.

Level 2: ____I tolerate change.

Level 3: ____I welcome change.

Level 4: ____I create change.

 

To be successful today, we must be creators. That means that innovation is a integral part of how we approach everything.  That includes not only WHAT we do, but also HOW we do it.  Let’s start by replacing the word change in our minds with the word growth or progress.

If this is a challenge for you, you may be wondering why are some so adept at change while others struggle.  Why do some people really win as creators while some of us are always hearing something and saying we could have done that?  It’s because sometimes we confuse creative thought with innovative action.  While creativity is part of the process, it is not what makes us a creator.  That requires us to act on our ideas. We can think of many new things and ways to do things.  It is only innovation when we apply that creativity to what or how something happens.

Those ideas can spark from seeing a problem and coming up with a solution or it can be the result of simply seeing a better way to do something already being done.  Think about yourself and the use of technology.  Isn’t it easier to adopt new technologies that make it simpler to do something you are already doing?  If we can anticipate need, create innovative answers, and develop an intuitive application we will bring significant value to all key audiences.  Then we are truly creators.  Think of five things you do today that you do differently than you did a year ago.  Did you fight that change?  Can you even imagine going back to the “old” way of doing things now?

We can all begin to transform ourselves into level 4 creators on the changescape scale just by finding one thing that we can improve through change.  Remember – not necessarily changing what we do, changing how we do it.  Then before we know it, we will be inspired to deepen that change and do more.

One more thought on change.  Sometimes change is as much about stopping as it is starting.  Be open about how to view what generates change.  In most cases, a small adjustment can deliver a significant difference.

These 3 questions are a great starting point:

What one thing could you STOP right now that would bring about change?

What one thing could you START right now that would bring about change?

What one thing could you DO DIFFERENTLY right now that would bring about change?

Select a specific area of your life where you would like to achieve a greater sense of satisfaction and significance and begin there.  Choose one question and get started today!  Put yourself in the lead on your own changescape.  Become the creator you were meant to be.

Thoughtful remarks about change (think growth!)….

“There’s a way to do it better –find it.” (Thomas Edison)

“It’s easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago but will soon be out of date.” (Roger von Oech)

“Do something everyday that scares you.” (Eleanor Roosevelt)

 

Filed Under: Learning & Growth, Possibilities & Perspective, Success & Significance, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Would Eleanor Roosevelt be on Twitter?

January 29, 2013 By

eleanor_roosevelt“One thing life has taught me: if you are interested, you never have to look for new interests. They come to you. When you are genuinely interested in one thing, it will always lead to something else.  The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear. I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift would be curiosity.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

One of my favorite “mentors” from history is Eleanor Roosevelt.  An important note about her role is that she was one of the first public “officials” to use mass media to talk about important issues such as civil rights; the rights of children and women; and the value of public service.  Because of that, there are many quotes attributed to her that remain relevant today.   She continues to inspire me and her words often find their way into my own writing and teachings.

I am drawn to her in part because even as she supported the rights of others, she never lost her passion for lifting up the importance of personal responsibility.  This is ultimately the game changer for anyone that aspires to live a life of significance.  Her innate curiosity also helps me see a kindred spirit in her.

If she lived today, there can be no doubt that she would be delighted with the power of Social Media and would be leveraging it to make meaningful and powerful change in the world.  I can well imagine I would be following her and re-tweeting everyday!

Here are ten pieces of “Eleanor” wisdom that are among my favorites that could be called “Eleanor’s Tweets”….

  1. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
  2. You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude.
  3. With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.
  4. What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail?
  5. Never allow a person to tell you no; who doesn’t have the power to say yes.
  6. Confidence comes not from always being right but from not fearing to be wrong.
  7. A stumbling block to the pessimist is a stepping-stone to the optimist.
  8. When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.
  9. Do one thing every day that scares you.
  10. Courage is exhilarating.

 

Hmmmm…. I may just have to send them out for her myself.

 

Filed Under: Learning & Growth, Possibilities & Perspective, Success & Significance, Winds of Change Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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