New Beginnings

It's the journey and not the destination that counts, it's the quality of life more than anything else that enhances our ability to ultimately achieve. It's not what happens to you, but you do with what happens to you that counts. It's learning from what happens and using the lesson to get to finally achieve the ultimate outcome.

Here's a simple example.

I was already running late, the trains were out and the traffic horrendous. Caught up in heavy traffic though I caught sight of  a few Autumn leaves dancing down the nature strip. At the next intersection the sunlight was filtering through native conifers. This was followed by lunch at a friends cafe with good company, later I sat and watched the noonday sunlight dancing on the Indian Ocean then reminisced on life with another friend. An inspiring and peaceful day in paradise. 

Are you living in the moment?

When the Moment.

When the moment comes, and you will know, allow your thoughts and being to be swept up by the tide. Allow your spirit to soar.

TOLERANCE

      What are we really afraid of? There are so many hate and scare tactic emails today that one has to wonder if the next war will be fought in cyberspace.

      It's worth revisiting some of the great, compassionate minds of the past. Like the 26th U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt when he delivered this speech. 

     "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

 Theodore Roosevelt  (American 26th US President (1901-09), 1858-1919)

      Simply by studying these great men and women we can take from their example things that help us improve our thinking and the way we relate to the world.

     It may take some time to grasp and comprehend the significance of their words, or even begin to see how we can better our lives by applying the philosophy behind them.

     In the words of the famous basketball coach and author, John Wooden, "Five years from now, you’re the same person except for the people you’ve met and the books you’ve read." is a reflection of our capacity to change and understand others.

        When first starting down that 'Road Less Travelled' (the first book by Dr. M. Scott Peck) existing ways of being, doing and relating will be challenged. Time however has a way of assisting in the process. Tolerance of our old ways will gradually bring about changes that lead to a much higher consciousness and with that comes a shift in conscience. 

        The attitude of drifting through life becomes less and less tolerable and as conscious awareness grows much more is revealed. This is where the line in the sand is drawn. Just as the the expression "thoughts become things" says it is our thoughts that create our reality.

      John White, author, singer/songwriter and a man of many other talents expresses in his work "No Bars Hold', the many things that hold us prisoner. Later he adds the encouragement that "you can be free right where you are.."! It is simply a choice.  

       As the great prayer for Serenity asks of God.

     "Grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change those I can and the wisdom to know the difference."

       In seeing others and ourselves I'm reminded of the the words of one of the greatest men of the nineteenth century, the 16th President of the United States Abraham Lincoln, when he said "I don't like that man. I must get to know him better."

       Our thoughts and words create not only our own reality, but also the reality of others. Lincoln,obviously thought very deeply before speaking then did so with an economy of words.  His humility and vision is summed up very well in this quote.

      "I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be." 

      I hope that your experience is one of seeing and growing, the best way to see further is after all by standing on the shoulders of giants.

           

COMMITMENT

Time has proven this to be one of the most providential statements in business life.

Until one is COMMITTED there is hesitancy,

the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.

 Concerning all acts of initiative there is one

elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills

countless ideas and splendid plans;

 That the moment one definitely commits oneself,

 then Providence moves too.

 All sorts of things occur to help one 

that would otherwise never have occurred.

 A whole stream of events issues from the decision, 

raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents 

and meetings and material assistance, 

which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.

William N. Murray

Learn To Enjoy Life.

Writers sometimes experience a thing called 'writers block.' This is that time when you're stuck at a certain point and can't seem to move forward, not even a single step.

Many of us experience something similar at various stages of our lives. Fellow author John White (author of No Bars Hold) is also a counsellor and therapist. His view on things that stop us is generally a lack of skills. Once we have those skills we can overcome most things.

Kathleen O'Dwyer, former teacher and author of 'Stressed, One Woman's Story' says that in her teaching career the first objective would be to instil in students a passion for learning. Then teach them how to access the information.

Occasionally sitting in on classes that she was ran was insightful, often with there being many lessons within lessons.

All the time teaching skills that enhanced the students (5 to 12 year olds) aptitude and attitude. Learning is not a right nor is it  something to be  taken for granted either.

There’s a lot of dialogue over the benefits of schooling in the various systems which are generally either run by government or vested interests, including religious orders.

Both have their place as one size doesn't fit all. One student, having made the transition from a very regimented school to a more pastoral one, blossomed at age sixteen to go on to become highly successful in his own business.

Another apparent benefit of the pastoral system became apparent when he became a parent, dispensing discipline and affection appropriately and in the right measure.

One of the greatest skills we can learn is self improvement. To become the best that we can be.

My passion for learning came later in life and thankfully it was as a result of a dream and vision to lead a better life.

By products of a well rounded formal education, continuing to learn about ourselves, how we operate and interact leads to a much greater self assuredness in both the workplace and in society in general.

Knowledge is not hard to carry. From a pool of knowledge and experience we gain wisdom and eventually become intuitive.  The great benefit of this is that it frees up time and thinking space. This in turn can lead to greater inspiration and creativity and ultimately a higher, more satisfying quality of life.

As little as twenty minutes a day means a book a month providing the ability to learn from others knowledge, experience and wisdom.

This is where real lifestyle begins.

Lifestyle, while it means different things to different people has certain elements that mean a richer quality of life. There's a familiar story of families falling apart through neglect brought about by an overemphasis on vocational activities.

Human needs are both broad and diverse and learning what makes us, our partners and families tick really well is largely about balance. Love is spelled 'q-u-l-i-t-y  t-i-m-e'. Same goes for fun.

Quality time from the very young to the very old enriches the lives of all concerned. The added benefit is the two way passage of love and affection. It is the setting aside of the contents of our mind and engaging in some good old fashioned, down to earth humanity.

In working from home I;ve noticed that my day doesn’t really begin until there is interaction with others, preferably face to face. It literally is switching on the mind and all the parts of ourselves that are used in engaging in conversation with others.

It’s hard to stay within the contents of our heads as this engaging also invloves emotion. Good, bad or indifferent.

All of this is a part of the balance of life.

It has been said that we are spiritual beings indulging in a physical experience. To which should be added an emotional experience. After there’s not a great deal of intellect involved in pro creation. The largest part of that process are the emotions.

So to with the learning process. Where emotion is involved the understanding and retention of knowledge is far greater.  Fundamentally where rhyme and reason meet in the learning process knowledge is gained and integrated much quicker.

So, bottom line; learning should be fun, it should have a purpose and involve others, it should form a part of a balanced life and all of this in turn lead to a rich and fulfilling life.

After all the mind is like a parachute, it works best when it's open.

Understanding yourself

Why is it that so many think they know others when they don't even know themselves?

If someone says, "who are you." what would you answer.

It's not your work, because that is what you do.

Just as it takes time to get to know others, so too it takes time to get to know yourself. If you dig deep enough you'll meet your true self. Not the facades that have been built up over a lifetime. 

Taking that inner journey can be tough, but it is well worth it as it allows the real you to go into the world and be present anywhere, with anyone, any time.

That is true freedom.

That freedom allows performance rather than existing or simply functioning.

It allows you to be 'present' which leads to stronger and closer relationships.

Meaning a much better quality of life.

So is it time to discover who you really are?

A Day In The Life.

There are times when we get into the flow of things and everything seems to just click. 

It happens when we are making progress and as a fellow author observed this afternoon, as you complete each little task that leads to the goal everything becomes easier.

First there is the task itself, then learning what it take to get it done and acting on that understanding.

Sometimes it may mean stopping and learning how  a part of the process works.  The beauty of this is that a skill learned makes future tasks easier and more efficient.

This process of refinement can lead to more time available to pursue other objectives or invest in the things that are meaningful in life, like families.

So each day the objective should be to learn to be more effective and efficient which can either be self taught or directed by a coach or a mentor.

What objectives will you set for today and tomorrow that will make your life easier and more meaningful?