It almost sounds too simple to feel important, but understanding the power of gratitude
can change your life forever. Sarah Breathnach said it best…
“When we choose not to focus on what’s missing from our lives
but are grateful for the abundance that’s present…
we experience heaven on earth.”
Enjoy this 2 minute inspirational movie, Learning to Dance in the Rain. The words, the
photographs and the music are beautiful!
Kind regards,
jHodgepodge
Today we have a special guest post from blog reader Bruce Hall:
Self-Discipline: Source of Achievement or Self-Delusion?
”No horse gets anywhere until he is harnessed. No stream or gas drives anything until it is confined. No Niagara is ever turned into light and power until it is tunneled. No life ever grows great until it is focused, dedicated, disciplined.”
-Harry Emerson Fosdick
It’s 5 a.m. and cold as a meat locker. Outside, the gloom of winter darkness presses against my sliding glass door. A few feet away, here in the house, the dining room table is filled with stacks of reference books. A freshly prepared steaming hot cup of coffee waits on the table, which I must drink quickly, or risking losing the advantage. To my left, a small black desk lamp casts a strong beam of light, which cuts diagonally across the keyboard of an elderly, painfully slow laptop. This is the destination of my writing pilgrimage every morning.
I quickly turn up the thermostat and slide into my chair, muttering something about resolve. I take a sip of coffee, unload a sigh, and begin to plunk keys. If a few coherent sentences take root each day, I might have a blog by the end of the week. Inevitably, however, questions arise. What if I can’t? What if my goal is clearly untenable, and all I end up with is a bowl of alphabet soup? What if the whole thing is mere hubris? Whew! Well, those questions are traveling in dangerous territory, aren’t they? Besides, I’ll know more after editing, rewriting, and egocentricity kick in.
Writing is not a rare experience for me; however, my decision to blog once a week has bent some edges of confidence. That level of commitment raised the issue of strong belief. Would I be up to the task? Am I self-disciplined enough? Sure, why not, I reasoned. Self-discipline is in my nature, along with an ability to mobilize resources for achieving an ultimate purpose, regardless of time. However, since I also value goal setting, I impose a schedule each day. I consider topics, mood, and language. I dream about similes for emphasis and creating powerful metaphors. I began to drink more coffee. How can I not succeed?
On the other hand, even the best of intentions are easily submerged under comfy layers of heavy blankets, safe and secure in my bed from worldly responsibility. In the beginning, I found I did not want to get up. I was not interested in self-discipline, self-awareness, self-discovery, or any other possibilities. I began to imagine a wide variety of procrastination techniques. I even confess entertaining notions of mental telepathy or automatic writing; not resources I really want to draw upon!
Successful people share one thing in common: an ability to mobilize themselves and their talent to achieve goals. Accomplishment is not a passive entity. One must work at it. History reveals self-disciplined individuals with an impulse to connect their imagination actively in fields like science, philosophy, psychology, religion, art, and technology have led to extraordinary accomplishments.
So now I practice what I coach others. Every day, very early, I arise from bed, shuffle down the hall, feed my hungry, barking dogs, make coffee and worry about grammatical troublemakers.
Do you have an image of achievement to call your own? That’s a powerful vision to carry around. Do you possess the strength, persistence, and perseverance to develop the skills and experience to make it real? That’s equally potent.
The drive for accomplishment often requires overcoming deficiencies in knowledge, physical or emotional complications, dogma, criticism, and persecution. More than idle curiosity, more than love for wisdom, more than truth for its own sake, self-discipline is the force behind the power of purpose.
As described in The Neuropsychology of Self-Discipline, “It is your ability to systemically and progressively work toward the goal until you have reached it. It includes acquiring knowledge and skills. It is your ability to become positively obsessed, single-minded and efficient; to strive without giving up, to work consistently, day after day, until your purpose is fulfilled.”
Admittedly, self-discipline is not easy. It takes time to master. It requires retraining the way you think and organize your life. Sometimes, when thoughts are distanced and convenient alternatives like fear, anxiety, and procrastination emerge, it’s far easier to wander, call it quits, and walk away.
On the other hand, self-discipline can help you ask questions, seek answers, set goals, and achieve them. Most important in doing so, you will also discover how quite wonderful it is to know what you want in life, how to plan achieving it, and actively move forward in that direction.
Bruce Hall is a Personal and Small Business Coach in Port Angeles, WA. You can visit his website at http://brucehallcoaching.com.
The son of the late “Last Lecture” speaker Randy Pausch is following in his father’s footsteps.
Almost two years after his father’s death at age 47 from pancreatic cancer, 8-year-old Dylan Pausch is campaigning to raise awareness about the deadly disease, lobbying on Capitol Hill and walking the same halls as his father, the Carnegie Mellon professor who touched lives with his inspiring “Last Lecture.” The elder Pausch pushed for increased pancreatic cancer funding in the final days before his death in July 2008.
“So many people are dying from pancreatic cancer and the survival rates are so low,” a precocious Dylan told ABC News. “If we keep studying, we might be able to change that.”
Joined by his mother, Pausch’s wife Jai, and hundreds of members of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Dylan met with Washington lawmakers this week, urging them to increase funding for pancreatic cancer, the fourth-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. and one of the most underfunded due to its low survival rate.
“I think it’s wonderful for him to see, individually we have the power as an American to make a difference,” Jai Pausch told ABC. “I think that this helps them say, ‘Wow, I can do something, maybe I can’t bring my dad back to life, but I can help other people.’”
With approximately 10 tumors in his body and mere months to live, professor Randy Pausch created his “Last Lecture” to urge his students to chase their childhood dreams, value their loved ones and perhaps above all, have fun. The charismatic Pausch became an Internet sensation as his lecture went viral and eventually became a book.
I love stories that can engage our hearts and our souls! This is one of many that I share in Charging the Human Battery…50 Ways to Motivate Yourself. My goal with this little book is to create many “a-ha moments” that can inspire, encourage and motivate you when you need it most!
Just click here for more information or to look
All the Best,
Here’s part 2 of the story. Again, if you know the lecturer, share his or her name with us in the comment section! Enjoy these tips on how to deal with stress:
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
1. Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4. Drive carefully. It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
5. If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
6. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
7. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8. Never buy a car you can’t push.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
10. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
11. Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12. The second mouse gets the cheese.
13. When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
14. Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
15. You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16. Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
17. We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
18. A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Not long ago I was on a Southwest Airlines flight when a flight attendant announced, “We have a very special person on board today. He’s 99 years old, he’s celebrating his birthday, and this is the first time he’s ever flown!”
As you can imagine the cabin breaks out in light applause. She continues to say, “On the way out, stop by the cockpit and wish him a happy birthday!” The cabin exploded in laughter.
Southwest does a wonderful job of laughing. They laugh with their team, they laugh with their customers, and they laugh at themselves. That’s one of the reasons they’re a great company.
Just how important is laughter?
A recent study revealed that laughter is key to our mental wellness. The study, in fact, stated that we need a minimum of 12 laughs a day…just to stay healthy! In fact, Mark Twain said, “The human race has only one effective weapon and that is laughter. The moment it arises, all your irritations go away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.”
Here’s a confession. Whenever I find my attitude slipping, or I’m feeling a little down, I resort to what I call…The one minute laugh. Here’s how it works.
I get in my car, roll up the windows, and drive. I then force myself to start laughing and I laugh for one solid minute…not 15 seconds, not 45 seconds…no less than one minute.
Now, I’ll bet you’re thinking, “Mac, here I am feeling down in the dumps and you’re asking me to laugh for one minute. Are you nuts?” Yes, I am! Here’s how it’ll work. After about 10 seconds, you’ll be thinking this is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever done…and you’ll just keep right on laughing!
But here’s a tip – don’t do it at stop lights! There may be a big guy in a car next to you that thinks you’re laughing at him and you’ll want to keep those windows closed!
Today, we’re offering another alternative for laughter. That alternative is a little book titled: Laughter is an Instant Vacation…Humorous Quotes on Life.
Here’s how it works. Keep it visible on your desk and whenever you or a member of your team feels a little down, open this book and read 10 quotes at random. It’ll take less than a minute but you’re going to laugh. The endorphins will kick in and you’ll feel better.
Here are a few suggestions for using it:
1. For yourself, if you need an attitude boost.
2. For a team member that needs a shot of inspiration.
3. A gift for a friend or family member that could use a laugh.
4. A gift for your best customers or clients. There’s no way they’ll forget who gave it!
5. On a coffee table in a waiting room. In fact, my dentist, Dr. Jim McCall, says everyday he hears his patients laughing out loud in his waiting room, reading Laughter is an Instant Vacation. He says everybody that reads it loves it!
You will too! In fact…I’ll guarantee it. We’re offering free UPS ground shipping for qualifying orders $50 or more. Stock up now so you can “gift” it as needed. So if you want to start laughing right now, just click here to watch the 3 minute movie! It’ll make your day.
All the Best,
Mac
Hi There!
Here’s a warning: Once you watch this 3 minute movie, it’ll be hard to forget!
I’ve probably watched it a hundred times but you know what…it still works. Whenever I need a little “nudge” to remind me about the difference between good and great, I’ll watch it…again.
Don’t forget to pay it forward by sharing this email with friends, family and co-workers. They’ll thank you for doing it!
Just click here to watch.
To Life
jHodgepodge
I got an email from my Uncle Ron last week. It contained a story that really made me think (I don’t know the author, so if you do, comment and let me know). Here’s the story:
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”
Answers called out ranged from 8 ounces to 20 ounces.
The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.
“In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.
“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.
“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.
“Relax; pick them up later after you’ve rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!”
What kind of stress are you carrying? What do you do to take a rest? If you haven’t, subscribe to our blog, because Part 2 of this story has some tips for relieving stress.
Hi There,
It’s a society where teamwork, loyalty and communication are the norm rather than the exception. Sound like utopia? Actually, it’s already present in nature – in a wolf pack. The wolf pack knows who it is. Those in the pack exist for each other. Twyman Towery, Ph.D., a professional speaker and consultant who studied the lessons of leadership in nature, has captured them in a new book for Simple Truths called Wisdom of Wolves. Twyman shares the parallels between the wolf pack and human behavior…in business life, family life, and personal life. Today, I’d like to share a chapter from Wisdom of Wolves. Who knew that the key to success might just be patterning your attitude after that of a wolf? The Introduction from Wisdom of Wolves by Twyman Towery The attitude of the wolf can be summed up simply: it is a constant visualization of success. The collective wisdom of wolves has been progressively programmed into their genetic makeup throughout the centuries. Wolves have mastered the technique of focusing their energies toward the activities that will lead to the accomplishment of their goals. Wolves do not aimlessly run around their intended victims, yipping and yapping. They have a strategic plan and execute it through constant communication. When the moment of truth arrives, each understands his role and understands exactly what the pack expects of him. The wolf does not depend on luck. The cohesion, teamwork and training of the pack determines whether the pack lives or dies. There is a silly maxim in some organizations that everyone, to be a valuable member, must aspire to be the leader. This is personified by the misguided CEO who says he only hires people who say they want to take his job. Evidently, this is supposed to ensure that the person has ambition, courage, spunk, honesty, drive – whatever. In reality, it is simply a contrived situation, with the interviewee jumping through the boss’s hoops. It sends warnings of competition and one-upmanship throughout the organization rather than signals of cooperation, teamwork and loyalty. Everyone does not strive to be the leader in the wolf pack. Some are consummate hunters or caregivers or jokesters, but each seems to gravitate to the role he does best. This is not to say there are not challenges to authority, position and status – there are. But each wolf’s role begins emerging from playtime as a pup and refines itself through the rest of its years. The wolf’s attitude is always based upon the question, “What is best for the pack?” This is in marked contrast to us humans, who will often sabotage our organizations, families or businesses, if we do not get what we want. Wolves are seldom truly threatened by other animals. By constantly engaging their senses and skills, they are practically unassailable. They are masters of planning for the moment of opportunity to present itself, and when it does, they are ready to act. Because of training, preparation, planning, communication and a preference for action, the wolf’s expectation is always to be victorious. While in actuality this is true only 10 percent of the time or less, the wolf’s attitude is always that success will come-and it does. Today, as a special offer, we’re putting this best seller, including it’s new DVD movie, on sale for only $10.00. Click here for more information and to look inside the book. NOTE: Offer expires 7/12/10 at 11:59PM CST.
All the Best,
jHodgepodge
Peter Drucker, the legendary management consultant and author says this about teamwork:
“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say “I.” And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say “I.” They don’t think “I.” They think “we;” they think “team.” They understand their job to be to make the team function. They accept responsibility and don’t sidestep it, but “we” gets the credit…This is what creates trust, what enables you to get the task done.”
The bottom line is that it’s easy for any organization to say…”we value teamwork.” However, saying it versus committing to the principles to grow it can be two different things. And that’s what Pulling Together is all about! Author John Murphy presents the ten rules for high performance teams in a way that every person in your organization can understand. John is a highly recognized author (7 books), speaker and management consultant who has helped some of the world’s leading organizations create environments that value and reward teamwork.
Today, I’d like to share on excerpt from Pulling Together called: Lessons from Geese. Enjoy!
Excerpt from
Pulling Together…10 Rules for High Performance Teams,
by John Murphy
Consistent application of the 10 rules of high performance teamwork ultimately generates trust, respect, unity and power within any team. Conversely, consistent violation of any one rule destroys this bond. While the author of the following is unknown, “Lessons From the Geese” is a powerful illustration from nature of the rules of high performance teamwork. As you read about the natural unity that exists among this species remember – this same unity can exist in your organization!
As geese flap their wings, they create an uplift for the bird following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if any bird were to fly alone.
If we share a common direction and a sense of community, we can get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are traveling on the thrust of one another!
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.
If we have as much sense as geese, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, and we will be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.
When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into formation and another goose flies at the point position.
If we take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership as with the geese, we become interdependent with one another.
The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. If we “honk,” we need to make sure it is positive and encouraging.
When a goose gets sick or wounded or is shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. They then launch out on their own, with another formation or catch up with the flock.
If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times, as well as when we are strong. Let us all try to fly in formation and remember to drop back to help those who might need it!
BEHOLD THE POWER OF TEAMWORK
The greatest accomplishments in life are not achieved by individuals alone, but by proactive people pulling together for a common good. Look behind every winner and you will find a great coach. Look out in front of every superstar and you will see a positive role model. Look alongside every great achiever and you will find caring people offering encouragement, support and able assistance.
Rising to this level of interdependent thinking can be challenging and difficult. Looking beyond oneself, asking for help or accepting help can feel risky. But people are not given life to simply take from one another. We are here to give. Our mission in life is to offer our gifts to benefit one another, to create mutual gain in the world. This is called teamwork, a win/win mindset stemming from a genuine commitment to the rules that allow it to happen.
Pulling Together captures the essence of teamwork better than any book I’ve read. It takes what can be a complex topic and presents the ten rules in a way that anyone can understand. If you have each member of your team read it, and then discuss how each rule applies to your organization, your chances of “pulling together” will be greatly improved!
For more information or to look inside the book, just click here
All the Best,
jHodgepodge
Laughter is one of the simple joys of life! Take a few minutes to enjoy the movie,
Laughter is an Instant Vacation. You will laugh, chuckle and take a little stress out of your day.
Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as
bacon.
Doug Larson
______________________________________
Have fun sharing the joy of laughter with your team, friends and family.
Kind regards,
jHodgepodge
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