Limitations

“Do just once what others say you can’t do, and you will never pay attention to their limitations again.” – James R. Cook

I don’t usually pay attention to other people’s limitations, as I know what I can do and I just do it. But this made me wonder how many times I have imposed with well meaning advice, my own limitations on others, discouraging them with all of the reasons that something can’t work. Something new to think about when someone asks for advice. Letting them know what you see as potential pitfalls or considerations without making it a limitation would mean that you would treat it like an employee review? Start with the good idea that they have, sandwich in the consideration, and end with you know they can do it? Or do you think that you would do it differently?

Anxiety

“Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength.” – Charles Spurgeon

They say that only 8% of what we worry about ever happens. Whether you worry about money, about if you are going to find a job, or if you are going to lose one, about health or personal relationships, we are not living in the present. We are second guessing a future that hasn’t happened yet, We are robbing the present of the happiness or joy that we should be having. Even if our worst feeling about the future does happen, our worrying over it today doesn’t change it. Instead we should be grabbing all of the happiness that we can each moment that we are alive, because those precious moments don’t come back again.

Showing Up

“What you don’t want to know about yourself wants to be known…which is why it keeps “showing up” at your door unannounced!” – Guy Finley

 

Work

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking” – Steve Jobs Another great quote. Never quit looking for a job that you would do for free. Have you found your “great” work yet? Are you looking or have you settled? Don’t lose the faith. You have to find what you love (both in work and play) – it is the life we are all meant to live.

Expectations

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. … Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” – Steve Jobs

The external expectations are what keep us back. The loss is really experienced by holding back, because we were born to be that person, to do that “thing”. Free yourself of the fear now, don’t wait until death is really staring you in the face.

Conditions

Solution

“Don’t tell your problems to people, unless they’re directly involved with the solutions.”

Ever talk with someone that gave you too much personal information? They begin every sentence with “you’ll never guess what just happened” as they look at you tragically? When you can finally escape you are so drained, you want to get a nap? Are you that someone too? Are we just venting or are we cuddling up to the problem as though it is a close friend? Is the truth that we don’t really want a solution because the problem is making us feel important? I think that we can all get caught up in this trap. If we are really interested in finding a solution, then it only right to talk to someone who might be able to help. Start trying to catch yourself before you start “latest tragedy”, and ask – am I looking for drama or a solution? It will take a little while, but you can begin to catch yourself and change your conversation.

Extraordinary Things

“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.” – Sir Edmund Hillary

I slightly disagree with the second sentence. I think that something extraordinary grabs hold of you and you have to do it. When a mother lifts a car off her child or a stranger pulls someone from a burning building/car, they do it because it has to be done. I think that the same is true of anything we do that others term as extraordinary. We do it because we see no other choice, we step in to do it because someone has to. Of course part of the reason is to help others, but I believe the underlying reason is we have to; because we do it without thinking about consequences, fear of failure gets swept aside and we just do it!

Filter

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” – Albert Einstein.

It’s kind of funny how we get into a routine/rut of thinking and solutions. It is only when we find ourselves in a difficulty that our normal way of thinking doesn’t solve, that we look outside of the box for answers. That is why I love reading and learning from other people’s experiences. We know that we have to change the filters in our cars or they will break down, but we never think of the changing the filters of our mind until we are forced to. What if we set up a regular filter change for our mind like we do the mechanical systems in our home and autos? Attend a seminar or read a book that will open the door to new thinking, change the filter of your mind and you might just change your world!

Growth

“Growth demands a temporary surrender of security” – Gail Sheehy

Growth is one of those things that very seldom feels good as it happens. It is when you step off the edge of the cliff and trust that you will be given wings to fly. It is exciting and scary at the same time. Sometimes you are growing from choice – going away to college, moving to a new town, getting a new job, starting your own business. Choices that take you out of your comfort zone & away from what you know. Other times growth is not your choice, coming from an ending of something like a death or divorce. It always pulls the best and worst out of us, setting us on a new journey & destination. The journey is where the growth happens. Enjoy the journey of growth and transformation and like the butterfly grow your wings to fly.

View

“The meaning of things lies not in the things themselves but in our attitude towards them” – Antoine di Saint-Exupery

So many things in life can be viewed as a negative or a positive soley based on how we are feeling at the moment. Do you view a rain shower as a chance to sing and dance in the rain; as something prayed for in a dry climate; as ruining you plans for a picnic? It is neither good or bad except for the meaning that we put to it. This is true for 95% of what we experience in life. If this is true then why assign a poor attitude towards things? Why not decide to be happy and sing and  dance? I love the Snoopy dance and music, it lifts up my heart and makes me smile? What makes you feel that way?

Enemy

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you” – African Proverb

This reminds me of the old nursery rhyme, sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. When we have rock solid self esteem, then other peoples opinions are just that, their opinion (ususally formed out of jealousy). Their opinions try to bury our inner beauty. The problem is that most of us don’t have rock solid self esteem because we have let other people’s opinions become our truth. Strip off those veils of untruths that you have allowed to form of who you are, step out, and shine your magnificence.