Photo courtesy of Marina del Castell
It’s How You Look at Things
June 11, 2014
Photo courtesy of Yohann Legrand.
Life is often times not about what happens to us but how we perceive what has happened to us. This is why some people can have a traumatic experience and they get depressed while others with a very similar experience go out and change the world.
I came across a talk from Janine Shepherd back in March that put this thought into focus. She was an Olympian training on her bike when a vehicle hit hurt and put her in the hospital. She would have multiple injuries that most people would have certainly thought her whole life was over. While she did have to give up her athletic career, she turned the accident into an opportunity to change lives through her speaking, writing, and determination.
You can view the video below of Janine’s speach. After watching it ask yourself when something rough is going on in your life “How can I turn this into an experience that helps me instead of hinders me?” That question can help you get through just about anything.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX32U_hfri4&w=560&h=315]
One Sheet
June 4, 2014
Photo courtesy of Sebastian.
What could one sheet of paper mean to you?
I was thinking about how many ideas, dreams, goals, and fortunes have begun on a single sheet of paper. To some it is an inconvenience in our digital world and to others it is a one cent item that just really doesn’t get much thought. But, what if you used just the one sheet to start a personal movement?
The movement might be personal change, the start of a financial goal, or the next big idea that shapes a culture. Next time you see a piece of paper right something down. You never know what it could be the start of.
What was an accomplishment that you achieved that began with a single idea on a piece of paper?
Put Me In Coach
April 30, 2014
I love when this song comes on. It reminds me of going to see the Charleston Wheelers play at Watt Powell Park years ago. I still remember Wheeler Bob hollering as you walked in the front of the stadium selling the programs.
As I have listened to it through the years I wonder how many people sit on the sidelines waiting for a “coach” to let them start something. You can be your own coach. All you need to do is get up and begin. It doesn’t matter what it is.
“Put me in coach! I’m ready to play today.” If you are ready to play go do it! Develop your action plan and figure out how you are going to put yourself into whatever game you want to play. A new job, a certification, a workout, whatever. Go get it.
What is a song that gets you moving and motivated?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc&w=480&h=360]
Sometimes You Have to Think of the Box
April 16, 2014
Often times when we are trying to problem solve we are working so hard we don’t see the solution in front of our face. We are told to think outside the box but sometimes you need to look at the box itself. The container may just have the solution you are seeking.
In 1945 “The Candle Problem” was published. It was created some time before that by psychologist Karl Duncker. The premise of the problem you can see in the picture to the left. Participants were given a book of matches, a small candle, and a box of tacks. They had to find a way with these materials to put the candle on the wall and light it but the candle could not get wax on the surface below it.
Sometimes you just have to think of the box.
The video below is from Dan Pink where he discusses motivation and the candle problem in detail.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y&w=560&h=315]
Document A Legacy
April 9, 2014
I have talked about journaling in the past and I think it is an excellent thing to do for many reasons. It gets your ideas and opinions out in the open for you to mess with and it also gives a chance for your family to have a recorded history from you well into the future.
But, have you ever thought about really documenting your life to leave a legacy? Not just putting down a few words about your day but really have a full “scrapbook” of what went on in your life from day to day. While this can be time consuming while you are starting it I think this would be a great gift to your future self and family as well as being just as therapeutic as journaling alone.
You can get apps and software to help you do this. I personally use Evernote but there are several other out there such as Google Keep that you can use.
All you need to do is create a notebook within the program such as “A Day In My Life.” You can create one note for each day with the date as the title. Post pictures taken throughout the day (or as you take them), thoughts, maps of where you have been, and audio recordings of your surroundings. All of this can be stored, searchable, and exported allowing you to have a detailed document of your day. What a great way to share decades down the road what was going on in your life at that time.
By documenting your life you can see where you were and where you are now. The road that was traveled. What worked and didn’t work.
Doing this project should be in addition to your journaling with pen and paper. I believe there still isn’t an adequate replacement for the connection you get while writing your own words. But, what a great thing to have for later in life.
If you want a bit more information and to join the 30 Day Challenge check out http://www.DocumentALegacy.com
Write to Your Current Self
March 26, 2014
Photo courtesy of Torley.
I am sure you have an idea of what you want to achieve in the next 10 or 15 years. It may be vague or exact but we all have some place we want to be. Some want to be married with kids, others want to have a million dollars, and others dream of living on the beach enjoying their retirement.
Whatever it is you want to have or do in the future, write to your current self like you are sending the letter back through time. Write like you have already achieved the goal and how much you are enjoying it. Put this letter somewhere that you can find it later and see how accurate your future self was when the time comes along.
What is the one big thing you would like to accomplish in the next decade beyond anything else?
The Past Can Hurt and Heal
February 26, 2014
Photo Courtesy of Antony Mayfield.
It is true. The past can hurt quite a bit. The one thing to realize, and it may take some searching, is the hurt served you in some way. Maybe it got you out of a bad relationship, an addiction, or caused you to start the career path that you are on.
If you find out how your past served you it can also help you heal the emotional pain.
If you did something to harm another reach out to them to to try and attempt to make it better. Even if the person doesn’t accept you need to know that you tried. This can free you in so many ways and help ensure that you don’t make the same mistakes again.
Learn from your past but look forward to your future. Living in the past serves no productive purpose. Using it to learn from can be your greatest gift.
“The past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it.” Rafiki – The Lion King
Page of Change
February 19, 2014
I always hear people say they want to make a change but they don’t seem to know exactly what they want. I am sure this has happened to you. You will feel like something just isn’t right but you do not know what you need, or want, to change.
Take out a piece of paper and a pen. Take the next three minutes and write out everything you would like to change in your life in the next one or two years. Don’t let the pen up from the paper. Just write, write, and write some more for the full three minutes. Set a timer on your phone if you need to.
Once you have finished circle the things you could change right now. Either make the change or decide you really don’t need to. Then do the same thing with the items that can take six months, one year, and two years. Mark off anything you have now decided you really don’t think needs to change.
At the end of this exersize you should have a bit of more clarity on what things you would like to change in your life. You can now set goals and work towards the long term changes.
Question: What kind of things would you like to change in your life?
The Ten Dollar Question
January 29, 2014
Photo Courtesy of Dave Dugdale.
Last week I asked the question”If someone walked up to you and handed you $10 with the stipulation you had to make someone’s life better with it what could you do?”
The inspiration came from Chris Guillebeau who wrote “The $100 Startup” which talks about starting a business for a hundred dollars or less. I was interested in what people could do with ten dollars to change someone’s life. Ten bucks seems like a small amount of money to make a big change but I wanted to make people think deeper.
Why think deeper? Because many people will do for others what they will not do for themselves. You might go buy a burger from a drive thru for someone who is hungry but would consider that splurging if you did it yourself. I wanted to make people think about how they could make a difference in someone’s life with $10 so you could maybe see how you could change your own life or circumstances with the same amount of money.
Fortunes have been made on little startup money. Lives have been changed with a kind word and a helping hand with no money at all. Take ten dollars and in the next week go and make a difference with it in your life. Start a business, make a donation, or start that retirement account you have been meaning to get to. Make a commitment to go out and do something with a ten dollar bill during the next seven days!