Early in my career, I ran across a story of a guy who always ended his letters, memos, and emails with the salutation “Keep marching forward.” For the first decade of my career every email I sent had those closing words: “Keep marching forward!” Over time, I softened the message. What started out as a…
frame“External things are not the problem. It’s your assessment of them. Which you can erase right now.” ~ Marcus Aurelius In every instant, you’re being bombarded with data being received by your senses. Events and objects leave mental impressions from which you create a photocopy, or perception. Any time a copy of something is made,…
Distinction: Bad Goal vs. Good Goal. A good goal uses language and metrics that ultimately pulls you toward being and bringing your best self creating opportunities for growth and evolution. A bad goal feels forced, either in its creation or in the drive behind doing it. When you set bad goals for yourself, it creates…
The power of a word. How many times a day do you use the word “should”? Consider the impact using “should” has on your perception. Google “define: should” and you’ll get the following result: What if instead of using the word “should” as a form of self-reprimand or -exasperation, you start doing whatever it is…
“If there is urgency, it’s probably a need. If there is craving or desire, it’s probably a want. If there is a natural and uncomplicated pull, it’s probably a value.” ~ Thomas J. Leonard I love a good turn of phrase. Values wanted, needs not apply. Do you have clarity over the needs and wants…
Nothing is stronger than habit. ~ Ovid, Roman poet (43 BC – 17 AD) There are many obstacles in your life preventing you from moving forward. Habit is one of them. A Duke university study found that at least 45 percent of your waking behavior is habit. Almost half of what you do when you…
When you dream, what do you dream about? Take a moment, sit back, and dream. Take it all in; the sights, the sounds, the feels. Go ahead, dream for a bit. Keep dreaming… How do you feel while you are dreaming? Relaxed? Happy? Inspired? How do you feel when you come back to the present…
“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright Belief is a powerful force. Human history is filled with volumes of accomplishments and atrocities as a result of a belief. Beliefs create a vacuum between what is and what should be, creating…
When you hear the phrase ‘pursuit of happiness’, what images does it invoke? The framers of the constitution modeled this phrase after the Greek word eudaimonia literally translated as the state of a ‘good spirit’. A more Platonian description of the word can be summarized as ‘a state of well-being and flourishing that results from…
Ah, the old adage: Are you living to work or working to live? Notice how both require work to support life, however, the turn of phrase reflects a deeper question. When you think about work, how does your heart react? Take a minute and ponder what you’re feeling. When your lifestyle begins to rob you…