Would you dwell on the loss
…or revel in the joy you experienced from IT?
Do you waste precious moments worrying about the what if
…or focus on enjoying IT?
Would you take the loss personal
…or be grateful for what IT gave you when you had IT?
Would you question IT?
Are you questioning IT?
STOP! ENJOY IT! LEARN FROM IT! FIND IT!
What is IT? That’s up to you to fill in or find out.
So what is IT for you?
OuroborosThere is a mystical archetype called the Ouroboros that comforts my soul and calms my mind with its symbolism. I look to it as a representation of how I both hope and strive to live my life. It symbolizes the need to apply a finality to the past and a need to let go, forgive, and continually renew on this journey called life.
Here is a small excerpt from Wikipedia:
The Ouroboros (or Uroborus)[1] is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. The name originates from within Greek language; οὐρά (oura) meaning “tail” and βόρος (boros) meaning “eating”, thus “he who eats the tail”.[2]
The Ouroboros represents the perpetual cyclic renewal of life, and infinity, the eternal return, and represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth, leading to immortality, as in the phoenix.
I would add “forget” to that list of interpretations, however it is not a complete obliteration as the term “forget” would imply. We need to forget the specific event and its details obliterating all the pain and judgement those details may invoke in us while still retaining the wisdom that past experience provides. They make us stronger if we retain the wisdom but can actually weaken and debilitate us if we don’t let go and continually relive the details and negative impacts. The past is past – learn and live! Grow and teach! Let the markings make you a better person not a lessor.
They are markings of wisdom on our soul. Some are beautiful and elaborate artwork tattooed on us for eternity. Others are scars of past trauma’s that have made us who we are. None of them need to be open wounds robbing us of what we can be. Don’t give them your power!
Just as the Ouroboros consumes and digests its tail taking on only the nutrients it provides – we too must consume and digest the past only retaining the nutrient wisdom it provides.
One of my favorite and one of the most impactful books in my life is The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. It is a quick read that is so complex in its simplicity that I am confident anyone can find at least a few positive points to take away from it in their pursuit to master the dream of their life. The Four Agreements are simply:
- BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
- DON’T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
- DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
- ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgement, self-abuse, and regret.
Clean the space for renewal as the Ouroboros does and live the present and future with The Four Agreements in mind, that is my intention, hope, and will. If you would like to pick up a copy of The Four Agreements you can do so by clicking on the image below. (affiliate link, all affiliate revenue will be donated to a worthy charity).
I highly recommend the book to anyone seeking relief from the unproductive drama’s of day to day life. You won’t be disappointed.
Are you allowing your past to be an open wound or scars of wisdom?
The second ring of the Health point of focus on my 2011 Convergence target was to have an average blood sugar of 140mg/DL with medication. I am both proud and pleased to share that I not only achieved that goal – I BEAT IT! My average reading for the last four months is down to 100mg/DL and it is completely med free. I am extremely grateful to have this in check without having to worry about the possible long-term side effects of the medicines previously needed to keep it in healthy range. There was a a lot that went into accomplishing this goal but the most important step was setting the goal!
“In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.”
I whole heartedly believe in the power and magic of manifestation. But it is only one piece of the puzzle. It is a very powerful piece that can accelerate the achievement of your goals and dreams by both telling the universe of your desires and then surrendering to the flow of the energy to manifest those desires. I do, however, worry that too many proponents of manifestation are selling it as the only step necessary as if you can focus and visualize your dream and then just sit on the couch with a bowl of chips and wait for it to be delivered like a book ordered online. Not quite that simple. Definitely tell the universe of your desires, surrender to the flow of the energy, but then listen to the universe on what your next actions need to be and DO IT!
I tell the universe of my desires and visualize them through the convergence target. The target covers many areas and lots of ground but the universe clearly directed my energy towards the highest priority. I didn’t consciously prioritize where to focus, it just flowed. In hindsight it makes complete logical sense that my first order of business needed to be fixing my body and subsequently my mind as a predecessor to achieving the desires in the other points of focus. I could research and even execute some actions in the other areas but body and mind had to be top priority. They all flow together and are interconnected, complimenting and supporting one another as my good friend Lou highlighted in his guest post.
So I went with the flow and it continues to pay dividends. Through my actions and focus to beat this malady I actually brought the entire “Health” point of focus into convergence through diet and exercise. This was my “Health” point of focus as proclaimed on January 17, 2011.
It is now not only fully complete but actually exceeded. I am probably in the best shape of my life. Even better shape than my Army days since my weekends no longer consist of consuming mass quantities of dark German beer like they did back then. Now its time to regroup and proclaim my 2012 desires in the form of a convergence target and see where the universe takes me.
What are your desires for 2012? How will you manifest them into reality?
ITS UP TO YOU!
One of my first posts as I launched JTC roughly a year ago was about Chris Brogan’s recommendation to choose three words as guideposts for the upcoming year instead of the standard New Years resolutions. The idea of guideposts instead of hardfast resolutions resonated well with me and how I looked to structure my journey. Three words to guide my focus while utilizing the convergence targets to set goals beneath the umbrella of those three words.
Last year my three words were “borrowed” and thrown together fairly quickly but they still served me well as I considered where I wanted to go on this journey and the paths I wanted to explore. For 2012, I have been thinking long and hard about what my three words should be for nearly a month now and still go back and forth on them each morning as I consider what I want the guideposts for 2012 to be but its already January 2, 2012 so its time to ink them and get started. Here are my three words for 2012 and what they mean to me.
I believe this one needs a permanent spot in every year, every day, every second. I can see the future of this exercise becoming “Three Words + Gratitude”. Keeping and expressing gratitude for all the resources, people, and experiences I have, am, and will be blessed with is simply the cornerstone of maintaining balance and happiness. It is ironically overlooked when it is needed most – when challenges arise. I look to meditate on all I have to be grateful for, every time life’s challenges try to bring me down.
I do, however, personally believe that some can mistake a lack of complacence for a lack of gratitude.
GRATITUDE is my first word for 2012 and every year hereafter.
I find it interesting that I basically “flowed” into this word as a focus for 2012 over the course of 2011 and my work on JTC. It is not in my nature to just flow very well. I tend to heavily plan, heavily analyze and look to control every next step of life just as I manage projects and business in my career. The original plan for the use of convergence targets was very rigid with heavy expectations, strict milestones, and very discreet deliverable’s. Once I surrendered to the natural flow of things and let go of the rigid expectations my traction and progress increased exponentially.
Life is far more complex than a series of tasks and goals. It is magically filled with energies flowing through all of humanity and nature. Although I will continue to set goals and focus my energy towards the areas I see in the most need through the convergence target I will also surrender to the natural flow to guide me down the right paths toward achieving those goals.
This was one of my 2011 words and it has many elements to me that need a bit of my energy. Its not just the standard sharing of thoughts, knowledge and resources but also an overall sharing of self.
SHARE is one of my three words again this year.
GRATITUDE – FLOW – SHARE are my words for 2012. What are yours?
Health, Happiness, and Prosperity to you and yours in 2012!
Loose EndsJust like the barbs on rose bushes growing along our path of life.
Loose Ends nick and nip us attempting to break our resolve and purpose.
We can see the artistry of the blooms just past the bramble if only we could seize them.
Loose Ends pierce and slash us attempting to convince us that the path is impassable.
We afflict ourselves with wounds and malady from the mere stings and twinges caused by the thistle.
We need only prune back the nettle through steadfast action and clear perspective to open the path of our journey siezing the fragrant blossoms that are ours for the taking.
What loose ends do you need to prune back today? They need not be cleared but do need controlled to open your path.
What are your wishes when you go to bed each evening? Do you hope to wake from the nightmare you know as reality or do you pray that your current reality is not just a wonderful dream coming to end? Is it possible that you have complete control to manifest either scenerio?
It is all just a dream (or nightmare) manifested by our own actions, thoughts and perspective. The key is to either make the changes in our actions, thoughts and perspective needed to end the nightmare or be happy, grateful, and resolved to maintain the wonderful dream we have manifested. More than likely there is a little bit of both going on in your reality. Some seemingly nightmarish while other aspects of your reality are wonderfully dream like. Regardless of which side of the sprectrum your current reality seems to be weighted give this a try in order to identify both what needs your change energy and what needs your gratitude.
Read your list everyday ensuring you start with “I am so happy and grateful now that…” Visualize the mirth each aspect brings you. Laugh out loud or sigh in content as you revel in the joy each of these aspects invoke in you. Don’t doubt any of the aspects that have not YET been manifested into your reality. Focus your change energy on those aspects in need and your gratitude on those aspects that have materialized.
You have to Weave The Dream before you can wear it! Before you can live it!
What are your dreams and nightmares? What are you doing to manifest the reality you desire?
THE FIRST SNOWFALLBarely a dusting and nearly melted already but it invoked a great deal of thought around perspective and the lenses through which we view the world and life’s challenges.
Just by changing the lens through which we view each experience something as simple as a light snowfall can invoke…
Visions of Snowblowers and Ice Scrapers OR Snow Angels and Sledding Hills
Smells of Gasoline and Salt OR Hot Chocolate and Cinnamon
Sounds of Horns and Crashes OR Childrens Laughter and Holiday Music
The Feel of Bitter Cold Wind on your skin OR Newly Fallen Snowflakes on your tongue
Carefully choose your lens.
What do you see, smell, hear and feel through your lenses today?
WHEN WE LAST METNearly a month ago I questioned whether my month long absence from posting was due to priorities or excuses. I can say with 100% certaintity that it is priorities and continues to be priorities. Since that post I was fortunate enough to have a little inspiration from my sons commencement ceremony and then a helping hand from a friend and former colleague with a guest post. If not for those two events I would again be facing another month long gap in posting. I hate it. I am dedicated to keeping this project alive but I also know that a big key to success is knowing and managing your priorities.
As I have mentioned before I am a big fan and diligent follower of David Allen’s Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
My fifth criteria is “Balance.” Its the toughest criteria to manage. I have seen and read about systems that work to create a daily balance. I struggle with that one given how short 24 hours really is. There are days that need to be focused on one goal in order to bring it to completion. I personally try to focus on a weekly balance but even that time span can at times need to be focused on a project or goal. Monthly, in my eyes, is about the largest span of time you should go without at least reviewing the priorities and entire “To Do” list to ensure you are not falling to far out of balance. Here again, it can be tough at times and requires a level of discipline that I can’t say I have fully achieved although trying my best.
My goals are set and my priorities are clear. It may be a few weeks until we meet again but I will not allow it to be more than a month. Remember:
and never let the hardest one – BALANCE – go without consideration.
What do your priorities and BALANCE look like right now?
Either way the resulting feeling of accomplishment will be an addiction. A great addiction that you will seek out again and again searching for that “fix”.
As you strive to fill the need for that feeling again it will drive success and prosperity in both your life as well as the lives of others.
I don’t use the term “addiction” lightly knowing full well the awful consequences the more common forms of addiction can bring but “addiction to success” is one I am happy to have and one I have no qualms “pushing.”
Today’s post is a guest post from a friend and former colleague Beth Coughlin. I had the pleasure of leading Beth in a former position. Even though Beth worked for me, I learned a great deal from her.
The biggest lesson I had to learn quickly for both our sakes was how to manage some one smarter than me. You see, I believe Beth borders on genius. With that genius comes great opportunity and unique challenges. (no offense Beth)
Much of my time working with Beth resulted in me looking up definitions on words Beth used which I had no clue what they meant while at the same time trying to figure out how to teach this extraordinary intellect how to organize her bloody office as well as how to apply a “filter” to her thoughts before she just blurted them out! 🙂
In the end, we developed a great relationship that I hope will continue on for many years to come. Together we accomplished an amazing turn around on what I would say was the largest operational transformation of a facility in my career. In the end, we JUST DID IT! and we HELPED MANY DO IT!
Here is the first of hopefully many more guest posts from Beth on coaching, mentoring and helping others succeed.
While many have proclaimed the Novel Dead, I asked Mike if I could guest-blog because there is more to the Novel (capitalization intentional) then a bound book with a plot and a witty conclusion.
In the end, every Novel is about character growth and development.
Since those that know me well know that irony is one of my strong suits, the fact that I never have made time for my novel but have spent the last six months coaching someone else on writing her novel should not be a big surprise. As much as I despise being a homily, those that can, do, those that can’t, teach.
Or, at least, those that can’t make time to write, edit. The author is a fine young lady, sixty-something years young who started a blog a couple of years ago called www.stretchmarksinthemoonlight.com . It was an eclectic, quirky collection of vignettes that covered autobiographical (and some fictional) scenes ranging from the hysterical to the poignantly tragic. I met her husband, who was convinced she was brilliant, who asked me to call her because “I worked in the publishing industry.”
Folks, I ran a warehouse. But I keep commitments, called her, and warned her, “I just run a warehouse. Oh, and eat Sunday dinner with a published author.”
“Will you help me get published?”
“Well, it needs to be a book first.”
Okay, if you haven’t figured out yet, I have a hard time with the words no.
So the trail started, first demanding more shorts from her, then finally laying down the law: it needs to hang together, if you are going to share your story, SHARE IT.
80,000 words and 6 months later we are in second draft mode. The real accomplishment: in recent years she had started reconciling with son(s) from which she had been estranged by her apparently erratic and pointless behaviors during their memory of her marriages.
Back-story matters. While the reconciliation was well on its way, revelation of her side of the story has sealed the deal.
What story did you write, or coach someone else to write today?
My second son graduated High School last night. What a great moment it is for a parent to watch their child officially complete the first step in their journey of life. Its no where near the end of the journey. Its no where near the end of time and energy a parent will need to put in to facilitate their success. It is a huge milestone that brings many emotions. Emotions of relief but also concern, excitement but also fear, and of course PRIDE.
As one of the speakers addressed the class he told them they should know that everyone in the audience is in some way envious of the opportunities and adventures the new graduates had in front of them. At first this statement had me nodding my head in agreement. With my two oldest children graduating over the past two years it did bring about emotions that could be considered envious. As we toured college campuses I would day dream of how exciting it must be to start a journey of learning without the stress of a job, a mortgage, bills, yard work, home repair and children. The opportunities that lie ahead are infinite and they have the freedom to do and be what ever they want. They dont realize how fortunate they are. If only I could have those same opportunities and freedom. WAIT A MINUTE!
Then it hit me. I DO HAVE those same opportunities and freedom. We all do! Sure, its not exactly the same but in general everyone has the freedom and opportunities to dream, create, succeed and build their journey. Every day is a graduation from some lesson or experience. The path before you every morning has infinite possibilities and opportunities. You have to choose to pursue them. Choose to pursue a passion. Choose to create something great. And when things don’t go as planned you have to choose to learn from your mistakes and move on down the next path. Each evening you are a graduating Senior facing a world of opportunities. Each morning you are Freshman in a new day of learning and experience.
I remember a conversation with a colleague and friend of mine a month or so ago where we were complaining about certain challenges and frustrations at work. I stated that “in the end I just have to remind myself that the grass isn’t any greener somewhere else” to which she replied with a statement I immediately posted on my wall:
I like my grass, there are just a few weeds that need pulled to make it better!
Love it! Time to pull the weeds and capture the opportunities that lie ahead. I graduated yesterday and I am a freshman in the course of today. Hope I can improve my GPA!
Are you seizing the opportunities that lie ahead? What “life classes” are you currently taking?
