Winning Strategies

A Life Intervention

Seated next to me on a recent flight was  a man, let's call him Joe (to protect his identity).  He was a consultant, flying off to 'rescue a client ' in distress.

He was anxious and hurried, frustrated that his life had, well, become a big ball of all work and no play.  His work life had overtaken his life, leaving him little time left to enjoy the life before him.

Joe's current state could describe you or I or any of us on any given day.  We begin to work on a project, work on advancing at the office and before we know it, work has consumed our days, our evenings, and all the spaces inbetween.

We have allowed work to consume us.  It has taken over, taken us hostage, and we are none the wiser.  We let it hold us as gunpoint, and we longingly wonder how to make it different.

There is a Way Out
The good news is that there is a way out and YOU are in complete control.  If you have found yourself in the same boat as Joe, then take note.  Working yourself to death and missing out on life's pleasures (time with your spouse, family, kids, or friends) is no way to go about living.  YOU are in control.  YOU manage your calendar.   YOU accept the assignments.  YOU set the timelines (or are not moving the timelines to a more realistic achievement date).

What Are You Afraid Of?
I hear often that you are afraid of losing your jobs.  Many of you are creating unhealthy situations that will proliferate into worse situations that, if not resolved, will create your demise at work.  Examples include ignoring your spouse until he/she leave you (that would create a problem for you); ignoring your health until you are hospitalized, and the list goes on and on.

It comes down to the fact that living a balanced life is not only BETTER for YOU, but it is BETTER for your employer!  I recently took a vacation for 2 weeks.  Many at my office (if they were truthful) would tell you that I was becoming a complete pain in the ###.  I needed a few days off, and my work relationships, work outputs, and work results will be better off because I did.  Not only that, but my marriage will benefit, and since I left the kids as home- they are probably happier as well.  Smile.  Fear is a motivator that only keeps you from doing what you should do.

GO Ahead and Try It
Go ahead and try it.  Schedule some workout time into your calendar.  Schedule a much needed vacation.  If you hate your job and are working yourself to death, schedule time to interview for another position.  Schedule a dinner date with your spouse or friends.  Take some time to equalize the amazing amount of work that you do.

I dare you.

Kony 2012: Join the Army of Peacekeepers

It is time to join together for a cause worthy of fighting for.  It is time to make our voices heard and step out for what is right and what is best for our world and all of God's creatures great and small, young and old.

Join the army of peacekeepers at: http://www.kony2012.com

Sign the pledge and join the movement.  Take a moment out of your busy day to watch the video and let your voice be heard.  Can we continue to stand by and pretend we don't know?

 

Climbing the Mountains of Your Life

 

When I was in St. Kitts, there was a road by the Marriott that you could take to ascend to the top of a hilltop.  Each morning before breakfast, Michael and I would climb to the top of the hill and overlook the beautiful scenery from atop St Kitts.  The view was grand.  Many days, along the steep climb, we would run into monkeys playing in the trees.  Each day I would think to myself, if I can climb this hill, then surely I can climb any hill or mountain that comes into my life.  Even in the midst of the hard climb, we seemed to find an amazing new thing to discover and share.

When I encounter a hill or a mountain in my life, often my mind wanders to the hilltop climb in St Kitts.  I think of the steep hill, the amazing view from the top, and the struggle it was to get up the hill each morning.  Sometimes we encounter hills or mountains in our life.  Sometimes they seem so hard to climb.  It seems like they are just too steep, yet we must stay focused on the goal.

I knew if I finished the climb, and made it back to the hotel, there was a hot breakfast and a hot cup of java waiting for me.  I knew the day would be filled with sunshine, a beach chair, and a good book.  I could get through the climb knowing that I could enjoy an amazing view from the top and a quick ascent down would give me warm food and a cup of coffee.  Encourage yourself along the climb.  Think about the varying views that you will see when you conquer the hill you are climbing.  Think about the quick ascent down, once you have made it through.  Watch for little amazing things that you can discover along the path.

 

There will always be another mountain that you must climb.  You will be able to climb them all.  I believe in you.

They Don't Know

 

My kids have never gone to bed hungry, never wondered where they'd sleep the next night. They have never gone without clothes and struggled to stay warm in an empty alley all night.

They have never cried themselves to sleep, wondering if they would wake up alone with no parent by their side- or woke up next to a drug addicted parent- passed out and unable to be awakened.

They don't know what they don't know. They don't know the feeling of living alone on the streets, struggling to support themselves, or moving from shelter to shelter sleeping on old cots. They've never had to deal with that.

Because of the limited things they've seen, they do not REALLY know all that they have to be thankful for. They do not fully comprehend the blessing that is their life and their circumstances. They are missing the chance to truly celebrate all that is good in their lives.

I'm saddened that I've been unable to truly teach them this one lesson: life is a gift, enjoy and treasure each piece of all that you've been given. It is truly more than you recognize and FAR MORE than you celebrate on a daily basis.

Today- celebrate the gift of your life and all the blessings that you have in it!

 

This Moment is Your Life

"Be happy for this moment.  This moment is your life."  Any idea what movie this quote is from? Answer:  Diane Lane & Richard Gere is in this 2002 movie titled 'Unfaithful'

Find the Silver Lining

 

You get disapointing news.  Something doesn't go your way.  You feel disapointed or unhappy.  Find the silver lining.  In a few days it will be better.  The sky will become clearer and whatever it is that has upset you or disapointed you will seem small and distant.  There is always better news and days ahead.

Reset your perspective.  Try to focus your mental attention on positive things that put you in a better mindset.  I answer emails from around the world.  Many times, I am reading about the promotion you didn't get, an offense against you at work, a critical meeting you weren't invited to, or a project that you didn't get to work on.  All in all, the most important thing is how you recover. 

Ben Breedlove Shows Us All How to Live

 

Today we talked about Ben Breedlove, the 17 year old with a heart condition that died in December.  His story about how he chose to live his life despite a life threatening heart condition is encouraging, amazing, and lifts your heart.  Watch his story, it is well worth the time spent.  Watch it with your family and notice his geniune smiles.

 

Part 1 of the story:  http://youtu.be/tmlTHfVaU9o

Part II of the story:  http://youtu.be/a4LSEXsvRAI

The story from his sister's viewpoint:  http://youtu.be/GEhAtP2Fnb8

What an uplifting and surreal story and vision from a young man from Austin Texas.  I know that this will bless your day and help you to put things in your life in their proper perspective.  I too, like Ben, believe in God.

1-2-3 Schedule AWAY! It is TIME...

The end of the year is here.  It is time to look at 2012 and schedule your personal time, vacation time, days off for the kids' birthdays, anniversarys and other important events.  If you do not schedule the events ahead of time, chances are that you will not have schedule availability to 'be there' when the event time comes up.

Vacations are easier to take if you have BOOKED the time off on your calendar.  Take a moment NOW to book some days off.  Enter the days into your schedule and think about what you could do with some of the time off.  DREAM a little.  Let your mind wander to places that you'd love to visit and possible ideas for adventures for 2012.

If you'd like to attend a sporting event for the high school, a college game, or a pro event- - - book a slot off on your calendar.  Even if the date doesn't end up being exactly right, it will remind you to book the event when the date comes along.

Those who fail to plan, plan to fail- you've heard the saying.  If you do not PLAN your days off, you will FAIL at getting the events scheduled.  So, PLAN a few events BEFORE the year even rolls around.  PLAN the events BEFORE 2012 even STARTS. 

Happiness is a State of Mind

Happiness is a state of mind.  It is a state that we decide to enter.  You can decide to accept your circumstances, rejoice in your blessings, and aim to quickly forget the pieces of your life that fall below your expectations.  Happiness is a choice.  You can choose to be content. 

I believe this with all of my being.  I once memorized a poem that goes like this:

Happiness

Everybody, everywhere seeks happiness tis true
But finding it and keeping it seems difficult to do
Difficult because we think that happinesss is found
Only in the places where wealth and fame abound

And so we go on searching in the palaces of pleasure
Looking for wealth and monetary treasure
Unaware that happiness is just a state of mind
Within the reach of everyone that takes time to be kind

Go create yourself a happy day!

Our Life on Earth Ends in Death

We fuss and mumble, work and complain.  We don't take time for family and we hurry through life, missing out on most of it, acting insane.

Our life on earth ends here, in a hearse , no matter how we spend it.  No matter what decisions we make, if we are living life in black and white, or enjoying it in full color.  If we are being an amazing spouse and parent, or if we are failing miserably- - - it all ends in the back of black car driving us to a burial slot.

One scripture in the Bible that I like says, 'For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul."  Are you focused on your soul?  Are you living the life you should be living?

Are you ok with the way that you are 'spending' your life?  Is it acceptable to you?  Are you on a path and a journey that you are proud of or disapointed in?  Are you truly focused on the things that are important?  Do you feel like you are being 'all that you can be', enjoying life, giving back to your community and taking care of the poor and the lowly,  and thoroughly enjoying the moments that are your life? or are you missing the chance to live the life God's has for you?

We take it for granted.  We walk through our days one step after the other, oblivious to the whisper of time as it passes.  We move along, somewhat unaware that the path is changing, that time is gracefully flying by, and we are living it like we have unlimited tomorrows.  We are stepping through the journey, unaware that the road is shorter now, and the time we have remaining has 1 less day after today than it had yesterday. 

Blip, blip, blip, tick tock, tick tock.  The minutes, hours, days, months, and years pass in a blur.  We are sometimes completely unaware of time passing before us.

What would it take to get you to live today like there was no tomorrows?  What would it take for you to love your spouse, love on your children, make the MOST of every relationship, giving of yourself to others,  and savor EACH moment of LIFE as if those moments were the precious, amazing, gift that they are?  What would it take?  What would MOVE YOU to that point of understanding?

I'm amazed at the number of us that are walking half dead.  We are living in a fog, unaware of the color and brightness of the world around us.  Your loved ones want to savor their time with you.  They want to 'be' with you.  Life is but a moment, a whisper, a quick splash that passes by so quickly. 

Enjoy these moments of your life.  Fill them with color and savor every second.