If you were only going to be remembered by a one sentence description, what would you want it to be. Here’s an exercise that gets at this. It comes from the book “The Power of Full Engagement: by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. They recommend thinking about: “Who are you at your best? What one sentence on your tombstone would you like to see that captures who you really were in life?”
Read MoreIn the book, “Take Off From Within” author Ervin Seal describes our minds are a mad, drunk, jumping monkey. If you easily notice the bad things in life, your mind will say ‘oh you like this, I’ll give you more!’
Read MoreHave you ever had a decision to make and didn’t trust your gut and regretted it later? According to the book, “Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life” by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, the best decision-making part of the brain is in the old brain and it has no connection to the part of your brain that controls vocabulary! The decision making part of the brain is connected to your guts. IE: a gut decision is a real thing.
Read MoreAre you trying to find your purpose? Perhaps we’re overcomplicating the process. In the book, “Think Like A Monk” the author Jay Shetty states, “your passion becomes a purpose when you use it to serve others.”
Read MoreDo you ever catch yourself worrying a bit too much about what others think of you. Remember what Dr. Daniel Amen: calls, “The 18, 40, 60 rule.”. Basically, it states: ‘At 18, you are worried about what everybody is thinking about you. At 40, you don’t give a darn about what anyone is thinking about you. At 60, you realize that nobody’s been thinking about you at all.’
Read MoreIn his book, “Making Work Work,” Shola Richards states, “Everyone desires to be: Validated, Affirmed, Understood, Appreciated….but we are an appreciation-starved society! The #1 reason people quit their jobs: they don’t feel appreciated…Remember, everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying ‘make me feel important.’ Never forget this message when working with people.”
Read MoreIt’s easy to spot problems in the world. It’s even easier to complain about them. According to author Will Bowen who wrote the book “A Complaint Free World,” most people complain an average of 15-30 times/day.
Read MoreDo you have a good job? How do you know? Comparing your job to other people’s jobs isn’t the best measuring stick. The idea is to evaluate how well aligned your job is with your interests , values, and skills.
Read MoreDo you take great pride in being busy? Checking things off a to-do list makes you happy (even if it’s not your to-do list). When’s the last time you took some time to calm your mind?
Read MoreHave you asked yourself what these trying times are trying to teach us as a society? Maybe there is even a valuable lesson for YOU specifically that you have really needed for a long time. Nietzsche has a clever solution. He said, “Whatever happens to you, say, ‘this is what I need.”
Read MoreDo you want to effectively influence others? Before you go down a laundry list of all you know about a subject, start by explaining why you are so passionate about that subject. As Teddy Roosevelt said, “No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Read MoreAre you a perfectionist? Do you have a hard time feeling content with your life? Perhaps you could benefit from learning and applying a term called ‘Satisficing.’ This term is mentioned in the book, “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide Book” by Kieran Setiya. In the book, Setiya defines Satisficing as: Settling with no regret. It’s a decision-making strategy where decision-makers select the first option that meets a given need or select the option that seems to address most needs rather than the "optimal" solution.
Read MoreWhat does it mean to live a triumphant life and are you doing so? In the book, “The Man Who Tapped The Secrets of the Universe” by Glen Clark it is stated: ‘the life triumphant is that which places what a man gives to the world in creative expression far ahead of that which he takes from it from the creation of others.”
Read MoreRalph Waldo Emerson said, "To be great is to be misunderstood.”
Read MoreDo you like to learn new things? Perhaps you’re like me and like to listen to audiobooks or podcasts on your commute. Inputing information into our minds is certainly good. But we need to balance that with simply being present and observing. Onnit CEO Aubrey Marcus was interviewed by Hal Elrod and talked about Mindfillness vs. Mindfulness.
Read MoreThe traditional approach of “Ready, Aim, Fire,” isn’t always the best approach. Whole Foods founder and CEO, John Mackey had said that a lot of his success has come from following the philosophy of “Ready, Fire, Aim.”
Read MoreDo you struggle with perfectionism? In his book, “How To Be An Imperfectionist: The New Way to Self-Acceptance, Fearless Living, and Freedom from Perfectionism,” Stephen Guise talks about using an approach that focuses on Binary Results: either I did it or I didn’t.
Read MoreIn his book, “The 5 Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to your Mate” Gary Chapman discusses how everyone has a primary and a secondary love language.
Read MoreIn the book, “Game Changers” by Dave Asprey there is a suggested exercise: “Write down 3 words that describe your best self. Look at them frequently throughout the day.”
Read MoreWhat do you typically do when a friend, family member, or co-worker shares their problems with you? Have you ever found yourself searching for the ideal response? Perhaps you’ve tried to solve their problem for them or said something that you thought would be helpful but it didn’t have a positive effect. Michael Bungay Stonier author of “The Coaching Habit” recommends that after someone shares his/her issues with you, simply ask “So how can I help?”
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