Let Self-Compassion be Your Guide

If you notice a child was not coloring in their coloring book one day you wouldn’t beat them up because they were not coloring.

Steve Chandler

Listen to your inner wisdom, no self-flagellation, be compassionate to yourself. Notice your choice, increase your self-compassion, honor your process. Notice again what you have chosen, is it serving you?

If not, listen to your inner wisdom, and gently choose differently.

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Self Compassion

Self Compassion

Are Your Balloons in a Row?

The other day I noticed a man loading a large bunch of balloons into the back of his vehicle. As I watched, he would push in a couple balloons on one side and several would pop out on the other. I thought, “goodness that is what life is like when we have too many projects going on at once. As we get one thing, or balloon under control, two or three pop out the other side. Then we get preoccupied with getting those balloons back in the car, and the others pop back out! No wonder we get frustrated, and feel crazy!” Some of us say, “I am so busy!”, as euphemism for “I chose to not manage my life and be responsible for the choices that I make.”
 
We know that mastery comes at a price of sacrificing some of those projects. The sacrifice of that which is of less important, or of that which I am less passionate about for the things that matter the most to us. This sacrifice seems like it should be easy but often it means people will be upset with us, and our desire to people please wins out over our desire to do the things in life that we are most passionate about.  We can choose to be a jack of all trades, and a master of none, or we can have a passion or passions that we desire to master. If our choice is the latter, then the first steps to mastery is to simplify and put in order our life.
 
What are you passionate about?  Are you living your priorities? Where can you simplify your life? Where can you create more order in your life? 
Mastery - Robert Greene
Mastery – Robert Greene

Are You an A?

In the book, The Art of Possibility, Benjamin and Rosamund Stone Zander share a story of a young man that was attending one of Benjamin’s music courses. Zander, the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and a teach at the Walnut Hill Conservatory had come up with the technique of giving his students all A’s at the beginning of the year so that they would risk playing full out, making mistakes, and growing through the year in his course.

One young man was perplexed by this idea. In his country, the orchestra where he played he was number 68 out of 70. The student after being awarded the “A” by Zander wandered around pondering this idea for several days. He then wrote Zander that this was at first confusing that in his country he is 68 out of 70 but in Mr. Zander’s class he was an “A” student. He told Zander that he realized that he felt better when he thought of himself as an “A” student instead of “68” so he decided he would go with being an “A” student.

 

This young man learned in a very short  time what it takes most of us decades to learn that we get to decide what we believe, and that we can choose that which will benefit, and serve us the most. This young man recognized that he felt better when he thought and felt of himself as an “A” student.

What are you thinking about yourself? Are you giving yourself an “A”, or a making yourself number 68? Consider both options, which would serve you best then chose! Who can you give an “A” to today?
Hear the story from Zander himself.
Giving an
Giving an “A”!

Choose One!

Make a list of what you want to explore, visit, study, learn, do, photograph, read, write, meet, or see! Choose one! Set a date! Make a strategy! Go for it!