LIFE: How Do You Measure It?

By Traci Vincent | Published August 15, 2011

iStock_000005158488XSmallLast week I attended one of Lynn Rose’s powerful workshops on speaking. She likes to use acronyms and gave us several as tools to stay present and mindful on how we talk and connect with other people.  The one that has had me thinking and shifting my perspective the most this week is “LIFE” or as Lynn defines the acronym, “Love In Full Expression”.

The more I think about this, the more I realize just how empowering and life changing this truly is. What if we showed up at work this week offering LIFE to our co-workers and bosses? How would this look? Perhaps, it would look like more empathy, more understanding, more positivity and less judgement.

What if we showed up this week offering more LIFE in our community? How would that feel?  Would we acknowledge a homeless person instead of ignoring them?  Would we seek out the opportunity to get to know someone of a different race or religion?  Would we pick up that stray piece of trash in the parking lot or perhaps simply return a misplaced shopping cart to the rack? Would we embrace the positive aspects of our community instead of focusing on the negative?

How about our families?  How would it be if we offered new LIFE to our spouse and/or our children?  Would they see us as more fully present and engaged in their needs and concerns?  Would they feel our love for them in new creative ways or maybe just simple ways? Would it infuse them with a powerful sense of love and value?

Finally, how about ourselves?  What would it be like if we showed up with LIFE for our true self each morning this week? Would we gracefully forgive ourselves for the mistakes we made the previous day, previous week, heck how about the previous year or decade?  Would we see each day as a fresh start and new opportunity to learn and grow and truly love and value ourselves first in order to actually have the capability and openness necessary to love other humans?  If we are struggling with the ability to show up with Love In Full Expression for ourselves, is it even possible to love our jobs, love our community and love our families in a profound and powerful way?

So that’s what I’ve been thinking about.  How about you?  It’s your LIFE…How do you measure it?

(Let me know if you would like more information about Lynn Rose and her workshops)

Traci Vincent

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Journey Distractions

By Andee Allen | Published August 12, 2011

mom and baby

Ok, Morning Coach people, you think you have issues meeting your goals?  Check out the saga of the Klamath River whales.  Here is this mother and baby Pacific gray whale gently swimming in the Klamath River, minding their own business, doing their own thing.  After about a month, the baby heads back to the open ocean.  The mother, content on her own journey, continues to leisurely swim around in circles in the river. 

whale diversionJPGThen out of no-where come these smart, super-intelligent, caring citizens who decide that the mother should not be in the river, that what she is doing is not right and that she has to go back to the ocean right now.   So in their infinite, all-knowing wisdom, they shoot her with water, bang on pipes, pound on drums, etc. in an effort to change her course and send her back to where they think she should be.whale spraying

 

The gentle giant calmly ignores them and goes on about her own personal development and goals.  She does not let them divert her focus or attention.  She continues to swim in the river – up the river, under the bridge, and back down the river.  Every day, consistently.  Not once does she lash out at the people that think they know what is best for her. No angry splashing, no overturning their boats, just a gentle steady progress on her route.  In fact, mostly she ignores them.   She doesn’t try to argue with them or dissuade them from their goals of diverting her.  Instead she let’s them do what they are doing and gracefully continues on her own personal journey.

Now I don’t pretend to understand what she is doing in that river anymore than I understand what you are doing in your own personal river.  But this I do know, whatever she is doing or whatever you are doing, it’s because it is the right journey for your own personal growth and development.  It doesn’t really matter if others understand or embrace your personal goals.  What matters is that you – like the whale – understand your journey  and consistently work towards it.

Next time you have friends, family, acquaintances, or even strangers trying to divert you from your journey, think of the whale – stay the course, be consistent, be gentle and courteous, and stay focused on your own personal goal.  Let nothing distract you.

personal goal

To follow more of this beautiful whale’s journey go to  www.ashalatylorimages.wordpress.com or www.flickr.com/photos/ashala

Andee is a business consultant whose passion is helping business owners strategically market and brand their companies using social media tools coupled with traditional business tactics.  Her clients range from small independent companies to large multi-national organizations.  She has an MBA but owes her success to personal coaching by JB Glossinger and morningcoach.com.  She can be reached at andeeallen@gmail.com.

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Wise Earnest Creation Amidst Financial Crisis

By Traci Vincent | Published August 11, 2011

iStock_000000524198MediumWow, what a week it has been in the financial sector! It is certainly easy to get nervous, worry and panic about our investments and financial stability in these uncertain times. But will worry and panic really create anything positive?  I have chosen not to get locked into the panic and frenzy.  I know what is going on, but listening to the news over and over again seems to paralyze me from tuning in to what is best for me and my family and even for my health for that matter.

As Buddha once said, “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past nor to worry about the future, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

So how do we live in the present moment wisely and earnestly in the face of the scathing market sell off that has us all recounting the financial pain of 2008?  Even with the Fed’s announcement to hold interest rates for 2 years, it doesn’t appear that it offers any less confusion or really addresses the underlying issues that are shaping our investments like massive debt, government budget battles and the dollar’s declining value.  This certainly equates to a rather serious outlook as we face at best very slow economic growth over the next few years or possibly another recession.

After reading market updates from several investment groups, I think Karl Thiel of The Motley Fool says it best in reminding us that the best course of action is to stay calm and not to make any sudden, panicked decisions.  As tough as it may seem, taking a disciplined approach and continuing to invest and using dollar cost averaging into core companies that disrupt old mindsets and create new markets will be a good approach to follow to find growth.  Think back to the late 1970s-early 1980s when our country faced economic malaise and high unemployment.  It was not the old companies that brought economic shifts, but rather unforeseen industries like computing and all the ancillary services that spawned from it that changed how we operate and live today.

So what will bring us the next economic upshift?  No one can say with certainty. But, for sure, tt won’t be a sudden surge in the demand for large deeply established companies. It will be something bold and new that creates a market where there was little to none prior.  It will take a solid belief in the value of creativity, innovation and being a visionary regardless of the cable news reports.  It will take us truly tuning into and clarifying our purposes, goals and innate passions to create new products, new industries and new markets.

Thinking again about the quote from Buddha, “…live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” Let’s all earnestly press forward in wisdom and earnest effort to dream, create and live in abundance regardless of what the media is saying.  Let’s not let  fear, paralysis and panic take away our innovation and creativity to make the world a better place in new ways.

Traci Vincent


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Making That Tough Decision!

By Debra Moser | Published August 9, 2011

Decisions sign in the skyFor so many people making decisions do not come easy and most daily decisions are made without thought and come from a reactive position filled with emotion.  What about those tough decisions? Fear of failure and making the wrong decision can lead you to live your life filled with resentment, stuck and empty.  Last year I had to make one of the toughest decisions of my life and had to embrace that fear head on.  I wasn’t happy at work and found the leadership and management values were not congruent with my own personal and professional values. I just wasn’t where I wanted to be in my life. There were other factors involved, but the bottom line was I wanted to retire early.  I wanted to take that leap of faith and work for myself and follow my heart and my passion.  I did not want to spend another 5 to 10 years in a job that did not make me happy.  I didn’t want to settle in the world of mediocrity.  Here are some of the strategies that helped me and can help you make that hard decision.

I asked myself one fundamental question: How is this job serving me and the greater good?  I knew at a deep intuitive level that it was time to change. I couldn’t imagine or see a future in it. The job was not serving me nor serving the greater good.  I believed in myself and listened to my intuition to follow my calling.

Stop to get clarity.  Early in days of frustration there were times when I just wanted to quit.  I knew this was coming from a position of overwhelming emotion so I stopped!  Once I stopped thinking and reacting, took a few deep breaths I began to have clarity and the tension subsided.  Before you have to make a difficult decision, stop and take time to breathe and ruminate on the possible results and action of your decision before you commit to it.  You will find clarity to make that decision.

Talk it out.  I knew that retiring early would affect my family.  I wrote out the details of my decision and then discussed it with my spouse.  It is important that you discuss your plans going forward so that when you do make the decision you are supported.  We worked out all the angles knowing that by losing that extra income would have an impact on our financial situation.  We covered all the basis.

No backing out.  Once you make that difficult decision there is no backing out.  Make the decision, commit to it and then move on.  Pay attention to your feelings, it’s natural to feel nervous but if you are listening to your heart you will know in the long run that the decision was right and you will feel more at ease.

When I make a tough decision I make it with the right intention in a positive way and know with all my heart I am serving my higher self.  I did retire in January of this year after over 30 years of a public service and a military career.  I am now living and pursuing my dream as a Personal Development Coach. 

Debra Moser is a Personal Development Coach, veteran, writer and entrepreneur.  She is committed to empowering her clients to

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Judgment

By Bill Beard | Published August 8, 2011

As I read the following definition of Judgment, “the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action; good sense; discretion; the faculty of being able to make critical distinctions and achieve a balanced viewpoint,” my first reaction is “really?” Think about the last time you “judged” someone…did you do it objectively and with a balanced viewpoint? I didn’t think so.  judge

I recently read an article “Band of Brothers,” by Michael Farber (Sports Illustrated, June 6, 2011).  The author makes the distinction between Lance Armstrong the cyclist and Lance Armstrong the founder of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  While the current media focus is on judging Armstrong for his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs, Farber’s recent cancer diagnosis helps to bring balance to all the recent media judgment. In the article Farber notes how Armstrong through his Foundation (“Livestrong”) has raised over $325 million in the last 14 years for cancer research.

As someone who enjoys cycling and has lost loved ones to cancer, I appreciate Farber’s objective viewpoint.  As I look at the yellow band on my wrist worn in honor of my late father, I think about how easy it is every day to pass judgment on another based on a situation, action, or event.  Farber offers a quote by his own oncological surgeon; “There’s nobody I can think of—no nonmedical person—who has had an impact like Lance Armstrong on cancer awareness and fund-raising.” This piece of information most likely has influenced your judgment of Lance Armstrong, the person.

I recently had a conversation with a nurse friend who is on assignment at a federal prison.  Contrary to what most would believe, she is finding that the kindest and most respectful inmates are those on death row.  She noted that even though many are now years away from their past and living a life constantly reminded of their death sentence, they are actively working to become better people (despite the minimal benefits derived from their good behavior).  I found her objective insight and human compassion a good balance to the usual cynicism and “quick to judge” mentality that seems to be so prevalent today.

People who are celebrities or are in the public eye are used to being judged because of their celebrity and the non-stop media coverage.  And unfortunately today the right to judge seems to have become a way of living for many.  Make yourself look better by judging others as less than you.

Think about your life and the situations you deal with daily.  Is it possible for a stranger or even a close friend to understand the complexities of your life?  Is it therefore possible for them to judge you on how you are living your life?  More importantly is it possible for you to know enough about another’s life to be able to judge in a balanced and objective way?

Although most of us are not dealing with a performance-enhancing drug scandal or facing a death sentence, we are in daily situations where others will judge us and we will judge them.  The next time you are faced with the opportunity to judge another, will you be balanced, objective and wise?

Living your life with love, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness is definitely the right stuff to help you have more objective views of others.  Likewise, living as an honest, trustworthy, caring, and ethical person will help others be more objective in their judgments of you.

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”   Luke 6:37

Bill Beard is completing his credentialing as a personal development coach through The MorningCoach Academy of Coaching.  He has committed his knowledge, vision, and life experiences to leading others to an abundant life through Personal Evolution.  Click to find out more about Bill, his coaching/consulting company -Infinite Purpose, and MorningCoach.

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