If it fits...

Do you have it together?

Shhh!

Slice off a peace

Daydream Believer

We have a lot of power at our disposal. We can tap into it at any time and no special equipment is needed. It’s misunderstood and under-used by millions. A lot of other people see it as a bad thing, even though they’ve probably been caught doing it too. It’s called “daydreaming.”



Daydreams aren’t for losers or people out to waste their time. Daydreams are amazing tools of creativity, which can unlock our deepest potential and create the life we’re meant to live.



Dream of the Impossible

Our minds are not tethered by any the laws of nature, so we can go ahead and dream up anything we want. By freeing our thoughts we can uncover our deepest wishes… some we may not have even imagined we had.



Dream of the Possible

The next thing to do is to pull out of our dreams all those elements that could actually become real for us. Now we mustn’t get caught up in low self-esteem and the limited ideals that often keep us trapped away from success. We just need to ask ourselves “is it possible” not whether it’s easy or whether it’ll take a lot of other people to make it happen. Just “is it possible?”



Dream of the Day-to-Day

The next thing to do is to picture what our dream would look like on a daily basis. Don’t say “massage in the morning and golf at noon” because those are benefits, but rather picture what it would be like to do the daily things of a successful life.



Wake up!

Now stop dreaming and start planning. The bigger the dream, the more effort that’s got to go into it. Map it out. Set out little goals to head in the right direction. Take it upon yourself to make it happen.





Guru-cise It



Start small, with something that might need just a little attention. For example, a problem that needs to be solved at work or at home. Begin by thinking of the ultimate solution, free of any boundaries. Let your imagination soar. Then go through the steps of picking out the possible and see if there’s anything that can actually make it better.

You know you want it...

It's easier to see when it's clear.

Now's the time to make New Year's Real Solutions.

New Year's Resolutions are getting a bad rap. Just because a number of other people have made promises that they know they can't or won't keep doesn't mean that you shouldn't make promises to yourself.

Lately it's gotten so hip to put down resolutions... everyone explaining why they don't work, or why they'll never make them for themselves, yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah... but nevertheless, "resolution" means to commit to a something, a determination to follow through. How is that a bad thing?

The transition from an old to a new year is an excellent time to reflect upon the achievements and lessons of the past, and then to set a new course for the future. Sure it can be done on any other day of the year, but the world's made it a habit to do it at the "New Year"... so take advantage of it.

Make one (or two)

Then, all you have to do is stick to it and show everyone else how it's done.

Keep the light on!
GuruStu

Don't be an Old Dog in the New Year

Life is full of contradictions. As we get older, we're supposed to be getting wiser. Wisdom means learning new things, and yet we buy into the old excuse that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." Well, my dear puppies, I'm here to tell you that you can.

Being that the New Year is on its way; and resolutions are flying everywhere, there's no time like the present to learn.


Forget that you "can’t"
That’s the only thing really holds us back; that we believe we can’t do something. Whether it’s situational ("the job takes up all my time"), relational ("the kids! the kids!") or motivational ("I just don’t want to do that...") it all comes down to an excuse not to go after what we want. It seems easier not to do something now, but in the long run, it actually holds us back. Believing in "I can" is the first and most important step. The rest just becomes a matter of "how."

Forget everything you know now
The more set in our ways we become, the harder it is to learn. That' why children learn so much faster than us, because they're more open to everything that comes in. We mustn’t let what-we-know get in the way of what-we-can-become.

Don’t fight contradictions
There are multiple sides to everything in Life… and we only see it from one angle at a time. The opposite angle can really look like it negates the first angle. That's not true; both sides are true. It’s how we look at it that makes the difference. By being open to the fact that contradictions exist, we won’t get stuck on the narrow side.

Try it
Change happens by doing. We learn so much more by experiencing it first hand. Remember, we always have the option of not doing it again, or going back to our old way. Getting out of our comfort zone actually makes us stronger. Even if it's only a tiny toe out into the bigger world, stick your toe out!

But wait, there's more!
It took a long time for us to get the way we are. There was also a lot of other things that helped support our old tricks. Doing something new won't feel right, unless other things in our lives support them. Don't just try one new thing; try all the stuff that goes with it too. That’s the only real way to make a new life for yourself in the new year.

Guru-cise it!

DON'T make a resolution …

Resolutions are just empty promises with built in escape clauses in February. Stay away from the generalized commitments like "going to the gym" or "eating right" but rather focus on a specific TASK or ACTIVITY that you want to add into your life. "Learn to ski" fits right into "getting more exercise" without being "exercise."It has a fun factor built into it, which makes it more likely to happen. It's easier to reach a task that a resolution, so this year focus on the thing itself!

Balance and Harmony

The song of Life isn't just about an equal number of notes, it's about making sure they make beautiful music together.

..............................

I've been spending a lot of time thinking about balance... balancing time, energy, resources and motivation... balancing the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual elements... and kind of ignoring a different aspect of Life... harmony.

Not that I wasn't pursuing it, mind you; I just wasn't finding a place to put it in my lil book. One of my good friends sent me a planner he uses and it just sort of reminded me about harmony. I think they were using harmony like balance, which is good for them.... but since I do see them as different aspect of life, I'm going to continue to search for the best way to get them BOTH down on paper.

Balance is about giving some equality to the different parts of our lives. Work Time and Play Time may not be the same amount of hours, but they ought to be given the same amount of consideration. The same with Rest Time. We really did learn everything we needed to know in Kindergarten, didn't we?

How harmony differs is that each of these times kind of needs to "fit" with each other. They don't have to be similar (we could have a desk job during the week and skydive during the weekend) but they should somehow compliment one another. By that I mean, they go with who we are. If we're a brainiac/weekend warrior, then the desk job/skydive thing is a perfect fit. Harmony happens when each part of who we are gets to resonate every once in a while. Harmony comes when we're wholly satisfied.

It's when we neglect some piece of ourselves that we eventually take notice. It's this little black hole that starts to tug at our attention. Our lives feel less fulfilled when we ignore it.

Remember that even one note unplayed is noticeable amongst a giant symphony. That's why it's important to not only make the time, but make the time count.

Leave no song unsung!

ROTFLMAO

The Modern Day Christmas Card...

Don't be futile

Letting go is catching on.

Stuck

We're our own life support.>

A Life Without Judgment

It’s not an easy thing to do; especially when we’re taught to have strong beliefs about right and wrong. Everything around us stirs up some sort of opinion. Yet the most freeing thing we can do for ourselves - and others - is to live our lives without judgment.



We only see a little piece

The world is bigger than our senses… and there’s just so much more going on outside our range than we’ll ever encounter. The smaller the picture, the less likely our judgment will be fair and just. With that margin of error, judgment is not a very safe bet.



Disagreement is not judgment

Not judging doesn’t mean with have to agree with everything. We all see Life from a different angle. It’s okay to believe we have a right view of the world, just as long as it doesn’t mean that everyone else has to be wrong.



Judgment hurts us more

When we judge, everything outside our ideal view becomes a threat. We build walls based on fear and insecurity. We become increasingly isolated; and that robs us of fully experience all the joys Life has to offer.



The strongest person doesn’t have a shell. They don’t need one.



A life without...

The absence of judgment allows us to help others easier, because our focus is on them and not us. It helps us to really know someone or something outside ourselves. We aren’t threatened by others and their opinions. We get to see Life as it is; not how we expect it to be.



Guru-cise it!



Stop talking and start asking...



The next time you find yourself passing judgment; don’t rush to say anything, even in your head. Instead cultivate the desire to ask questions; to get to know someone or something else as it is, not how you think it is. Make sure you don’t ask opinionated questions like “why are you doing that wrong?” but rather leave it open like “why do you do that?” or how about just “why?”

Way to go!

Distance is relative.

This ain't it.

There are times in our lives that we look around at all we’ve got, and just sigh. We’re not sure how we got here, not sure where we’re going and not even sure what it is we even want… all we know is THIS AIN’T IT.



That kind of feeling can bring such a feeling of being lost. It devalues everything we have and just makes us want to quit and start over; if only we knew how.



Well, we don’t have to be that drastic, but we have to do SOMETHING before it’s too late.



Define It!

Childhood was filled with such wonder and possibilities. In the blink of an eye, we could be a movie star AND an astronaut. Nothing seemed impossible. Somehow we forgot that. So it’s time to get back to that wonderment. Even if it might be a bit late to become that astronaut, is it really that impossible to fly?

What’s that look like?

John’s a manager in a Fortune 500 company and miserable. He thinks he can’t leave because of mortgage, family, blah blah blah. He loves space and always dreamed of being an astronaut. He’s not going to move to join NASA any time soon. Suddenly a friend mentions that the local Air Force base is looking for a manager…



Is it exactly like his childhood? No… but it’s closer to flying than before.

Build It!

Life is full of good and bad stuff. Just thinking about the bad stuff makes us sad; and isn’t very productive. Paying more attention to the good stuff, however tiny it might be, helps us to nurture it. And there’s only so much time in the day, so the more we fill it up with good stuff, the less time we have for the other stuff to bring us down.



Stop It!

You know, if it really ain’t it, then it just ain’t it… so stop it. You’re not making it any better by keeping at it. If you’ve got the big house and the fancy car and you want the simpler life, go out and simplify your life. If you’re under-skilled and under-appreciated, go out and get those skills; then go where you can be appreciated.



Do it!

It’s not just about positive attitude, and cheerful dreams, it’s all about action; doing things that make a difference. It’s not magic, but the results can be magical.

Get up!

On a clear day, you can rise forever

Keep your Promise

A promise is a contract… to someone else, to ourselves; to life itself. To take that lightly has serious consequences for everyone involved. Keeping our promises builds our relationships, our reputation; even our self-esteem. It’s setting goals, but with accountability and commitment built right in. A promise is the vehicle that drives us to our goal.



Only make promises I can keep.

We must be able to do what we say we can do. If we know we can't achieve it, we shouldn't promise it in the first place. Also, we shouldn't promise results if there's too many things out of our control (we can promise "I'll do my best to win the gold medal" but we can't really promise that we'll actually win it)



Only make promises for myself.

We can't control the will of others, so we also can't make promises for them. Either the other person is going to resent us for committing them; or if they fail to deliver, we'll be the one who looks bad. It's not a winning thing to do. It's better to get them to make their own promises if we need their help.



Don't make conflicting promises with another.

To be really true to the goal, we shouldn't make a promise to someone else that conflicts. One of them is sure to be deisappointed; maybe even both.



Follow through.

It's not about being able to make a promise that builds our character and our reputation. It's about us actually coming through on them. To become known as someone who follows through helps us as much as it helps them.



Follow up.

How will we ever really know if we "did good" unless we ask? Getting the feedback not only tells us whether we've succeeded or not, it helps to show we really, really care.



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Guru-cize it



Start small. Think of the little promises we make during the course of the day."I'll pick up bread on the way home" or "I'll call you this afternoon" and write them down. Have a little "promise book" in your pocket; like a "to do" list but only of the things that have been committed to someone else.



Then make sure to check them off.

Go!

When you gotta go, you know you know,

B.U.

You are unique... just like everyone else!

Don't Speed on the Learning Curve

Life is full of lessons, and those lessons take time to "get." Sometimes we're so distracted by everything else that we don't get it for quite some time. It's not really a problem, as long as we understand that. Unfortunately, it often comes with a lack of patience too. We've become such a Now Generation that we don't even enjoy learning; we just want to know it NOW.



Well, it doesn't work that way… and if we try to speed along the learning curve, we're setting ourselves up to fall off the edge.



Accept it

Acceptance is a huge way of lifting the burden. "It's going to take some time, ok!" That way we're more willing to take the time, because we know we need it.



Set smaller goals along the way

The trip of Life requires snacks and potty breaks. Let's not see it as one long road, but a series of short hops. It'll make the trip go by smoother and be a lot more enjoyable.



Get ready for more curves

The learning curve is not one long curve… it's a series of twists and turns all over the place. We can't see around the bend either, so it's best to just be prepared to turn.



Look for short cuts

That's how everyone else makes it look so easy; they know that there's easier ways to do everything. So we need to find our own short cuts. One we do that, the learning curve won't so look big and menacing after all.



Ask for directions

Other people have "been there, done that" before us; so asking them about their experiences will not only show us short cuts, it'll help us avoid the pitfalls. Don't let their experience go to waste.



Look back every once in a while

When all we do is look forward, it seems like we're never going to get there. Every once in a while, it helps to look back at the progress we've made. It's not only surprising, it can also be comforting.



Show others the way

The best way to learn is to teach. That's because we have to simplify it for someone without our experience. Simplifying it for them often simplifies it for us. So share knowledge and experience; give them directions. Hopefully, they'll take them.





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Guru-cize it



Make a map of your learning curve...



• Pick something you're learning or want to learn

• Pick out "Progress Points" along the route

• Estimate the time line (be realistic)

• Seek out advisors (on the web, or organizations, etc.)

• Commit to do it, and stick to it, until you arrive

My Better Half

The day's not over til you're over the top!

Challenges should not be Struggles

We all know that there is suffering in Life. We often use it as an excuse to stop trying, or to not believe in something bigger than ourselves. There used to be a popular saying "No Pain, No Gain" but if something really hurts, it's just not right.



Just because Life can be tough, that doesn't mean that everything we do has to be painful.



They look alike

Challenges and Struggles have a lot in common. It's often impossible to tell the difference when you're in the middle of it. There are differences though, and recognizing them early can save you a lot of frustration and pain.



The difference is in the goal

What often sets a challenge apart is a specific attainable goal. Struggling happens when you lose focus and your sense of direction and purpose.



The difference is attitude

A challenger doesn't give up hope, even when faced with impossible odds. A Struggler doubts.



The difference is in the progress

Progress is measured by how much closer we move towards our goal. It might be a lot of so little it's hard to tell. If we find ourselves going in all different directions, that's a good indication of a struggle.



The difference is in the results

Basically results tell it all. "The proof is in the pudding" as the saying goes. Does all this effort pay off with an enriching reward? It is fulfilling all by itself? Are we better for doing it? Then the challenge is worth it.





Guru-cize it



Choose something that you're going through now; anything that takes effort. Then ask yourself these questions:



• Is it rewarding?

• Is it lofty / noble?

• Is it attainable?

• Is it enriching to myself or to those I love?

• Is the reward ultimately larger than the effort?