Recently, I heard a speaker ask about a Life List vs. a Bucket List. It was an interesting thought, because I know that for many of us we have this imaginary (or actually written down) Bucket List of places we’d like to go, things we’d like to see and experiences we’d like to have; yet, as we hope and pray and wish away the days and months and years, saving for our Bucket List, I’m curious if you have thought about your Life List. And tell me, how are you coming along with checking off that list for becoming the […]
I don’t know a single successful person
I don’t know a single successful person that leaves their shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot. I freely admit that I am probably in the 2% of people who love to go grocery shopping. I always have a list, but I also like to wander the aisles to see what else is in the market. It’s not that I have to buy anything; I’m just fascinated by packaging, current must-have mineral waters, acai berry teas and live lobsters in the tank with the little rubber bands on their finger-crushing claws. I tend to shop everywhere because of […]
The Past is a Place of Reference Not a Place of Residence
I had a client tell me about a family situation that happened while she was in high school, in which, due to unforeseen circumstances and due to the economy, her family had to declare bankruptcy, and, in the blink of an eye, their lives had changed. Although that would be traumatic for any young person, this young lady’s parents held the family together, vowing to rebuild and continuing to provide to the best of their ability for their kids. Instead of allowing that experience to define this amazing young woman’s future, she simply used it as a place of reference […]
The Emotion of Fear
I am continuing with my series on emotions. I started the series with the emotion of anger because anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have any chance for a successful and happy life, friend, you have to let it go. Then I talked about the pain of personal shame. Shame is a Failure to Meet Your Own Standard of Behavior, and this emotion will wreck your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. Once […]
Clutter is wrecking your self-worth
I have written about the issue of clutter in our lives a few times, but I keep coming back to it because I find, over and over, that there just might be that one thing that you’re holding on to that is actually holding you back from achieving what you want in your life. When I talk about clutter, I don’t just mean that you need to clean out the attic or garage (although those are good places to start). For a bigger life impact, you might want to consider tossing out a few things that are more personal to […]
You don’t need more time, you just need to decide
“You don’t need more time, you just need to decide” – Seth Godin I don’t know about you, but I always need more time – a few more hours in my day. I know we all have the same 24 hours, but, for some reason, I lose a few and end up running late or behind schedule much more than I like. And that’s a problem, since I have no patience for those who are chronically late. It’s my pet peeve, and yet I do it also. I saw this statement online the other day from Seth Godin, and, in […]
Goodwill Garners Goodwill
Recently I was flying to an engagement, and the in-flight magazine had a story about a staffer with a certain airline who had gone above and beyond what was expected for a passenger who had been stranded. When others in the organization heard about his good deeds, notes and letters poured in saying his kindness was legendary, and everyone knew his name and seemed to know of some display of kindness that he had shown to others at some time. At the end of the story, the staffer mentioned that the response from his fellow employees meant the world to […]
The Emotion of Worry
I am continuing with my series on emotions. I started with anger because anger really hurts you and those around you. Remember, anger is a cancer to your soul. So, to have a happy life you have to let it go. Then I talked about the pain of shame. Shame is a Failure to Meet Your Own Standard of Behavior, and this emotion will play havoc in your life if you’re not careful. And I added in the thought that you that you should stop thinking that others have to accept your forgiveness for you to be forgiven. They don’t. […]
Sometimes Holding On Does More Damage Than Letting Go
As much as we like to hang on because we all like to feel like it is the right thing to do in our personal lives or at the office or with a friend, sometimes it might be best to just let go, because sometimes holding on does more damage than letting go. Now, to be fair, that is hard to do. I don’t think most of us are wired to let go; I believe we’re wired to try, try, try and try again to make relationships work, office politics work out to some manageable agreement or to stay connected […]