I’m very big into self-growth, and sometimes people ask me, as a professional coach and lifestyle mentor, how I can promote both self-acceptance and self-growth. If I accept myself, they say, I don’t need to grow, and if I need to grow, how can I accept myself?
“Your Life in Balance” is an excellent e-book written by David Bohl from Slow Down Fast. It is very well thought-out and written and I recommend it to anyone who wants to make the most out of their life.
I have had the pleasure of reading and now writing a review of David Bohl’s insightful ebook …
After I titled this post “Living Around Principles,” it occurred to me that might sound like I mean living by getting around your principles, shoving them aside and living the life you’d be leading if you didn’t have any principles.
Uh, no. I left the title alone because I wanted to go ahead and bring up that idea, and then talk about why it doesn’t work and what I really meant.
Getting around your principles will not create the kind of life you want.
by David Bohl I have always advocated that people should create Strategic Lifestyle Plans for themselves. What is a strategic lifestyle plan? Very much like
I was recently asked by Dana Glazer, Director of The Evolution of Dad (“A Documentary-In-Progress about the Evolving American Father”), to write about something I’ve learned through my experience as a father.
Dana has graciously included this in his blog The Evolution of Dad Project.
This really got me thinking, as I’ve learned so much throughout my years of making mistakes, correcting them, learning from them, and attempting to change my habits and behavior to create a better life for myself and those around me.
o you spend a lot of time chasing the next big deal, the next big success? Some people call it the Big Score. You probably know exactly what I’m talking about when I say ‘Big Score’ because most of the movies these days are about some big score – some big challenge.
In real life, as opposed to movies, many of us are always chasing the next big score, but in reality most of us don’t catch it. I spent years as a financial trader, working ridiculous hours and, admittedly, making ridiculous money. But I was always living in the future. It was always going to be different and better. I was always going to get what I wanted when I got “there.”
One of the problems with talking about “health care” is that most people think of it only as a way of treating sick people. Health insurance and prescription plans are indispensable, of course, but have you thought about helping your employees stay well, to cut down on health problems in the future? This is not only good for your bottom line, but it’s good for your employees and your relationship with them. ‘Wellness plan’ is a broad term, but here are some opportunities you might explore:
The term “science of happiness” implies there is a formula and that you can follow a scientific method of discovery to determine what makes you happy. The formula for “happy” for each of us is different because there are so many factors that contribute to individual happiness.
An ancient Greek named Menander said, “If we always helped each other, no one would need luck.” Actually, he probably wasn’t all that ancient when he said that, but he was a Greek, and he did live a very, very long time ago, and he was a very wise man.
I want to make a digression on luck. Some people think that other people are “really lucky” because they are able to achieve things they want to accomplish, and reach their dreams. The people considered lucky would probably respond that a lot of hard work went into that luck. That’s very true, but I think that the idea of helping each other also comes into play.
One of the overriding characteristics I’ve noticed in stressed-out, overworked, Type-A personalities is that they tend not to take time off. Trust me – I speak from personal experience!
If they do take vacations, it’s a “working vacation,” and it’s seldom for more than a few days.
Recently The New Yorker ran a cartoon of two people on a beach.
Some would have you believe that maintaining a calendar is becoming a thing of the past. They think that this strategy allows increased and enhanced productivity. Why? Because they feel that it is invigorating and empowering not to be tied to any set agenda and timetable.
If you’ve found that you need to keep a schedule, and if you’re like me – someone who continuously assesses, monitors, modifies, and adapts my approach and strategies, please read on.
If you’ve ever been told, “You can’t get there from here,” you may have thought that was a ridiculous thing to say. Of course you can. You can get anywhere from anywhere.
In the physical world.
But in the world of the mind, not so much sometimes. In seeking balance, happiness, and fulfillment, for instance, we often can’t go from the 80-hour work week to a reasonable, sane and balanced life, because those two worlds don’t exist on the same plane. We have to start making smaller changes, cutting back and doing more balanced, fulfilling, real things.
I hear people talk about “avoiding stress,” and I wonder if they know what they really mean by that. I think what they mean is that they want to cut down on the negative stressors and the negative energy in their lives, increase the positive energy, and live a calmer, more peaceful life.
But what they want is not to “avoid stress.” What they want, really, is to react less to negative stressors and have a more positive response to their lives. The want to experience no distress.
Avoiding stress is not a practical solution, really, because stress is not something that is.
If you’re awake and aware in the modern world, you’re probably trying to change your life and your circumstances. That’s a luxury we have in our society. We have time to try to change ourselves as people, because we’re not spending all our time just trying to have enough food to get through the day.
With that luxury of the ability to change our lives comes a responsibility to try to be the best person you can be. I do believe that trying to improve ourselves is a responsibility, and that each of us has a duty to try to become our best.
Ok … you have all your productivity tools in place. You have a rock-solid time management system. You have a seemingly-workable plan. But something isn’t quite right. You feel that, now, more than ever, you’re being stretched beyond your limits.
Maybe what’s missing isn’t all the tools and techniques. Maybe it’s your strategy.
“Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get.” ~ Dale Carnegie
This profound quote has been repeated again and again over the years. But what does it mean, and how can you apply it in everyday life?
In its simplest form, this simply suggests that success comes from achievement and accomplishment, and happiness is attained from appreciating and feeling grateful for what you attain and where you are.
This sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But problems arise because we often times don’t know what we want.
Imagine my surprise when I picked up a copy on My Midwest Magazine, the in-flight monthly of Midwest Airlines, to find an article titled Smooth Landing quoting the Brazen Careerist Penelope Trunk.
Why was I taken aback? I’m a Penelope Trunk reader, after all. I shouldn’t have been caught unaware, as she’s featured in many publications and sites. What struck me was the topic: Getting back to work after your vacation is over.
I will present present Slow Down FAST – 5 Secrets to Success: How to Begin Living YOUR Life YOUR Way in a groundbreaking FREE teleseminar event on Tuesday evening, September 11th.
According to a recent study of 1,148 adults nearly two thirds of parents say they don’t spend enough time with their children, while half say they must make their job a top priority – even if it affects their family life.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
