Today’s Superhero Cape

May 7, 2009 by

“It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.”
– C. S. Lewis, author

One of the easiest things to do is to feel like a failure. Not good enough or smart enough or fast enough…the list goes on. Always watching other folks just to find more things I am lacking. How come I can’t pull that off or participate in that or be involved with that? Where is my superwoman cape?

Fortunately for me, I have the opportunity to discuss these thoughts with a couple a really smart women. During one such conversation, I had an epiphany. I am a wife, a business owner and the mother of four children under the age of 12. There’s my superwoman cape. This is the stage of my life I am in. These are the things that I concentrate on. Leaving the other stuff alone does not create failure – it demonstrates priorities.

In eight too short years, I will be the mother of 4 children between the ages of 10 and 20. That is a totally different place than where I am now. That stage of my life will have its own set of priorities, commitments and challenges. My superwoman cape will change, but it will still be mine.

Today I encourage you to appreciate your cape. At least for today – or the next five minutes – realize that you don’t do it like everybody else because you are unique. While your warrior cannot accomplish all things, the ability to accomplish all things meant for you is there in truckloads. You are perfectly positioned for your journey in this point. Run tomorrow’s race tomorrow. Enjoy today’s events now. It is the only thing you can truly wrap your arms around.

*Writer’s note 12/7/17 – The Publish Date is an estimate of time as actual date of original post is not known

 

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The Man in the Arena

October 14, 2008 by

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…who strives valiantly, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in worthy causes. Who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement and who, at worst, if he fails, fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

– Theodore Roosevelt

I could hang out on this quote all day. There is more here than one TAT could possibly hold. Maybe I should start a TAT series, but who knows what next week will bring. Instead, let me hit my personal high points.

Actually in the arena – we have to show up. It is wonderful to talk about it. It is even better to spend some time in positive thought getting your mind right. But, at some point, we have to pull into the parking lot.

At best, knows the triumph of high achievement – reaching little goals is great. I remember after I had my first baby and I lost those 25 pounds. Very exciting. However, reaching triumphant goals blows that out of the water. After baby number 2, I lost 90 pounds! Go big and go confidently.

Fails while daring greatly – With great reward comes great risk. This is where paralyzing fear gets us. But, the magic in the moment comes from the greatness of possibility. Do not fear failure. It will only hold you back.

Today I encourage you to get into the arena, set that high goal and tell failure to take a flying leap. Know that your soul is not timid and is capable of all of those great things you have imagined for yourself. Dare greatly – your warrior can handle it!.

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Risk the Blossom

June 24, 2008 by

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

– Anais Nin (1903-1977)

I would be lying to you if I didn’t admit that I almost changed out today’s quote. Not that it isn’t wonderful, because it is most certainly that. But because it almost seemed too big. It felt almost too much. The words and thoughts just hang out sorta stuck in my throat.

Have you ever done that? Thought about walking away from something because it just seemed to big? Stood there staring in the face of one of the most amazing opportunities you have ever had and if you could breathe, it would all go a lot better? Talk about a gut check. In that moment you weight the odds of moving forward or bailing out. You decide which one you think you can more easily live.

Hopefully there always comes a point where you can’t help but burst forth into the person, into the place, that you want to be. When the knowledge of the potential refuses to take a back seat to fear and apprehension any longer. Hopefully, there always comes a time for the bud to blossom.

Today I want to encourage you to take a walk through your garden. Are the things that are important to you planted there? Have you let the weeds spring up? Is it all brussel sprouts and no wild flowers? Is the ground packed so tight that new seedlings can’t push through? Is today the day?

Filed Under: Turn Around Tuesday

The Big Eastern Syndicate

December 4, 2007 by

“Look, Charlie, let’s face it. We all know that Christmas is a big commercial racket. It’s run by a big eastern syndicate, you know.” -Lucy, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

A Charlie Brown Christmas is my all time favorite Christmas show. It was on TV last night and I thought, “What a better way to celebrate this season than to have a quote a week from this great holiday cartoon?”

To start things off, we have gem from Lucy Van Pelt. The darling know it all characteristically had big ideas and a ton of misinformation. However, she came dangerously close to hitting the nail on the head with this one.

Christmas tends to be beautifully flashy, bright, colorful, and wondrous. It is a wonderful time to participate in and enjoy. Don’t miss that last part – enjoy. All the flashy in the world won’t feel good if it rides in on the back of stress and unrest.

There’s a great thing about this time of year – and any other time of year. We have a choice in how to run our lives. We can choose to remember why we enjoy this time of year, look forward to our personal traditions and celebrations, and forgo the massive stress factor.

Let’s start off December by remembering that we don’t need to participate more than we want in that “big eastern syndicate.” If that holiday frenzy it the part of the holiday that you look forward to, then, by all means, enjoy! But if it’s not, then let’s support each other in remembering what it is we do like, focus on the characteristics that do bring us joy, and spend our time doing those things that make this a memorable time of the year.

Filed Under: Turn Around Tuesday

Gratitude and Generosity

November 27, 2007 by

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Sir Winston Churchill, (1874-1965)

I hope everybody has had all the good food one can handle. Here’s also hoping the leftovers are just as good in your house as they are in mine. My mom still cooks the majority of our holiday meals. Those leftovers are wonderful.

We always have leftovers because Mom cooks for two armies – the one we know is coming and the one that might. Lucky for her, she has two refrigerators and a deep freezer. But we don’t usually have that many leftovers, being from the South and all.

I say from the South because I don’t know how they do it in the rest of the country. But down here, everybody goes home with a plate – either for yourself or somebody you know that couldn’t make it. Many times it’s both.

The end of Thanksgiving traditionally marks the beginning of Christmas. A season of gratitude followed by a season of generosity – what a wonderful tandem. I hadn’t thought of it until recently, but what better symbol of this time of year than the giving of leftovers.

The Christmas season can be chocked full of anxiety – business, personal, physical, financial, emotional – everything seems to be happening faster with a great urgency and significance.

Today I want to encourage you to remember that generosity provides the best stress reliever if we remember its true characteristics. It expects nothing, it can cost nothing, it can be just a little something, it can be a huge thing, and it is always born in your heart.

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Thanksgiving is a Verb

November 20, 2007 by

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.
– W.J. Cameron, (1878 – 1955)

There is no sincerer love than the love of food.
– George Bernard Shaw, (1856 – 1950)

You get a “Thanksgiving Two-fer” in the quote department (but GBS get the honored photo spot all by himself). Why? Because I couldn’t decide between meaningful and funny. Then I realized it was in fact my newsletter and I didn’t have to decide – you all would probably appreciate both.

I, like many others, have been incredibly busy lately. We knew this 2-3 day work week was coming…then the cooking…then the shopping…then the decorating…then everything else that comes with time of year. Makes me wonder about the madness of the holiday’s.

And therein lies the problem – we see the madness and forget the purpose.

Today I want to encourage you to be kind to yourself. The people who are thankful for you – and I am sure there are quite a few – do not feel that way because of your cooking skills, party planning ability, or dessert choices. They are thankful for you! Stress will only cause you to miss out on all the wonderful opportunities to enjoy each other as friends and family gather to remember how truly blessed we each are.

In other words – if you realize the smoke billowing out of the kitchen is in fact your prized turkey, don’t let your day be ruined. Grab a video camera, take some real funny shots, mail it to that video reality show and try to make a couple of bucks. Life is too short to let a crispy bird upstage your holiday time.

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Go the Distance

April 11, 2007 by

If you stop this fight
I’ll kill you.”
– Rocky Balboa

I am a huge Rocky fan – even Rocky V. I love his optimism, sincerity towards his fellow man, and his never-say-quit attitude. Even when he is beaten, he is not broken and he is not a loser. He doesn’t come from affluence, he is not educated, he doesn’t even have a plan. But he believes in himself when no one else does and in others when they don’t believe in themselves. Rocky gets his shot against the heavy weight champion of the world. They beat each other mercilessly. Even Mickey wants him to quit. Rocky then becomes the first man to go the distance with Apollo Creed. He doesn’t win the fight, but at this point,  who cares?

How do you define success? More importantly, what are you willing to do to get there? If the opportunity is not there, that’s just a fact of life. But, if the opportunity is thrown away because it becomes too hard  or we get lazy, then it is a waste. Commit to the fight. If it wasn’t worth it, you would have never stepped in the ring. You owe it to yourself to go the distance.

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Imagination Sparks Creativity

April 3, 2007 by

“. . . you can’t depend on your eyes
when your imagination is out of focus.”

– Mark Twain,
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

Spring is here!  Aside from the pollen, it is a wonderful time of year.  The window at my desk finds more children playing now that the weather is nicer.  Work is slowed by the distraction, but the added inspiration is worth the wait.

A child’s energy can often spark the imagination.  They force us out of our “adult brain” box.  Trees become castles, bikes are fast horses, and bushes become the jungle of peril.  The art of make believe creates a wealth of ideas and problem solvers.

These are two of the things most of us would say we need more of in business and in life.  Many times we are paralyzed by that project that won’t wrap up or that issue that has no resolution.  Frustration makes it worse.  Productivity and success suffer.

Take a minute to enjoy the spring.  Watch the kids play, the flowers bloom and the sun shine.  Exercise your imagination and watch your accomplishments soar!

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