Through out your day, do you take any amount of time to reflect on different parts of your life or daily activity? To understand what you have accomplished to understand how to accomplish those objectives in your life, reflection must take place. Peter F. Drucker, a 20th century educator and author said, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”
To sit back and contemplate that which you already completed in your life or simply in the last few hours prepares you for what is to come. As I have written before, take seven minutes daily to sit and think of your day. The quiet thought can be used in most any way but should be done with a minimal amount of distraction.
There are those that sit in quiet solitude and that can be difficult to accomplish in this very busy day and age. I tend to use two different methods of doing this. One is on my drive home from work. My radio is set to a classical music station to relax and provided an atmosphere of quiet concentration. Secondly is to use this same method during a lunch hour at work. Placing head phones on to drown out the cacophony of all going on around me.
You may have a method suitable to you, but take the time to think about how your day is going. This reflection helps you understand what went right and what didn't. This will also help prepare you for what is to come. Take seven minutes to reflect and prepare you for more that life has to offer.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Friday, August 18, 2006
Life of Influence
Each of us has one, two or several people that have served as an influence within our lives. These are those people that have had an impact in how we live and believe. I myself had a high school English teacher for one that gave me encouragement to write and express. I certainly may not have all of the skills of a polished writer, but she instilled a love of it in me that stays with me today.
There have been others including a co-worker that mentored me half way through my technical career. He believed in me and gave me the push to become successful at what I do. We work together to this day and I'm forever thankful to him. The same is likely true for each of you.
If you stop and think about whom it is that means something in your life, you may be pleasantly surprised. Also, think of your own impact on others. Your life can and does have influence upon those who need it most. When you needed to be impacted by someone, the same can be said that you have impact on others. Just know and understand that the way you live your life is impacting others. As you rise to meet new challenges, there are those that have been moved by it.
It may be a case where you are fully unaware of the other person. Then again, you may have an opportunity to assist, mentor or guide that person to a greater life. So when you have the chance, thank that person who influenced your life. I missed the chance with my former English teacher, but have done so with my co-worker.
Be a person of influence on others in your world. Help them to a greater life, a better way. In your own life, your influence will carry on in ways you can't imagine. An American writer in the early 19th century said, "a teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops."
It may not be your profession, but your influence on others is like that of a teacher. So live your life as a person of influence on others in your world.
There have been others including a co-worker that mentored me half way through my technical career. He believed in me and gave me the push to become successful at what I do. We work together to this day and I'm forever thankful to him. The same is likely true for each of you.
If you stop and think about whom it is that means something in your life, you may be pleasantly surprised. Also, think of your own impact on others. Your life can and does have influence upon those who need it most. When you needed to be impacted by someone, the same can be said that you have impact on others. Just know and understand that the way you live your life is impacting others. As you rise to meet new challenges, there are those that have been moved by it.
It may be a case where you are fully unaware of the other person. Then again, you may have an opportunity to assist, mentor or guide that person to a greater life. So when you have the chance, thank that person who influenced your life. I missed the chance with my former English teacher, but have done so with my co-worker.
Be a person of influence on others in your world. Help them to a greater life, a better way. In your own life, your influence will carry on in ways you can't imagine. An American writer in the early 19th century said, "a teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops."
It may not be your profession, but your influence on others is like that of a teacher. So live your life as a person of influence on others in your world.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Attitude in Circumstances
The life we all live is filled with varying circumstances. With little regard to a persons present condition, circumstance simply happens. It is how we deal with it that dictates how it impacts our lives. Benjamin Disraeli said, “circumstances are beyond human control, but our conduct is in our own power.”
It is our conduct that you do have control over. How you react, how you perceive and how you continue on with your life will help determine the outcome. For this life that goes on through circumstance and design will create voids that must be filled. As one person moves into another opportunity, a need is created.
You get presented with these opportunities to fill and make change. How you choose to conduct your reaction to opportunity, the challenge or circumstance will determine your success or failure. A pebble in the water causes ripples of change that flow out from it. Do you choose to be angry because the pebble interrupted the calm smooth water? Or do you choose to marvel at the waves it creates along the shore?
Think of a sail boat along the southern coast of the United States. Sitting there with little chance of making progress to its destination. Across the ocean the warm air of the deserts creates a wind coming off the coast of Africa. It builds momentum and blows across the ocean to fill the sails of this boat. One effect causes another and the captain of the sail boat could have chosen to abandon all hope lost, or wait with the attitude knowing that change will occur. For he knows that opportunity will arise and he must be ready for it.
Change, circumstance and new opportunity are the conditions upon which the sail boat and more importantly our lives endure. Maintain a good attitude and believe that change will occur. Whatever the circumstance, be content in knowing that an opportunity has been presented to you. Move forward with belief and knowledge that goodness can come from it.
It is our conduct that you do have control over. How you react, how you perceive and how you continue on with your life will help determine the outcome. For this life that goes on through circumstance and design will create voids that must be filled. As one person moves into another opportunity, a need is created.
You get presented with these opportunities to fill and make change. How you choose to conduct your reaction to opportunity, the challenge or circumstance will determine your success or failure. A pebble in the water causes ripples of change that flow out from it. Do you choose to be angry because the pebble interrupted the calm smooth water? Or do you choose to marvel at the waves it creates along the shore?
Think of a sail boat along the southern coast of the United States. Sitting there with little chance of making progress to its destination. Across the ocean the warm air of the deserts creates a wind coming off the coast of Africa. It builds momentum and blows across the ocean to fill the sails of this boat. One effect causes another and the captain of the sail boat could have chosen to abandon all hope lost, or wait with the attitude knowing that change will occur. For he knows that opportunity will arise and he must be ready for it.
Change, circumstance and new opportunity are the conditions upon which the sail boat and more importantly our lives endure. Maintain a good attitude and believe that change will occur. Whatever the circumstance, be content in knowing that an opportunity has been presented to you. Move forward with belief and knowledge that goodness can come from it.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Bad Things Happening to Good People
You have probably asked this in your own life, "why do bad things happen to good people?" It is an age old type of question that really serves the purpose of wondering why things happen at all. We have a never ending quest to understand that which happens around us.
When it comes to the question itself, bad things don't happen to just good people, they happen to all kinds of people. Life is that way but sympathy for when it happens to bad people just doesn't happen all that often. It is our human nature to feel pity or sorrow for the good folks in life that become afflicted with a bad issue.
A friend of mine through work is recovering from breast cancer after having undergone treatments to overcome this 'bad thing' which happened. She has a great attitude and certainly realize that her bad moments occur, yet she always has a smile upon her face. She is the same person I've always known. A good person upon which a bad thing happened. But she appears to be approaching it with the same fight and attitude that has been a part of her for as long as I've known her.
In an article called, 'Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?' by Deanna Mascle, she gives an example of this as well. We look to the good that has been, is now and will be in the future. It is life happening at us with varying speed and variety. Good happens to good people as well and this you must remember.
When it comes to the question itself, bad things don't happen to just good people, they happen to all kinds of people. Life is that way but sympathy for when it happens to bad people just doesn't happen all that often. It is our human nature to feel pity or sorrow for the good folks in life that become afflicted with a bad issue.
A friend of mine through work is recovering from breast cancer after having undergone treatments to overcome this 'bad thing' which happened. She has a great attitude and certainly realize that her bad moments occur, yet she always has a smile upon her face. She is the same person I've always known. A good person upon which a bad thing happened. But she appears to be approaching it with the same fight and attitude that has been a part of her for as long as I've known her.
In an article called, 'Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?' by Deanna Mascle, she gives an example of this as well. We look to the good that has been, is now and will be in the future. It is life happening at us with varying speed and variety. Good happens to good people as well and this you must remember.
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