36525 days to live

We are where our attention is!

While we are home our thoughts are still absorbed with solving the challenges we face at the office.

And when we are at the office we find ourselves worrying about problems at home.

We go through the day without really listening to what others are saying to us.

We may be hearing the words, but we aren’t listening to the message.

We go through the day and we find ourselves focusing on past experiences or future projects.

We are so involved in yesterday and tomorrow that we don’t even notice that today is slipping by.

We go through the day rather than getting something from the day.

We are everywhere at any given moment in time except living in that moment in time.

To pay attention is learning to be wherever you are.

To pay attention is capturing each moment so that it becomes a new part of who we are.

To pay attention is something we do; better, it is something we experience. Fully.

And until we learn to be where our attention is, we will never really enjoy the moment. Fully.

Where is your attention now?

What will you do today to remind yourself to pay attention?

There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing. 

When you run out of time and the consequences of not doing something important can be really serious, you always seem to find the time to get it done, often at the very last minute. You start early, you stay late and you drive yourself to complete the job rather than to face the negative consequences that would follow if you didn’t get it completed within the time limit.

So,there will never be enough time to do everything you have to do.

The fact is that most people today are over-loaded. And the jobs and responsibilities just keep piling up.

Everyone has stacks of reading material they still have to go through.

What this means is that you will never catch up. Forget it.

All you can hope for is to be on top of your most important responsibilities. The others will just have to wait.

There is never enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the most important thing.

The question for you today is:

 “What is the most valuable use of my time, right now?”

“Time is a sort of river of passing events, and strong is its current; no sooner is a thing brought to site than it is swept by and another takes its place, and this too will be swept away.”

Marcus Aurelius

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The Chinese people say that we can never step in the same river twice.

I believe this is so true because even if we meet the same people and even when we encounter similar circumstances in our lives, it is different every time.

Why?

Because each one of us is changing and evolving constantly.
This is a good thing.

This is how we grow.

If it were not, we would still be living in caves and caverns.

It is difficult, however, for people who insist on resisting change.

Resisting change is simply a display of our fears.

It makes us very uncomfortable and very worried about the unknown.

Here’s what Bob Dylan is singing…

Are you feeling stressed out these days ?

If so, you are probably worrying about tomorrow. Events that have already occurred may cause you regret, but they only appear to cause worry. If you just lost your job, you are not worrying about losing your job, that already happened. You are worrying about paying your bills and finding a new job. Those are worries about tomorrow.

Worrying is just a natural human emotion, and everyone worries, right?

Actually not. Worry is a bad habit that most people acquire, and like all habits, can be broken.

When you worry about what may or may not occur in the future, you miss the joy that is available today, each and every day. So is the answer to focus only on today, and let tomorrow take care of itself?

That sounds good… until tomorrow arrives and you are not prepared.

It’s a paradox. How does one balance living in the now with preparing responsibly for the future? The key to this dilemma lies in the distinction between worrying about the future, and preparing for the future.

The two concepts are not at all the same.

There are two aspects to preparing for the future. The one that is more familiar to most people is planning. You know the mortgage is due next week so you save the money. You know you want to fit into your clothes tomorrow, so you forgo that second helping (well not always). Planning for the future is fully compatible with living joyfully today. Thinking today could our last day always put things in perspective.

The other aspect of preparing for the future is accepting that things will probably not turn out the way you plan. Creating this acceptance of life’s uncertainties is much more challenging than following through on plans.

The source of most worry is a lack of acceptance of the uncertainties of the future. When one fully lives a life of acceptance, life’s caprices are not merely tolerated, but are enjoyed because they are life’s opportunities.

The recipe for a joyful life is planning and preparing for the future, while simultaneously accepting that you hold virtually no control over future events..

Practicing thankfulness and reducing your expectations are two ways to aprreciate what you already have and reducing your worries about what may happen or may not happen in the future.

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hope for.”

Epicurus

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Most of us want more and more…

More material, more entertainment, more fun, more exciting experiences, more knowledge, more and more of so many things.

And this is our human nature.

The challenge for us is to appreciate each moment, good and not so good.

It’s time to appreciate what we have NOW, TODAY.

Do you ever become frustrated with the areas of your life when you don’t witness any progress?

I do.

You try and try, again and again, and the results are not visible.

Solution?

Hire a coach,

There are as many coaches today as there are fields of endeavour.

Yes but, it cost a lot of money to hire a coach, I hear you say.

OK, did you consider the cost of …

wasting your precious time without attaining the desired results?

The cost of ignorance,

the cost of lost opportunities,

the hidden cost of being frustrated,

These different costs add up like if they would be in the hidden cells of Excel spreadsheet.

They exist even if you don’t see them on your screen.

So If you really want to save time and eliminate some frustrations in your life,

Please consider hiring a specialized coach!

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. ”

Mark Twain (1835–1910)
American humorist and writer

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Whenever someone is trying to discourage you by saying you are crazy, do not believe them!

For when they say you are crazy, there is a real possibility that you are on something reaaaalllly good.

Did you know that some critics said that Wayne Gretzky was too small and too slow to make it in the NHL. But, by the end of his 24 year career as a player, “The Great One” had amassed 60 records, including the record of the most goals : 894 in 1 487 games.

Oh by the way, does anyone remember the names of the critics?

Drama coaches told Lucille Ball she had “no talent for acting”. But she refused to give up a dream and became one of America’s beloved stars of her generation.

Who were those drama coaches again?

Other famous examples

Madonna was fired from Dunkin’ Donuts.

As for Walt Disney,a newspaper editor told this cartoonist he wasn’t creative enough.

JK Rowling (Harry Potter) was a secretary who got a pink slip for daydreaming too much about story ideas.

Jerry Seinfeld was fired from a small bit role on the sitcom Benson.

The New Yorker fired this copy boy. His name? Truman Capote.

This person was fired as president of FORD motor company. Lee Iacocca, who went on to rescue Chrysler

This guy was fired from Western Union because he spilled acid on the floor. Who was he?  Thomas Edison.

This Baltimore news anchor was removed from her job because her boss said she was, “unfit for television news.”

Who was this last one?  Oprah Winfrey

Trust your instincts and follow your heart…

Even when many people think you are crazy. 

Why?

Because, you would be crazy not to.

Time doesn’t exist until we invent it

The transcontinental railroads led to the invention of time zones. For the first time, everyone needed to be in sync, regardless of what village one lived in.

A few generations later, we’re in all in sync, to the second, thanks to the computers in our pockets.

Time is borrowed, wasted, spent. We find the time, slow down time, take our time. Its Miller, quitting, clobberin time. We focus on the stitch in time, hard time, closing time, not to mention big, daylight savings, race against, first, last, due, nick of…

Time is so variable, so based on our experience, that the absolute measure of time is almost meaningless. Don’t even get me started about relativity and time travel.

Time on a long bus trip goes so much slower than time spent doing what we love with people we care about. We’ll pay $1000 to buy an hour in some circumstances, but refuse to pay a $5 premium to save an hour in others.

Time doesn’t exist, not in a way that matters to most people. The story we tell ourselves about time, though, is the overriding narrative of our day to day lives.

I really enjoyed this clip and I’m sharing it with you.

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“The aim of life is to live, and to live means to be aware,

 joyously, drunkenly, serenely, divinely aware.”

Henry Miller (1891-1980) US novelist

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When I am completely aware and living in the NOW, it is easier for me to accept the things as they really are and not as I want them to be.

It’s when I’m preoccupied with the potential problems of the future that I lose most of my awareness.

This is why it is so important for us to put things in perspective, especially a long-term perspective.

If I ask myself questions like the following ones;

What will I think of this particular problem in 1, 5 or 10 years?

How will I feel about this minor aggravation a week from now?

Why am I so annoyed with this person?

How can I keep my calm when I’m stuck in a traffic jam?

Who cares if this stranger is insulting me?

… you can continue with your own questions here.

When we think of it, it is often these petty annoyances that disturb us the most.

After we take the time to answer our own personal questions with a long term perspective in mind, we can start to live in the NOW again, and this will improve our quality of life.

Awaress is in the NOW .

Why does it take so much time to so many of us to understand this simple reality?

Or if we understand it, why is it so difficult to practice in our own lives?

“The future will depend on what we do in the present”

Mahatma Gandhi

(1869-1948)

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We all know this, it is so simple to understand when we read it. However, the challenge is not only to read it and understand it, the real challenge is to practice what we understand so well.

Yes, practice it day in day out, especially when you have distractions, a bad day or a good day.

Whatever is your dream, your project, your goal, pursue it relentlessly without wasting time.

You need a burning desire to keep yourself absorbed and focused, even when you have so many responsibilities and distractions.

“Any idiot can face a crisis – it’s day to day living that wears you out.”

Anton Chekhov

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There is a lot of truth in this quote!

Sometimes, we are at our personal best when we are in the middle of a crisis.

Somehow, we find the energy and the courage to fight when everything seems to be hopeless.

On the other hand, the routine of the day to day can sometimes drain more energy from us than a big crisis.

Why would this be?

It seems to me that our focus is better and that we are less distracted when we feel threatened than when times are easy.

I don’t want a personal history.

Why?

Because I can renew myself daily?

It’s not about who you were. It’s not about who you are.

It’s all about who you are becoming that is important.

Do you want a personal history?

Do you ever ask yourself: What am I becoming?

To follow your dream, you don’t need the greatest amount of knowledge about anything, but it does call for the persistent use of whatever knowledge you may have.

Knowledge without action is not as valuable as applied knowledge.

Richard Branson calls this “Learning by doing”

Donald Trump advice is “Always question”

Reg Revans used to say: “The best knowledge happens in real life with real problems and real people. It doesn’t happen in the classroom with Know-it-all-teachers.

So what is your dream?

What is your major purpose in life?

How are you using your time?

How much of it are you wasting, and how are you wasting it?

What are you going to do about your dream?

Do I do my best every day with the resources that I have?

If I only give you 60 % of myself today, I cannot give you 140 % tomorrow.

Why?

Because it’s impossible to give more 100 % or yourself.

Period.

“ Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ”

Ferris Bueller 
American student
from the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

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Will you take some time today to really enjoy every moment?

What are we doing right now?

Will it make us healthier?

Will it make us smarter?

Will it give us peace of mind?

Will it make us more likable?

Will it make us self-reliant?

Will it inspire us?

Will it make a difference in our lives or the lives of others?

Will it leave the World a better place?

If your answer is YES, it should be a good use of your personal time.

You can write down your own questions because they are different for each one of us.

DON’T QUIT

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest, if you must, but dont you quit.

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Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about,

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–

You may succeed with another blow.

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Often the goal is nearer than,

It seems to a faint and faltering man,

Often the struggler has given up,

When he might have captured the victor’s cup,

And he learned too late when the night slipped down,

How close he was to the golden crown.

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Success is failure turned inside out,

The silver tint on the clouds of doubt,

And you can never tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar.

So, stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit

It’s when things go wrong that you mustn’t quit.

Unknown

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”

 Abraham Lincoln

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Are you tempted to do what is easy instead of what is necessary?

With your health?

With your personal finances?

With your job?

With your employability?

With your kids education?

With the time you invest with family and friends?

In our leisure society, it is very tempting to get busy with non-important things.

Let’s take our responsibilities first, and after, the leisure times will be even more enjoyable.

Time is so precious that we should make sure no one ever comes to us without leaving BETTER and HAPPIER.

How do you do this?

Instead of thinking: What’s in it for me?

Ask yourself: What can I do NOW to make a difference in this person’s life?

All that stands between the graduate and the top of the ladder IS THE LADDER.

Author Unknown

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Recently,I spent the week-end in Burlington, Vermont. On that Sunday Morning, it was graduation day.

As I was watching all these young people ,I was thinking…

Many of us, when we receive our diploma or when we experience some kind of success, fall into the temptation of thinking;

That’s it! I got it made! I have arrived!

Wrong. Dead Wrong.

Why?

We never stop learning. We never stop being challenged. We must always get out of our comfort zone.

Because if we don’t, we stop growing.  Even worst, we shrink in every possible ways.

You don’t believe me.

Think of muscles that atrophy when not used.

Think of a brain that is never challenged intellectually.

Think of the fear of public speaking when you don’t practice often enough.

Think of every possible skill or activity that you haven’t practiced for a while.

The time that you invest in challenging yourself, in stretching yourself is what you need to grow out of your comfort zone.

Everything we do in life is similar to climbing the rungs of the ladder.

We must climb one rung at a time. We must climb regularly.This involves a continual effort.

There is no such thing of something for nothing. We must pay the price day in day out.

Let’s not fool ourselves by the thought that we have reached our destination, we are constantly travelling and discovering.

That’s what makes life exciting. That’s what make this life worthwhile.

Graduates!  Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the staircase”

Martin Luther King Jr.

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In other words, start and see what will happen…

But please, do something now !

“Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others”

Morrie Schwartz  (  Tuesdays with Morrie p.164)

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Why is it so important to forgive ourselves?

Why is it so important to forgive others as soon as we can?

Forgiving ourselves and others is an act of letting go, it is also an act of selfishness because when we let go, we let go of the emotions that are poisoning our day.

Who needs these emotions?

Shouldn’t we use our limited time and energy for more exciting activities?

Morrie said “Forgive yourself and others before you die”

But since we don’t know when we are going to die, why not forgive NOW?

If we know that we should eventually forgive, why wait?

“Time is at once the most valuable and the most perishable of all our possessions.”

John Randolph

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If this is true, why do we waste so much of it in so many ways?

When I was younger, I had heroes and I wanted to be like them.

I wanted to wear their masks.

When we choose an inspiring hero, it helps us grow personally up to a certain point.

Eventually, it is in our best interest to shed any mask and appear to the world with our own face.

Why ?

The effort we make to emulate our heroes can lead us astray from what we can really become.

Elvis was inspired by Dean Martin, but he had to become Elvis. Not a second-rate Dean Martin.

Ray Charles didn’t unfold his genius until he stopped copying Nat King Cole.

AC / DC admired the Rolling Stones but their music evolved into a different style.

The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin admired Robert Johnson, Muddy Water and Buddy Guy.

They eventually created their own respective styles.

There are an infinite number of examples in too many  fields for me to keep on writing. But I’m confident that you get the point.

Insist on being yourself!

Why?

Because everyone else is taken!

How?

Take off your mask!

We Learn…
10% of what we read,
20% of what we hear,
30% of what we see,
50% of what we see and hear,
70% of what we discuss,
80% of what we experience,
95% of what we teach others.

 William Glasser

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When I look at these numbers, I can’t help but to check where I invest my time.

One number that gets my attention is the 50 % of what we see and hear.

I guess watching TV isn’t so bad after all…  ( those of you who know me well know I’m always railing against watching TV)

Even if I take these percentages lightly, I think they are useful to benchmark the way we invest our time and the return we get on this investment.

And moving means initiating projects, taking risks, getting out of our comfort zone, trying something new for the first time as often as possible.

It also means perservering in spite of obstacles, challenging our cherished beliefs, facing our fears, risking failure and exposing ourselves to ridicule.

Sometimes we are hesitant to start something and all we need is a good K.I.T.A. ( Kick in the ass)

Once we’ve started, we can experience a feeling of satisfaction and sometimes pride.

Satisfaction of a job well done.

Try to remember a task that you have been delaying for a long time.

Try to remember the feeling after you finally did what you knew you had to do.

You were probably thinking… Why didn’t I do this before? Why didn’t I get this out my way or out my mind?

Another benefit of a good K.I.T.A. is to move you beyond your comfort zone.

I read another good book recently. I recommend you to read it. It is a very short new book by Seth Godin.

The Title is “Poke The Box”

What I like about Seth Godin is that he delivers the same message over and over in hundreds of different ways.

You will be challenged by messages that tell you :

Start something.

Initiate something.

Take a risk.

Act now.

Will you kick yourself before life circumstances do?

Will you remain a spectator or will you become an actor?

Many people working with me have said that they have trouble following my ideas.

They are absolutely right.

Sometimes, I have a hard time following my own ideas.

Why do they say that?

It is because I don’t hesitate to change my mind even if  I think or say the exact opposite the next day.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote many years ago:

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.”

What is the wisest thing to do?

Is it to try to defend a point that  no longer stand in the light of newly acquired information?

Or is it simply easier and faster to change your mind and change your direction?

So what if I said something yesterday and I change my mind today? Doesn’t it prove that I am more experienced and more knowledgable?

One of the most important qualities we can develop in a time of rapid change is flexibility.

Today, perhaps the most important factor affecting our life is the speed of change.

We are living in an age where change is taking place at a faster rate than ever before in human history.

And if anything, the rate is increasing, year by year, if not day by day.

Change today is not only faster, but it is also discontinuous, not following a straight line but starting, stopping, and moving in unpredictable directions.

Change is coming at us from all sides and in so many different ways that it is often impossible to anticipate what might happen next.

Change causes enormous stress for people who are fixed or rigid in their beliefs about how things should be.

They fall in love with what they are doing  and are unwilling to change, even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

Don’t let this happen to you!

To remain flexible, you must constantly be open, alert to new ideas and knowledge that can help you.

One new idea can be enough to change your entire life.

Another driving change is the rapid growth and development of new technology.  Every advance in technology aimed at helping people to get things done faster, better, cheaper, or easier. And the speed of technological change is increasing every day. It’s exponential.

Be willing to admit, in each area of your life where you experience stress or resistance, that you could be wrong or that you have made a mistake.

Why?

Because it will happen to all of us at times.

What will you do to make sure you are not resisting change?

Will you be brave enough to change your mind?

“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.”

Aldous Huxley

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This is so true. But why is it so hard to admit or to accept?

Gandhi said;

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Will you try it today?