Criticism

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December 15, 2010

Why are we so stubborn ?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Choices, Consequence, Courage, Criticism, Decision, Illusion, Important question, Life expectancy, Life leadership, Procrastination, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , , , |
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It seems to me that we are stubborn students of life.

Life seems to tell us; here is a situation you need to face for your own developpement, and yet, most of the time, we will try to avoid the lesson. Why? Because it’s too damned hard! The curious thing about this is: the lesson we try to avoid seems to come back to us in many unexpected ways. Somehow, we can’t escape it. We have to meet the challenge.

An example?

I know some people (actually quite a lot of them) who move from relationship to relationship only to discover after a while the same problems they were experiencing in the previous relationship. It seems to me that what they are trying to avoid comes back to them in another form and with a new label.

Personally, I start too many new projects and I don’t finish all of them. I know it, I’m aware of this but somehow, it doesn’t seem  to change. I have to admit I can’t do  it alone. When I face this kind of situation, I try to find a coach, a mentor or a personal trainer to make sure I am accountable to someone.

When we focus on the moment and accept to face what we have to, it can be difficult, but it is one of the best ways to grow, to outgrow the challenge.

What does this post have to do with time?

If we do what WE MUST do when WE HAVE TO do it, the day will come when we will do what WE WANT to do WHEN WE WANT TO do it.

The sooner we understand this concept and we put it in practice, the more time we will save to do other activities that we really enjoy.

Will you try it?

 

December 14, 2010

Do you appreciate your life ?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Choices, Complaining, Consequence, Courage, Criticism, Decision, Important question, Life leadership, Time, Time magagement, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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“What a wonderful life I had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner”

Colette

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Life is not always easy! Sometimes, life throws a curve at us and we have a hard time dealing with it.

This is why it’s important to remember our blessings, especially when things don’t go our way. Because, most of the time, even when things are not as good as we’d like, there is still a lot going well. It’s important to take the time to be thankful EVERYDAY for the good things in our lives.

In 1985, I had a car accident and I was immobilized without being able to walk for about 6 weeks, then after I had to go to physiotherapy for a couple of months. That was the bad side of the accident. The good side of it is that for the first time in  my young life, I took the time to read good books and spent time all alone away from the distractions of the world.Time to ponder upon what I was going to do with my life.

This was the beginning of a process of introspection that lead me to question constantly what I was going to do at almost every moment of my life. As Socrates once said, “A life not examined is not worth living”,  from now on, I would question myself and question others continuously. I would start to doubt common beliefs and confront them. it was not because everyone said something that it was necessarily true.

As we question ourselves and others, it is tempting to become sarcastic, but this is when it’s important to take a long-term perspective and realize that something bad in the short term might turn out to be a good thing in the long run. Many curses are opportunities in disguise. It’s up to us to learn how to recognize them.

Everyday we must look at the good things in our lives even when everything seems to be hopeless.

Everyday we must count our blessings and try to minimize our sorrows.

This is one of the ways to appreciate how wonderful life really is.

Will you count your blessings today?

 

December 7, 2010

Hurry! Hurry! Make new mistakes!

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Aware, Awareness, Choices, Courage, Criticism, Decision, Failure, Fear, Important question, Life, Life leadership, Procrastination, Risk, Success, Time | Tags: , , , , , |
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“If I had to live my life again, I’d make the same mistakes, only sooner.”

Tallulah Bankhead

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It’s good to make mistakes!!!

Repeat after me,

It’s good to make mistakes!!!

Forget about what others will say.

You will experience failure many times in your life. Not all the time, but you will. If you don’t fail enough, it’s probably because you don’t try new things very often.

We can do this with our dreams; wish them away, let them slip away because we are afraid to fail, afraid to get started or because we are waiting for the right moment. The right moment? Most of the time, is an excuse or at best, an illusion.

I make so many mistakes all the time. Am I a slow learner? It’s possible, however, it’s the only way to improve anything. Every time I take a chance to make a mistake, I also get a chance to do something right.

An exemple?  The top scorer in the NHL will miss his shots more often than he will score a goal, but we don’t remember when he misses, we add up the goals.

We will always miss 100 % of the shots we don’t take.

Some of you may argue that we should learn from what we are doing good, and I agree. We should always repeat our good experiences to the extent that we benefit from them.

However, we should not let ourselves be paralyzed with inaction because of the fear of making mistakes. The young baby who is learning to walk will fall. The one who is learning to swim or to dance will not be very elegant at first. The failing is part of the learning process.

Will you risk making a mistake today?   At least one…

 

July 9, 2010

Are you rolling in the muck?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Criticism
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“On no account brood over your wrong-doing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.”

Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

English writer

Author of Brave New World

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May 9, 2010

Why not forgive NOW?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Control, Courage, Criticism, Death, Decision, Procrastination, Serenity, Time, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , , , |
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“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 will eventually forgive, why wait?

 

May 4, 2010

Why would people waste their time criticizing others?

Posted by stephenlafond under Choices, Complaining, Criticism, Important question, Kvetching, Serenity, Time, Wasting time, Wisdom | Tags: , , |
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What do most people get out of criticizing others? I simply can’t understand that.

Sometimes, I still find myself doing it . I hate it when I do this.

What a waste of time. Live and let live.

Do you often “catch” yourself criticizing others?

Shouldn’t we learn to appreciate others?

What do we get out of it ?

 

April 13, 2010

What teachers make?

Posted by stephenlafond under 36525 days, Choices, Clarity, Consequence, Courage, Criticism, Important question, Socrates | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Apparently, Socrates never wrote anything , the knowledge of the man, his life, and his philosophy are based on writings by his students, one of which was Plato who was amongst the most popular. Plato himself was the teacher of Aristotle, and  Aristotle later on became the teacher of Alexander the Great.

We can see how an original thinker (Socrates) had influence on the poet & dreamer (Plato) who in turn had influence on the man of Logic (Aristotle) who finally influenced the man of action (Alexander the Great). The teachings of Socrates still resonate with us directly and indirectly 24 centuries later.

We can see with the previous succession of great people the importance of teaching.

Some of the greatest teachers often work in relative obscurity, it is their own personal passion that helps to shape some of the greatest individuals of the future.

Could you be one of them?

Could Taylor Mali be one of them?

 

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I  really like this guy ( Taylor Mali). Check it out.