DENIAL
Most of us walk around in denial much of our lives. There are things
we know we should do, but we are too lazy. Or they would require
us getting out of our comfort zone. Or they might commit us to do
more than we want to do. Or we are not sure if we will still be the same person afterwards.
Life is about changes and about taking risks - not about taking
stupid risks like jumping off a cliff, but about taking personal risks
that might change our character: learning a new career, kicking a
bad habit, moving to a new town. But most of the time, we avoid
those harmless risks.
What are you avoiding today.
RELATIONSHIPS
Don't you love a good campfire? I do. Or the warm glow of a fire
place?
Sooner or later, that fire will burn out if you don't feed it.
So will a relationship, whether it is with a spouse, a child, a parent, a
friend, or just with yourself. Don't let the fire burn out.
HAPPINESS
True happiness is when you don't have any choice but to smile.
The roof is leaky. What can you do about it? You can call a repair
service.
And you can smile.
The children are screeching. What can you do about it? You can
remind them about their "indoor voices".
And you can smile.
You have a flu. What can you do about it? You can take plenty of
liquids.
And you can smile.
Amazingly, nobody ever felt worse by smiling, inside or out. When
you just can't help but smile, you have found happiness.
LISTEN
Listen.
What do you here?
OK, so turn off the refrigerator if you have to. Now listen again.
What do you hear?
Nothing? Not so. That is the sound of silence. Silence is where
you get to be alone with yourself. Now listen closely. What is
yourself telling you? What challenge is yourself raising. What truth
is yourself demanding be recognized.
If you haven't taken a few moments to listen to yourself today, do
so now. It is the only way to know who you are.
FITNESS
We all know the story about the tortoise and the hare. The were
racing. The hare, in conceit, stopped running to take a nap. The
plodding tortoise passed the hare by and reached the finish line first. Yay for the tortoise. What a hero. He must be happier than the hare.
Well, not quite. The hare got his metabolic rate pumping. He had
some great exercise. Then he took a nap, so he was well-rested.
Sure, the tortoise became the media darling, but you can't believe
everything you read in the paper, can you?
RESPONSIBILITY
Do you take responsibility for your actions and their results?
Responsibility is not the same as blame? When we ask, "Who's
responsible for this?" We should not be asking who is to blame. We
should be asking who is able to respond.
Response + ability = responsibility.
There is no loss of face when taking responsibility for one's actions.
There is a loss of face, to others and to ourselves, when we fail to
take responsibility.
Of the hundreds of abilities you have, responsibility is one of the
most important.