Archive for Personal Development

Who is the Bully Now?

We hear a lot about bullying in the news these days and we probably all experienced bullying growing up or at least witnessed it. You may worry about it happening to your kids. You know how horrible it can make someone feel and the devastating effect it can have on how one feels about themselves and their ability to accomplish things.

But I wonder are you letting someone bully you now? Possibly someone you know very well, maybe your very own self?

With taunts like…

No one will buy from you.

You do not know enough to do that.

You look awful today.

Why haven’t you lost weight yet? You just can’t do it.

You are not good enough for that.

Why even try, you know you failed before.

You are not smart enough for that.

You cannot do it as good as ______.

It is all your fault.

If only you had _______.

What do you think, are you allowing a different type of bullying as an adult?

Isn’t it time we stopped tolerating this kind of bullying too?

 

 

Really Was I Speeding?

Really Was I Speeding?

Have you ever noticed how often you go faster than the speed limit? What is it about that speed limit sign that is never quite fast enough?

Well what about your self-imposed “speed limits” or limitations? Why do you stay lower than those?

Why not break your own limits as often as you do the ones on the road?

Could it be as thrilling? Could it create greater results and experiences in your life?

Have You Challenged Yourself Today?

Challenges are not just about things happening that we don’t like. When is the last time you challenged yourself to do something you haven’t done, step out a little further, think a little bigger.

Recently I challenged myself to give up caffeine and it was a major challenge for me. I struggled through days of headaches not to mention the desire just to drink a cup of tea. I normally drank six to twelve cups of tea a day so it was not a small habit, many times I was tempted to give up and not see it through. I could even think of several “reasons” it was better if I just went ahead and drank the tea. I didn’t though and I am thankful for that. It has been weeks now, my headaches are gone, my blood pressure has gotten even lower, and my energy even higher just for starters. The challenge was a big one that was definitely worth it.

Challenges do not always have to be big though, any challenge to do something more than you did the day before can lead to a bigger impact or a healthier life.

So how about you, how can you challenge yourself today?

How Do the Little Things Make Such A Big Difference?

Just returning from attending an event hosted by Dixie “Dynamite” Gillaspie in St. Louis this weekend I sat down to catch up on some of my favorite blogs and read the following phrase: “quite often it’s the obscure things that we do…that we don’t even notice…that are meaningful and memorable to others…” this saying, from one of my new favorite blogs by Jane Carroll, a dear and inspiring friend, really got me to thinking about the weekend and an incredible thing that happened. It seemed like such a small thing unfolding, kind of like the phrase above, it really wasn’t a part of the big picture, yet it made a huge impact.

One of the other attendees had spoken with one of the presenters, Tom Ruwitch, who happened to remember meeting him just over two years ago. Tom being the amazing person he is started the conversation by asking about the project he had been working on at that time. Yes, Tom remembered the details of a project of someone he had not seen or spoken with in over two years. In fact, the attendee himself had actually forgotten the project. Today, he was at a point where he was struggling with how to put together what he was doing with what he loved, that was one of his motivations for even attending this event. Once Tom reminded him of the project it was a total lightbulb moment; he now knew exactly how it all fit together and what he wanted to do. His vision had returned, he was excited and completely focused. Amazing isn’t it? Something so small as remembering a detail about the other person totally impacted their life.

This had nothing to do with what Tom was presenting on, his specialty is marketing, yet Tom wasn’t thinking about himself or what was in it for him. Two years ago when he met the attendee he took the time to really listen for a few seemingly insignificant moments and those few moments would eventually make a tremendous impact.

Sometimes it’s the little things we do that make the biggest difference, has this ever happened to you?

I Wanna Make Lots of Mistakes!

mistakesI want to make lots of mistakes. I just don’t want to keep making the same mistake over and over.

We are taught or conditioned that we need to get to this place where we make no mistakes. If you are learning, growing and trying things you have never done odds are you will make mistakes. The more things you step out of your comfort zone and try the more you risk mistakes. Keep doing the same thing again and again, going the same places the less risk of mistake.

Being willing to make mistakes doesn’t mean I won’t pay attention, put in hours of practice or try my best at what I do. It means I am willing to risk making mistakes to keep trying to stretch further and go outside my comfort zone in everything I do.

So mistakes are a natural part of the learning process that need not be feared. Learning from them gives you the opportunity to go even further the next time.

What do you think, does learning from a mistake make it worth it?

 

Are You Afraid to Standout?

Are you trying to fit in, do it the way everyone else is doing it, the way it “should’ be done, the way that works?

Have you been watching all the expert videos, reading all the blogs, trying to follow all the rules? I am sure you have gotten a lot of great information which can be helpful. There comes a time when you need to trust and follow your own ideas and directions even if they are different than what everyone says “should” be done.

What if Microsoft listened to IBM or Apple listened to Microsoft. What if Facebook listened to MySpace or Google+ to Facebook?

How about the thirty-three year employee at Ford who said of Tesla ”you just cannot do that?” What if Rachel Ray listened to Martha Stewart, do you think she would have told her she would do what she did?

Do you ever feel like you just don’t fit in, there is something about you that is different?  Do you have the courage to trust yourself? How could you be using your difference to stand out and make an impact?