“Your chances of success
are directly proportional
to the degree of pleasure
that you derive from what you do.”

Michael Korda

By all objective standards, he was good at his job.

He was able to fulfill the job description without incident.
He had been a solid, stable employee for the past seven years.
He produced…and completed…and performed…very well.

But, when he talked about his job, and how he felt he was doing,
it was striking that he never used either of these words:

• Successful
• Happy

Now, what does that mean?
He can do the job,
he gets paid (well),
and he’s had no complaints from his boss about his performance….
BUT, he doesn’t say that he’s happy OR successful.
That’s pretty telling, isn’t it?
When pushed, he admits it’s because he doesn’t find joy, or feel value, in the work that he does.
And, because of that, he will never be successful OR happy in his current position.

He has some things to think about, doesn’t he?

Question for you:
How would you describe your work?
How do you feel about what you do?
Do you love it?

If you don’t, what are you going to do about it?

~

“Concentrate all your thoughts on the task at hand.
The sun’s rays do not burn until brought in to focus.”

Alexander Graham Bell

How many of us live our lives feeling:

• Scattered?
• Rushed?
• Stretched?
• Distracted?
• Overextended?
• Unfocused?

We are constantly “doing,” yet seem to get nothing done!

This state of distraction has become the new version of what it means to be successful.

You must be important if you have no time.

You must be really important if you have to multi-task all the time, like when you’re at work, at the store, or in line at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

You are so important.
You have proof of this because at the end of every day you feel exhausted and frazzled.
You are o.k. with this because you think this is just how it is.
You think this is called life, and you need to accept it.

Well, living like this IS how it is, for a lot of people.
But, that’s not how it needs to be.

The truth is, we are less productive when we operate at that speed, and we actually get less done.

Something to think about:
Are you accomplishing what you want to accomplish in your days?
Yes? Congratulations!
No? Here’s a radical thought…Do less.

What does that mean?
Quite simply, when you are doing something, do ONLY that.
Give your full attention to the task at hand- and do nothing else.

It sounds scary, doesn’t it?
Just try it…
and see if life feels any easier, more manageable or more enjoyable.

Remember, you are just like the sun’s rays…
and there is nothing more powerful than being “in focus.”

~

“Waiting always seems longer
when you are relying on someone
to do something
you can do for yourself.”

Enzo D’Alimonte

A lot of us are waiting.
We are waiting for people at home to notice how much we do, and how much we give.
We are waiting for people at work to notice that we can do more, we should be paid more, we contribute more.
We are waiting for people in our lives to fix things, heal us,
make it better and fill in the holes that seem to have inside.
Ultimately a lot of us are waiting for the world to notice that we are here,
we matter and we make a difference.
You know what?
A lot of us are going to spend a long time waiting.

Any time we look for something on the outside, we are held hostage to something that may or may not happen.
We passively wait to see if we make the  list of what they notice, what they think matters and what they think is important
And so, we wait.
We wait for something that may not be said.
We wait for something that may or may not arrive.
We wait for something we want/need that we could or could not get.

Some of us spend our whole lives waiting…
And what happens we wait a long time for something?
We become cranky, agitated, frustrated, resentful.
We become hyper sensitive and desperate.
We become the person we never wanted to become.

Today, stop waiting.
If you want to be appreciated, tell people what that would look like for you.
If you want a raise or more responsibility, ask for it.
But, ultimately what you want,
to feel loved, valued and whole-
well, that something you give to yourself!
That simply can NOT come from anyone else.

(a lot of people don’t know that- so they’re going to keep waiting…)

You’ve been sitting patiently long enough-
Today, give yourself what you’ve been waiting for.
You deserve it.
~

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,
but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
Maria Robinson

I have talked to a lot of people that wish that they had a different “beginning” in life.
Some talk about the “beginning” in terms of a different life growing up
(with more talking and less yelling…more affection…more warmth…more depth…)
Others talk about wanting a different “beginning” to a relationship, or their careers.
I’ve actually talked to parents that already wish that they had done things differently with their own children,
and their children are still in diapers!

What is remarkable about life is, we never can go back and start our “beginning” over again.
Our childhood is over.
We have already started the relationship, or a job and it’s not the “beginning” anymore.
We may have already done things, as a parent, that we wish we didn’t do, or that we regret.

Newsflash:
We can’t do anything about yesterday.
It has come and gone.
You can stay stuck on it (and a lot of people do) for a long time…but it will never change a thing.
We can own our actions, our choices and our mistakes, but we cannot undo what has been done.

What does that mean?
The immense power that we have is our ability to do something about tomorrow.
Right this minute you can change the direction that you are heading in.
You can shift things, redirect direction and alter what the ending will be.

Is there an area of your life that you want to have a different ending?
You have today…and, because you have today, you have the power to make changes…
You are not held hostage by yesterday.
You get to decide what happens next.
And today you will smile because you know that
your “ending” is up to you.