Monday, November 29, 2010

At a Standstill

There are times when life is at a standstill - the ball not being our your court. Standstill is defined as
a state characterized by absence of motion or of progress. It is truly a time of waiting.and waiting is not always easy.

Practice Patience 
Practice patience by the day, hour or minute.

Focus on Other Things
By changing our focus we can hold off the waiting item. It no longer holds such a power over our mind.

Do Something Fun. 
Make cookies, listen to your favorite music, take a walk around your neighborhood.



While your project or life may be on a standstill, you don't have to be. Make this time a time of opportunities instead of a time of waiting.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Look to Learn

 
What does looking elsewhere have to do with transition? Sometimes we focus too much on inner selves that we neglect to take a good look at the environment and people around us.

Here is a reminder:


Look at People
Who are the people who make your day special? They can be your family members, friends, neighbors and of course your pets. People can also be the providers of service we routinely count on. By focusing on them instead of our "self" we can change our attitude, learn new things and move forward.   

Look at Places
Take some time to observe where you are. Look at the buildings, trees and sky. Our visual senses can bring us great relief from every day sameness. Look with new "eyes" and really see where you are. 



Look at Things
Spend some time looking at your surroundings with deeper vision. Really look at the mug on your desk. Observe the stapler. Contemplate your phone. When we look with intent we often see things in a brand new light.


Looking elsewhere is one of the ways to make a transition in your thoughts, attitude and  mindset.

Another method is by listening. You may find this previous post about sound helpful. Stillness and Silence.


Let me know how some of these exercises go in transitioning your mind.

This is a best of post, enjoy the holidays. 

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Late Versus Early

Are you an owl or a lark? Knowing and accepting your natural tendencies can help you be more productive. Owls are night creatures and larks are those who take advantage of the early day and mornings. We are usually one or the other.

  • Observe who you are - a lark or owl. Accept it and delight in your being. 

  • Work to schedule your activities and tasks around your natural tendencies. Don't create unnecessary work for yourself by planning against your nature. 

  • Understand and acknowledge the owl or lark tendencies of your friends and family members. Don't expect deep conversation from an owl early in the day, or late night discussions with a lark later in the day. Accept the morning or evening tendencies of your friends, co-workers and family. Learn to work with them by their style instead of trying to make them someone they are not.


By working with your true nature as well as others, you will be more incline to be the productive and accepting person you want to be.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Time to Listen

This is a Best of Post - but well worth repeating!

Change is hard, listening may be even harder. When we are changing we may find ourselves having to find more time to listen. Listening takes energy.

Finding the right people to listen to is not easy. Missteps are usually found along this path. The best method for selecting good "listening" is to go with your intuition. Listening to a person who is soothing might be good, yet they can lull us into a stasis, state of complacency or even a paralysis of indecision. Listening to someone who causes us major anxiety may not be a good choice either. However, sometimes the individual's who causes us minor anxiety and inner turmoil are helping us develop new thoughts, thinking patterns and helping us change.

Listen to learn, listen to grow. Change will come.

Who do you plan on listening to?