Don't Tell Me!

At a training program a few weeks ago I was sharing a story about a friend who had suffered a heart attack and what he had learned in cardiac rehab that I know is beneficial to the rest of the group in reducing stress. Before I could get past the part about the heart attack, one of the meeting participants said, "Don't tell me he died!" The gentleman was visibly shaken. After the program I talked with the man and he apologized for the outburst. He simply said it "hit" too close to home.

It's easy to try and avoid facing the results of poor choices for our lineup. We reason that we are the one person who will beat all the odds and not have a similar outcome. Just like the circus, however, we can't continue to have poor quality acts and expect to get a standing ovation from anyone, especially ourselves.

The next time you are faced with the realization that a poor act could have negative consequences for your circus, don't ignore it. Learn from it, and change your lineup.

Go Get It!

Leonardo Da Vinci was a genius on so many levels. Each time I read, hear or see something about his brilliance I am reminded of the capabilities of the human mind. And then I start rationalizing that only people like him could ever come up with new ideas or dream up solutions to complex problems.

But if I am honest with myself, part of the secret to his genius was simply his will to seek solutions instead of being content with the status quo. I came across a quote that I had not seen before by Da Vinci which reads: It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.

As the new year is upon us, where do you need to be more proactive than reactive? What are you facing that might require some Da Vinci-like searching? Here's are some general questions to get you started:

• What would happen if I ___________________ instead of always ________________?
• If I don't want ______________________, then I should be working on _______________.
• A discovery I need to make this (week, month, year) that would be of tremendous benefit to me would be ___________________________. And I could start looking for it (at, in) __________________________________.

We may not create a design for a flying machine or a specialized boat, but we may come up with some solutions that will improve our work flow or success in our personal endeavors. Something that might reduce the stress of having too much to do. And that's something worth exploring at any period in history.

What's On Your Mind?

Earl Nightingale said, "We become what we think about." Wow! That could be scary. Actually, it is scary. We hear a lot about premeditation and the focus of the criminal mind. But, what about the flip side. Premeditation around the positive. What is something positive you can keep your focus on? How about being a role model or making the difference in the life of a child. Achieving greatness in one of your rings-relationships, self and/or work. Have you ever thought about being courageous and fearless?

Sometimes we are so busy being busy that we don't think deep thoughts. We go day to day just jumping from task to task without stopping to ponder. Today, take just 15-30 minutes and consider the question, "What do I want to become?" Pick something about which you are passionate. Write it down on a piece of paper and then...think about it. Ponder it. Focus on it. It is easy to be consumed with the negative or unhealthy. The daily news helps us to do this. Try focusing on something positive and see what kind of results you get.