Windridge Reflections

The article below by Jim Rohn clearly defines the attitudes, motivation, and actions I want to focus on - Enjoy! “You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down. ” Mary Pickford Cultivating Your Enterprising Nature by Jim Rohn Enterprising people are those people disciplined and dedicated enough to seize opportunities that present themselves ... regardless of the current situation, struggles, or obstacles. Think of a few people you know who are enterprising. Think of people in the news, in your office, in your neighborhood, who manage to succeed regardless of the obstacles. What do these people have in common? They're probably always on the go, developing a plan, following a plan, reworking the plan until it fits. They're probably resourceful, never letting anything get in the way. They probably don't understand the word no when it applies to their visions of th...

A friend and I were talking about depression a few days ago. You know, that draining, gnawing, energy zapping feeling that nothing is going right and you are seemingly powerlessness to change any of your circumstances or mindset. And the most depressing part—you can’t put your finger on “why.” In the course of our conversation, I commented that I have so many things to be grateful for…starting with the smallest, I am breathing after all! Then this morning I ran across this, “If we pull down the shades in every room in a house, that house will be in darkness, and is likely to become damp and unhealthy as well, no matter how brightly the sun may be shining outside.” — Emmet Fox I don’t know about you, but I do not want to live my life in a dark, damp, dusty, musty house. It’s time to pull open the shades, let the sun light warm this house, and find strength in all that is good. There is too much of life out there to be lived! *If you suffer with severe depression, seek profe...

“She could never go back and make some of the details pretty. All she could do was move forward and make the whole beautiful.” — Terri St. Cloud Sometimes we can’t go back; the die is cast, the deed is done…but that does not mean that we can’t move forward with grace and confidence. We all make mistakes, we all say things we shouldn’t, do things we are embarrassed by, and have days when “some of the details are not pretty.” Thank goodness we are not frozen here in time, there is hope! Resilience is the ability to problem solve, connect with others for support and sometimes simply cope, knowing that tomorrow is a new day with new opportunities. “It is the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance. It is the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance. It is the one who won’t be taken who cannot seem to give. And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live.” — Amanda McBroom Image: istockphoto

What Happens When Life Zigs…and You Zag? What do you do when you have “one of those days?” You know the kind, we all have them. You feel yucky, drained, with no motivation and all your prior enthusiasm, brilliant ideas, etc., have vanished into thin air and you are reduced to hoping you can put one foot in front of the other until it’s time to go to bed. And then the prayer is that blessed sleep will provide a reprieve from the constant feelings of failure and opportunities lost or wasted away. I recently had “one of those days.” What I’ve learned over time is when they hit, if I step back and do as little as I possible, you know get the main things done, but don’t take on the big things, I will come out of the “funk” much quicker. I liken it to falling off a horse; if you roll with the fall (downward spiral) instead of fighting or bracing yourself against it, you’ll hit the ground with less force and thus be able to pick yourself up more quickly—as in tomorrow. Her...

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today. William Allen White Every once in a while someone will comment to me on how wonderful my life must be and I have to admit, yes, I love everything I’m doing now, and that said, I appreciate all that has gone before.... Now in saying this, make no mistake, I have had my share of heartaches and I, like everyone else, have a long list of worries, wishes, sorrows, hurts, regrets, aches and pains. Life is what it is and I’m convinced that there is no way around those sometimes nagging worries or real/unreal fears we all experience. I remember years ago going through an incredibly difficult time. For some reason (um–stress) I landed flat-on-my-back in bed for three weeks, and then spent at least two years struggling to even go to the grocery store by myself. This inability to get out and about was irrational, frustrating, and scary as I had absolutely no idea what was “wrong” with me. During th...

Chronologically we’re at the end of the year but the beginning of the journey. Sarah Ban Breathnach One of my favorite weeks of the year is this week between Christmas and the New Year. For some reason it seems the perfect time to take a “time out” to pause and reflect. I’m spending this week thinking about the past year, successes and challenges, and then shifting my focus to the coming year and identifying what my theme for the New Year will be. Then on January 1st I will sit in quiet reflection and record all of my thoughts..... Perfect! If you don’t start, You won’t arrive… Anonymous Use the questions below to map your course for 2011 2010 For the past year what was your overall theme? What were your three biggest wins personally? What were your three biggest wins professionally? What were the three top lessons you learned? What was the one personal quality that you developed in 2010? List the ways this quality helped you both personally and professionally. 2011 Lo...

Below is a short story to encourage you to identify and understand what you are doing day in and day out and why it matters. A manager wanted to see how his workers felt about their jobs. He went to his building site to take an informal poll. He approached the first worker and asked, “What are you doing?” “What are you blind?” the worker snapped back. “I’m cutting these boulders with primitive tools and putting them together the way to boss tells me. I’m sweating under this blazing sun, it’s backbreaking work, and it’s boring me to death.” The executive quickly backed off and went looking for another worker. “What are you doing?” he asked, “I’m shaping these boulders into different forms, which are then assembled according to the architect’s plan. It’s hard work and it sometimes gets repetitive, but I earn a good wage and that supports my family. It’s a job. Could be worse.” Somewhat discouraged, he went to a third worker. “What are you doing?” he asked, “Why can’t you see?” beamed t...

Fog can distort and hide the most familiar and obvious. When our vision is clouded and we can't make out which way to turn, we must rely on our heart's anchor….. When it's all been said and done There is just one thing that matters Did I do my best to live for truth? Did I live my life for you? When it's all been said and done All my treasures will mean nothing Only what I have done For love's rewards Will stand the test of time (* Jim Cowan) Trust that the sky will clear and once again your vision will become clear…. (photos taken on my morning walk - via iPhone and Cannon Elph)

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the one who will win." Roger Bannister (British athlete, first person in the world to run a mile in under 4 minutes) At my oldest daughter's wedding, the Pastor spoke of starting power and staying power . • Starting power is the newness, the excitement, the hopes, the anticipation of what is to come. • Staying power is the continual effort, the realization that relationships unfold over time and require diligent care and commitment to succeed. Are you in need of starting power or staying power ? At present I'm learning about staying power —"once the effort gets painful"—and as a former runner I know if I endure, I will reach my goal and claim the prize!

It can be difficult to remain focused when we are bombarded daily by good – bad news, our hopes – fears, positive – negative feelings and so on. How do you maintain your focus? How do you not get pulled this way or that due to the emotion of the moment? First, focus by setting measurable and attainable “end goals.” Do some personal development work to discover / uncover who you are, your strengths and what you want your life to be about. After you have an idea of who you are and where you are heading the next challenge will be in developing the ability to shift the seemingly unrelated or even distracting events of this world into positive outcomes that move you toward your identified goals. And remember, there will be times when you cannot shift the unsettling event, but must learn to sift through the situation and take the good, glean any “learning” you can extract and then let the rest fall to the sand below to be washed away by the sea of time. Ask yourself these questions: What do ...

The practice of identifying two or three words to act as a mental "anchor" is a wonderful practice, and I encourage everyone to try it. Today I received this note from a friend... I have had the words “ Effortless Mastery ” as a mental focus the last four years and I am getting there more often every month. What I mean with it is something like Presence, Flow, Authenticity and Connectedness . It seems to be paying off. So I am less often thinking about if I do a good job or not (evaluating my contribution) and think more about what needs to happen here now? The difference might seem small – but I don’t think it is. Kaj Török Here is a little exercise that I usually send out at the first of every year... but I'll add it here a little early.... Enjoy! Looking forward, what do you want your overall theme to be? Choose two words that will anchor you to your theme. List the ways that this quality will help you move forward both personally and professionally. Effortless Ma...

"Every day poise is acquired or lost before we leave our homes." Sarah Ban Breathnach From time to time all of us suffer from stress - below are suggestions for coping; Cultivate gratitude. Set aside an hour a day for solitude. (I have mine first thing in the morning) Begin your day with prayer, meditation or quiet reflection; and end it the same way. Keep it simple. Don't over-schedule - learn to say "no". Always carry with you something interesting to read. Move - walk, run, dance; use your body! Eat only when hungry. Set aside one day a week for rest and renewal. Laugh! Don't answer the telephone, iPhone, Blackberry during dinner - and NO texting! Avoid negative people. Nurture friendships. Change your perspective: Problems = Challenges to overcome. Savor beauty. Cherish your dreams. Express love everyday. Breathe -

Here are some great questions from a leadership course at the University of Washington... Ask yourself the following questions: Where Am I? • What are my strengths and weaknesses? • What are my possibilities? • In what areas do I do my best work? • What are my preferences, values and priorities? Where Do I Want to Go? • What do I want to change? • What do I want to keep the same? • What do I want to happen? • In what time frame? What Sacrifices are Required? • What special efforts or changes may be needed? • What am I willing to let go of in order to achieve my goals? • What conditions, beliefs or actions no longer serve me? Answering these questions, will help you identify: • Who you want to be • Where you are going • How and by when you plan to get there "Being a good leader is not something that casually occurs. It takes great thought, care, insight, commitment, and energy. When it all comes together, it brings out the best of who you are." Mary Godwin, Radius

Always remember....... "Let no feeling of discouragement prey upon you, and in the end you are sure to succeed." - Abraham Lincoln

Every year I choose two “themes for the year”... and I find it ironic that this year my two themes were Energy and Enthusiasm! I gotta tell you, seven months in and this year has not been filled with either energy or enthusiasm - more like hang-on-for-dear-life and don’t lose hope.... Thankfully Brian Tracy came to the rescue in his e-Newsletter just in the nick of time! He reminded me “why” these two traits are important for all of us right now, and how to re-connect with and even increase them! Most successful people can be characterized as having very high levels of energy. Since energy is the fuel with which everything is achieved, there seems to be a direct relationship between energy levels and levels of accomplishment. Physical Energy is Basic We have been led to believe that there is basically one kind of energy. We supposedly replenish this energy by sleeping at night, and during the day, we use it up again. It is as though we are machines powered by batteries, and...

“If you believe your talent grows with persistence and effort, then you seek failure as an opportunity to improve. People with a growth mindset feel smart when they're learning, not when they're flawless. ” Peter Bergman I love the above thought because I’ve found it’s in failing, identifying and then developing my weaknesses, that I’ve grown the most in my life. A "growth mindset" is something I'm constantly reminding myself to maintain whenever the going gets tough According to Psychologist and Harvard researcher the late David McClelland, the sweet spot for high achievers is “when you fail half the time, figure out what you should do differently and try again. That's practice. And according to recent studies, 10,000 hours of that kind of practice will make you an expert in anything. No matter where you start.” Like right now... Time for me to get up and get going! Read Peter Bergman's Full Post

Recently I decided to develop the habit of scanning all of the RSS feeds I've saved as “favorites” on at least a weekly, and possibly a twice a week schedule..... I mean, there is all this useful information that is slipping through my fingers. First morning at it and I found exactly what I was on my mind at present– marketing! Truth be told, the marketing company I’ve been using is less to non-existent at the moment; missed deadlines, ads not sent, etc... I find myself not sure that I trust anything they promise, and once trust has been broken it is really difficult to restore it... Not impossible mind you, but difficult. What I find myself struggling with is the hassle of having to deal with any of this. I have somewhat succumbed to that, “what’s the point anyway?” feeling. You possibly know the one - It appears when a new course of action has to be taken, and/or an unexpected obstacle presents itself? Thank you Bill Taylor for bringing me back to the importance of staying the co...

This clip came to me from Mr. Winslow of Winslow Research... and it was too good not to post on both of my blogs! A timeless lesson.... Here is what Winslow had to say.... When I viewed the following video I thought of our trait of "Endurance." The young man in this video is the epitome of Endurance. He definitely would receive a score of 10 in Endurance, in his Winslow Report . . . only because there is no higher score. If there ever was a video to watch and keep, this is it! If you play Golf, you should watch this video...... If you don't play Golf, you should watch this video If you ever had a dream, please watch this video........... If you have never had a dream, please watch......... You will be richer for the watching and with no regrets.......... Send it to all your athletic, or non-athletic friends.... They will bless you for it....CLICK BELOW NOW Watch Video Clip