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...

“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...

Knowing what to do is not the same as doing it. You can have all the intent and knowledge in the world, but until you put that intent and knowledge into action it really does you no good. I read once that “The world is full of broke geniuses,” you know, the folks who “know it all,” but never link action to their wonderful ideas or dreams. To keep yourself from falling too deeply into this trap, start the practice of spending time each week identifying and reviewing what your next steps around your desired outcomes will be. Here is what it looks like: Identify a short term goal – personal and / or professional. This can be a behavior / habit you want to modify, a project that needs to be completed, etc. For each goal, address three areas: 1. Goal – The difference between where you are currently and where you want / need to be. What will this look like when you have arrived? 2. Theme – What are your main objectives along the way? What are the obstacles? Wh...

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...

I am a firm believer in ongoing learning. It doesn’t matter if you are securely employed or looking for your next career opportunity, it is always wise to stay relevant in this fast changing world. Lynda Gratton brings forward 10 ways to future proof your career: 1. Don’t be fooled into walking into the future blindfolded – the more you know what’s in store, the better able you will be to meet the challenges and really capitalize on your options. So keep abreast of the forces that are shaping work and careers in your part of the world and think about how they will impact on you and those you care for. Making wise choices will in the end come from your capacity to understand – don’t rely on governments of big business to make the choices for you. 2. Learn to be virtual – we are entering a period of hyper technological advancements – avatars, holographs and telepresence are all just around the corner. If you are a young “digital native” you are already connected to this – but if you...

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...

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)

I’m currently re-reading (actually skimming) the book The Procrastinator’s Handbook – Mastering the Art of Doing It Now by Rita Emmett . It’s not a book I have ever read straight through, but it’s one that I pick up from time to time and use as a refresher whenever I feel like I’m beginning to be pulled away from what matters most to me. Life can sometimes feel like a constant balancing act of fulfilling opportunities — or dare I say: “I want you to like me” moments — that compete for my time. When this happens I find it healthy to stop for a moment and ask myself, how much can I really take on, enjoy and handle well? Here’s a pop quiz from the book to help evaluate the tendency to over commit: Do I put off things important to my life because other people’s priorities always come first? YES / NO Do I commit to so many things that there’s not enough time to do any of them and I always feel overwhelmed? YES / NO Do I think I don’t need to do all the things others need to do to manage th...

"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!

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about my inner circle of both professional and personal influencers and friends and I came across this excellent post by Dan Schawbel. Here is how to break down people who should and shouldn’t be part of your inner circle:    Who should be in your inner circle?     People that you admire and wish to build a mutual relationship with.     People that you see yourself working with, whether at a company, your own company or side projects.     People that you have enough shared interests with so you can easily keep in touch with them, without appearing fake.     People that have complementary strengths.     People who understand the principles of networking and won’t use you and abuse you.     People who are passionate, caring and seek to help others. Who shouldn’t be in your inner circle?     People that have nothing in commo...

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right." -- Confucius * Photo – moonset LWC *** this photo is not photoshopped.

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 ...

"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 -

Today, let your heart dance You will find no shortage of dance partners, as your feet join in. And your eyes. And your smile. And every part of your body and your feelings. Let your heart dance all day long.... UNKNOWN

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

I have added these four questions to the bottom of my daily planning pages. 1) What did I learn today? 2) Whom did I help? 3) What went right? 4) What will make tomorrow better? Make your answers simple and to the point. One sentence, maybe two... “Let no one be discouraged by the thought of how much there is to learn. Each new step becomes a little surer, and each new grasp a little firmer.” Gertrude Jeykll

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...