It is January 2, 2010. I spent yesterday, New Years Day, pondering what a FRESH year will look like. What will make it FRESH? To become FRESH, I decided, I must first get rid of the “stale.” To me, that is getting rid of the “tolerations” in my life. (A “toleration” is anything that bugs you, but not enough to do anything about.) An example of a “toleration” for me, is the pile of greeting cards that I have, that I don’t like, and will never send to anyone. They are cards that I received from organizations, as they were hoping I would send them a donation in return for the cards. These cards are mixed in with the ones I do like, and so everytime I want to send a card, I “tolerate ” sorting through ALL of them.
I have tried, in the past, to make a list of ALL of the tolerations in my home. That did not work…I became so overwhelmed by the list that I did NOTHING!
So, today I will walk through, and write down the first ten tolerations that I see. Will I fix them today? Maybe, maybe not; but I will have a place to start…
What are YOU tolerating in YOUR life?
What can YOU do about it TODAY?
Gosh, this was more difficult than I thought it would be! Good thing I made a commitment to you, that I would come up with my “sentence” by the end of THIS year! 
So, here it is:
“To love God, care for all of His creatures, and ponder life.”
What do YOU think?
Do you have YOUR sentence?
I just read a great article by Daniel H. Pink, author of “Drive: The Suprising Truth About What Motivates Us.” He tells us that “Scientists are discovering a far more powerful third drive. To tap into it, you need to develop three things: a sense of mastery, autonomy and purpose.”
He goes on to explain the three things you need to do:
1.Discover your resevoir of grit.
2. Figure out where you can be your own boss.
3. Find your sentence.
I am most intrigued by “3. Find your sentence.” This is what he says, “Seeking purpose is part of how we’re wired—by doing something that endures, we prove that we were here, that we mattered. Clare Boothe Luce once told John F. Kennedy, “A great man is one sentence. Abraham Lincoln’s was ‘He preserved the Union and freed the slaves.’ What’s yours?” If you can’t seem to access your purpose in life, I’ve found the best place to start is with Luce’s question.”
What is my “sentence?” I will ponder this question and get back to you by the end of the year (yes, THIS year…:)
What is YOUR sentence?
Does it describe YOUR purpose in life?
Today is the first day of Winter; in the Eastern Time Zone, it arrives at 12:47 P.M.
The first day of Winter, known as Winter Solstice, is also the shortest day and longest night of the year! The good news about “the shortest day of the year,” is that tomorrow, the days begin getting longer!
Tradionally, I celebrate the Winter Solstice in a few ways: I change my shower soap from Cinnamon Pumpkin to Grapefruit scented scrubs. For dinner, I will prepare rutabaga and parsnips. And, at 12:47 p.m., I will say a prayer for us all, that we will celebrate the beginning of Winter as “a time of rebirth, a new beginning, and a chance to Praise God for His power and love that we may transition from darkness into light.” (paraphrase from Winter Solstice.)
How do YOU celebrate the Winter Solstice?
Is it a part of YOUR Journey to Higher Ground?
My word for 2010 is definitely “Fresh.” How do I know? It just feels right to me; it makes my heart smile.
I am a “morning person.” Up at 5:30 am whether I need to be or not. While pondering the word “fresh” and the word “morning” I came across a quote by Sir Winston Churchill. He expressed my heart words perfectly: “Every morning is a fresh beginning; every morn is the world made new.”
That is what fresh looks like! The newness of each morning; wondering what the day will bring…energy, vitality, life?
I looked up fresh in the dictionary. Some of the words were: clean, pure, invigorating, original, with restored energy, healthy and glowing.
YES! That is certainly “my word!” As I continue My Journey To Higher Ground, that is what I wish for 2010 to look like!
What is YOUR word for 2010?
How do YOU know it is the right word?
After looking at my past year and noticing the qualities of my successes and shall-we-say “learning experiences,” I have found that my successes were almost always preceeded by a dream! That being true, why not DREAM BIG!
Phil Humbert, coach extraordinaire, just happened to write his weekly newsletter on that precise topic! Isn’t that just the way it is…
Because it is his newsletter, there is not a “link” to it; so I am offering it to you here:
Dream Bigger, Aim Higher, Go Farther
This is the time when millions of us set goals for the year ahead. If we do it “right” – the way the books tell us to – we review our numbers for 2009, evaluate our performance, and make adjustments for 2010. That’s the normal” way of doing it, the way governments, large corporations and most
individuals do it.
There’s nothing wrong with it, except that it doesn’t work. Often, “raising the bar” is not what we truly want. It’s not “enough.”
Too many of us set our goals by merely adding 10% to what we’ve done before. The major exception is our health and fitness, when we promise that we’ll finally take action and do something about it…this year for sure! Now, there’s nothing wrong with using the past as your starting point. Institutions do that all the time. But who wants to be an institution?
This is your LIFE we’re talking about! If a few adjustments are all you really want, go for it! If a minor tweak is all you need, then don’t make a fuss. Adjust your budget, set your goal, and be done with it.
But I’m challenging you to think bigger and aim higher.
As you look at 2010 and beyond, what do you really WANT for your life? What’s the REAL story? What’s your DREAM? What are you doing with your life? That’s the question I want you to consider in the days ahead.
In those areas where a small step is all you need, that’s fine. Buy a new car, lose the weight, make a little more and spend a bit less. These are the small adjustments that make life easier and I support them. As many of you know, I’m a huge fan of “baby steps.” Keep things simple and if that’s all you need, be proud of it!
Unfortunately, however, small adjustments can also be the things that keep us trapped. As we hit our goals and increase our income, these small victories become the “golden handcuffs” that trap us in our routine. They keep us “playing small” so that while we’re winning the battles, we end up frustrated or confused because our lives don’t have the meaning we hoped for.
This year, dream bigger. Ask the fundamental questions about who you are, what you want, and how you want to live. Where are you going? What’s the point? Think bigger, aim higher, go further. You may not get “there” in one year, perhaps not in a lifetime, but make sure you’re headed in the right direction. Make sure you’re on a path that is worth walking.
Would support, guidance, and a whole bunch of
cheerleaders make a difference for your success in
2010? My December Freebie of the Month comes
with 12 monthly coaching emails, and you can sign
up for a year of monthly coaching calls for less than
the price of lunch! The workbook and emails are
FREE and the calls are a bargain! Check it out at:
http://PhilipHumbert.com/Free
I encourage you to go to his website www.philliphumbert.com and check all the cool stuff he offers. Meanwhile, I leave you with this quote (also from his website):
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.”
– Pamela Vaull Starr
Will YOU dream big?
What are the STARS that are hidden in YOUR soul?
As 2009 comes to its close, I thought I would focus on “what worked”, and “what didn’t.” As I have pondered those two questions, I learned that even “what didn’t” actually “did”, because I learned so much from it!
One of my favorite quotes is: “My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents and I lay them both at His feet.” Ghandi
WOW! Every time I read that quote, I am blest by all of my mistakes! (And that makes me REALLY blest!!!:))
How have YOU been blest this past year by YOUR mistakes?
Are you able to look back this past year and say “WOW! Have I been blest!
Yesterday was just “one of those days…”
I worked out with my trainer; he tossed me a dumbell, it slipped from his hand, I did not catch it-my teeth did; broke the two front ones. Went to church to meet with Judy (my best friend), we are sitting in the library chatting and all of a sudden I start to pass-out; Judy lays me down on the floor, feet on a chair, she got me some juice and then I was OK. (probably low blood pressure/low blood sugar – chronic problems. I never stand up quickly in church.) Spent two hours at the dentist, then went to the doctors to get my wrist injection (I have a frayed tendon); the doctor told me that the injections were really going to hurt, so just grit my teeth. I said, “I can’t! they got knocked out!” Then I went from the doctors to the physical therapist. They did muscle stretches in my hand and wrist that REALLY hurt! Came home, went to bed, the only safe thing I did all day…
My scripture verse for yesterday was “Give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Go figure that one!
My husband and I are going Christmas shopping today; he keeps singing, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth…”
Have I stepped up to “Higher Ground?” you bet I have; I am alive!
Have YOU ever had “one of those days?” Did it take YOU closer to “Higher Ground?”
It is December 1st! Only 30 days left in the year 2009… This month I shall reflect on the past year and set my goals/intentions for next year.
I always begin the new year with a “word” that describes my overall intention for that year. Words I have had in the past are: integrity, joy, health and (this years) Higher Ground.
I intend to continue My Journey to Higher Ground in the year 2010; in addition to that, I have chosen the word “fresh” to describe my “journey.” I wish to take a “fresh” look at my life, my goals and my intentions.
My coach, Jo, wrote a Special Edition newsletter this month, which really helped me clarify “fresh.” She wrote, “Plan things that you have never planned before.” That’s it! Instead of “freshening up” what I have been doing, I will plan things that I have never planned before!
Please go to her website, read her newsletter, and download her free workbook. You will be so glad that you did…I know I am…
Have YOU chosen your word for 2010?
Have YOU reflected on this past year?
What have YOU learned about yourself?
It is Thanksgiving week. On Thursday we will “gather together to ask the Lord’s Blessings…”
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday! In our home, it is a gathering together of family and friends and often family’s friends and friend’s friends. Everyone is welcome in our home on Thanksgiving!
Midst “everything going on these days,” we are truly a Blessed nation. Have you counted your Blessings today? Do you keep a Gratitude journal? If not, what a perfect time to start one; perhaps, on Thanksgiving day!
“Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” ~Edward Sandford Martin
What are YOU thankful for this Thanksgiving?
