"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." — Helen Keller
Adventurers appear to share a few common traits. They have a genuine curiosity to explore what is not known and seemingly have no regard for fear. When I was younger I thought I was pretty courageous and an adventurer at heart. I had a passion for speed, loved to explore unfamiliar woods alone, always went on the most radical amusement rides etc… There are a lot of people that probably feel the same way. They relish those exhilarating moments of being somewhat out of control and on the edge. As I look at those activities now however, I might categorize them differently, labeling them more as thrill seeking or risk taking versus being adventurous.
Being an adventurer looks different to me today. It isn’t about seeking exhilaration or elation, although some of that still calls to me. The great adventure of my life today is more about being myself without fearing rejection, pursuing my passions without concern for being judged, looking deep inside to facedown my misplaced motives, caring as if the act of caring is all that matters, and living determined to finish life without regret knowing that all of the unknown in my life is just waiting for me to discover it.
When my life ends will people close to me say, “He had so much unrealized potential” or “Life with Stuart was a great adventure”.
How is your great adventure?
Showing posts with label fulfillment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fulfillment. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Living with Intention
As a coach I have the privilege of seeing incredible changes in the lives of my clients as they begin to live with more intention. It is quite fun for me to see each person set and accomplish more goals, live with more enthusiasm and ultimately have a deeper sense that life is good. But what really stands out the most for me is how the level of courage and the size of the goals for each client continue to increase. In every case these individuals dream bigger and bite off larger chunks of life as the months pass. I've recently considered documenting this because of the impact I think it would have on others.
If parts of your life feel out of control it may because you lack intention in those areas. Just pick an area and decide what you could do to live more intentionally. Then set some short-term goals and find someone to be accountable to for those goals. Like my clients, I think you'll find that the results can be quite exciting.
If parts of your life feel out of control it may because you lack intention in those areas. Just pick an area and decide what you could do to live more intentionally. Then set some short-term goals and find someone to be accountable to for those goals. Like my clients, I think you'll find that the results can be quite exciting.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
5 Steps to Better Life Balance
I recently gave a Life Balance presentation for a group of teachers in our school district. In that short presentation I offered 5 key points to better life balance-
1. Have an attitude of excellence. In all that you do, from simple mundane tasks to your greatest goals, have an attitude of excellence. Without focused effort to improve your life you'll never achieve excellence. The "just get by" attitude is too prevalent in our society. People spend too much effort hiding their weaknesses instead of being authentic and acknowledging them. Everyone has weaknesses, so get over it. Build on your strengths and tackle your key shortcomings with an attitude of excellence.
That brings me to the second point-
2. Learn to say no. Excellence is found by filtering your decision making through your core values and establishing priorities. Too many committees, too many volunteer groups, too much multitasking leads to mediocrity. The "jack of all, master of none" life doesn't lead to excellence and fulfillment. Ask anyone who excels in what they do and they'll all answer "it takes focus". Do less to accomplish more.
3. Find a vocation that you are passionate about. One of the areas I spend the most time coaching around is work/vocation. More than 50% of our society dislike what they do for work. Yet they are typically not the ones that come to me for coaching. The people I career coach with are the individuals who have made up their mind to pursue what they love. They want to figure out the best way to continue moving in the right direction. Look at it this way, a life of loving your work is worth the pain and difficulty of achieving it.
4. Make time to play. This is so simple yet it gets left out more than anything else. You can't expect to perform at your peak if you never schedule time to recharge your batteries. And I'm not talking about a vacation once a year. I'm talking about finding time to play every day. Make a list of the activities that feed you and find ways to fit them in daily. Example- I really enjoy reading and learning, so I schedule time to read, and I schedule it right before I'm going to do something that sucks energy from me. That way it doesn't seem so bad because I've just fed my person.
This takes us to the last point.
5. Find scheduling that works for you. I have a wife and children so I understand the need to sacrifice and know I can't have everything my way. However, it is still vital that I exercise point 2 and come up with a creative schedule that works balance into my life. After all, I'm no good to anyone if I'm tired and lacking focus and enthusiasm. People in my life know that I am going to disappoint them sometimes by not being at their beckon call. But they also know that when I'm with them I won't be multitasking. I will be fully present.
A life in balance impacts many.
1. Have an attitude of excellence. In all that you do, from simple mundane tasks to your greatest goals, have an attitude of excellence. Without focused effort to improve your life you'll never achieve excellence. The "just get by" attitude is too prevalent in our society. People spend too much effort hiding their weaknesses instead of being authentic and acknowledging them. Everyone has weaknesses, so get over it. Build on your strengths and tackle your key shortcomings with an attitude of excellence.
That brings me to the second point-
2. Learn to say no. Excellence is found by filtering your decision making through your core values and establishing priorities. Too many committees, too many volunteer groups, too much multitasking leads to mediocrity. The "jack of all, master of none" life doesn't lead to excellence and fulfillment. Ask anyone who excels in what they do and they'll all answer "it takes focus". Do less to accomplish more.
3. Find a vocation that you are passionate about. One of the areas I spend the most time coaching around is work/vocation. More than 50% of our society dislike what they do for work. Yet they are typically not the ones that come to me for coaching. The people I career coach with are the individuals who have made up their mind to pursue what they love. They want to figure out the best way to continue moving in the right direction. Look at it this way, a life of loving your work is worth the pain and difficulty of achieving it.
4. Make time to play. This is so simple yet it gets left out more than anything else. You can't expect to perform at your peak if you never schedule time to recharge your batteries. And I'm not talking about a vacation once a year. I'm talking about finding time to play every day. Make a list of the activities that feed you and find ways to fit them in daily. Example- I really enjoy reading and learning, so I schedule time to read, and I schedule it right before I'm going to do something that sucks energy from me. That way it doesn't seem so bad because I've just fed my person.
This takes us to the last point.
5. Find scheduling that works for you. I have a wife and children so I understand the need to sacrifice and know I can't have everything my way. However, it is still vital that I exercise point 2 and come up with a creative schedule that works balance into my life. After all, I'm no good to anyone if I'm tired and lacking focus and enthusiasm. People in my life know that I am going to disappoint them sometimes by not being at their beckon call. But they also know that when I'm with them I won't be multitasking. I will be fully present.
A life in balance impacts many.