Tag: Self-help

Flying…with Baggage.

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not good enough, psychology, confidence, assertive, assertiveness, self-help, life, mental health, story

I get assigned the middle seat on flight to the Midwest.

The Window and Aisle seats are occupied.  (< 2 hour flight.  No reason to work oneself up. Last post on similar topic was titled Think Small and it came rushing to mind.)

WSM (Window Seat Mate) asks how “the big guy was so lucky to get stuck in the jump seat.” I reply that I’ve had back-to-back storms to thank for the rescheduling.  No reaction from WSM.

Our Flight is grounded for a “quick repair.”

I pull out my PC to grind through some emails.

WSM steals one glance at my screen.  And then another.  And another.  And another. And then just stares. (I need to invest in a screen protector to keep out prying eyes.  Yet, we can all be forgiven to steal a one quick glance to knock out the curiosity…)  However, there has to be an Emily Post rule where 4-5 side glances followed by a protracted stare is over the line.)

Continue reading “Flying…with Baggage.” →

4:11 am. And, Inspired…

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Good Wednesday morning.  Here’s a selection of inspiring posts of the week from my favorite bloggers:

Scott Marshall @ Land-Sea-Sky-Lathail.  Check out his photographs from Scotland.  MUST SEE…(and btw, that’s his photograph above).

Jenny Wright @ Jennyiswright with her post:  Are you?: …You’ve heard that before. Carpe diem, right? That’s not what I mean. I’m not telling you to be content with what you have, either. I’m just suggesting that you step away and look from afar. Your life may be a hell of a lot better than you think…Everything isn’t all sunshine, roses, and unicorns (though unis are totally real) every day. That’s a fact. Some days feel super bad.  Chin up, buttercup.  Maybe that silver lining is right in your face. Try not to hurry. You might miss it…(Read this post)

Ivon @ Teacher as Transformer with his post: The Right Moment Arrived:  “It arrived– A winter storm. Unexpected, I felt unsure. Slow down. Grasping frantically, Busyness overtakes. I let go. I arrive on time. In the very moment that just arrived.” Continue reading “4:11 am. And, Inspired…” →

You are what you do. Get on with it.

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wsj.com: Eight Principles of Successful Optimists

If there were one guiding principle that encapsulated all pragmatic optimists, it would simply be: “judge your worth not by what you own, but by what you create”…In my travels documenting and working with a number of these individuals I’ve observed number of core principles they all seem to share, and they’re principles any of us can adopt:

  1. Have an unashamed optimism of ambition. (Don’t feel embarrassed to say that things can be better. Have no qualms about imagining an improved world and advocating for it, no matter how much derision you may receive at the hands of the cynical.)
  2. Engage in projects that are bigger than you are. (“Find something more important than you are and dedicate your life to it.”)
  3. Your ideas are for sharing, not protecting. (Pragmatic optimists happily let their ideas go out dating.)
  4. Making mistakes is OK, but not trying is irresponsible.
  5. You’re defined by what you do, not by what you intend to do. (Pragmatic optimists aren’t interested in what you might do if you had more time, or if your manager was more understanding, or if you were the manager, or if it was next week.  You are what you do. That’s it. Get on with it.) Continue reading “You are what you do. Get on with it.” →

Lightly Child. Lightly.

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It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them. I was so preposterously serious in those days, such a humorless little prig. Lightly, lightly – it’s the best advice ever given me…So throw away your baggage and go forward. There are quicksands all about you, sucking at your feet, trying to suck you down into fear and self-pity and despair. That’s why you must walk so lightly. Lightly my darling, on tiptoes and no luggage, not even a sponge bag, completely unencumbered.

– Aldous Huxley, Island  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Credits: Image Source: amisfitlikeme. Quote Source: creatingaquietmind

4:14 am. And, Inspired…

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Good Wednesday morning.  Here’s a selection of inspiring posts of the week from my favorite bloggers:

Vanessa @ One Thousand Single Days with her Post: My Time Is Running Out: “…From the moment we are born we have a number. It sits invisibly above our head ticking down as we saunter through life. The number is the seconds we have left, the number of breaths left in our lungs, the number of beats left in our heart. 
But we are not aware of it. We don’t see that number ticking backwards before us in the mirror as we brush our teeth angrily after the argument had with our spouse and we don’t see it as we close the door behind us as we face another day of work, we don’t see it as we make choices, rejected ideas or grow too shy to speak up…(Read more)

Anton Ferrie @ My Spring Awakening with his post: “The Yellow Balloon.”  “I was clearing my room out the other day…and I stumbled across a small balloon that had been lying in some forgotten corner, having fallen from a bag or pocket. Normally a small piece of debris like this would hold no significance whatsoever…But this balloon symbolized something much greater…A young man had been seen wandering around the pub, evidently lost, and I approached him in the hope that I could be of assistance. I soon found out that the 23 year old American was…(Read more) Continue reading “4:14 am. And, Inspired…” →