Archive for May, 2009
Are you smarter than a squirrel?
The common squirrel (Rodent-us Cute-us). I know some people think of them as tree rats but I rather like the bushy tailed Friends.
Despite being small squirrels are a keystone species and one of the most successful animals on the planet. They inhabit five out of the seven continents. How do they do it?
It all starts with a burning desire for food in this case.
The Video above shows an Olympic level gymnastic skill as well as cognitive reasoning that you would scarcely imagine a rodent would have.
What the video does not show us however is how many times the squirrel fell while learning the obstacle course. Each time dusting himself off before starting all over again. He kept trying until he got to the prize at the end.
We often see people after they have arrived and say wow what an incredible athlete, what an amazing business person, or aren’t they lucky. But we didn’t see how many times they fell before hand.
If you are not willing to fall a couple of times maybe you could use a lesson from our furry Friends.
Have a Great Memorial Day
I hope everyone reading this (those in America) are enjoying (enjoyed) this extended holiday weekend!
Just take a moment to remember our fallen brothers and sisters.
You owe it to them to live your life to the fullest and follow your dreams. They have paid the ultimate price to insure your freedom. The least you can do is show them you have not squandered their gift to you.
Semper Fi
Motivating Yourself doesn't have to be Torture
Me waterboarding Creative Loafing reporter Alex Picket. Courtesy St Pete Times
Once again our nation is talking about the harsh interrogation tactic of Waterboarding.
What baffles me is if we are so mindful about how enemy combatants are treated why are so many people willing to torture themselves? Especially when they are trying to get motivated!
Think about it? People have a tendency to forcefully try to motivate themselves to do something. When they resist they’ re own badgering they beat themselves up and make themselves feel guilty for not doing what they told themselves they had to do.
Have you ever been guilty of this? I know I have.
As intelligent, creative individuals of free will many of us have a tendency to rebel against authority figures. Even if that figure is ourselves. So what is the solution?
Well I would like to suggest a couple of ideas;
1) state your goals in a toward fashion instead of an away from. In other words say what you do want not what you don’t want.
2) When you are telling yourself what to do avoid the use of necessity words ( must, have to, ought, shall, should,won’t, will not, shall not,can not) after all there is nothing you really have to do ,except take another breath. Make it a nice deep one while you are at it. Use words of positive possibility(may, might, could, can). That way you at least know you have a choice and having a choice is always better than no choice.
3) Talk nicely to yourself. We all use internal dialogue to give ourselves instructions. Make sure you are not speaking in the voice of your parents or worse an Ex. Use a nice soothing tonality when you talk to yourself. You are a person too. You deserve to be treated well.
If you don’t do something you intended its o.k.; its not the end of the world.
P.S. Special thanks to Wendy Godmere for very publicly reminding me not to torture myself. The book is beginning to crystallize!
The Tower & the Treasure
Once upon a time, in a place far far away…
there was a sheer mountain…
…and on top of the mountain was a magical singing tower…
…inside the tower were piles of magificant treasure!
O.k. it was not so long ago. It is not so far away especially if you live in Florida.
The mountain wasn’t so sheer. Yes we do have a mountain in Florida (well sort of)
And the singing tower is the treasure itself! Even the surrounding garden is inspiring.
It is one of those hidden treasures that for those of us in Florida is in our own back yard. I have met so many people that will save up for five years to go see some monument in Europe but have have not seen this magnificent piece of architecture right here. It reminds me of that story Acres of Diamonds. The man searched the world over for treasure when it was on his own farm the whole time.
If you like reading biographies of the ultra-suuccessful Edward Bok is certainly worth studying. Bok tower is worth seeing. It is one of the magical places that bring you back to when you were a kid and you still believed in magic, princesses and all those wonderful things. It is right outside of Lake Whales FL. The picture of the tower is a link to the website if you want to look into it more.
P.S. Remember the hidden treasures in your back yard.
Biting off more than you can chew
It was suggested to me by a well meaning friend that with a new project I had started I might have bitten off more than I could chew.
That’s good! When we talk about expanding your comfort zone this what we mean. You take on things that are currently outside your skill set. Then you learn by doing which is the most effective way build your learning into muscle memory.
If you think you might have bitten off more than you can chew just ask yourself…
Am I Hungry?
