Our time is one of the most valuable things we have. We all start with the same amount…it’s how we spend it.  It may seem like there are never enough hours in the day. In 1998, Randy Pausch, a former professor at Carnegie Mellon University, gave a speech on time management. His speech was poignant and became even more so when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2008. In Pausch’s speech he says, “To live richly and avoid regret, we must give priority to things of real importance.” When we work ourselves into a frenzy over the need to get everything done, whether it is at work or at home, there is an energy expenditure that quickly depletes us. In his five minute Super Soul Sunday video, Bishop T.D. Jakes says we have traded effectiveness for busyness. Echoing Pausch, Jakes challenges us to think of ourselves as a precious commodity. He says, “We are not using our life, our time, our energy for our highest and best use.” When we allow ourselves the gift of stepping back, taking a few breaths, going for a walk, run, a yoga class, cooking, just simply doing something we enjoy, we find a relief. Our breath slows down and so does our mind. All of the sudden we can actually do our work more efficiently once we take a few moments to do the things that aren’t necessarily urgent, but that we actually enjoy and reflect our very best.

We are so programed to get everything done in an instant, especially with the way we relate to one another through the constant contact of telephone, email, texting, etc. Carrie Fisher once said, “Even instant gratification takes too long.” It’s a concept we probably all know but simply forget, the idea that “To live richly and avoid regret, we must give priority to things of real importance.” When we are under urgent pressure to get something done it can almost take away from the very thing you are trying to make happen (whether it’s a presentation at work or getting your kids to bed). Either way, things happen more efficiently when we are in alignment with ourselves and allow things to fall into place. Pausch’s outlook is something that so easily gets lost in our everyday lives. Stephen Covey says it this way, “Do the important things first.”
The blessing of time is a gift. Use it wisely every day and be grateful. Go take that walk you didn’t have time for, spend time with your family, go to that sporting event or show, and THEN do your best work. Eat well, fuel your body and mind, get outside and don’t forget to not just live, but LIVE WELL.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love.

So often as human beings we are terrified of being seen. Just standing tall and walking into a room can be enough to make us nervous. Why is it that we are afraid of being who we are and being the best version of who we are? Often times, instead of allowing ourselves to be bright we unconsciously (and if we are honest) sometimes consciously choose to dim our lights. We may gain weight to avoid relationships, we may not look or dress our best to avoid being seen or talked about, we may not share our feelings because we’re afraid of how we are going to be perceived, we may not choose to take a job we really want out of fear of not being good enough. In a sense we may do all of these things because in some ways it’s safer. It is the easier way because it enables us not to truly show up for ourselves and our lives whole-heartedly. If we play small we get to keep our masks on, we can make excuses for ourselves and for the most part it can actually be comfortable living this way. However, the truth is that at the essence of who you are and in every human being, there is a greatness, a boldness, a light that is bright and it is our right to embrace it and share it. When we neglect that right we are in so many ways dishonoring ourselves and who we truly are. God gave us each gifts, these gifts are specific and special to what we are meant to do here on this earth, to neglect or not share ourselves is to neglect the gift.

“Today I want you to ask yourself this one question. “Why not you?” Why not you to do something for work that you love? Why not you to have a healthy body? Why not you to have healthy love? Why not you to be, have, or do anything you have ever dreamed? We are so quick to think others are deserving over ourselves. The truth is that we are all deserving so why not you?” ~Jillian Michaels

Each one of us has within us the power to live a full life. This life is the perfect place to have everything you have ever wanted. But the choice is yours. Your playing small does not serve the world. So go, burn bright, be who you are, and be proud. Stand tall and let your light shine because guess what? The world needs it.

“It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” – David Steindl-Rast
Gratitude is what connects us to joy, love, courage, connection, a sense of belonging – these all in some way connect us back to ourselves. In a recent Oprah video, a group of panelists talk about gratitude. When we are grateful there is no room for fear, anger or separation. Gratitude is calming, loving, it negates fear in a world where somehow along the way we have become fearful – afraid of each other, afraid of feeling, afraid of loving, afraid of trusting. Fear, anger, stress, are isolating feelings and the opposite of being grateful. But, when we are coming from the place of gratitude our hearts are open and we become no longer separated. We are able to give and receive freely, without attachment to the outcome. We come from a place of love. There is a recognition of something bigger, greater, a shift in perception. Gratitude doesn’t keep score, it doesn’t have expectations; it is simply being thankful and loving what is, from the learning, to the stumbling.

Tony Robbins says, “Gratitude is the reset button. It is the cleanser of the soul.” In giving thanks, the “you” disappears. Another panelist, Deepak Chopra, mentions that everything you see, touch, feel is a gift and where there is appreciation there is duplication. Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life, and reminds us that we already have everything we need, the key is to simply slow down, get still and notice.

So this month, take time to honor the little things…everyday…it’s all about the means and not the end. Notice the things that make you smile, and when you find them…smile. Every day, find something to be grateful for. It’s there.

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” – Denis Waitley

Here’s a little video by Louie Schwartzberg to remind us to take time to notice the little things in life… the beauty in the everyday. You can view it, here.

How easy it is to get caught up in everyday life. So often we go about our day without thinking too much about it. Maybe we wake up at the same time, go to the same office, look out the same window, and do it all over again, or maybe our day is always different, but we are so focused on the task at hand that we don’t take time to slow down, to notice, to watch, to see what is so often right in front of us. The beauty of life is that it is always unfolding. Everyday is a miracle when we stop to look around, and truly get present. When we allow ourselves to get quiet and take in the gift of life, we realize how precious it is.

In stillness, we allow ourselves to feel, to see and to experience the magic of the everyday. We have become so concerned with naming our surroundings that we lose the beauty behind the object that we named: the bird, the tree, the flower. Take a full breath in and slowly exhale it out. That breath is a gift, but we so often do it without even thinking about it or noticing. In the same way, that bird, that tree, and all of nature is a gift that requires its own moment of stillness. So often we neglect to truly see our everyday gifts. When we come to really get present and notice all these little gifts, they add up to experiencing all that is sacred around us. Stillness is different from solitude, different from aloneness, stillness is something you can experience when you’re by yourself or amongst people. You can find it where ever you are, and it can always be accessed. It is a place within, you don’t have to go looking for it or searching, take a deep breath in and relax. You have everything you need, and the magic is always there. However, it’s up to us to see it.

“Our miracles and life’s magic don’t appear when we’re restless and frantic. The miracles and magic happen when we’re still, quiet, calm and trusting. Find the power in stillness. It’s one that comes gently, like the morning sunrise or the evening stars. Let your mind and soul be at ease. When you reside in stillness, the joy, the miracles and the magic you’re seeking, will find you.” – Melody Beattie, Journey to the Heart

We often hear the phrase that we are not our thoughts. However, we also hear how impactful our thoughts are on how we feel, what we think and in turn what we believe we can do. Our thoughts, although they are not defining can often times be a driving force behind the choices we make. Each day we have a choice in how we respond to our environment and how we let our own thoughts and feelings shape our perceptions. Often times, whatever we believe we are, we become. This can work for us, but we also might find it working against us depending on how we treat ourselves, and view ourselves.

John O’Leary says, “You can’t always choose your path in life, but you can always choose the manner in which you walk it.” We can’t always choose what happens to us every day. In fact, more and more we recognize how so many things are often out of our control, the only thing we actually can control is our response to the situations and environment we live in. We can choose whether to be a victim of our lives and circumstance or actually be in our life, living it, with purpose and a grateful heart. No matter what shows up in life, we have choices and taking time to recognize our responses is a key element in how we feel on a daily basis about our life. We have a choice, and no one can make it for us.

“The best day of your life is the one in which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours- it is an amazing journey- and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” Bob Moawad

The gift is yours- whatever you can dream, you can do and whatever you believe yourself to be capable of, you are.

So go out, and make it the best day of your life.

Have you all seen this Ted Talk with Simon Sinek? If you haven’t, take a few moments to check it out. In the video, Sinek dissects key points in the reason why companies like Apple are successful and leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. have influenced so many. When we start looking at why people do the things they do, we start analyzing one of the key reasons why humans respond to certain things, while other times, we don’t. Why do we buy one thing over the other even when the quality of both products might be very similar if not equal? Simon Sinek points out that many companies come from the angle of, here is a great product, it’s innovative, cool and pretty, want to buy it? While companies like Apple simply say, we believe in innovation, we believe in people, we believe in what we do, we believe in you, now here is a great computer, want to buy it? And the answer probably feels a little different.

Humans relate to each other through connection. When we start doing things that come from our core, living our passions, we stop concerning ourselves with the outcome and therefore we usually let go of any sort of fear that might keep us from doing something. The task itself, whatever it is, is already the reward. When we start to live from the inside out, we cannot fail. Our purpose becomes greater than the outcome, because it comes from somewhere deeper inside ourselves, and because of this we are able to put ourselves out there, in a way that is endearing, in a way that every human being can relate to. As people, we are all much more alike than we are different. We want to be appreciated, feel love, be supported, be heard, etc. When what we do starts to reflect those needs of others, there becomes an awareness of connection. There is an understanding and a level of trust because the relating is there and is authentic. As Sinek mentions in the video, we follow people not for them, but for us. We buy the product not for them, but for ourselves. We either believe that something they produced may enhance our lives, or we feel connected with someone because of what they believe, or do or support. There is a resonating that happens. To be successful, it isn’t about being perfect, it’s relating, connecting, establishing a sense of what is real and true for you, based on either your experiences or what you have learned and allowing that core part of you have voice, because when we speak from our core, we automatically speak to someone else’s. So let your passion be your guide. Live from the inside out.

Authenticity demands whole-hearted living and loving- even when it’s hard, even when we’re wrestling with the shame and fear of not being good enough, and especially when the joy is so intense that we are afraid to let ourselves feel it.

Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy and gratitude into our lives. -Brene Brown, PH.D

“Seeing your strengths exactly as they are, and equally aware of where they can be best applied, for what, to whom and when…”

One of the most efficient ways to use your talents is to have an idea of what they are. Often times we get really busy in our day to day lives and instead of having an awareness, we check out and go on autopilot, doing what we do each and every day. Marianne Williamson states that, “Success means when we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way to serve others.” When we start letting go of doing the mundane, and really start letting our work come from the heart, doors open up, we open up and our life begins to change. Use your life to spread your talents. Your talents that come from a place of love. They are unique to you, no one can take them away, no one has the same ones you do. So instead of constantly thinking about how to be more and more successful, maybe just become aware of how you can use your talents to benefit everyone and everything. “The key to a successful career is realizing that it’s not separate from the rest of your life, but is rather an extension of your most basic self.”

Enjoy the day!

This blog is here for you. Use it as your most valuable resource to getting where you want to go in your career and in your life.

It’s business and it’s personal.