push the boundaries

We change our behavior when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing. Consequences give us the pain that motivates us to change.” 
― Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

Growth requires that you push yourself beyond the boundaries you have become comfortable with. It’s a new year, perhaps you have some goals that you’d like to focus on. Do those goals push you beyond what you have done before?

If you haven’t developed a set of personal goals or professional goals now is the time to create some. What are some things you could do to enhance your life?

1. How do you want to grow as a person?
2. How do you want to grow as a professional?

Thing big, Think bigger.

Find the thing within you that inspires and motivates you and then do something with that inspiration. Make something new. Make something happen. Start today.

directions or destination

“Leadership is a process where a leader has a purpose oriented destination and lets the followers find the best way to get there with a common vision and goal.”
― Debasish Mridha

In your organization are you given directions or a destination?

What is more powerful, the directions or the destination?

Too often people are given directions on how to do things rather than being given a destination to head towards.  Give people the power to determine the direction.  Give people a powerful destination and people with engage with enthusiasm to reach the goal.

 

Making a difference and you can

“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”

 John F. Kennedy

It takes a few helping hands to make a difference and maybe you can help.  You are looking at a picture outside Kashari, Uganda.

Zion Kids Palace Nursery School – Kashari, Mbarara

There is a school there that is being run by Herbert Tushabe and Rachael Nsimenta in a rural part of Uganda and they are on a mission to help the children in this area thrive.

Here is their story in their words:

Racheal and I , undertook a decision to tackle this challenge in July 2012  With a few tools and resources that were  available, we  started Zion with an emphasis  to bring long-lasting measurable social change to an urgent social need for the people in and around Rwobuyenje Kakiika -Kashari.

 Due to lack of affordable and accessible early learning and childhood development Centers and  the demand around its  neighborhood (more than 800 children between age 3 and 6)  don’t access early childhood learning (KG education) because the cost of  doing this is so high not mentioning the transportation of  these kids to and from the available  schools in town which costs so much that the poor peasantry parents in this area can’t afford and hence the vulnerability of this young rural children in this area, so they wait to join directly to primary school at age 9 or 10.

After witnessing the adversities that children in these  villages encountered, even when  those parents that struggled to do so would use motorcycles to ferry

toddlers to school very early in the morning  (6 or 7 -3 year olds) on one motorcycle very early in the morning ,that cold…I  was moved. Inspiration struck through the startup of  this facility so that these services can be availed to these people so accessible and affordable.

Nearly after 3 years of  involvement, our  dedication grew, and has manifested itself into the a Community Based center -Zion Kids Palace.   Four  teachers,Racheal Nsimenta, and Mr Tushabe Herbert  are now running  a full early learning   center with 100 kids ,providing them a full KG program with lunch and breakfast.

The philosophy,  teach man how to  fish, and  feed him for a lifetime’ fueled Racheal and I to found Zion. That philosophy still drives our mission to  enhance and lift quality of education during early learning stages at the Grass-root. Our desire is that these children will grow active and creative minds, develop a passion for others, and have the courage to act on their beliefs.We focus on the total development of each child’s spiritual, moral, intellectual, social, and physical growth via a faith-based perspective.

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What do they need?   They need funds to expand the program, to build a school and provide safe transportation for the kids along with materials such as books and toys to improve the outcomes of the school.

Here’s what you can do.   You can donate to the program.   You can tell others, you can pass this link on to others.   One dollar will make a difference.   Give a dollar and pass the message to 10 other people.  Let Herbert and Rachael change the world for the kids they serve.    Will you do that today?

You can play a small part and make a difference that will last a lifetime.

Thank-you!   Please send the link to fund the project to those you know.

inspired leadership

“Authority confined in you does not make you a leader. It is the authority created by you that makes you influence people with your purpose.”
― Israelmore Ayivor

For some people it is only about results, not how the results were created but just that the results meet expectations.   Demands for results have never been higher and never before have people expended so much emotional energy in creating those results.   Longer hours and a thread to work that rarely goes away keeps the worker in constant contact with the work.

Does more work create a happier life?   Do you feel happier by working longer at your job?

One lady has decided that serving others is more important than finding ways to increase her financial success.   Barbara Crawford works with soldiers to help them repair the emotional wounds encountered in stressful situations.  Her goal is provide soldiers and families with resources to manage and control PTSD.  She does this at no cost for the soldiers, she volunteers her time to make a positive impact in the lives of others, that is her reward.

The easy thing to do is to work harder and put in more time doing work that will ultimately have little long-term meaning.   The inspired leadership approach allows one to make an investment that creates significance in life as well as success.    Inspired leadership allows one to focus on building a complete life as opposed to chasing things that supposed to represent a happy life.

Are you living an inspired life?   Are you leading yourself in the directions of your dreams?  Are you finding the balance between success and significance that bringing you greater joy?   I hope your answers are “yes”.

 

 

what will your masterpiece be?

“We cannot know what a human being can achieve until we have seen [the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel].” — Wolfgang von Goethe

What do you want your masterpiece to be?   Everyday you have the opportunity to do something great, what will it be?

How are you going to use your genius, your passion, your grit, your persistence, your practice, your pursuit, your intelligence to make a difference in this world. The world needs all of who you are every day.   You can make a difference.  You have the all the abilities you need to change the world.

What will be your Sistine Chapel moment?   What will be your Sistine Chapel contribution to the world?

The realm of exceptional performance comes from the pursuit of an idea that is at the edges of your abilities that push your limits beyond where you have been before.  Push yourself, move outside the comfort of the known to experience the unknown and do something great.   Go to the place where the fear lives within you and push it back.

start with one

“Everyone is familiar with the phenomenon of feeling more or less alive on different days. Everyone knows on any given day that there are energies slumbering in him which the incitements of that day do not call forth, but which he might display if these were greater. Most of us feel as if we lived habitually with a sort of cloud weighing on us, below our highest notch of clearness in discernment, sureness in reasoning, or firmness in deciding. Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. Our fires are damped, our drafts are checked. We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources.”   William James

If you read the quote above you probably have had days where the energy to live fully just wasn’t there.   It was a day that you felt you needed to take off and just find a place to do nothing.   Where does your energy come from?   What makes you excited to participate in a new day?

What do you think is the biggest thief of energy?
1. To many things to do and no clear priorities
2. Nothing very interesting to do, not challenging or valuable
3. No external motivation, others encouraging you forward
4. Physical ailments or negative thinking

What would it take to activate you so that your day was filled with energy and positive outcomes?     You do realize that your energy doesn’t come from somewhere else, it comes from within you.   It comes from lifting your energy level up when it is down.  It comes from thinking about one thing that will produce a desired result.

Clarity and focus.   That is one way to get energy flowing.   Be clear on achieving one goal and focusing on achieving that goal.   Stay clear of distractions, email, conversation, or other activities that pull you away from that “one” thing.

do good work

“Earning happiness means doing good and working, not speculating and being lazy. Laziness may look inviting, but only work gives you true satisfaction.”
― Anne Frank

How much of your time is spent doing work you really love to do?   How much of it is great work.  Great work is inspiring, engaging and energizing.   Great work is creative and fulfilling, time passes by quickly and the work feels effortless, flowing and satisfying.

How much time each day do you engage in work that is good?    This isn’t as creative as great work but it is work that uses your strengths and talents most of the time.   It may take a little bit of effort to get into the swing of the work but once you do, you can work with few breaks and are motivated by accomplishment.   It feels good to do good work.   Your days are pleasant, moderately inspiring and those around you notice that you seem to enjoy what you do.

Lastly there is the work that doesn’t fit who you are or what you want to do.   This is the kind of work that is drudgery that takes a lot of effort to engage in and do well.  It may suck the energy out of you and is difficult to do the best work that you are capable of.   You do the work because it is part of the job.   It isn’t rewarding and takes a considerable amount of effort to start and complete the work.  Those around you notice that you often do other things before starting in the work that doesn’t inspire you.    Other’s will know because you’ll tell them that you “need” to do this work and get it done.    You’ll likely wait to the last minute before starting and forget to check the work for accuracy.    This kind of work is just non-inspiring work for you.

How much time to you spend of each day doing Great work, Good work and non-inspired work?   Take the survey.

How do you think you’d feel if you could do more great work this year?   What would it take for you to do great work?

Why would you do great work?   Because there is a reason to do something great.  Take a look!

conviction

“Don’t allow your mind to tell your heart what to do. The mind gives up easily”
― Paulo Coelho

Conviction – a strong belief in a cause.     What are you convicted of?   What are you doing that you believe in so deeply that nothing interferes with getting the result you want.     It takes conviction to plow through difficult circumstances to achieve a noble goal.     It is a quality that not a lot of people have.     We live in  a society where things should be easy, that we should be able to obtain things easily.

What does it take to live a life with conviction?

1. Clarity on what it is you want to do.   Being crystal clear on what your purpose is, on what your goals are and how to realize those goals.   Without clarity, without focus things are blurred and confusing.    Clarity of purpose gives rise to direction.   Seeing as we are goal seeking beings and that happiness flows from achieving goals big or small means that we should focus on “being” and “doing”.

2. Competence, the ability “to do”.   Competence increases your self-esteem.  If you believe you can do it, you probably can.   It may take work and practice to develop the competence you need to get the results you want, so work on developing your skills.   What one thing can you do today to improve your skills?

3. Making it real.   What do you absolutely want to accomplish in your life?  What is stopping you?   What is holding you back from living full-out right now?  List all those reasons, yes, write them all down.   Now look at the list, is it true, is everything reason that you wrote down stopping you from living that life you want to live?

Living with conviction means that there is a way to achieve your goal even in the midst of all the stuff that happens.   It means that it is important to realize that result, whether it is a special trip, a new college degree, a new career, a better relationship or making something better in your life.   If you not convicted that life can be better for you than what will?  It’s your life not someone else’s, it is your choice and it must be your conviction to make that life real for you.

What would you do if it really mattered?

What would it take for you to be convicted to take action for a cause you believed in … you?

In this video clip you’ll learn about a person who was convicted and about another person who was convicted to make a change.   What passion, what energy, what goal can you focus on and achieve?   The one that you totally believe in and one that you are willing to make the right sacrifices to achieve.

Take a look!

confidence

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”   Eleanor Roosevelt

What is confidence?   It is the ability to match expectations with actual results.   If we expect with certainty that we can do something and than aren’t able to achieve that result then feedback to self is negative.   If we can do something like tie a shoe with success we become more confident that we can be achieve a result and that positive feedback reinforces our confidence.

Confidence can be increased:

1. Mastery – practicing until you have developed a demonstrated proficiency in the area you want to improve in.

2.  Contribute to the success of others – help someone else develop their skills and in most cases your skill will increase as well.

3. Encouragement – getting positive feedback from someone who has skills in the  area you want to improve.   Using positive affirmations to help bolster your belief that you can do better are useful as well.   The children’s program Bob the Builder says,  “Can we build it? Yes we can!” Can we ChaCha? Yes we can!

4. Imagery – imagine what the completed result will look like.   This is something that sports figures use to create a positive outcome by first doing the routine in the mind before actually doing the event.   Gymnasts walk-thru their routine mentally imagining each move being perfectly executed.

5. Transferral – transform fear into excitement.   The brain doesn’t interpret the difference between fear and excitement in terms of experience.   The fear sensation is the same as high excitement and people think they are experiencing fear when what they are feeling is excited.   A person who is about to speak before a large group says they are fearful and often it is excitement that they feel.

6. Physical management – manage the tension in your muscles and relax rather than get more tense as you are about to do something new.   Confidence comes with repeated success and with that people can relax.   Performing in big events, sports, appearing in front of large audiences can for the first time create physical sensations that decrease performance.  Practice the mental imagery of success to bring down the tension of that big performance.

Confidence is often tested in big events, like Mountain Biking downhill at high speeds.   The skill it takes to go full on and full-out on technically difficult courses requires a high degree of confidence.

Would you be willing to try a high-speed descent on two wheels?

relief

“How we perceive a situation and how we react to it is the basis of our stress. If you focus on the negative in any situation, you can expect high stress levels. However, if you try and see the good in the situation, your stress levels will greatly diminish.” Catherine Pulsifer

It’s a job, it’s barely a job and every morning getting the foot on the floor is more and more difficult.   It’s a life, it’s barely a life and every day it seems that the bills grow larger and larger.   It’s a relationship, it’s barely a relationship with more and more time spent in arguing about each other’s faults and failures.  It’s a diet, it’s barely a diet that works, that is helpful in losing weight.   It’s motivation, it barely the motivation that is needed to improve all the things that are going wrong in life.

There are many people looking for some sort of relief, a way to get through the day, to get through the moment and to feel like there is some purpose and meaning in life.    For many people it is a struggle to stay focused and get something done, there is no relief in their life, just the constant struggle to make it through the day.

What if there was a way to get relief but a way to get more out of life so that everyday is purpose filled and engaging?  What would it be like to feel alive everyday?  What would it be like?

In many cases it is the way we think about life that makes it a struggle.  The difference between an optimistic look at life and a pessimistic look at life is the difference between happiness and despair.     Relief comes when we start looking at life in a new way.

Here are three ways to find relief.

1. Meditate.   Studies show that meditation is reducing stress,  improving happiness and yielding better results in school.

2. Resilience.   People who are able to bounce back from unfortunate circumstances get relief faster.   Increasing positive to negative thoughts ratio increases resilience.

3. Mindfulness.  Focus on creating positive thoughts that break the cycle of negative thinking.

When we shift our mental picture of what is happening to us at any given time from negative to positive we enjoy greater relief.  Moving from worry to opportunity creates a sense of excitement and wonder in our lives.  Ingesting positive thoughts improves our mood and ability to bounce back from bad things in our life.

Where do you need relief?   What can you do today to generate positive thoughts?   What do you really want to be different in your life?

Relief is available to you when you meditate, bounce back and are mindful of what can be done rather than focusing on what has happened.   Relieve your mind of the burden of negative thinking and you will experience relief.