Covid-19 Anxiety, Find Your One Thing…

Covid-19 and social distancing for the last couple of weeks has been stressing me to my limit as it probably has for you too.  Being off my routine, in lockdown mode (I know, safe at home) worrying about business stuff and family stuff and with a lot fewer warm hugs has really knocked me off my game.  Can’t sleep, stress eating, not getting out to run (worsens everything) and a low level anxiety from everywhere have been the new norm…the negativity creeps on you and before you know it, it’s hitting you hard.  Thankfully, my friend Tim Cole sent me a link to an insightful article by Mitch Albom in the Detroit Free Press which I really needed today.  Mitch writes about Knox who has an incredible story…a blessed ray of sunshine all the way from Haiti that helped Mitch find his one thing.BikeRideJoy

My one thing…this weekend, my 9 year old son finally learned to ride his bike overcoming a ton of anxiety.  He’s been putting it off for years.  There was a super stress moment and some tears but he pushed through and of course, once he got the hang of it he didn’t want to stop.  He rode about 8 miles before the day was done and he didn’t let me help in any of it except to cheer him from a distance and adjust the seat and the brakes a few times.  This win was all him!  I got a long warm hug for the assist and then he let go but came back and gave me a second long warm hug, bonus!  :)

In writing this I also realize for the umpteenth time, that we have rays of sunshine all around us all day every day.  We just have to get out of our funk and look for them.  Life’s best things are the littlest things right under our noses.

As these next days and weeks come and go, find your one thing(s), your rays of sunshine, and count your blessings.  And if you can, help someone else find theirs because we are all of us everywhere on quite the rollercoaster.  Thank you Mitch and thank you Tim!

What is your one thing?

 

Motivation

IT'S A CHOICE!
IT’S A CHOICE!

“Motivation is simple.  You eliminate those who are not motivated.”
                                                – Lou Holtz

It’s called…
Self-motivation
Real, honest, practical, necessary
Personal accountability
Tough love

What does it mean to you?

Write it on your heart…

Stay in the moment for that is where you find
peace
productivity
prosperity
business will be good…you will be strong…life will be balanced

on your heart

A Peace of Success…

In the solitude on the trail…findpeace

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming.” – John Wooden

Peace on the inside…brings peace on the outside

Discipline, effort, choice…to find balance, self-worth, value

Not a thing measured but a feeling…and a knowing

Recognize Your Progress

strivebuddhaprog·ress

noun

1.  a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage.

positive change…an attitude…a vision…a change of pace…one more mile…the next level…even the smallest of steps

with heart

Success starts with the one…

Starfish1aDid a presentation yesterday afternoon…65 staff and managers…they had a long morning covering their business agenda, just finished lunch, small room,  too warm, a captive audience for the most part…

Topic was emotional intelligence and personal accountability…it was looking to be a tough afternoon…and it was…but we pressed on.  Had good interaction, a few laughs, a few light bulbs during the exercises…it was good.

There was one that did not say much…the quiet one…but I could tell he was listening…he did the exercises, wrote while others around him laughed off theirs…he wrote carefully…kept it to himself.

Near the end, volunteers around the room shared their takeaways for self-improvement, for change…they were good…lose weight, stop smoking, be kind, help others…all good things, challenging, admirable.

I risked it…asked him to share…he looked down as he spoke…the room went quiet as he courageously admitted many faults….seeing himself being distant, angry, frustrated, impatient, the yelling and screaming, so hard to be home, so much sadness…but owning his behavior, his part in their pain…his plan to be a better man…to let go his anger, be more attentative, be more patient, respectful, bring his family to a better place…all with a deep sincerity you could feel in your heart…

Silence…I looked up…tears all around the room…they hadn’t known…then the applause…for the one.

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”
– Norman Vincent Peale

Success is a choice…

The choices we make now move us to a better place in life or a worse place.  What choices are you making?

So I put in my application…western states 100…holding my breath till December 7th! :-)

wser-logo-180

 

Enthusiasm Makes or Breaks You…

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Enthusiasm:
– is to be inspired
– is a self-fulfilling prophecy
– is a signal for what is right
– is infectious
– is the match that lights the candle!

enthusiasm

Success starts here…

“Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results, but first you have to believe.”  – Mark Victor Hansen

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Do the work. Do the analysis. But feel your run…

kara_goucherDo the work. Do the analysis. But feel your run. Feel your race. Feel the joy that is running.” – Kara Goucher, 2008 Olympian, Runner’s World Quote of the Day

This is how we ran as kids…less analysis but with joy
This is how we should run every day
Anything else is restricted, restrained, self-limiting

Joy is the key
Find your passion…persevere…to live your greatest journey
– Look deep
– Own it
– Live it
– Use it to look deeper
– Unleash it

In running, business, family, faith…in life
Feel the joy!

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