Archive for the ‘Empowerment’ Category
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photo credit: Nathan Dainty
In an effort to gain inspiration for the article you’re now reading, I asked my husband what he’d like to see me write about. Just a moment of silence and he said, “How do I improve my jumpshot?” That wasn’t exactly the inspiration I was looking for, but I did ask for his opinion, and in an effort to take his answer seriously, I took on the challenge. Just an FYI though, this article ISN’T about how to improve your jumpshot. (Or my husband’s. I found a great article on the web and forwarded it for his perusal.) It is, however, how my husband’s jumpshot is a lot like life. Â Or rather, the lessons life can teach us about creating change.
You see, just as my husband asked the question about his jumpshot, what shot through my brain and what came out of my mouth were two different things (a wise choice, I can assure you!). In my brain I thought, >> More..
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photo credit: haunted by Leonard Cohen
If you’ve never heard of the parenting book Love and Logic, the popular text gets into what it calls the “Three-Legged Table of Self-Concept.” I know, I know. One more simple analogy that’s supposed to cure everything wrong in your relationships. But this one makes sense.Â
Your table is only strong when all three legs are strong. Or put it this way: Your table is only as strong as its weakest leg. And if that leg is too weak, your whole table will collapse. What are these legs we speak of? They are the implied messages that we give to our children.
This analogy is especially helpful when we’re talking about adult children. If you were raised in an environment where these legs (again, our implied messages) were not strong and stable, then you probably >> More..
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I have found it - the definition of authenticity! Sure, there are plenty of Toms, Dicks, and Harrys out there who claim to know all about “authentic” life styles. They say, “Listen to me. I can guide you to happiness!” Then they charge you an arm and a leg. But I think I have found the real definition of authenticity. Here it is, for free I might add.  (You’re welcome!)
It comes by way of Brian Goldman, a graduate student at the University of Georgia in Athens. He was digging through centuries-old research and philosophy when he uncovered >> More..
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Now, before I begin, let me be crystal clear: This is neither a political statement nor a religious statement, and you won’t find my opinion on either in this post (although I do have one).
This bumper sticker caught my attention as a challenge. “I can’t?” Frustrated by the rules and beliefs we lay down for others, I was reminded of John Mayer’s song Belief. (You know the one… he says, “We’re never gonna beat this if belief is what we’re fighting for” - remember?) Issuing a blanket statement about something is merely a belief, and then putting a rule on top of that (like, “You CAN’T be catholic and pro-abortion”) is a recipe for disaster.
Assuming (as I do), that we live in world where disturbances of life are created by our mind, >> More..
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“Get Your Life On Track!:Â How one small change can turn everything around.” That’s what the headline said on the cover of a recent issue of O Magazine.Â
You just KNOW I had to pick that magazine up. If you know me, and I hope you all are getting to know me by this point, I am intrigued by how other experts view “change”.Â
The expert in this case was Martha Beck. In the article, she said that there’s really only one thing that can derail our lives, keep us off course, and leave us living an unmotivated, uncomfortable, unhappy and blah existence. It’s our lenses.Â
Think of Superman and those thick rims he puts on when he wants to turn into Clark Kent and cover his true identity and hide his superpowers. The comic book hero dons his lenses intentionally.
But many of us use our lenses–our excuses–without even knowing it.  And… it’s those very same excuses that keep us stranded in the slow lane to nowhere.
Just like Superman, though, if we can learn to remove our lenses, we can then reveal our own superpowers–our loves, interests, and abilities that get us motivated, accelerating, and aimed for goals and success.
In the O Magazine article, Martha mentioned one of her favorite quotes: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure … Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.” (A Marianne Williamson quote.)Â
I particularly love that last line. Â Does playing small ever make sense? Â How will playing small ever help you reach the full, large life you are meant to live? It’s no coincidence that we all talk about wanting to “live large.” The good life.Â
So it’s time to put our money where our mouth is. We have to take on life in a big way–like Superman, not Clark Kent–if we’re ever to have that long, happy, dream-filled life free from hardships and trepidation. After all, “living large” means, put simply, living a happy existence.  And that is all any of us can ask for … happiness.
