THE TYRANNY OF THE URGENT

"Quick motion creates a life-blur." 

~Terri Guillements~

If I do not pay attention, a sense of urgency becomes my default position. I go at things with an inner sense of eagerness and hurry that is not conducive to warm fuzzy feelings. It creates an underlying state of angst instead.
     But urging, like everything, is a choice, so at any time, I can choose differently, and experience something else, and something better: a more pleasant and soothing internal state.

I abandon all urging to the winds and slow down to appreciate each moment.

HOW WE GO ABOUT THE HOLIDAY

"Remember

This December,

that love weighs more than gold."

~ Josephine DD Bacon ~

This time of year, with Christmas rapidly approaching, life takes on an excessive quality that it lacks at other times. Abundant sweets present themselves before us, money for presents and decorations and special holiday foods flows out like a flooding river, and our emotions and expectations are exaggerated and intense.
     Let's go easy on ourselves and resist the urge to push and rush and create whirlwinds and wreckage. Let's take care and be delicate and appreciate the gentle side of the season, more subtle though it may be.

I stay out of the Holiday frenzy and enjoy the experience in a more quiet way.

THE SPEED OF LIFE

"Sometimes, I feel that life is passing me by, not slowly either, but with ropes of steam and spark-spattered wheels and a hoarse roar of power or terror. It's passing, yet I'm the one who's doing all the moving." 

~ Martin Amis ~

Sometimes the sheer velocity of life is overwhelming. The days and weeks go by in a blur and a flurry of activity and noise. And sometimes we make good progress on our "to do" front, and sometimes the list expands faster than we can keep up.
     Extreme momentum and efficiency is possible in relatively short bursts- a few days, a week. But we cannot push on at that pace ad infinitum and expect to have any kind of quality of life. We have to allow for periods of down time and relaxation. They may not be possible when we have a cumulative influx of work, but we have to make time for them somehow, or else we will crash and burn.

I work hard in phases, and then take time to rest and relax.

  

THE ERROR OF OUR MISPERCEPTIONS

"A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying... that he is wiser today than he was yesterday." 

~Alexander Pope ~

We must be careful how we think about people, because more often than not, our thinking does not accurately reflect reality. We put our own stuff onto others and convince ourselves that it's them and not us. But it's always us, and our mis-perceptions are broad and vast.

We think we know about other people, but we know far less than we think.

STOP WHINING AND CHANGE

"Untold suffering seldom is." 

~Franklin P. Jones ~

I often hear people complaining about the state of their life situation. They whine, and gripe, and bemoan their fate. But they don't seem willing to change anything, to take some kind of action, or to do something to adjust the dismal dynamic of their daily fare. They have endless excuses, and justifications galore.

     But that's a trap. The way out is through, and freedom is on the far side of facing what ails us, and change is possible, practical, and real.

I stop making excuses and set about improving my life.

DAILY ENLIGHTENMENTS AND THE ART OF GOOD HABITS

BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

And my new book, The Art of Good Habits is now available! You can order it online here:

http://amzn.to/1T9ef08 

Or, you can come to a book signing this weekend if you are local and available. :)

I will be at The Winchester Book Gallery, 185 N. Loudoun St in Winchester, VA this Saturday, December 12th from 11am-1pm. (540)-667-3444

and

At Reston Sport & Health, 11445 Isaac Newton Sq S in Reston, VA this Sunday, December 13th from 10am-1pm.

Hope to see you there!

"When we are willing to take responsibility for changing ourselves, we become unlimited in potential." 

~The Art of Good Habits

Check out my website to see more! 

http://bit.ly/1M7XKRl

MAINTAINING CONFIDENCE

"It's hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head."

~ Sally Kempton ~

It's a challenge to maintain self-confidence, and sometimes it seems that the more successful we are the more self-doubt we are filled with. We look to others to determine our worth, and then are terrified by whatever they might say, or not say about us.
     But here's the good news: we are worthy, no matter what! We are better than we think we are, capable beyond our wildest dreams, and valuable simply because we exist.

I let go of guilt and shame over how I think I should be, and feel good about myself exactly as I am.