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Posts tagged ‘Inspiration’

Oct 24

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Finish Lines

“To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This week wraps up a variety of “finish lines” on many fronts.  On the final stretch, I am getting my second wind with the finish line in sight, a bit tired. Our days are made up of little defeats and little victories and sometimes it feels like we are spinning our wheels with no forward progress. But all of these moments build on each other, testing our resolve, building our patience, defining our character. As we bounce from one “race” to the next, pause, if only for a moment, to celebrate the wins, the finish lines.

“All endeavor calls for the ability to tramp the last mile, shape the last plan, endure the last hours toil. The fight to the finish spirit is the one… characteristic we must possess if we are to face the future as finishers.” – Henry David Thoreau

Oct 20

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Exhale

“The world is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”
– Bertrand Russell

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

In waiting, hoping and quiet, we rediscover what’s important and what’s merely noise. Pettiness and cynicism get loud temporarily only to be drown out by gratitude and goodness. This past year has been a series of waiting periods with family health, tree limbs falling, cars breaking and most recently Molly having major surgery for an infection in her chest (she’s home and doing well).

As we hold our breath through these days, we need to remember to exhale, releasing the weight of waiting. And then to inhale, taking in the good. In and out, yin and yang, up and down, inhale and exhale.

Oct 15

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Out of the Blue

“It's wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is God and I have no fears.” – Helen Keller

“It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is God and I have no fears.” – Helen Keller

“A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.” – Saint Basil

The right words at the perfect time, a phone call from a friend, an unprompted email from a co-worker with an authentic thank you, a handwritten card for no occasion but one of encouragement.

All simple acts of love “out of the blue” that remind us that there are more blue skies than clouds. We have the power to create “out of the blue” moments for others. This week, write an email, send a card, pick up the phone. A simple act of kindness that can transform the sky.

“My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness.” – Dalai Lama

Oct 12

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Discover

“The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” – Marcel Proust

As I embark of two days of intense meetings, I’ve decided to not dread them but to open myself to what I can learn, contribute and discover. Be open to people and ideas and the landscape changes. Discover your day, they are passing by quickly. Capture the moments, they are the essense of life.

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.” – William James

 

Oct 7

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First Time Again

“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” – T. S. Eliot

“No one can possibly know what is about to happen: it is happening, each time, for the first time, for the only time.” – James A. Baldwin

“No one can possibly know what is about to happen: it is happening, each time, for the first time, for the only time.” – James A. Baldwin

The first weekend of October is the Twin Cities Marathon, a tradition. In 2004, the Twin Cities Marathon was my first marathon, so it’s very special to me. This weekend, I ran the 5k on Saturday and the 10 mile on Sunday. Over the past 10 years, I’ve probably done over 100 5k runs, no big deal. It’s become routine. But this weekend, it became new again.

At the 5k, there were thousands of runners of different ages, sizes and walks of life. For many, this was their first 5k. To them, it was a big deal. All of them with their own stories and daily challenges, simply running, achieving a goal. At the 10 mile and marathon events, the runners had the same excitement and enthusiasm as months of hard work paid off in each step moving them to the finish line, crossing over in the victory of finishing. And as we cheered for the them today, I remembered how important the spectators and my friends and family were to me when I ran my first marathon. They carried me and inspired me. And this weekend, I was inspired by those running all of the events – 5k, 10k, 10 mile and marathon – especially those running for the first time.

Run into each day with a “first time again” perpective and be inspired and renewed as the old becomes new again.

Oct 2

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Defuse

“Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” – Publilius Syrus

In tension-filled situations, we can contribute to the stress or defuse it with a calm, cool response. I jumped on the complain train yesterday and it was hard to get off. Today, when a situation escalated, I chose to defuse it with a positive response, even though I didn’t feel like it. The storm settled and the sea was calm. Our first response is not always our best response, even if we are “right”. We need to think about the lasting impact of our words – to ourselves and others. Cast words that edify. They call it the high road for a reason. Let’s take it.

Sep 30

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Show Your Colors

“Your attitude is like a box of crayons that color your world. Constantly color your picture gray, and your picture will always be bleak. Try adding some bright colors to the picture by including humor, and your picture begins to lighten up.” – Allen Klein

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Reawaken the child within and start coloring outside the lines. Play, laugh, jump in a pile of leaves (if you don’t have dogs). If you need a refresher on how to find joy in each day, watch a child swinging at the playground or riding a bike without training wheels for the first time. Or the wilde enthusiasm when you come home and dogs greet you like you’ve been gone for 10 years. Be bright, be light and show your colors. Change your attitude, change your life.

Sep 27

6 Comments

Soften

“So often we try to gird ourselves to face a harsh and difficult world when we might instead gentle both ourselves and our world by slowing down.” – Julia Cameron, Walking in this World

Walk softly through this day and observe. You can be a gift to someone who may be having a really tough day. Don’t race by. Go deeper instead of farther. A smile, a laugh, a hug, a helping hand, your full attention – all simple acts that can transform your corner of the world. This race is won by the slow.

Sep 24

9 Comments

Test Your Mettle

“In the realm of ideas everything depends on enthusiasm… in the real world all rests on perseverance.”
– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson

“Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson

You are stronger than you think. Test your mettle by doing something that challenges you. With hard work, determination, perseverence and enthusiasm, you will pass the test every time.

I participate in half marathons, duathalons and other events to have a goal, stay in shape and to spend time with friends as we cheer each other on.  And it’s not about being the fastest or first, but rather about the preparation, showing up and finishing, especially when it’s hard.

And in starting and finishing, we build depth of character. So when life tests us with challenges outside of our control, we know that we have the strength to get through. We have taken the test and passed.

Sep 22

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Start, Now

“Whatever you think you can do, or believe you can do, begin it, because action has magic, grace and power in it.”  – Goethe

Our dreams and aspirations, big and small, become reality when we start. We take the first step, the next and the next. Instead of thinking and pondering about it, spend ten minutes in motion, moving toward it. We talk more than do. Do. Each step builds on the next building momentum. So instead of pushing yourself, you start to be pulled forward. Start today, one step.

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