In matters of style

In matters of style, swim with the current

In matters of principle, stand like a rock

Thomas Jefferson

The pathway to getting ...

"The pathway to getting can only be gained by giving ... when you add value because you enjoy it, people are naturally attracted to you"

Sharon Pearson

The Coaching Institute

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you 
kept shouting their bad advice --
though the whole house began to tremble
and you felt the old tug at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Mary Oliver

Action

Nothing Comes From Doing Nothing                

William Shakespeare

Success is ...

1. Who you hang out with and the conversations you have
2. The education you get
3. The actions you take

(Courtesy Alice Haemmerle)

"When we change how we look at things ... the things that we look at will change"

Wayne Dyer

"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with"

Jim Rohn

Ascend to the heights of your aspirations

"Ekea kā tiritiri o the moana ... ascend to the heights of your aspirations"


Maori Proverb

May today there be peace

"May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us."

Josie Thomson

To Love is Not to Possess

To love is not to possess,

To own or imprison,

Nor to lose one's self in another.

Love is to join and separate,

To walk alone and together,

To find a laughing freedom

That lonely isolation does not permit.

It is finally to be able

To be who we really are

No longer clinging in childish dependency

Nor docilely living separate lives in silence,

It is to be perfectly one's self

And perfectly joined in permanent commitment

To another--and to one's inner self.

Love only endures when it moves like waves,

Receding and returning gently or passionately,

Or moving lovingly like the tide

In the moon's own predictable harmony,

Because finally, despite a child's scars

Or an adult's deepest wounds,

They are openly free to be

Who they really are--and always secretly were,

In the very core of their being

Where true and lasting love can alone abide.

James Kavanaugh

The Cape

Eight years old and a flour sack cape tied all around his neck

He climbed up on the garage; he's bigger than what the heck!

Screwed his courage up so tight the whole thing came unwound

He got a running start and bless his heart he headed for the ground.


He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape

Now he's all grown up with a flour sack tied all around his dreams

He's full of piss and vinegar, he's busting at the seams

So he licked his finger and checked the wind – it's gonna be do or die

He wasn't scared of nothin', boys, he's pretty sure he could fly


He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape

Now he's old and grey with a flour sack cape tied all around his head

And he's still jumpin' off the garage and will be 'til he's dead

All these years the people said he's acting like a kid

He did not know he could not fly – so he did!


He's one of those who knows that life is just a leap of faith
Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape

Spread your arms and hold your breath and always trust your cape

a song by Guy Clark

7 Keys to Making Things Happen

1.     Articulate your vision

Decide what it is, write it down, say it, send it out …

2.     Clarify key points

Be certain, be precise …

3.     Remain focussed

Be true to yourself, avoid being swayed by others, be true to your vision …

4.     Get up close and personal

Go within, take a look at what's there, at the real you …

5.     Ensure continuous visibility

Keep your vision in sight, make a picture or a symbol of it …

6.     Keep in touch

With yourself, with your vision, with your support people/systems …

7.     Do what counts

Only you know what is important to you, do it and make it count!

A change out of left field

I read recently this  quote from Paul Collins on Christianity, and it got me wondering ...

"Christians are sensitive to suicide, homicide and genocide but we commit biocide (the killing of the life systems of the planet itself) and we have no morality to deal with it. How God saves the natural world is God's business. Perhaps the answer lies in serendipity, in the unexpected, in the kind of unforeseen change that comes out of left field" 

Paul Collins, Judgement Day

... I wonder if God hasn't already started to save the natural world - by choosing to get rid of its worst pest, the virus that is humankind?

Controlling the Environment

“Instead of controlling the environment for the benefit of the population, maybe we should control the population to ensure the survival of our environment ... I’ve never seen a problem that wouldn’t be easier to solve with fewer people, or harder, and ultimately impossible, with more.”

Sir David Attenborough

If only the Earth ...

If the Earth were only a few feet in diameter, floating a few feet above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around it, marveling at its big pools of water, its little pools of water and the water flowing between the pools.

People would marvel at the bumps on it, and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would marvel at all the creatures walking around on surface of the ball, and at the creatures in the water. The people would declare it sacred because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt.

The ball would be the greatest wonder ever known, and people would come to pray to it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty and to wonder how it could be. People would love it and defend it with their lives because they would know that somehow their lives, their own being could be nothing without it.

If only the Earth were a few feet in diameter

Unknown

Leadership

Too many leaders act as if the sheep.. their people.. are there for the benefit of the shepherd, not that the shepherd has responsibility for the sheep.

Ken Blanchard

Grief

Grief is the price we pay for love

Prince William

The Flow of Water

In the same way that water naturally follows its course, so people flow through their busy life, destined to go wherever life pulls them. Water will always flow along the path of least resistance until it pools in a catchment.

Without an outlet, the water soon becomes stagnant and useless. When the flow of water is interrupted, as in a waterfall, it shows beauty, colour and life. The more something interrupts its flow, the faster it flows and the more oxygenated and attractive it becomes.

Generally, people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. They therefore settle, to avoid disturbance or change. Change often brings about the unknown. It allows people to gain a broader perspective, to see a new way of doing things and discover purpose.

Unknown

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart

Helen Keller

Until one is committed

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

“All sorts of things occur to help one that would otherwise never have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man would have believed would have come his way”

W.H. Murray
The Scottish Himalayan Expedition

Five Lessons About How To Treat People

1. First Important Lesson - "Know The Cleaning Lady"

During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?"

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

"Absolutely," said the professor. "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say "hello."

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.

2. Second Important Lesson - "Pickup In The Rain"

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride. Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car.

A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 1960s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home.

A special note was attached. It read: "Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others."

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

3. Third Important Lesson - "Remember Those Who Serve"

In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10 year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him. "How much is an ice cream sundae?" he asked. "50¢," replied the waitress.

The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.

"Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?" he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. "35¢!" she brusquely replied.

The little boy again counted his coins. "I'll have the plain ice cream," he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left.

When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.

4. Fourth Important Lesson - "The Obstacles In Our Path"

In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way.

Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand - "Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition."

5. Fifth Important Lesson - "Giving When It Counts"

Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year-old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her."

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?".

Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.

Author Unknown

The key to change ...

The key to change ... is to let go of fear

   ~ Rosanne Cash

Lance Armstrong on Floods and Queenslanders

The Texan said the response to the Queensland floods was inspired compared to the situation his Louisiana "neighbours" were faced with after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

"If there's anything cool about this, and there's not many cool things that happen here in terms of this disaster, (it) was the way that the Australian people rallied around Queensland," he told the crowd before the ride.

"When I heard, and I don't know if this is true ... that there were traffic jams coming into the city because people wanted to come and help and volunteer, you know what that is?

"That's a whole lot of heroes the whole world needs to pay attention to and copy that.

"I can tell you, having lived in the United States and having watched (Hurricane) Katrina closely, there were no traffic jams going into New Orleans.

"So for you guys to step up like that, is unbelievable."

Audacity beckoned!

They were expected to accomplish nothing, so they could try anything. Audacity beckoned!

Born To Run, Christopher McDougall