The Five Languages Of Love In Marriage

Take Responsbility!

This week we share a powerful message from Leadership & Executive Coach, Matthew Gould. Matt cautions that this message is, Rated "R", so you have been warned.


This post is rated "R". The content is not for everybody. It is restricted to individuals and teams who want to make a massive difference this year. It is restricted to people who are willing to experience pain, discomfort, and failure in order to increase revenue, add significant value, and to grow personally and professionally. This post is restricted to people who are seeking more and wanting to contribute at a higher level yet they don't know how based on the culture and environment they find themselves in. This post is rated "R" for RESPONSIBILITY

 It is time you take 100% responsibility for everything.

If you have any level of dissatisfaction in your life, it is up to you to make a change. As you reflect on last year and forecast what you want this year to look like, consider yourself as the sole person responsible for making the changes you want to experience. To narrow it down, let's look at 4 areas where you can take more responsibility.

1) Yourself: No one is responsible for you. Your parents, your spouse, your partner, your friends are not responsible for your personal development. Your leader, your company, your co-workers are not responsible for your professional development.

You are responsible for you.

Stop looking outside of yourself. Stop blaming others. Stop waiting for management to create a plan for you. Your personal and professional development plan is up to you. Take action today by writing down why you want to change, what you want to develop, and how you will take action to make this happen. Ensure that what you write down comes from within and that it is something you can't live without. Then find the courage to share the plan and be willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish it.

2) Your relationships: You are responsible for the state of each relationship you are involved in. The relationships you hold with your family, your spouse, your partner, and your friends is up to you. When you take 100% responsibility for each relationship you will experience incredible transformation.

It takes two to tango and it might be time to change the dance.

Remember, if you are wanting to make a massive difference this year, change is mandatory. In your career, consider taking 100% responsibility for the relationships you hold with your leader, your co-workers, the team you support, and your clients. You will have to show up in these relationships with a lot more intention if you want to experience a higher level of connection and mutual value. If you are struggling in a relationship, stop looking for the other person to change. Instead, with the "R" word in your heart and mind, start developing the skills and access the courage you need to influence the relationship you want to experience. It might also be a great time for you to apply a little Relationship Oil to reduce some of the unnecessary friction that exists within certain relationships.

3) Your Contribution: How are you contributing personally and professionally this year? What is your definition of success? Have you written it down? Without further delay, create some time and space to define what success means to you. There are 2 areas to consider to keep it simple. Personal success and Professional success. When you connect with your definition, you will have a much clearer vision of your personal and professional purpose and the fire within will be stoked! Don't go another second without creating and defining what success looks like this year. Armed with your definition, lean into your strengths and contribute more than you ever have before.

4) Your Community: What do others need? How can you support your team and co-workers? How can you take responsibility for the community around you? What charities and causes need your leadership and energy? Who can you serve? When you consider the world outside of yourself and you take more responsibility for what is happening around you, the fire within burns even more intensely.

You are a part of your community, stop excluding yourself from it.

Get involved. Contribute. Donate. Give. Serve. If it is not up to you, then you are not committed to taking responsibility this year. Consider showing up as a leader no matter what. Consider taking responsibility to positively impact the lives of those around you.

There is a higher level to experience this year. You are capable of so much more. You can take more responsibility for the roles you play. Blame, excuses, and distancing yourself from responsibility will not get you very far. In fact, it will hold you back and negatively impact you and those around you. Enough is enough. Live on purpose. To experience the freedom you deserve and to contribute this year beyond what you could even imagine, take 100% responsibility. Courage, vulnerability, humility, and a defined purpose may be required AND it will be worth it.

Take responsibility. It is a choice you have the power to make. Choose it.



Drago

Simple Reminders on Happiness

"Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are."
— Marianne Williamson

I've been thinking a lot lately about simplicity. Doesn’t it sometimes feel like all the crazy stuff happens in waves? I'm surfing one of those waves right now (selling my little city farm house, moving back to my home town, downsizing, getting ready for the release of my new book). When life gets super busy, keeping things simple is key for our wellbeing and inner-peace. It also helps to ensure that we have the focus to handle all that’s currently in our zone.

So, I thought I'd share 3 simple but powerful things that help me to stay grounded, happy, and more productive. Not just during extra-busy times, but all the time.  

1. Remove one thing a day.

What kind of thing? Anything that will create space for creativity, clarity, and time to breathe. It could be as simple as throwing out an old shirt with stains on it, or as big as emailing to cancel travel plans you're really not feeling up for. Think about this: if you do this every day for an entire year, that’s 365 unwanted, energy-draining things you will have removed from your life with little effort! Talk about a valuable habit!  Create a practice of picking at least one thing a day to remove from your life and watch magic happen.

2. Each morning, write down 5 things you're grateful for that day.

Gratitude is incredibly powerful, so starting your day off with this kind of positive energy will set you on the right track and create much-needed momentum for a great day.  This little practice is like taking your brain to the gym.

3. Hydrate even more.

Most people are walking around slightly dehydrated without knowing it.  Even a 1% drop in hydration in the body can affect mental clarity, energy levels, and mood by as much as 10%! A big glass of water when you wake up, an extra with lunch, and one in the evening, on top of your regular intake, can make a massive difference. Step up your H20 consumption and you’re guaranteed to notice a difference.  

And, here's a bonus tip:

When you begin practicing #1 regularly, you’ll also create more time and space to bring things into your life that will inspire you, empower your success, and raise your happiness levels!

When you combine these and other simple (but proven) happiness habits with clean eating, quality sleep, and regular physical movement, you’ll not only be ready for the busy times in life, you’ll create sustainable peace, joy, and elevated energy levels that will support you in living your very best life.  Cheers to that!

Kristi Ling, Happiness Strategist, Transformational Life and Business Coach, Podcaster and Author

 

 

Things You Can Control

1                     Your beliefs

2                     Your attitude

3                     Your thoughts

4                     Your perspective

5                     How honest you are

6                     Who your friends are

7                     What books you read

8                     How often you exercise

9                     The type of food you eat

10                 How many risks you take

11                 How you interpret situations

12                 How kind you are to others

13                 How kind you are to yourself

14                 How often you say “I love you”

15                 How often you say “thank you”

16                 How you express your feelings

17                 Whether or not you ask for help

18                 How often you practice gratitude

19                 How many times you smile today

20                 The amount of effort you put forth

21                 How you spend/invest your money

22                 How much time you spend worrying

23                 How often you think about your past

24                 Whether or not you judge other people

25                 Whether or not you try again after a setback

26                 How much you appreciate the things you have

 

-          Ruben Chavez

Once In A Lifetime Kind Of People

This Is Why I Like You

Others judge you by the outcomes you achieve, but you judge yourself by your intentions. You judge yourself as God does. This is why I like you.

You have no power over the vagaries of your circumstances; to be in the right place at the right time is not a matter of skill, but of chance. But you try to do the right thing in the right way for the right reason. This is why I like you.

You have failed, but you are not a failure. You have succeeded, but you are not a success. You have tried and cried and laughed and struggled like a chick breaking out of its shell. This is why I like you.

You are wounded and broken and have ugly scars because you run to help those you love. When you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you do not quickly give up. This is why I like you.

You allow yourself to like people for the most ridiculous of reasons. You take your inspiration from wherever you find it. You have a strange sense of humor and you can laugh at yourself. This is why I like you.

You fall but you get up again. You are at your best when no one is watching. And you know how to keep a secret. This is why I like you.

One can love a person one does not like.

But what I hold for you is something else.

I see you as you are.

I see you real.

And I like you.

– Roy H. Williams

 

“I’m telling you, she doesn’t belong. Not to one person, not to one place, not to one set of ideals. Her mind changed her heart, which changed her mind, and she was nothing, if not completely free. Maybe we’re just afraid of anyone who is constantly searching. And anything that didn’t clip her wings, or make her feel caged, was exactly where she was meant to be.

You’ve got to respect things that aren’t afraid of going off path. She would always be the type to lose herself, trying to find her own ways. I suppose the river doesn’t compete with the earth. It carves its own path anyway. It doesn’t brag, or boast, or beat its chest. It just flows. And the moon doesn’t try to outshine the stars. It just glows. The flowers amidst the trees, that radiate and create life – even all that, only grows.

She wasn’t free because she knew where she was going, she was free because she didn’t need to know.

 J. Raymond