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The Power of Words

Starting Each Day With A Little Thinking...

Attachment

My youngest daughter has two small stuffed animals. The first is “Penggy” a small stuffed penguin.  I got if for her the day she was born.  The second is “Helping Puppy” a small stuffed dog I got for her the day she had the biopsy to confirm that she has Celiac disease.  If you want to piss her off, attempt to take either one of them.  Now mind you, she’s not a “little kid” anymore — she will be 16 years old in just under three months.  But these two things have a special place in her heart as they are truly part of her.  As such, her attachment makes perfect sense.  One links her back to the time she was born while the other relates to a transformative step in her life.  My guess is that she’ll always keep these two stuffed animals close at hand as both of these are ties to permanent parts of her life that define who she is.

Many of us are attached to “something” or “some things” in our lives.  Perhaps it’s our house, our job, a piece of clothing, our easy chair, or our favorite seven iron.  And, in many cases, that’s great!  Having a reminder of a special time, place, or event in our life is priceless.  The challenge comes in when the attachment links us to state that we must leave to learn, grow, and live more fully.  The classic example of this is Charles Schulz’s Linus and his blanket.  Linus is wise beyond his years and yet he clings for all he is worth to the security blanket.  It’s as though somehow he believes it to be the source of his strength and wisdom.  He’s attached to the blanket.  And because of it he will remain in tethered to his doubts and fears as long as the blanket is at his side.

There’s nothing wrong with attachment.  As long as the person it ties you to is the person you want to be.  If not, maybe it’s time to break the tie.

With that in mind:

Is your biggest attachment holding you in place or holding you back?

As always, thanks for the time.

Submit

Mr. Webster starts his definition of submit with “accept or yield to a superior force”.  How ironic…

Each of us perceives that we are in complete control of our own lives.  That there is no superior force out there to submit to.  Yet there’s often that little voice that nags at us.  The voice that whispers “is this all there is” or “shouldn’t you be doing something else”.  And we resist as we are in control.  We know what’s best.  And here’s the irony — we do know what’s best and it’s exactly those things that the little voice inside is telling us.  That little voice is our true self telling us how to proceed.  That superior force is our true self telling us what to do.  And we simply will not submit to it.

Why?  Many reasons.  Fear of change, desire to please others, self-doubt, fear of failure.  The list is endless.  When will we listen?  Normally when we have some sort of significant emotional experience:  the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job, a serious health issue.  At these times we recognize what is really important. We overcome the perceived barriers and submit to the voice.  And here again irony emerges.  Those of us with the “perfect” lives never have that trigger event.  Everything remains “perfect”.  We don’t change.  The voice continues to resonate.  And one day we look back and wonder “why didn’t I”.

With that in mind.

Would you rather submit to the voice or look back and wonder “why didn’t I”?

As always, thanks for the time.

Money

Cold, hard, fact: Business is about making money.  Yes, you should be working in a profession that you enjoy; and, ideally, you should never feel like you have a job.  However, that does not change the fact that business is about making a dollar.  Some folks think that it is “evil” or in some sense less “noble” if you even mention the topic of dollars.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Jacob Needelman in his book “Money and the Meaning of Life” actually comes right out and states that the biggest issue most folks have is that they do not put enough importance on money.  I could not agree more…
The key here is that the statement is “importance of money” and not “importance of more money”.  Go back to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  At the base are the physiological (e.g. food), then comes safety (e.g. home).  Last time I checked each of these requires money.  Further, as you move up the hierarchy to love, esteem, and self-actualization, you must consciously decide on how much importance you place on money versus experiences.  Most people don’t take the time to focus on their relationship with “the almighty dollar” and just let things happen.  That’s not healthy.
With that in mind:
What’s important about money to you?
As always, thanks for the time.

Alive

Here’s a secret — ain’t nobody going to get out of this life alive.  And the corollary to that secret is that at some point in time in the future you will look back on what you accomplished and what you wish you would have done.  And when you look back, it’s very, very unlikely that you’re going to think: “Man I sure wish that I would have spent more time working and less time with my friends, family and passions”.
One of the easiest ways to understand that is by a quick listen to Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle”

With that in mind:

What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home today?

As always, thanks for the time.