New Ways To Go

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23927132@N05/ / CC BY 2.0

This Saturday I’ll be sipping a mint julep and watching the Kentucky Derby on TV.  The event coverage (NBC) gets underway at 5 p.m., but actual post time is closer to 6:15. 

The start-up line keeps shifting.  In the last couple of days, Eskendereya, the forerunner, has had to pull out due to a leg injury.  Still in is Sidney’s Candy.  This horse is owned by Jenny Craig, the weight loss entrepreneur. 

And there’s also a filly, Devil May Care, making the Run for the Roses.  If she stays in and starts out of the gate, she’ll be the 40th filly to run the Derby!   How cool is that?  From what I’ve read though, she may not be ready or at her peak right now. 

All the horses competing at Churchill Downs this Saturday have inherent ability.  But the key to their success is something else.  It’s the same thing you need to think about when you consider making a living from your passion. 

There are a lot of similarities between sports and business.   The magnificent horses racing on Saturday have a tremendous support system.  It consists of their owners, trainers, jockeys, sponsors, grooms, veterinarians and others, who help put these horses through their paces and care for their health and well-being.

It’s important to have a support system for your business, too.  It can come from family, friends and society as well as from systems and processes that assist with managing your time. 

The trainers have goals for their racing thoroughbreds.  They work on building stamina, strength and speed.  They work on muscle flexibility and adapting to various surfaces and conditions.   Obedience goals, too, are in the mix, as the horse needs to respond well to his jockey’s bidding. 

In the same way, what works for starting a business is building a team to support you, establishing measurable goals and determining your focus. 

For the entries in Saturday’s race, there’s the dream of standing in the Winner’s Circle.   The purse is $2,000,000.  Reflect on the endeavors by so many for so long leading up to the Run.  It’s over in about 2 minutes.

Win or lose in business or at the Derby, it’s all about the races along the way, the team, the effort, and the systems in place that help a racing thoroughbred to succeed.  It all adds up to  — Preparation.

Hopefully, you’ll watch the race.  But keep in mind that preparation alone may not be enough.  You may need something more.  Maybe something like fortitude (think Barbaro) or pluck (think Mine That Bird) or even heart (think Secretariat). 

No matter what that indefinable something extra is, if I had to place my bet for Saturday, it would be on Awesome Act.  I like his name.  The name kind of implies he’s got a great team behind him, the passion and the intention to succeed. 

What does your horse sense tell you?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/artinstituteofportland/ / CC BY 2.0

While noodling around online, I came across A Definition of Fashion by Cynthia Nellis at About.com.  The first part of her definition:  ”Fashion is always changing, slightly elusive, extremely seductive” could be applied to my blog for today on adapting to change.

Life and fashion are pretty much alike.  They’re both always changing.  Of course we seldom think twice about changing our clothes.  Open your closet or wardrobe doors.  We pick and choose our outfits based on the weather, function, comfortability, what’s trendy and what’s not.  Keep this, toss that.  The seasons come and go.  And so, too, do our clothes. 

We also reassess our image.  Do we want to appear modern, hip, professional, militaristic, feminine, bold?  When we wear leather, animal prints, ruffles or torn jeans we affect our image –  if only for that day.  We waffle back and forth between our desire to stay on the cutting edge of fashion and wanting to feel comfy in our same old duds.   Our fashion style takes into consideration, color, patterns, length and tightness.  We make creations and adjustments every day.  And that’s a lot like life.

We’re busy acquiring new knowledge, gaining new skills, trying new things.  We question our values, struggle with our beliefs and wonder how we can make a difference.  Sometimes we’re content with the way we are and how we’re perceived in the world.  Other times we want to reinvent ourselves with a new persona.  We want to be more adventurous, bold, caring, artsy, athletic, prosperous.  Sometimes, we want only to be noticed.   

While making a wardrobe change doesn’t seem to be a big deal for most of us, we’re not so quick when it comes to making or dealing with change in our lives.  Is it that we’re afraid to take risks?  If we’re flops in a fashion sense, no big deal.  The outcome may be of little importance.  Whereas making a life change takes on huge significance. 

So what if we took an approach to change that is second nature to wardrobe changers?  When wardrobe changers shop for a new look, they know it will take as long as necessary.  They’re prepared to take risks.  Figuring out what they want, where they might get it, trying things on until they find something that works is expected.  Exploring, experimenting.  It all takes time.  Finding out what works for you in life is a similar process.  But when you’re settling in to your new “wardrobe” beware.  Change is not far away.  Maybe tomorrow.  Maybe next season. 

Life is slightly elusive.  Maybe what you want in life seems out of reach or maybe you don’t have a clue what it is you truly want.  Maybe something doesn’t feel quite right.  For some of us, it may feel like we’re on the outskirts of change never actually sinking down into it as we would with a comfy chair.

Life is also extremely seductive.  Ever seen a mannequin wearing something totally outrageous then wonder what you’d look like wearing it?  What you’d feel like wearing it?  Ever thumb through fashion mags and dream about what your life would be like if you dressed the way the models do?  It can be very enticing to break out of  same old, same old. 

If we can change our wardrobes so easily, what makes change so difficult in other aspects of our lives?  Is it that we fear change or we fear being changed?

Bill Hamilton, a famed Hawaiian surfer, said, “Life to me is a constant movement, an ever-changing, swirling mass of variables interconnecting with each other to create a whole, if you’re willing to compare them to riding a wave, then comprehension of the totalness here and now is at least partially attained.”

No matter whether we fear change or we fear being changed.  Simply put, we are change.

This week I was doing some spring house cleaning and sorting through some drawers.  I pulled out my favorite T-shirt, which has numerous holes in the back and a torn neckline.  It has to be thrown out. 

But who can part with something they love?

The T-shirt really has seen its last day . . . as a T-shirt.  What I want to do is turn it into something else.  Why? 

Back in 2001, I was attending the World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver.    Traveling with me was my best friend from high school — a reunion of sorts.

We were scheduled to take a bus tour of the city.  And on that day the highlight of the bus tour was to be the rainforest site of the Capilano Suspension Bridge. 

Let me tell you the bridge is a freakin, swaying, footbridge 230 feet above the Capilano River.

Okay, we got off the bus and made our way to the bridge.  The scenery was gorgeous.  My friend began walking across the bridge.  But my fear of heights kicked in, and I couldn’t take one step onto the swaying bridge.

My curiosity was getting to me.  What was it like on the other side?  This was our first full day in Vancouver, and somehow I felt I had to cross that bridge.  There I was, feeling too scared to cross and feeling sorry for myself as well.

Eventually I made my way to the gift shop.  While I was looking for gifts to bring home to my family, I spied a wonderful looking T-shirt.  It featured a picture of the bridge and at the top it said:  I SURVIVED THE CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE. 

The “I SURVIVED” was in red and if anyone doubted how high up or how scary this bridge that swayed while you were crossing it was, those words would make it perfectly clear to them. 

This was an experience to survive!

At that moment, I could visualize myself crossing over and telling everyone later about my adventure.  But how could I purchase and wear this T-shirt if I didn’t actually do the deed? 

(Tip:  The unknown is scary and hard to imagine.  Don’t dwell on the fear.  Get a really clear picture of what it is you want and what you’re willing to give up or do in order to achieve it.)

Buy it, I thought.  Then you MUST cross the bridge so you can wear the shirt.  So I made my purchase.  How I was going to actually get from one side to the other was a mystery. 

(Tip:  Take action and worry about the scary part later.)

With one foot in front of me, followed by the next and so on, I began my journey across the bridge.  There was still some time left before the bus would depart. 

(Tip:  We can’t afford to stay where we are.  Sometimes we won’t have another chance if we don’t seize the moment now.)

Too scared to look down, I kept my eyes on my feet.  My heart pounded like crazy.  I was moving at a snail’s pace. 

Somewhere around what must have been the middle of the bridge, I decided that I owed it to myself to take a look at the view.  So I stopped and looked up and around and yes, even down to the river below.  My stomach felt queasy but at the same time I was thrilled.

Of course the view was fabulous but to tell the truth, I only cared about my actions.  I was moving forward. 

(Tip:  Moving forward and doing something despite our fear gives us a sense of knowing who we are and a feeling of power from expanding our capabilities.)

My friend passed me along the way.  She was on her way back.  I got to the other side but had no time to explore.  I knew it would take me forever to get back, and the bus was going to depart. 

So why is this T-shirt so important to me? 

Because it’s living proof and a wonderful reminder of how I conquered my fear (that day). 

Have you crossed a bridge lately?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonpratt/ / CC BY 2.0

Let me tell you the story of how a quick morning chat over the proverbial water cooler led to my finding my passion a decade later.

Returning to my corporate job after a weekend, I stopped to talk to a co-worker before getting down to work. 

“How was your weekend?” she asked. 

“Busy,” I replied.  “My To Do list was so long I didn’t get much done.  I didn’t even get to do the most important thing.” 

“What was that?” she asked.

“I wanted to work on my novel.  But my list was so long I never got to it.  I had to go to the bank, the post office, clean the house, take the cat to the vet, do the laundry and on it went.  I was running around all day so I never got to sit down and write.”

“Then that wasn’t the most important thing.”

“Of course it was,” I said, rolling my eyes.  “How can you say it wasn’t?”

“The most important thing was running your errands otherwise you would have worked on your writing.”

“Hmmm.” 

Her response made sense yet I felt she wasn’t really understanding my need to get certain pressing things done.  So I filed her comment away. . .  for a decade!

Flash forward, ten years later.  I’m stuck in a rut, wanting to do so much more than work at my j-o-b.  But what to do?  I’d tried a zillion different ideas but nothing felt right in my heart. 

As part of my daily exercise routine, I’ve always gone for a walk or a run in the morning.  So on this day, I was out for my walk and asking myself, the same old question, “What can I do?”  And on this day, I was reminded of the water cooler chat I’d had 10 years before. 

What is so important to me?  What is on my To Do list for today?  I thought about my list (you should have a pretty good idea of what was on it — those same old chores!).  But I can’t even start my list until I finish my walk, I bemoaned.  AHA! 

There was something so important it didn’t even go on the list.  It was something that I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world — my exercise.  Then my mind was flooded with things I’d been thinking about for a long, long time. 

How fortunate I am to have the ability to walk and move.  My mother, who suffers from knee and vascular problems, has tremendous difficulty walking and cannot experience the pleasure and health benefits one receives from it.  Some things we take for granted.  My thoughts went on and on. 

Then I knew that what I wanted to do would have to be related to fitness in some way.  The very next week I was looking through an adult education catalog and saw a course description for becoming a certified personal trainer. 

But my thoughts went even further.  I loved the idea of helping people.  And I wondered why it took me so long to find out what it was I wanted to do in life.  I wanted to help others live their passion as soon as possible, which led to my becoming a creative career consultant and so on.   

Why am I telling you this story?  It’s not about prioritizing, though there is a point to be made there.  The reason is that I want you to listen.  Pay closer attention to the conversations you have with people.  Getting into the conversation is great but even better is the remembering, churning, digesting, imagining, thinking, and connecting that occurs from those talks.  Not only store thoughts away but write them down in a notebook and review them periodically.   

And who knows, you may find your passion as a result of a chat by the water cooler!

Wow!  Jessica Watson is bound for Tasmania. In case you don’t know who she is, Jessica is a sixteen-year-old Australian girl, sailing around the world — solo and unassisted!  

And yet another sixteen-year-old is doing the same thing.  She’s Abby Sunderland from California.  Upon completion of her sail, she’ll hold the world record as the youngest to complete this feat.  

What strikes me the most is the tremendous trust both girls possess.  They believe in themselves and their abilities.  They trust their instincts and intuition.  They’ve learned to depend on themselves.  Think of the possibilities that will open up to each of them as a result of this experience.   Truly they have set their own course.

So many of us lack belief in ourselves.  We look to others for acknowledgement of our skills and gifts.  We let others do the navigating for us.  We become fearful and doubting when we should be trusting our heart, our gut and our own intuition. 

Both of the sailors I’ve mentioned also have a great support system – a family who supports them and obviously believes in their ability and sound judgment.   These families understand that their daughters have inner resources to draw upon. 

Who knows us better than we know ourselves?  Who truly walks in our shoes?  And how can we buy into who we are?

To live for yourself, you have to know yourself.  Understanding what truths and lasting values are part of your makeup and learning how they can affect your choices and decisions in life will be useful in helping you to be true to yourself and increasing your self-esteem.

Since we all pay attention to our self-talk, why not make it positive?  It takes conscious effort but it’s possible to replace the “I can’t, I’m not good at” and “I never” statements with positive ones.  In order to say “I can,” you may have to learn something, practice something or simply enjoy the attempt at something, but you can do it.  If we want to live our own lives, one of the hurdles we must get over is the fear of looking foolish and making mistakes.  If we don’t, we limit our possibilities and sometimes, having a very good time in the process.

Write positive affirmations (or create visual models) and post them where you will see them:  on your mirror, beside your computer and on your refrigerator.  Listen carefully.  Ever hear yourself making excuses or justifying why you can’t do something?  It’s time we got out of  own way and were honest with ourselves. 

We all learn from others.  So why not learn from the people we admire and stand in awe of.   Wouldn’t you like to be part of a conversation with Abby and Jessica?  Not many of us will have that opportunity, but I read that Jessica will be writing a book about her experience.  Get inspired and read, read, read.   There are so many people, living and dead, from whom we can gain valuable nuggets on how to live for ourselves and our passions.

Practice makes perfect.   You’ve heard that statement before.  But did you know that a great way to build confidence is through volunteerism?   With a little practice, you can acquire leadership skills, improve your communication skills or develop competence in problem-solving.  Another benefit is that volunteerism may also lead to developing a sense of purpose.

The idea is that we always want to be building our sense of self-worth and faith in our unique qualities and trust in ourselves so that our lives and our passions are what we make of them not what we let someone else make of them for us.   

My hat’s off to Abby and Jessica and good wishes to them both in their respective journeys.  What an inspiring duo!

The other morning my feral cat Luc and I lingered in bed for an extra 15 minutes.  The alarm had gone off, but we didn’t budge.  It was time for quieting my mind, which is part of my daily practice.  Now, I don’t always do this first thing upon waking.  It’ s more apt to be minutes I snatch from my busy schedule . . . whenever.

This peaceful practice has been beneficial to me as a passion explorer and entrepreneur.  By creating space for myself during the day, I not only find calm but open myself up to messages from the Universe and knowing myself better.  The key is to stay in the present moment.  Establishing your own corner of the Universe is an important step for achieving the potential of your own success. 

The windows were open and here in the East, we were having an unusually warm day for this time of year.  The only sounds I heard were the faint, distinctive ones made by an owl and a woodpecker.   (You know how wonderful it can be to have quiet when you have a musician for a boyfriend.) 

It’s not only the endless cell phone chatter, traffic or construction sounds that get to us during the day.  It’s the conversations that replay themselves in our heads, the ideas that pop into our minds, the shoulds and don’ts, the idle gossip and news we listen to that barrage our senses with noise.  It’s the demands we place upon ourselves and those placed upon us by others.  And what about TV, emails, ipods and social media.  Too much noise and distraction.  It’s exhausting.

So I lay in bed reveling in the silence.

We all need a break from the frantic pace of life.   We need our own corner of the Universe in which to relax. This is a place where you, and only you, go to be with yourself, to be quiet, to let your mind rest and be still.  Do you have such a place?

Here are my favorite places and suggestions for places to go when you seek silence and to calm your mind from hectic activity: 

Spend some extra time in bed, first thing in the morning.  Avoid thinking about the past or the day ahead.  Stay in the moment. 

Prepare a warm bath and soak.  If you feel wiped out at the end of a long, hard day, let your muscles relax and enjoy a wonderful repreive from all the noise in your life.

Sink into your favorite reading chair or lie on a comfortable hammock.  Close your eyes.  During the day, I take one or two breaks from working at my computer by spinning my chair in the opposite direction of the screen and closing my eyes.  It’s comforting to retreat to a place that can be quiet and still, if only for a moment.  Just by closing your eyes, you can create your own corner of the Universe. 

Take a walk in the big outdoors.  Nothing seems more inviting to me than spending time with nature.  What could be more serene?  While I find walking to be a relaxing part of my daily routine, it boosts my energy level throughout the morning. 

If you’re fortunate to have a beach near where you live, drive there, inhale the sea air and listen to the waves lap the shore.  To me, there is something nurturing about being near water.  Yesterday on a break from work,  I packed a lunch and drove to my passion explorer’s corner of the Universe — a park alongside the Connecticut River.  It’s early in the season so no one was there.  I found a place for myself to sit and . . . a place to find myself, as well. 

If you feel like sharing one of your favorite places, I’d love to hear about it.

One way to discover your passion is to start living boldly.  When you think of being bold, do you think of daring actions and deeds performed by fictitious characters or true life models?  How do you live boldly?

In the past, living boldly may have been associated with the historical times in which one lived.  For example, one version (the Errol Flynn version) of the famed Robin Hood legend has it that during the reign of Richard I, an earl living in Sherwood Forest reinvented himself as an outlaw in order to rob the rich and give to the poor.  The Earl of Loxley (aka Robin Hood) was trying to raise money to pay for the King’s ransom.  Richard had been captured while away on the Third Crusade and was being ransomed by Duke Leopold of Austria. 

Robin was big on taking action and a great many risks.  He also was very brave.  Whether his talent for archery was his passion or not is impossible to say.  Most would like to believe that Robin enjoyed his ability and that it was not a skill developed solely for the purpose of survival.

During World War II, Miep Gies purchased what vegetables and meat she could to give to Anne Frank and her family.  She lived boldly making a difference in the lives of a family and did so by breaking rules.  It was against the law to aid Jews, but Miep took risks and exhibited much courage in her efforts.

Today, living boldy may still be the result of the historical times in which we live.  For Lisa Nooristani, CEO of Mutaharek Construction Company in Afghanistan, it can mean continuing to do business despite receiving a death threat from the Taliban and her effort to call attention to the plight of women in Nurestan (the location of her business). 

But living boldly is also associated with small, often mundane steps such as signing up of for a gym membership to lose weight or taking an art lesson.  Living boldly can mean starting your own business or traveling to a part of the world that you’ve never explored. 

In short, living boldly can be defined in many ways.  A good way to think about it is to consider the characteristics necessary for living a bold life.  The top ten in my opinion are to:

1. Develop Inner Strength:  Have the resolve and determination to do something and follow through.
2. Physical Strength:  Build stamina by paying attention to a healthy lifestyle and stretch your abilities, skills and talents.
3. Mental Strength:  keep your mind focused and free of clutter and head trash.
4. Step Outside Your Comfort Zone:  Be ready to leap into the unknown.
5. Take Risks:  Be ready to break some rules, if necessary.
6. Take Action:  Demonstrate courage, bravery and take the next forward step.
7. Think Big:  Expand your vision and possibilities to the fullest.
8. Be Fearless but not Foolish.
9. Think In and Outside the Box:  Sometimes finding a new way within the box is as bold as thinking outside the box.
10. Make a Change in your life or Reinvent yourself.

And one more would be to:

              Make a difference:  Use your personal power to make an impact     on the world.

You don’t need to use all eleven to live boldly.  But using any of them can help lead to finding or developing your passion.

You’ve got to love the titles business owners use to identify themselves these days.  There are queens, specialists, experts, leaders and goddesses to name a few.  We can call ourselves whatever we want.  It just helps if you can justify your title. 

Back in the day when I worked in the corporate world, there were definite career paths you took on your climb up the ladder from mailroom clerk to secretary to manager, director, v.p.  and so on.  There’s so much more freedom to being an entrepreneur.  We’re not locked into a specific role and no one defines our role or how to “arrive” except us.  We create our own rules for the game.  The words we use to describe ourselves can be as funny, witty or clever as we like so long as our potential clients and customers understand what it is we offer them and the value they’ll receive. 

So what fun words can I use to describe what it is I do?  I came up with the following:  passion pioneer, passionologist and passionista.  As a coachsultant I lead others to uncover their passion and purpose in life, while promoting a healthy and fit lifestyle. 

The first title, passion pioneer, aligns the best with what I do.  My business is all about helping clients to originate  new thoughts, use new activities or methods in the process of discovering their life’s purpose.  Like an explorer, I then lead them in search of information to identify their passions and similar to an engineer; together, we then devise or construct a plan to reach their goal(s). 

Being a passionologist also sounds like something I do.  A passionologist makes it her business to study passions, life purpose and related activities.

A passionista, on the other hand, designs, promotes or follows the latest passions.  That’s what I do when I seek or point out examples of all the creative and wonderful ways people are taking what they love to do and building, rich rewarding lives for themselves.

The result is I’m stuck on the right name to call myself.  My instinct is to use all three, since elements of all apply to my work.  There is I suppose a subtle difference between each idea.  However, a difference, to be a difference, must make a difference.

Isn’t that what I do afterall – make a difference in people’s lives by leading them to change and transformation?

Earlier this month I went to the Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular in Bridgeport, CT, featuring the band Chicago.  The tickets were an early Christmas present from a friend.  I kept looking to the left to watch the skaters, while my boyfriend’s attention was focused in the opposite direction watching the band.  I kept jabbing him every time a skater did a jump, spin or other interesting move.

Brian informed the audience early on that he had an injury and couldn’t jump, but he was giving the performance his “all.”  It was reassuring to hear that after the initial disappointment.  No matter that he wasn’t able to jump.  He was going to put his heart and soul into his skating and hey, I’m happy watching him doing his trademark spread eagles.  

Brian’s comment, however, got me thinking.  What an interesting New Year’s plan that would make.  Suppose for 2010, you decided to give life your “all?”  Whatever “all” is at any moment.  Everything you attempt, you’d give 100% or better!  Or what if you pick one area, say, eating healthy and you give that undertaking your “all?”  Think you could do it, or do you think you’d poop out after a few months, a week, or even a day?

Since the concert, I’ve been putting this plan to give my all into effect.  What I find is that I have extra energy.  Here’s how it works:  you feel good when you give your all, when you give added value to others or you do more than your share of the work, stick to your game plan, go all out in your sport, do the utmost to land a job, whatever.  You feel good about yourself and your efforts, and you feel an extra surge of energy.  You can just feel that pat on the back.

So here are some thoughts and suggestions for giving your all this year:

Don’t Quit; Modify.  There may be times down the road ahead when you don’t feel like giving your all.  But instead of giving up on the concept, modify it.  Maybe you won’t give your all under particular circumstances but at other times you will. Maybe tomorrow you’ll start over.  Usually some effort is better than none at all.  Don’t beat yourself up if you find it’s not working each and every time.  Let’s face it, there are always going to be setbacks.  Pay them no mind or use them so they propel you forward.

“Give” is the Operative Word.  Give your all from your heart and soul.  If you settle for doing less, you may come away feeling that you’ve cheated yourself or others by not giving your fullest to your projects, your goals, chores, duties, relationships, your business or your community.  When you put discipline, dedication and other tools at your disposal into producing high-quality results, you’ll prove to yourself that you’re capable of achieving unlimited successes. 

Don’t Steal Someone’s Thunder.  When you give your all, remember that others may be giving their all as well.  Sometimes it’s good to let others shine.  You don’t have to back off from doing your best but recognize that others may need recognition or to be in the spotlight for doing so themselves.  You don’t always have to go them one better.

Keep a Record.  Keeping a journal is a wonderful idea.  You’ll be surprised and pleased by your entries.  The smallest things have a way of adding up.  Conversely, we may want to use the journal as a gentle reminder to take note of times/situations when we haven’t given our all.

Focus on Others.  It’s always good to focus on others.  Whether giving our all to our clients, family friends, community or strangers, we are making a difference in the lives of others.  When we strive to do our best for others, we feel a deep sense of self-fulfillment.

Become a Role Model.  Have you ever thought that by giving your all you might be influencing the lives of those with whom you come in contact?  A simple act or chore performed to the utmost may tempt, motivate, encourage or inspire others to do the same themselves.  Have you ever witnessed someone doing something great and suddenly others, even whole communities, want to pitch in and do likewise?

Let Others Give Their All to You.  There are times when we have to sit back and appreicate the full-out effort others are making.  Acknowledgement of someone’s effort makes everyone feel great.  It’s great to feel the pat on your back you give to yourself when you’ve given your all but you feel doubly great when you receive recognition from others.  So be sure to acknowledge the efforts of others.

Don’t Expect a Guarantee With the Results.  Don’t expect others to care about, acknowledge or even notice your effort(s).  Sometimes what you do may not be obvious to others.  There may even be times when giving your all doesn’t cut it.  If you’re looking for a reward from others when you give your all, you’re apt to be disappointed.  The important rewards are internal — feeling good about yourself and your efforts, feeling energized and self-satisfied, for example.

Putting Your Thought Into It.  Some things come naturally.  Others we have to work at.  But an any given time, it may not take all that much to give your all.  You may be surprised at how easily and effortlessly it is to do a little more, reach a little further or go full out.  It isn’t the number of times that you give your all or the importance of the moment that you do it.  What matters is your mindset, your commitment to doing it.

Think Small and Simple.  There are many ways each and every day when we let mediocrity creep into our lives.  We settle for things, accept things about our own lives that we whine and complain about later.  Start giving your all and raise your standard of excellence with small and simple things first.  Then focus on bigger areas in your life and watch how your confidence grows and your successes multiply.

It May Not Be Appropriate.  True.  There are times when giving your all may not be the right fit for the circumstances.  There are times when your health and life may be at stake.  Sometimes holding back or applying moderation in certain situations is best.  It’s our choice to set the bar however high we choose.

But on those occasions where we do give our all, it’s the emotional satisfaction we feel that makes the greatest impact.  And for me, giving your all is an important part of living to your fullest potential.

You can watch the Musselman’s Applesauce Presents Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular on New Year’s Day on NBC from 4-6 p.m. est.  Be sure to look for me in the audience.  Happy New Year to all my readers and my best wishes for your success in giving your all in 2010!

This weekend while in Northampton, MA, I happened to catch the Cycle Smart International Cyclocross Race.

Briefly for those who don’t know, a cyclocross race consists of numerous laps over a course of 1 1/2-2 miles.  There are separate races for women and men.  The course is varied and curvy.  It consists of pavement, grass, wooded trails, steep hills and obstacles, such as low barriers and sandpits.  Cyclists often dismount and carry their bikes during tough sections of the course.

The weather was about 70 degrees.  The crowd was exuberant, ringing cow bells and shouting out encouragement to the riders.  One guy sat on the ground beating a tom-tom.  He had positioned himself by the steep hill.  When a cyclist struggled to make it up the hill, he increased the tempo to a furious rhythm.  It spurred the rider to push harder, onward and upward.

As three or four riders were heading up the hill a woman shouted to one of them, “Hey babe, power, power, power.”  Listening to her and the furious beat of the tom-tom in the background, I thought how great it would be if we could all summon our own call to action.  Power, Power, Power.  Imagine if we said those words to ourselves and magically we were able to summon our own physical, mental and spiritual energy to kick in when we needed it the most.

The thing is that we have the power.  We were born with it.  We didn’t know back then that we couldn’t do something, say something or become something.  But we let things get in the way.  There are our limiting beliefs, expectations for us set by others and self-doubt to name a few.  We need to liberate ourselves from these sabateurs.  Support systems and encouragers are one way to get in touch with our power, but we also need to fire up our internal cheerleader.

One way to get back in touch with our powerfulness is to practice short-burst training.  In fitness and sports training, SBT is high-intensity, short duration exercises interspersed with lower-intensity movement.  It occurred to me we could modify this approach in generating our own call to action.

When you find yourself facing your next steepest hill or slippery slope, start by thinking no one is here to impose their rules, standards or boundaries on my ambition.  Be in the moment and repeat to yourself, Power, Power, Power.  Then go all-out for a brief period to accomplish your goal.  Push harder, onward and upward.

In a fitness program, you would repeat a cycle of going all-out followed by a brief recovery period of lower-intensity movement throughout the workout.  But if you develop a consistent, sustainable routine of calling up your inner cheerleader for short periods of intense duration, I believe you can crest your hill.

Remember that not only do we have physical power, but we have the power of our intellect and the power of our soul.  Our powerfulness includes our unique beliefs, character, talents and skills.  When we use all of our power, we are taking control of and being responsible for our own lives.  If we practice using the idea of short-burst training in our lives, we might become super-action takers, master accomplishers or change artists for the purpose of making the world a better place.  When we claim our power, we have the fuel that is necessary to follow our dreams.  How powerful is that?