Coaching Quote of the Day 26th March 2014
“Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.”
(Rabindranath Tagore)
“Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.”
(Rabindranath Tagore)
This week’s TED Talk clip is: Oliver Sacks: What hallucination reveals about our minds
Clip length: 18 mins 44 secs
Prefer to watch on TED.com? In that case you’ll need to click here.
Happiness: “The full use of your powers along lines of excellence.”
(John F. Kennedy)
“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.”
(Emile Zola)
Welcome to this weeks recap of blog posts for coaches from around the web.
Each Monday on this blogs Facebook page I usually issue the following question and invitation:
“Have you written/seen a blog post in the past week that you’d think is of interest to coaches and that you’d like to share?”
You’ll notice that the recap today is broken down into two lists – one of posts shared via our Facebook page from the Monday invite and one of other posts from around the web.
These are a few posts that also attracted my attention either personally or because of readers requests to read more on a particular subject…
Want your post included next week? If you have a post that you think will be of interest to coaches do take part in tomorrow’s Monday invite and leave the details on our Facebook page. Whilst it’s lovely for posts to be sent to me via twitter, the nature of a tweet means that it can easily be overlooked when this post is being compiled at a later time. Please leave links in one place, ie the thread on our Facebook page so they can be easily shared.
“You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.”
(Ayn Rand)
“Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.”
(English proverb)
In today’s guest post coach Gail Gaspar tell us:
By Gail Gaspar
If you’re a feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the offers, incentives and possibilities out there, I have a suggestion.
Stop shifting into perpetual fifth gear, trying to keep up or reach for more, and start remembering how to shift into neutral.
Pause. Pause is where your pulse lives.
Funny thing…for years, I believed in the opposite, in the supreme power of motion. Continuous motion. I’ve come to learn, it’s not about “either-or” it is about “yes-and,” when it comes to the relationship between action and absence of action. Each speed is key to cultivating a decision-making process that feels aligned and true.
Mindful action is greatly informed and fueled by what I call the Pause Principle.
Everything we do has the potential to be infused with resonant action when combined with pause.
“The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” –Mark Twain
Here’s a personal story where pausing before taking action literally saved me thousands of dollars and made room for a better-fit alternative. A highly publicized program recently came to my ATTENTION. You know, the message blast that comes at you from all directions, invitations and incentives galore, inferring you will be left in the dust if you don’t sign up?
I’m not often one to succumb to FOMO or Fear of Missing Out. But this one got through my radar. The course deadline looms. Primitive instincts move into high gear. Adrenaline races. I reach for dark chocolate.
Is the program something I need or even want? I was not searching for this kind of program. I set out to make an empowering decision, using the Pause Principle.
First, I took a look at the program. Then I put a question to trusted friends and colleagues on a professional forum to see what they know. Next, I step away from external data, dial my attention inside to become aware of my own sensations. (Note I did not say to see what I “think.” More about this in a later post.) I become quiet. Notice tight breath and chest, indicating some resistance. Soft focus allows me to get in touch with what my business needs now. I realize it is not this. Instead, I want to dig in to resources I already have and focus on implementing a few actions I already know. The result: I feel empowered by my choice and validated by my process.
Opportunities abound for infusing the Pause Principle. These examples provide insight and access to pause for decision-making when you need to get clear, get calm and prioritize:
We know the cumulative impact of racing toward nothing, reaching for more, putting too much emphasis on what and who’s out there. A very effective antidote is becoming quiet, shifting to that place of pause.
How can the pause principle find its way in to your life? What is the easiest way for you to practice pause? We would love to hear from you in the comments below, on Facebook and on Twitter.
P.S. This is the first in a series of mindfulness posts. Don’t want to miss a post? Get on the list to get it direct to your inbox. Or check the blog for a treasure trove of curated mindfulness resources to empower your actions.
©2014 Gail Gaspar
Gail guides solopreneurs to make powerful, intentional and true choices for unprecedented personal and professional growth, impact, freedom and fun.
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