My isms, Part 1

Working in my profession (and having a bit of a tendency toward corniness as well), I have generated a number of sayings- my “isms”- that I tend to use over and over again. I thought I’d share a few here…

Risk is rewarded~ I truly believe this. If you do something that is difficult for you, perhaps even something you thought impossible, you are most likely rewarded by the Universe. Magical things happen. Try it.

Care less~ Many people who are conscientious about their work, their commitments, their responsibilities, etc., spend way too much time and energy overcaring (I think I may have made that word up, but it works!) Perhaps it's worrying about the end result; perhaps it's worrying about how the work or actions will be viewed. Let go. Care less. Rarely will anyone notice and you'll feel so much better.

There is no such thing as a missed opportunity~ Another one I truly believe. If an opportunity is presented to you and you decide to pass it up, for whatever reason- time, money, other commitments... whatever- if it's meant to be a part of your life, it will come back around again.

Hamstering~ This is a verb, "to hamster," as in don't spend a lot of time hamstering around. We've all witnessed it- the little hamster running from one corner of the cage to another or, even worse, running on that crazy wheel, going nowhere. Wasted energy. Wasted time. Unproductive. Don't do it.

Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you should do it~ We all have certain skills at which we excel. Some we enjoy; some, not so much. So, follow your heart... your gut... your instincts, whatever you want to call it. Listen and you will hear and understand what will bring you the greatest happiness, day in and day out. Do it and try not to get distracted by other things that you do well but bum you out.

7-10 theory~ I use this with my career clients but can transfer to many different areas of life. If you are considering something, do a heart check (gut check, intuition check... whatever you want to call it). My feeling is that you should only consider engaging in things that are a 7-10 on the 1-10 scale (1 being something you couldn't imagine doing; 10 being the best possible thing you can think of), because a 5 or 6 eventually turns into a 3 or 4 and who wants to be spending their time doing a bunch of 3s and 4s. Live a little in the 8s and 9s.

It's your journey~ And no one else's. Ultimately, each of us is responsible for the choices we make and our own happiness. Many people will try to influence you, thinking they might know what is best for you. Only you know. Only you can choose your path.

There is power in saying "no"~ Totally self-explanatory. Saying "no" to anything you're not convinced is your journey (see above)... or something as mundane as yet another commitment that you are accepting out of obligation, is completely freeing. And addictive. Try it.

Don't let your compass stray too far~ One of my clients suggested I include this, so this one's for her. Everyone has an internal compass- their internal "true north"- which easily lets you know what the right choices are for you. Follow your compass. Don't spend too much time and energy on things that pull you away from that "true north."

Be still and know~ Okay, this one isn't mine. It comes from Thich Nhat Hahn, the renown Buddhist and contemplative writer. (Okay, all the Christian scholars out there: I am fully aware of Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God." But I just prefer the Buddhist version.) Be still and know that all is well. Be still and know that you are exactly where you are supposed to be right now. Be still and know that there is no need to be actively seeking. Be still. And know. I like it so much, I had it engraved on a bracelet.

I'm calling this "Part 1" because I'm sure there will be many more in the future. They just seem to appear and then I start using them over and over again...

A Year of Following My Intuition

Sometime after the first of the year last year, I decided that I was spending too much time "hamstering" (see upcoming post about My Isms) about certain work-related choices. It's like the cobbler's children that have no shoes, sometimes I'm not very good at following my own advice. So I decided that I would try to make more conscious decisions and choices in line with what I know I really want to be doing. Huge leap of faith for me to consider leaving behind some "safe" choices, things that are known to me. I first started by spending less time intellectually considering decisions ("it's a lot of money; this could be good for my career; it's the next natural progression...") and paying more attention to how I felt when a choice was before me. Without fail, there was always an immediate reaction. One that I would often ignore in favor of all the intellectual pro- and con-ing. I started to tune out the header "chatter" and pay attention to how I felt about a decision as I was making it. Did I have a sinking feeling in my stomach? Or did I feel good about it?

And let me tell you, really good things have started to happen. I almost don't want to make too much of a big deal out of it and jinx myself, but wow! The more I am saying "no" to the things that aren't part of my journey, the more things are coming to me that are a part of my "true north." So, I'm planning to keep it up and see where else this is going... I'm in for the ride now.