Journey On is a blog dedicated to personal growth and personal development. As we continue to expand and evolve what is possible in our lives also expands. Everyday there are thousands of thoughts that come through our mind....some positive and some negative.....We have a choice as to which ones we think about. This blog is an ongoing expression of what's on my mind and the choices I make.
Saturday, February 28, 2004
YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS A GIFT: New music ...new ideas. What to talk about. Do you ever get the feeling that you should be saying something significant but you can't think of anything. You feel that whatever you say it's been said a hundred times...it's trivial... So you keep your thought to yourself...your secret...You don't communicate that beautiful thought that is buried deep in chatter and never give it an opportunity to come to the surface. And so it goes..
Out of your willingness to communicate, the fog lifts and that pearl of wisdom floats from the source of pure thought to your conscious mind and has expression communicated in some form....You make your contribution to the world in this way. Your being present has significance and is a gift. Thanks for contributing..you being you.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 4:36 PM
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
BREAKING THE PATTERN:When I awoke this morning, I noticed our power was out. I started thinking about the phone calls I had to make, email that had to be checked. How dependent I've become. I found an old phone that didn't need power and found a candle. Then I went downstairs and did some yoga and felt in a centered place. By the time I was done with my practice, the power came back on....but it's still raining pretty good.
We are such creatures of habit. A few times a year I like to break my patterns so I cleanse using Stanley Burroughs master cleanse. I alway after a few days feel fabulous. I just ended it yesterday and am easing back to my normal diet.
What can you do to break your normal pattern? Try taking a different route to work...letting the phone ring and not answering it...doing something special for someone..using different words and seeing how it feels...make this day dedicated to breaking your pattern.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 8:24 AM
Sunday, February 22, 2004
KINDRED SOULS:Who do you spend your time with and why? Who would you like to spend your time with and why aren't you doing it? Deep friendships take years to develop and nourish and often go through transitions but not always.
It's great when you meet another person and not a whole lot needs to be said. You just know you are kindred souls. It's more than great. Ideally I would love to spend my love with all kindred souls....maybe at some level we are all kindred souls trying to find each other. And if that's the case what can we do to access this state.
Any suggestions? Are you surprised that I have a few? I think what you hear about today is be authentic...I use to call it be real...Only when we're true to ourselves can we recognize that in another person. But our self is constantly evolving and as we expand we're able to access much more of our true nature and when that happens our signal...vibe... attracts and connects with more kindred spirits. When that starts to become a priority in your life, your garden will grow.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 12:40 PM
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
GET INVOLVED: I love to get emotionally involved in a movie....but I don't like to watch the downers...I don't need to go out of my way to find them. Last night I had one of those experiences. A friend loaned me the DVD of Good Will Hunting. I remembered when I first saw it how I felt and I felt the same way again....renewed in my faith that we can all make a difference.
If we can find one person who believes in us that can change our entire life. The connection that Matt Damon's character developed with Robin William's character was moving and inspirational. Sometimes we don't realize the impact we have on another person by our being totally who we are.
During this time in our history with the focus increasingly on how we are different it is a time to reach out and notice how we are all the same with the same needs and wants....we all want to be loved and to love. Make a difference.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 3:49 PM
Sunday, February 15, 2004
THE VALUE OF GOALS AND DREAMS : It's hard to get going today....feeling lazy.. Saw Ricki Lee Jones last night in concert ....Great performance and she was accompanied by great musicians. It kind of got me thinking about my own musicianship.....How things have changed.
I don't play at the level I once did but it comes back quick with a project to work on. It's amazing what a motivator a project in the form of a goal a dream can be. My philosophy is that if you have a goal or dream it doesn't matter if you obtain it because once you do you will have new goals and dreams.
If you are constantly looking from one goal to the next you will always live in the future. What is important is who you become in the process.... how you grow. For me if I have a goal of a recording project and a date for the studio, I know will become the best musician I can be during this time period and afterwards. And in the process of going for it my confidence level will soar and I will be more confident to share what I do...I will also have my eye open for more opportunities...more option...my universe will be expanded.
I will feel totally different about my musicianship. What is an area of your life where you can expand who you are and become more confident in the process? What goals or dreams do you have in this arena? Stay focused and live your dream.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 2:01 PM
Friday, February 13, 2004
CONNECTION: What is your relationship to writing? Do you consider yourself a good writer...what is your most comfortable way to communicate? I think what we all want is to connect...to know that there are people who get who we are and what we stand for. As we evolve we gravitate toward a particular form of communication...and if we can experience that oneness with another person, animal or nature we are in heaven or nirvana or whatever words we give the experience.
Tommorow is Valentine's Day, and in my ezine, Letters on Life, I suggest that as a way to honor the holiday that we smile twice as much as we normally do. When we come from love we find it's all around us. Remember at some level we always a choice as to how we look at an experience and when we come from our heart there is much more joy and fulfillment in everything we are involved with. Sometimes we need to take a leap of faith. Now is the time..
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 10:27 AM
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
THE BANK OF WELL BEING: As my day unfolds, I notice how often my mood changes. There is so much negativity out there that if I read the paper or listen to the news I can get plugged in......I try to keep it to a minimum and that makes a huge difference.
I have a concept that I like to share and that is the Bank of Well Being. The Bank of Well Being will get drained if there is a run of negative news and a run of negative thinking. To keep your bank solvent you need to deposit in it some good energy in the form of good thoughts, healthy food, exercise, a spiritual discipline, inspirational books and supportive friends. What actions are you willing to take now to balance your account? Let me know.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 4:13 PM
Sunday, February 08, 2004
BE TOTALLY PRESENT: I was taking a leisurely walk today and along the way I met a friend who was walking her dog. As we were talking someone else who was walking his dog came by and the nature of our conversation although casual changed. I waited for a few minutes to get back to our conversation and when I realized that was unlikely continued on with my walk.
So that got me to thinking about other situations when I am interrupted or when I interrupt. What is the protocol if there is one or is it strictly situational? When you have kids it happens all the time. The word interrupt is not in their vocabulary. And what about when you have a conversation with a friend and they interrupt you and you can't even finish your thought.
Isn't it great when you are having a conversation and you know the other person is really listening? They are really there. Talking with a listener is great because they are totally present. As we develop our listening skills it forces us to be in the present... in the now. And that is perhaps the key to lifelong fulfillment . What can we do to increase our ability to be totally present?
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 6:18 PM
Friday, February 06, 2004
THE ABILITY TO FOCUS: I went to a college basketball game last night with my 13 yr old daughter. I feel blessed that we get to share this experience. I get so excited when my old college team, Cal wins and when it loses I'm disappointed. In spite of what is going on in the world and in my life with all my commitments and relationships I take time out by going to a sporting event. In some ways it reminds of my youth.
I also love to play sports and love to compete. People have said to me , " Mark you're too competetive". I think about that comment sometimes defensively but have always felt that competition brings out the best in me. It brings me to an edge and new level of consciousness. And then in one of my many readings I came across the origin of the word competition. Its latin form is "compere" which means to seek together...and now I look at competition in this empowering way.
Competition is a way to seek together excellence in our lives and in others. Competition brings you into the moment, into the present and expands your consciousness. The ability to focus is a gift and as we are able to go to deeper levels our experience of everything around us shifts. Starting your day with intention and focus by sitting silently for a while is a step in the right direction. On my website in the Leadership section there is an article on
Start Your Day on Your Terms and on Meditation. Let me know what you think.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 6:04 PM
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
REACH OUT:I always suggest to my clients and friends that they call someone from the past....someone whom they haven't spoke with for years. Finally I took my own advice and made that call. I called a college roommate from way back when and since he wasn't home I ended up talking with his wife.
It's great when you have a conversation with someone whom you have always liked but have never had the conversation...you find out that you share the same values in the world and on a deeper spiritual plane. ..you find a kindred soul. They're out there and it's our job to attract them to us and to be willing to stay open in seeking them out. When we connect it's great and it affirms our own values....we are gathering our tribe...perhaps it's only for a moment but however long we have together it adds a richness to our life.
JOURNEY ON
MARK
posted @ 11:28 AM
How you can benefit from Coaching.
If you’re reading this letter it’s because you have an interest or curiosity about the phenomenon called coaching. Coaching is sweeping the nation, but why, what's it all about, and how does it work? A Coach is a well trained and experienced professional who helps you produce extraordinary results in your life. Coaches accelerate progress by providing focus and awareness. They help you see where you are now and what you are willing to do to get where you want to be in the future, recognizing that results are a matter of your intentions, choices and actions. The bottom line is a great Coach will help you get what you want, often more quickly than doing it alone.
Why Is Coaching important? So many of us are so busy living from our clocks and calendars, we often forget what matters to us or have little time to even think about it. Too often we are uncomfortable about saying what we want because we don’t believe that it is possible. Sometimes we have just given up. A masterful coach inspires you to believe in yourself so that you are willing to declare what it is that you really want.
A Coach "listens" intently, asks clarifying questions, challenges your assumptions, helps you dream big and makes sure you do the important things you say you will do in order to have the important things you say you want. It is a partnership based on intention, agreement, integrity and relationship. The bottom line is, we can't do it alone. Some of us think we can, but with a Coach you will be challenged, stretched and empowered and you will increase your chances of being successful and be celebrated for it.
In the process you discover your source of inner power, so that whatever you do in life you do with more confidence and ease.
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. Throw off the bow lines, sail away from the safe harbor, Catch the Trade Winds in your sails."
- Mark Twain
Believe in yourself. Live your dream
Explore and discover what is possible.
Mark Susnow, formerly a trial attorney for 30 years, is a coach, musician, speaker, and group facilitator. He’s inspired hundreds of people to believe in themselves and to achieve their goals and dreams. mark@inspirepossibility.com 415.453.5016
NEW - E-Books by Mark Susnow
Stepping Stones to
Greater Personal Freedom
Reclaim Your Life:
Live In Balance
Executive Leadership Development Program: 10 Insights to Developing
the Leader Within
About Coaching Give yourself the gift of coaching and make an investment in your future. learn more...
Subscribe to this Weblog
FREE Self Assessment Test Who's in charge of your life? How much of your life is controlled by self-defeating and self -limiting beliefs and habits?
"When I came to see you a little over a year ago, I had a general sense that my life was unfulfilled, but I didn't know why or what to do to change it. You helped me to see that my life was out of balance. We identified my priorities, and you gave me tools to create the life I wanted. But I couldn't have made the necessary changes without your ongoing guidance and support.With your help, I was able to purchase a home closer to my daughter's school, make huge steps toward fulfilling career goals, and find a more healthy and satisfying relationship." Linda S. Naleway, Senior Paralegal
"Everyone needs help from time to time.We just get too caught up in the daily dramas of our personal affairs to see the forest through the tress. Even the most successful and brilliant minds in the universe become wise by recognizing the need for outside, caring support. Your background as a lawyer and spiritual seeker allow you the unique balance of being tough , practical, and down to earth, while at the same time gentle and loving." Art Brownstein, M.D.
Author: Healing Back Pain Naturally
(Harbor Press 1999)
"After playing six years in the National Football League I was fortunate enough to make a great transition into the business world.I became caught up in the rat race and didn't even know it. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for working with me during the last three months. The first word that comes to mind is "AWESOME". The journey of life is easier traveled with a Map & Directions. Thanks for helping me find my way." Natu Tuatagaloa, Senior Vice President, IDEX Corp.
"I began working with Mark at a stormy point for me personally and professionally. Mark helped me learn to look at my life very differently, to rediscover myself, and get passion back in my life. His positive energy, insight and direct coaching style make him a wonderful mentor for those serious about personal growth." Jay Nathanson, Managing Partner, Target Marketing
"Having you as my personal coach has helped me to focus my energy on myself and reach within to find the stillness, the calmness of my inner self. I have also learned the importance of being grateful for other joys in my life: my musical talents, great friends, my law practice, natural creativity and passion for living." Rick Baskin, Attorney-At-Law
"Mark has taught me to start each day by wondering what the most fascinating/exciting thing might be during the day. Through that lens, I have looked at every experience from a different perspective . Most recently he supported me through a major life change-by encouraging me to enjoy the process. What a concept! His insights and intuitions have supported me in living my life more in alignment with who I am.Thanks Mark and Iâm looking forward to more." Judith Hodgens, Former Mayor and Council member, Town of San Anselmo
"Mark Susnow knows how to bring out superior performance in his clients. He is masterful. By working with Mark, you will consistently surpass your own expectations of yourself. You will also discover that life can be a lot more pleasurable. I have personally benefited enormously from Mark's coaching and I recommend him to you without reservation." Raz Ingrasci, President of the Hoffman Institute
"As someone who had done lots of personal growth work with individuals like Deepak Chopra and Tony Robbins, I was a bit reserved about whether working with Mark would add anything to my life. Now, nearly one year after first meeting Mark, I can say with 100% conviction that my work with Mark has been hands-down the most powerful personal growth work that I have done. Through Mark's ongoing support, guidance and wisdom, I picked up my family and left my law firm to pursue a job that I've dreamt about my entire life. And now, quite literally, I am living a dream come true and I simply would not be where I am today without Mark's coaching." Don McLaughlin, Attorney-at-Law
"The most profound change I have noticed from working with you has been in my communication. For the first time, I am able to be more myself, open, honest and real with everyone-my life partner, my friends, with those I manage, and those who manage me. They, too, have noticed and applauded this transformation." David Phipps, Director of Engineering
"Denial…that is the best word I can think of to describe my life before I met Mark and started on a new journey. It’s not that I was unhappy or unsuccessful before, it’s just that I didn’t indulge myself by maximizing life’s opportunities. The difference in my life over the last fifteen months is like the contrast of a mountain climber who now gazes up to see where he can still go instead of looking down to see how far he could drop. After Mark helped me have the courage to get past my fear of falling, he awakened me to the concept that above the mountain summit exists an endless series of peaks. The power to enjoy your life to the fullest truly lies within yourself, and it’s clear that helping people find their stride is Mark’s Mount Everest. Journey on Mark!" Mitch Emoff President, Fulfillment Center, Shumsky and Co
