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.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
BIG SMILES:It has become increasingly clear to me that the way to transform your mundane everyday life into a playground of fun and opportunity is to change the way you are throughout the day. The fact that me and thousands of others are blogging and thousands are reading the blogs speaks to our mechanical age. What happened to the old fashioned way of greeting each other when we smiled and asked each other how we were? It is true that often this was also mechanical but it's time to reverse the trend and take time again for each other.
Here's the challenge. For the next week your job is to get one person a day to smile. If that is too easy then step it up to two and then perhaps three. Let me know how you do..Also 25 smiles per day on your part goes a long way.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 8:39 PM
Thursday, June 17, 2004
THANK YOU LARRY:Last night I watched the Detroit Pistons soundly trounce the LA Lakers. I was inspired not by the game but what was said afterwards by their coach Larry Brown. Larry had coached seven teams over twentyone seasons. He had never won a championship but championed a philosophy of team basketball in which the individuals became greater because they were committed to something greater than themselves, the team.
In the era of megacontracts and megastars in professional sports this is a difficult philosophy to instill. And perhaps that's why eventually Larry has moved on. After the game as Larry was congratulated by many it was what he said that inspired me. "This victory was for all the players that I have coached throughout my career who believed in the concept of being part of a team. Because of them I am a better person and a better coach and this experience happened because of them."
What Larry said resonates with me because that is how I feel. Because of the many who have trusted me and allowed me to become part of their lives I am better for it and a much expanded person.
So thank you.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 8:27 PM
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
START YOUR DAY WITH INTENTION:Yesterday I wrote about having discipline and starting your day with intention. Here's a thought. Stop thinking about getting results in your life....instead your job is to focus in the morning on getting connected with source. As you do this think of your day as already a success.
By connecting with source you connect with everything. As you create a stillness in the morning think that this is all you have to do. Then as you proceed during the day that stillness will be with you. Everything and everyone that you encounter come from that sense of connection to source. The connection is everything and there is nothing more to do. Over a period of time, days, weeks, months or perhaps years you will notice how your sense of inner peace expands and life becomes more fulfilling.
I am convinced that how we start our day totally effects our quality of life. Practice starting your day with intention and give it at least 30 days and see what happens.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 4:18 PM
Monday, June 14, 2004
CREATE A MENTAL DISCIPLINE:Well it hasn't been as long as the last time....just a few weeks since I've written...I think my focus all these years has been how to turn off my mind from all its chatter...the teachers and the sages call it "monkey mind". It's great if we can suspend all our judgments or considerations about what is going on in our life or someone else's. We then have a momentry respite from the world and all its forces.
We can do this for part of the day if we take time to have a regular discipline...such as meditation...yoga...a martial art among other things that is independent from the rest of our life. It could be running, or playing music or dance...But something that fully engages us for a period of time on a regular basis. So it becomes a mental discipline
Then once we develop the regularity we expand our ability to focus and to experience a oneness with what we are doing that is carried over into the rest of our life. Even though our practice is for a brief period of time it has the potential to effect our entire life. But first we must be courageous and bold by beginning...Make a commitment. For a more in depth discussion of what is possible you might want to read Start Your Day on Your Terms which is in the Leadership section of the website.
Journey On
Mark
posted @ 12:02 PM
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
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"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
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"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
