I went to a workshop over the weekend. The focus of the workshop was to focus on our intentions for the year. We usually think in some way about our goals for the year. That’s what I went in with. One of my goals was to get my book, Witness to Life, published successfully. Another one was to take my coaching practice to the next level.

By the end of the day I got in touch with something different. What was that one thing that was most meaningful to me from which everything followed.

As the day progressed I got in touch with something that I have been thinking about for years now. I love to watch people get turned on about life….to get excited. I feel that is what I do… inspiring others to believe in themselves. So this is what I came up with.

My deepest intent is to inspire others to believe in themselves. I’m going to add this to my website and tagline on my email signature.

I know that if you think about it for a while, you can get in touch with what most moves you. When that happens you’ll be excited.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

What a powerful film. I have a movie recommendation for you. Last night Annie and I saw the Great Debaters. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the subject of the film….it is about an all black debate team in the 1930′s that is invited to debate the Harvard debate team. It’s a story about oppression, conviction and undying faith.

And now in this country we have our first African-American candidate for president. The country has come a long way and has a long way to go.

There’s more work to do. We can’t rest on our laurels. And that’s the way all of life is. There is always a next step….we can rest for a while before getting again involved. But don’t wait too long.

In the film there was the reminder to do what you have to do so that you can do what you want. Let’s not forget that. Perhaps we are not moved to do a particular thing but it is a means to something greater. If we think of these mundane activities as stepping stones for something greater then there is a purpose in doing it.

Don’t forget to focus on what is directly in front of you. One step at a time might seem like slow progress but if you look back over a long period of time, you realize how far you have really come. And in the film you see this principle clearly.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

Sometimes, when we are out of balance, it’s obvious. At other times, we need to pay attention to the signs or signals that are letting us know that something isn’t right. Living a balanced life is a series of adjustments.

I like to think of sailing to describe this concept. When the direction or intensity of the wind changes we have to adjust our sails to keep the boat sailing in the direction we want.

And that is our life…The winds are always going to change. There are going to be times when there is little or no wind…. and times when there are heavy winds. The wind is just what it is, but it’s how we adjust that matters. Living a balanced life is the ability to recognize when you are sailing off course and making the appropriate adjustments. The sooner you recognize you are off course the sooner you can make the necessary adjustments. Think of sailing as playing in the elements. It can be an enjoyable experience and so can your life.

Lets look at some of the signs or signals that tell you your life is out of balance.

Health issues remind you to give your body more attention and to slow down. How often do you take the time to prepare and enjoy a meal? And when you notice that you feel tired, ask yourself if you are getting enough exercise.

Conflict in your relationships is another sign that your life is out of balance. Have you taken the time to evaluate the quality of your relationships and your communication skills?

Then there are those periods of your life when you are too serious and have lost the ability to laugh and to have fun. During these periods, life is a constant struggle and seems to have no meaning.

Financial issues remind you to examine your basic values and your priorities.

At the heart of all these challenges is your ability to adjust to the stress they are causing you. Until you are able to make the necessary adjustments the simplest problem will seem magnified.

If you are a reader of this blog, you will also like my newsletter, Letters on Life.

Journey On

Mark

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

We find out more about ourselves in the times of adversity. We have been getting more than our share of winter storms. Although there haven’t been major floods like two years ago, more than half the households have been without power for some amount of time.

And in some communities it’s been three or four days. So restaurants, coffee shops and bars have been really busy. In fact in one community, which didn’t lose any power, it was so busy that you couldn’t find a parking place. There were so many people looking for a place to eat and get warm.

So people came together and talked. Almost everyone you saw asked you if you lost power. And it was on this day that people sat and talked and got to know each other.

When you realize you share common concerns and problems, there is more room for common ground. So to speak we were all in the same boat.

And so it was that I felt a made a new friend. I was in no hurry…had no place to go and couldn’t get on the internet. Imagine that…couldn’t get online. I survived and connected in a different manner. As I said I made a new friend.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

A friend emailed this to me. It summarizes what I have been writing about recently.

Just for Today: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.

Just for Today: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me.

Just for Today: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things I can correct and accept those I cannot.

Just for Today: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

Just for Today: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I’ll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly and not interrupt when someone else is talking. I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.

Just for Today: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I’m a smoker, I’ll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully-if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it’s only around the block.

Just for Today: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

JOURNEY ON

MARK
JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

I kind of alluded to it in the last blog; worrying about the future and not being able to be in the present. Here’s a good example that illustrates how worrying is a waste of time.

A few years ago our town was four feet under water. The whole community was affected. This winter there has been very little rain; there have been several articles about the likelihood of a drought and fire hazards. I started to get plugged into it and I remembered the devastation just a few years ago.

Right now we are in the middle of one of the worst winter storms in fifty years according to the media. Some of the freeways are closed; they are advisories not to travel on the bridge and power outages in some communities. It’s starting to taper off. Fortunately the tides are low.

This is a good example of how our minds work. We can’t control the weather but we can play in it. Even though some of us worried about possible drought conditions this has been one of the most beautiful winters in a long time.

As I said in the last blog, “the trap” is that we think that there will be a time in our life when there will be less uncertainty. There’s always going to be a challenge in some form. We can’t control what those challenges are, but we can choose how we react to them. We have “free will.” We can choose to exercise our “free will” in how we react or respond to a given situation.

Here’s to uncertainty; may it flourish and may we flourish and embrace it. Here’s to “free will.” May we choose.

Journey on

Mark

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

A few of my clients have been concerned, among other things, about the growth of their business in this new year. Rising costs, and an uncertain world are the concerns of almost everyone.

So how do we go forward with this uncertainty? Assuming that one day there will be nothing that concerns is a trap. The trap is that we think that eventually we will reach a place in our life where there is no uncertainty. If we are fully alive and present, their will always be something that concerns us.

And this is the way that it should be. We don’t want to shrink from the world or to live in fear of new endeavors.

There is no question that having a plan and direction is necessary for us to create our vision of the future. But solving those concerns won’t help us as to how we experience today. When we focus on the future we sacrifice today.

So resolve that just for today you will only think about today; not yesterday or tomorrow.

As for today; be curious; wonder about what the highlight of the day will be…be in a state of wonderment.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com

I had a few good laughs last night to start the new year but not at the comedy event. At the last minute we decided to go over to Rick and Nancy’s for a quiet evening. They were celebrating their new grandchild (three weeks old) and had some friends over.

So after all of that hype in my last blog we changed our plans at the last minute. I like to think that how you spend the last night of the year sets the tone for the new year. With that in mind what did last night represent?

Close friendships is the first thing that comes to mind. It was great seeing them and their son who just had his first child who I have known since he was born.

What is it that with some people our paths intersect over and over again and with others we just drift apart? In all of our close relationships we are more alike than we realize. What binds us together are our values which usually manifest in the form of our interests and lifestyle. What brings us together is our respect for each other.

So for me coming together seems to be the theme for the year. Coming together with people who share a common dream and in their own way share the same core values. And at the same time learning to love the uniqueness in each other. That’s what makes us interesting and our gift to the world.

JOURNEY ON

MARK

JOURNEY ON is a blog dedicated to personal and professional development. Mark Susnow, an executive and life coach, inspires others to experience more fulfillment and success in their life. A former trial attorney for 30 years and musician, he integrates what it takes to be successful in the world with the inner wisdom unfolded to him through years of yoga and meditation. He also publishes, Letters on Life, an inspirational ezine. His articles reflect this journey in an inspirational and motivational way. http://www.inspirepossibility.com