Coaching Videos & Tips - August 1 2019 No.614
ROLL UP, ROLL UP...
Whether it's a rollercoaster or a merry-go-'round (more like a sorry-go-'round) life is like a funfair... all too often, sadly, without the fun!
The most important thing that you have to do in your life is the thing that you're doing now. The logic is faultless - you only have now, the past is gone and the next now has yet to arrive.
So, now, make sure that what you're doing now is worth doing (in the context of what you want out of life) because, if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. Right now.
And, if you'd like to go a little deeper, don't forget that you can browse all 613 "back issues" in The Archive!
I regularly talk to people who are on life's sorry-go-'round, the wheel of misfortune - "round and round she goes, where she'll stop everyone knows" (in exactly the same place today, tomorrow and the day after...! And, very often, the people with whom I talk do genuinely find themselves in repetitive environments that no amount of focus, purpose or flow will get them out of - they find themselves in survival mode. As such, I regularly hear the refrain "mindfulness helps me cope".
There comes a time in everyone's life where you have to draw the line and not just say "enough is enough" but actually do something about it. You know, as human beings, we pride ourselves on our resilience but, in fact, that is a long and sharp double-edged sword because, far too often, we cope with stuff that we simply should have to or want to or need to cope with at all.
So, what to do? Well, if you find yourself wanting to change something in your life, wanting to do it won't cut it, neither will needing. And, it must be said, that, in life, we should never being "running away", we should always be "running towards". "Knowing" what you're running towards is what's important, knowing the outcome that you want to experience is what is actuallt required. Getting to "know" this is not that same as thinking it through - normal thinking won't figure this out for you. Getting to "know" requires a clear mind and, unfortunately, many people find themselves in situations which make developing a clear mind next to impossible.
But, of course, nothing in life is impossible - all anything takes is for you to have a mind for getting it. And having that mind starts with discipline - disciplining your mind to rise about the rubbish of everyday life so that you can see the wood for the trees. And a little discipline goes a long way - a few minutes "mind clearing" each morning - only five or six minutes is all it takes (every morning - that's the discipline bit!) will enable you see clearly. And the funny thing is, when we see clearing, it becomes clear as to in which direction we would like our lives to move.
It has been suggested to me that I should comment on recent political developments, particularly in Westminster. But the title of this piece is "Normal Crazy People" and what's going on there is really stretching the definition of what's normal... so we'll stick with the normal mundane:
Yvonne went to one of France's top private universities - that's where she got her Masters in Business. But, like a lot of graduates, she found it took time to get the kind of job that she wanted. But, then, a few weeks ago, she landed that job. OK, it was a fixed contract covering for someone on maternity leave. But it was well paid and there was every prospect that it would lead to a permanent position.
She started on Monday. On Tuesday, as a colleague showed her the ropes and suggested to her that perhaps she should take some notes, Yvonne stood up, announced that (after seven months of searching) the job was not what she expected. She threw her security pass on the desk, picked up her bag and walked out!
Now, perhaps this is a normal crazy thought but my first thought was "her poor parents!"