Don’t Waste Your Opportunity

Posted on by DieterL

For most of us, our biggest sin is taking things for granted.

I’m as guilty as anyone else: I wake up and rush into online work or reading, forgetting to appreciate what a miracle this new day is. I’m alive! I’ve been given another amazing day, full of opportunities, and that is truly breath-taking.

I’m human, with a body and a conscious mind … and what an opportunity that is! We take this for granted, but if someone came up to you and said, “Hey, I can give you the power to make 10 people’s lives better every day of your life” and they could prove beyond a doubt they’re telling the truth … would we just pass this opportunity up without thought, and go to our favorite online social network to see what updates we’ve missed? That would be a huge missed opportunity, and that’s exactly what we’re doing each day we pass up the opportunity of being human without thought.

What kind of opportunities does being human bring us?

How about the opportunity to experience the wonders of the world, each moment bringing with it an overwhelming amount of experience that we can soak up?

How about the opportunity to investigate, explore, learn, discover, invent, create, inform, play, imagine, and build?

How about the opportunity to connect deeply with another human?

How about the opportunity to care, to lessen the suffering of others, to not participate in the suffering of animals, to make lives better?

How about the opportunity to practice mindfulness and appreciate all that’s in front of us?

How about the opportunity to create your own opportunities, ones that I can’t imagine?

What does this moment offer you that you are passing by without thought?

Are you willing to make the most of the opportunities of this moment, of being human? (Thank you,Leo Babauta)

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My Favorites August 2015: Great Stuff I’ve Found Recently

Posted on by DieterL

My monthly “My Favorites” routine includes posting links to great content I ran across, to encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting for helping you to live a meaningful life. Enjoy!

Why Do We Search For More in Our Lives?

People often come to see me when they are in their 30s or 40s and say, I have done what was expected of me and had a career doing the right thing, now I want to do something else. Something that makes me feel whole/complete. Something that brings me joy and fulfilment and helps me fulfil a personal quest. But, I’m not sure what my purpose is.

Interesting article by Hemla Makan-Dullabh. Read it here

The moderation glitch

More doesn’t scale forever. Why are we so bad at engaging with this obvious truth? Seth Godin, continue reading

Sadhguru: Stop Being Dead Serious About Life

Want to Succeed? Let Go
By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try, the world is beyond the winning.~Lao Tsu. Guest post by John Freund

Integrity: What’s Up With That?

What do you mean when you think of integrity? Like trust, integrity is something we all talk about, meaning many different things, but always assuming that everyone else means just what we do. That leads to some vagueness and confusion. But a careful examination of how we use the words in common language is useful. Charles H. Green

Smile, breathe, and go slowly!

Dieter

The No. 1 secret to fulfilling life

Posted on by DieterL

Think about the words: work, career, mission.

Do you notice a difference when you read them? Does each word feel different to you?

To most people, the word “work” implies that it’s something hard, something you have to do. If you work all day long, you probably don’t enjoy it very much or find it very fulfilling.

Career implies you’re doing it for something larger; it has a bigger meaning. You’ll devote more energy to it since it’s building towards a greater purpose.

But somebody who has a mission, they don’t even do it for the money, they do it because it’s what they’re made for. For them, it’s not work at all; it serves a higher purpose.

Today, most people spend more time at work than they do with their family. The most sacred gift that you can give, besides your love, is your labor.

What’s the secret to breaking through in this area? Find something that you’re here to play for that’s more than just yourself.

Remember – Motive does matter! (Thank you, Tony Robbins)

The Time When We’ll Be Present & Content

Posted on by DieterL

Today, I only have questions.

We’re striving for happiness and contentment, but when will we be there? I think we often see a time in the future when things will be better – we’ll have a better relationship, job, house, health situation, financial situation, and more. But when will that day come?

What’s stopping us from being content right now?

What’s stopping us from being present right now?

Many of us can point to external conditions that get in the way of being present (some problem on our minds), or that get in the way of being happy and content. But actually, the things that are stopping us are all inside us. We can’t let go of problems and be present. We are frustrated with ourselves, with others, with our situation, with the way the world is, and we can’t let go of wishing they were different.

The obstacles are inside us.

And so, can’t we let them go?

And can’t the time for happiness be right this moment?(Thank you, Leo Babauta)

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My Favorites July 2015: Great Stuff I’ve Found Recently

Posted on by DieterL

Do You Know Who You Really Are?

Interesting article by Ed and Deb Shapiro about the masks we wear. Read it here

3 Little Tricks to Deal With People Who Offend You

Something that we struggle with daily, that eats us up and causes stress and anger: annoying people.

You know those people: they cut in line, are rude to you in the office or at the restaurant, cut you off in traffic, talk loudly about obnoxious things, play loud music when you’re trying to concentrate, interrupt you, and so on.

These offenses are violations of the way you think people should act. And so it burns you up. Don’t worry, I’m the same way.

If you just keep letting these offensive people get to you, you’ll always be mad or annoyed. Life won’t be very good. But it’s something you can learn to deal with.

I have to admit I’m not perfect at this, but here are three strategies I use that are helpful: Leo Babauta, continue reading

Brené Brown on Blame

Book recommendation: The Great Zen Buddhist Teacher Thich Nhat Hanh on How to Do “Hugging Meditation”

“When we hug, our hearts connect and we know that we are not separate beings.” Read about this book here

What the Dalai Lama Taught Daniel Goleman About Emotional Intelligence

Two decades before Daniel Goleman first wrote about emotional intelligence in the pages of HBR, he met his holiness the 14th Dalai Lama at Amherst College, who mentioned to the young science journalist for the New York Times that he was interested in meeting with scientists. Read the HBR article here

Smile, breathe, and go slowly!

Dieter

Yes, Life is Risky-Dive in Anyway

Posted on by DieterL

As a child, your eyes sparkled with the majesty of your dazzling future.

You were connected to your power. You spoke in truths. Your heart was wide open.

The world was a safe place. Open for dreamers of every sort. Welcoming to the possibilities that all of us represent.

Then something happened to most of us…

The doubts of those around us became our beliefs as well. We embraced their limits. We adopted their fears.

This happened quietly + gradually and incrementally, so we couldn’t even see it happening to us. But our highest natures knew it: our boldness was diminishing. And our lights were dimming.

We started to settle. For average work. For minimum health. For scarcity of too many sorts. For a small amount of love in our lives.

And when we say the ones who lived like lions. The Brave Few. We called them geniuses and gifted and otherworldly-denying the same potential hiding within ourselves.

But a day comes in every life when we can no longer run from the call for greatness that inhabits us. We must return to it.

We have no choice.

For some it’s leaving the safe harbor of an old way of being.

For some it will be leaving a job to launch a dream.

For some it will be finding new love.

And for a few of us, it will be battling the critics in the fight for a better world.

I don’t know your dreams. I have no idea as to your desires. I likely don’t even know you personally…

…but I do know what you’re made of. It’s pure possibility. It’s a core made of power. It’s a mind made for visions. It’s a heart built for love. It’s a spirit designed to wow.

And so today, as you move through your hours, let’s go of who you were to become all you are. Please.

Return to Greatness. Model Mastery. Show us what the best of being human is all about. And lift us with your light.

Make this day epic. And let’s not take our tomorrows for granted. (Thank you, Robin Sharma)