by ColoradoCoach.

I discovered an amazing teacher that has taught me to look at how I view the world and how I engage every aspect of it. Now, like most of my learning, the lessons I learn rarely become evident as my teacher is speaking, but rather after I have had time to process what I have learned.

I have only known my teacher for about 3 1/2 years.  And after years of formal education, countless seminars & workshops and hundreds of books, I have found my greatest professor when I wasn’t even looking. I was infatuated with him when we first met. He wasn’t so sure of me.  He was very quiet, taking in each moment of our time together.  Even though he didn’t talk much, his simple wisdom was hard to misunderstand.  He took his time giving me my first life lesson: We each need each other.

Simple.  To the point.  Easily missed in the hustle of our everyday lives, especially in this day of texting, emailing, and tele-commuting.  But this basic lesson is important to understand as foundational to all his other lessons.  WE EACH NEED EACH OTHER!

Part two of this first lesson is about application.  My teacher began to show me that we each need each other by the simple gesture of a smile. Looking someone in the eyes and smiling quickly reminds a person that we need each other.  It also taught me that a smile can change the world. Wayne Dyer stated, “When we change how we look at the world, the world changes.” A sincere smile can change how we look at the world. It changes our affect, which changes our effect.

Now after 3 1/2 years, my lessons are more frequent and my conditioning has made me more aware.  Even though we do not spend as much time together as we once did, the lessons are more obvious-if I take the time to watch and learn from him.

1. Arise early, start the day with a fresh attitude and a morning routine.
2. Life is nmeant to be filled with action, not sitting to read the newspaper or watching TV.
3. A Kiss has magical powers.
4. Ask lots of questions
5. It is OK to toot your own horn.  Celebrate your accomplishments and share them with others.
6. Have heroes. It is important to have people with strong character to look up to.
7. Believe in miracles.
8. Express authentic emotions. When you are happy-be happy and dance and cheer. When you are sad, cry and asked to be held. When you are angry, yell and scream to let it out.
9. Say I love you. Say I am sorry. Say thank you. These statements are powerful to the people you say them to, but more importantly, they are empowering to your spirit’s well being. Love, Forgiveness and Gratitude.
10. Read positive stories that allow your mind to create powerful lessons and visions, especially before bed.

As you can see his simple lessons are all about getting back to basics. As we grow older it seems most of us clutter our lives and complicate things. We believe that buying things will lead to happiness or a better life-WRONG. Instead these same items actually rob us of a small portion of our life.  What are the basics for you to have a happy life? Friends? Family? Income? Love? Travel? Figure out the “things” that may be weighing you down and simplify.  Back to basics.

As I stated in the beginning, a culmination of my teachings so far have led to a better understanding of perspective, how I view the world. As the Wayne Dyer quote speaks to we must become aware of the lens through which we see the world. And if we take time to change that lens, our reality of our experiences changes. My guru of life’s lessons have not come from a man of many years, the type of mentor I have wished for, but rather from my 3 1/2 year old son, Jackson.

Jackson has helped me reverse my perception of roles and preset assumptions.  He has helped me realize that broadening my awareness and not trying to fit my reality into my own expectations, opens many more opportunities, and many more classrooms. Jackson has shown me that By learning you will teach and by teaching you will learn.

Posted in expectations, Communication, How do you know what you know, success, Coaching, perspective | Print | No Comments »

by ColoradoCoach.

When I was a kid I was exposed to the following story by Loren Eiseley.  I remember it as a lesson in the importance of character.  I also remember learning the value of doing what is right, not because someone is watching or to be recognized, but rather to do what is right because it is the right thing to do.

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

“I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, “It made a difference for that one.”

As we get older our focus becomes more global and we forget the power of helping one.  We forget the impact small actions can have on another.

My challenge to you is take pride in the small actions of your life.  When you think it doesn’t matter, change your approach.  Act like it is the only thing in the world that DOES matter.  This week, practice random acts of kindness, or Doing Small Things
with Great Love.

“We cannot all do great things,
but we can do small things
with great love.”
- Mother Theresa

Posted in gratitude, Little things, Finding Time, perspective, Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »