The Quieter You Become the Better You Execute the Really Great Ideas!
Posted: December 12, 2023
While this may be hard to digest as a truth, think about this. The more you are speaking to other people, watching TV, surfing the internet etc. the more you are getting advice from everyone but yourself. Truth be told, other perspectives are valuable, especially when they are different from your own. Many times, though what happens is we hear something that sounds logical and immediately say, “that makes sense, “I will do that” without taking the time to be quiet and fully thinking through what is best for you and will fit your present situation. When this is done often what is missed is the unintended consequences of a decision we make.
For example, imagine you hear a great idea about a new morning working out routine you can do in your home. You know that you need to lose a few pounds, so you decide that you are going to follow the advice and act. The next morning you wake up start the workout and proceed to wake everyone else in the house up! Aside from that you end up hurting yourself because the workout was too intense for you. The unintended consequences of doing this was you woke up your family and hurt yourself. Was the idea wrong? No, the execution was flawed because you didn’t take the time to embrace the silence and sit with the idea allowing for your thoughts to enter in to make the correct implementation of the idea.
Two things you can do to help prevent this from happening.
Three Strategies To Help You Benefit From Silence
Posted: December 05, 2023
Silence is often filled because we can be uncomfortable with it. There can be a feeling like the silence is awkward and it needs to be filled. Perhaps a way to start to bring a bit more silence into your life is to talk less. Talking less invites people to speak less and it helps you listen to what they are saying. Think about it. If you are only going to allow yourself half of what you would usually say, then you need to be a bit more precise with what you say. Plato said, “wise men speak because they have something to say, fools speak because they have to say something.”
Avoid the urge to react. This can be another great way to bring a bit more silence into your life. Imagine you are in a disagreement with someone. The communication escalates but instead of hitting back you say something like, “it seems we are at an impasse, why don’t we think what has been said and pick it up again tomorrow.” By doing this you provide the time to reflect in silence and in private instead of potentially escalating and making the situation worst.
Watch the sun rise, watch the sun set. Both happen to be my favorite parts of the day. While I don’t do this every day, when I do, I am amazed at the level of peace and calm that comes over me. There is something wonderful about starting the day with watching the sun rise. The world is still quiet yet the day ahead is filled with promise. There is also something peaceful and reflective about taking the time to watch and enjoy the sun going down. It doesn’t take long but being at a place where you can watch it disappear into the horizon requires you to slow down and embrace the beauty of something happening in nature that is way beyond any person’s control.
The 12th Pillar of Your Potential
Posted: November 28, 2023
The 12th Pillar of Your Potential
I have always enjoyed using the 12th month of the year as a time to catch my breath and digest the lessons from the last 365 days.
The 12th Personal Best Pillar of Success is, “Embracing Silence”. It is intentionally put in place in December as a reminder for me to take the time to reflect on all I have to be grateful for. I have always found if I don’t slow myself down and allow myself to create the list and take a full inventory, I often forget how many blessings I have. Forgetting the blessings for me allows the defeats, disappointments and hurts to invade my mental space.
Do you practice the "Test of Three"
Posted: October 24, 2023
As a facilitator of Anti Bully education in public and private schools covering grades Pre –K through 12th grade, I am frequently asked about gossip. It seems that it is everywhere and in all walks of life. The examples change based on age, but it always comes back to speaking of others not present in an unflattering way. One of the stories I have shared many times over the years to help others understand the destructive power of rumors and gossip is the following. Keep this philosophy in mind the next time you hear or find yourself ready to repeat a something told to you.
In ancient Greece (469 - 399 BC), Socrates was widely lauded for his wisdom. One day the great philosopher came upon an acquaintance, who ran up to him excitedly and said, "Socrates, do you know what I just heard about one of your students?"
"Wait a moment," Socrates replied. "Before you tell me, I'd like you to pass a little test. It's called the Test of Three."
Great Lessons for everyone...
Posted: September 06, 2023
Timeless Lessons from a Grandmaster that will make you better in Martial Arts and in Life
Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee is considered to be the father of Tae Kwon Do in America. One of the many contributions Grandmaster Rhee brought to the martial arts world was what he called, “the Seven Qualities of a Champion”. It is a list of attributes that have both a physical and mental meaning.
I have always found great value from modeling people who walk their talk. When I hosted Grandmaster Rhee for a visit to Personal Best back in 1995, he was at the time 67 years old. His daily discipline still included performing 1000 push–ups and 1000 sit-ups every day. I have met him many times over the years and have always enjoyed his presentations. President George Bush honored Grandmaster Rhee as the 721st point of light in honor of his contribution to bettering humanity.