When I was younger, it was always reinforced to me to hold the door open for an adult. I never questioned the reasoning, rather it was just what I was asked to do as a child, so I took it at face value and did it. It became a habit, and it continues to this day with me always wanting to extend this small level of assistance to another.
When I look a little deeper, the act of holding a door open is an act of humility. It says to the person that you are happily putting their need above your own. It is an active practice of being present even if only for a moment to pause and let another pass.
Holding a door open can provide a display of honor in the case of a person with a higher degree of authority than you. It can be a small expression of love to a family member. It can be a sign to a friend that you will always be there to assist him and to a stranger, it can be an acknowledgment of their importance without the expectation of future favoritism.
How To Maximize Your Mental Certainty To Get From Where You Are To Where You Want To Be
Posted: February 04, 2022
In order to carry a Positive Action we must carry here a Positive Vision - Dalai Lama
Posted: January 20, 2022
by Christopher Rappold
Each month at Personal Best our curriculum focuses on one philosophical aspect of self-development. Each of the 12 months represent one key to honoring our individual Personal Best potential.
8 Commitments and 100 Check-ins with Yourself
Posted: January 14, 2022
Happy New Year! Each January presents the perfect time to step up your game and make some new gains in the areas of your life that are most important. The holiday break and New Years often provide some nice reflection time to rethink and refocus your daily actions. To this end, I would like to give you a fresh perspective on how the Personal Best Student Creed that you will say 100 times this year can be used to serve as a weekly reminder of the commitments you set for 2021.
Student Creed #1
Two Words You Never Thought Could Build Your Focus
Posted: April 22, 2020
As a child, do you remember the feeling of being in school and hearing your teacher announce you were heading out to recess? Oh Boy… What a thrill!!! The reason it was a thrill was after sitting all morning your body and mind needed a reset, and that came in the form of running, jumping and playing with friends. Like you as a child, your adult brain needs the same experience of the playground, but as adults it comes in the form of exercising your creativity. Doing things like crossword puzzles, drawing, art, dance, etc., are all things your brain needs for optimum function, just like the child running out to recess and then coming back in to finish the day. After giving yourself the gift of a 5 -15 minute break doing any of the previously mentioned activities, or something else that you enjoy, you will be ready to start up again with a fresh perspective.
The second work that actually improves your focus is boredom. I bet you never thought that would improve your focus! Let me explain. What happens when you have a feeling of being bored, is you are giving your brain the opportunity to rest and reset itself so it can then go back to the priorities of what is important. Like building a muscle, much of the growth comes from the rest in between sets or workouts. All push and no rest will lead to a diminished return of production. Boredom for the brain is as good as rest for a muscle.
Knowing this, think about your workday and your work output. How can you add a couple breaks of creativity and permission-based intentional boredom? Maybe next time someone accuses you of doodling or staring off into space and not getting anything done, you can confidently look at them and tell them you are actually “building your focus”.