Thought For Today - September
 

Conserving Energy

How do you manage your energy output? Are you an energy conserver or an energy user? Today, renounce all unnecessary banter and conserve your energy.

Get Out Of Bed

When the alarm goes off in the morning, do you drag yourself out of bed, jump out of bed or hit snooze, again, and again, oversleep and then end up rushing around because you're late?

How you start the day sets the tone for the rest of your day!

Here are a few tricks to get out of bed and stay out:
- Place your alarm out of reach, so you have to get up to turn it off.
- Do a few stretches in bed, to energize you to get out of bed.
- Put a glass of water near your bed and drink it as soon as you switch off the alarm. It hydrates and wakes your body up.
- Make your bed when you get out of it, so it discourages you from climbing back in.

Heard Something Negative?

When we hear something negative about someone, the negativity seeps in & easily influences our perception, attitude & behavior towards that person, even when our experience of that person is not negative.

The next time you hear something negative about someone, rather than go by hearsay, keep an open mind & make up your own mind.

Feeling Blocked

Sometimes when we feel hard done by, all our thoughts of dejection and feelings of discontent block us. It's as if, in that moment, we're not open to receiving all the good that is coming to us; it just can't get through.

When this happens, start by taking a deep breath and relaxing. Allow your heart to feel more open, your mind more expansive, and allow your natural good feelings to emerge.

Now notice if anything has changed from a moment ago. Notice all the good that is coming to you, right now.

Do Everything Yourself?

Do you try to do everything yourself? Don't trust others to do things right? Do everything yourself & you'll always be busy doing everything! Instead be less busy & more efficient.

Decide what to do yourself & what to delegate. Consider when to take cooperation from others, & when to invest in developing others' skills.

When possible, let people choose which tasks to take on, if not then match the person to the task. Know when to be clear about what & how, & when to let others use their creativity & initiative.

Striving for Authenticity

Are you consistently authentic? Or do you sometimes lose sight of your authenticity?

Even if we're not being authentic all the time, we can still strive for it. So regularly 1) check what gets in the way of your authenticity, 2) reconnect with who you are, what you value and what matters most to you.

86,400 Seconds

Everyday the TIME bank credits you with 86,400 seconds. What are you doing to ensure you invest the day's deposits and use every second well?

From Vision to Action

Your vision is a blueprint for the kind of life you want to lead. All you have to do now is visualize what you want, create benchmarks and align them with your heart, your purpose and passion. Then follow that with action.

Tame Your Stress

When stress looks like it's getting out of control, take a moment and 'tame your stress'. How? Be present.

As soon as you start dwelling on the past or the future, release the need to control the uncontrollable & be present. Keep bringing yourself back to the present moment & let everything else fall away.

Feel the stress reduce & realize that you're OK & so is everything else. Now you're ready to get back on track!

Boring Conversations

What do you do when you find yourself in a boring conversation? Make a quick exit? You have to respect your time, so try to remove yourself from the conversation as politely as you can.

Remember, not all conversations are going to be amusing or stimulating. And just because something doesn't interest you, that doesn't mean it's boring!

Even if it is boring, you can still try to be more engaged in the conversation; ask questions, listen or contribute. Or just try to find something you can take away from the conversation.

Just Like A Daisy

Just like a daisy breaks through concrete & grows in the pavement cracks, we too can break through challenges & grow.

No matter how insurmountable the situation may seem, we can choose everyday to keep growing & be unstoppable.

Happy Today

If you were to hang onto the word 'happy', all day, what would happen?

Apply it to your thoughts, moods & responses. Let it awaken your memories, associations, ideas & images. Allow the word to stay with you, whatever happens.

Today, give yourself permission to think: Happy, Happy, Happy, like a mantra, & see what happens! If you see benefits, then do the same tomorrow, the next day, & the day after that!

Finding Closure

When a relationship, a job or something significant ends, whether it was planned or not, take time to find closure otherwise you may find it difficult to let go.

Find closure by working through your feelings and accepting what once was and what's happened. Then shift and move on from what's finished to what's ahead, into the next chapter of your life.

Peace Reminder

You don't need to search for peace; you are a peaceful being. So, for all those times when you're not feeling peaceful, you've just forgotten that you are peace. During the day, between tasks, remind yourself again and again: I am a peaceful being. Think peace before and after a phone call. While walking about, visualize peace emanating from you. When you interact with others imagine your peace influencing the atmosphere.

People You Admire

We tend to admire people who have qualities we would like to have or do things we would like to do. Think of the people you admire - they could be a character from a book, a movie or someone very real. What is it that you admire about these people? Which of their qualities would you like to develop yourself? Now all that’s needed is to go out and start expressing these qualities in your life.

Let Them Know They Matter

Of course, people matter. But do they know that?

Whether it's your partner, boss, friends, colleagues or acquaintances, put extra effort into letting them know they matter. Why? Because it makes a difference and it matters, to them and to you.

It doesn't need to be long and drawn out, it could simply be a 'Thank you, I really appreciate that' or 'Thank you, that was really thoughtful.'

Air Purifier for a Stuffy Mind

All the unnecessary, repetitive thoughts that linger around in our minds create a stuffy atmosphere and affect how we feel.

Next time your mind feels stuffy, filter out any negativity or unwanted thoughts. Remove all the contaminants from your mind, just like an air purifier.

Now you can think fresh thoughts, feel good and breathe easy!

Not Another Meeting!

Do you find some meetings a waste of time? We do need to work together & make decisions, share information & generate ideas. So how will you make meetings more effective?

Hold a walking meeting, if you can, or a stand up meeting to keep it short. Alternatively, try a different environment to make things creative. Stick to agreed start & end times, & by the end of the meeting identify clearly who will do what, by when.

Go from "Not another meeting!" to "That was a good meeting."

Shhh, Listen!

Often when our minds are quiet, we can hear our inner voice, the wisdom that we carry at the core of our being.

All we need to do is recognize, value and learn from our inner tutor. Imagine the cost effectiveness and convenience of having a tutor available 24/7.

So go on 'listen in' to receive some in-tuition.

Life is a Struggle?

If we find life a struggle we'll always be struggling with everything & everyone. This constant struggle will just wear us down.

Today, stop struggling. Even if life isn't easy, release any resistance & feel lighter within yourself. Be at ease & make life a breeze.

Peace Dove

The peace dove doesn't convey the message through words or actions; otherwise the olive branch that it carries would fall from its beak. The peace dove uses its wings to fly high above the Earth. From this vantage point, boundaries and differences don't really exist. Respect for all life is the message of peace. Today, be a peace dove, a messenger of peace.

Make Your Own Saying

Do you have a wise saying? Your unique perspective on life that you can share with the world? Today, make time to compose your own wise saying. Reflect on the greater significance of incidents and events in your life and distil your experiences, realisations and life lessons into words of wisdom.

Excuses or Results

"Yes, but..." "Not now, I haven't got time." "If only..."
"It's not my fault." What's your excuse?

If your excuses are not acceptable or valid, then it's time to set your excuses free. Why? Well, excuses take away your power to create results.

Don't give yourself excuses, give yourself results. How?
1) Rise above your excuses. 2) Think about what you want and why. 3) Work towards creating results.

To Pity or Not to Pity

When someone's going through a tough time, is your emotional response pity? Most of us don't like to be pitied because even if it's well intentioned, it comes across as condescending and demeaning. None of us want to make others feel that way.

So the next time you start to feel pity, stop and let compassion, respect and dignity come through in your attitude.

Remind yourself: I've gone through my trials and tribulations, and I've grown and strengthened. Now it's my opportunity to support and be there for another.

Unplug and Unwind

TVs, computers, mobile phones, tablets.... can be tiring for our eyes & head. How about taking short breaks from technology!

Try: no phones for 15 minutes during your lunch break,
no screens 30 minutes before going to bed, nothing for 3 hours at the weekends.

Decide: what you want to unplug from, when & for how long, & what you will do to unwind. Just make it realistic & refreshing.

Easy Self Acceptance

For most of us, self acceptance isn't as easy as it could be! If you feel that you're not good enough, realize: you are enough. If you rate yourself against others, realise: there's no one else in the world quite like you.

Believe in your worth & uniqueness, & accept the whole package, flaws & all. Have self acceptance & you put yourself in a better position to improve yourself & the quality of your life.

Constant Change

Everything around you is constantly changing.

No matter how you react or feel, change happens anyway. So you might as well embrace the change.

Choose to adapt and change your approach, and not only will you feel more in control but you will also relax and enjoy the process!

Me to We

Turn "me" upside down, and you go from ‘What’s in it for me?’ to embracing a broader perspective of “we." When you focus less on ‘me’, and more on ‘we’, you're able to collaborate and engage with others to accomplish something altogether better. As a result you leverage both your personal talents and relationships to a greater success.

Want More

We have more! We want more! We get more! Like seawater; the more we drink, the thirstier we become! So, if you don't have the resources to get more, why not make the most of what you already have!

Blind Spots

All of us have blind spots - attitudes and behaviors that hinder our potential. So make it a habit to check for your blind spots.

Sometimes these blind spots are more visible to others. So if you can't spot them, you could ask someone you trust to give you honest feedback.

Uncover your blind spots and transform them into your personal strengths!