Quiet Time -- Motivational Minute (13_44)

Quote of the day:

“To take time to think is to take time to live.” – Nancy Kline

Consider:

When do you take time for quiet reflection? If you think you can’t possibly allot  time for this in your busy day, why not try something radical? Study over your schedule and see how you can carve out some time to be alone.

Perhaps you can cut down on time watching TV, or time spent on the Internet. You might consider arranging your schedule so you can rise early enough to have some time of quiet before you start your day. There is something very special about rising before the hustle and bustle of the day begins—a deep sense of peace fills the air if you stop long enough to notice, and in these quiet moments alone, you hear things that you otherwise don’t notice during the day.

If you just can’t manage taking this time in the morning, set some time aside in the evening. This practice can have an immense impact on your life. Fewer decisions have the power to transform your life as does the habit of taking time to get alone and quiet, to meditate, pray, reflect, or simply sit still and listen to the quiet. Why not try it?

Taking time in quiet solitude, is taking time to live.

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

Making a Difference -- Motivational Minute (13_43)

Quote of the day:

“Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days that ever come can depend on what you do today.” -- Ernest Hemingway

Consider:

Life is a great cycle of cause and effect. Everyone makes choices every day, and everyone's choices affect others. The combination of everyone's choices and the effect those choices have on others makes the world what it is.

Every problem can be traced to some unloving or selfish choice someone made. Selfishness and lack of love are the major cause of problems in the world today. People either don't see how their wrong choices affect others, or they don't care enough to do things differently.

You may feel that the world is too messed up, that too many wrong choices have been made, that it doesn't matter much what you do, that it's hopeless. But that's not true. Just as every problem can be traced to a wrong decision, every solution begins with a wise and loving decision to do the right thing, the loving and unselfish thing.

A little bit of love can go a long way, and each act of love makes a difference. One act of kindness or unselfishness can start a whole chain reaction of events that will, in the long run, make life much better for a lot of people. So don't despair because there is so much suffering and grief and wrong in the world. Instead, do what you can to make things right and encourage others to do the same. The world won't change in a day, but you can make a difference if you try.

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

Adversity -- Motivational Minute (13_42)

Quote of the day:

“Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” — Napoleon Hill

Consider:

This quote rings true in my own life. As long as I don’t give up and refuse to quit, eventually I reap the desired rewards. There's no crown without a cross, no testimony without a test, no triumph without a trial, no victory without a battle! As long as you keep fighting, you'll keep winning.

Take a lesson from John Paul Jones, the 18th century naval captain. His ship had been shot out from under him and was sinking. Half his men had been killed and many others had been wounded, including Jones himself.

When the enemy captain called out Jones to surrender, Jones screamed back, "Surrender? Hell no! We haven't even begun to fight yet!"

He refused to surrender and kept on fighting—and he eventually won the battle. That's the kind of person who wins victories—the kind who refuses to stop fighting. Like Jim Ron says, “How long should you try? Until.”

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

Thoughts -- Motivational Minute (13_41)

 

Quote of the day:

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.” — Mahatma Gandhi

Consider:

Here is an interesting story by an unknown author that illustrates this quote.

The old witch doctor of the tribe, sat cross-legged upon the ground, looking at the man who stood before him. He listened to the other African as he told his tale of woe. He had been hurt in an accident. The rocks had fallen upon his ankle, and he would never walk again, but he wanted to know if the witch doctor could cure him.

Slowly the witch doctor ran his long pointed fingers nimbly over the injured ankle. Patiently he moved the grimy toes, and each action was accompanied by other questions. What did the white doctors say? When did the man go to them?

Finally he said, "Yes, I can cure you. I know exactly what is wrong with your leg; but you will need to be a brave warrior. There is grave danger! You must go across to the beehive which stands among the trees, and push the end of your crutch into the hive to stir it up. You must then lick the honey from the crutch. This is great magic, but it will cure your bad leg. Are you bold enough to do as I command?"

The African nodded. He rose from his seat and hobbled across to the beehive. Then, supporting his body on one crutch, he thrust the other into the hive and disturbed the bees. Immediately thousands of angry insects came out, to attack the invader from every angle. As the infuriated bees continued their attack, the man dropped his crutches and fled to the nearby dam, to dive frantically beneath the water.

The witch doctor grinned and a deep chuckle sounded in his throat, and each time the swimmer appeared on the surface the old watcher laughed again.

When another African asked why such treatment had been prescribed, the witch doctor replied, "There was nothing wrong with his foot. Yes, he had been hurt by the rocks, but that happened a long time ago. His ankle had recovered, but the silly man had persuaded himself he would never be able to properly walk again. His was a disease of the mind. As long as he continued to think such thoughts, nothing could be done for him. I sent him to stir the bees knowing they would make him run."

We laugh at the humor of the story but reflect a moment on the profound truth here—so many of us have been convinced by our negative self chatter that we can’t do such and such. We worry about all kinds of eventualities and persuade ourselves that the future is dark with peril. However, if instead of sorrowfully proclaiming our fears to the world, we would proceed to act as though everything were according to our desires we may find that we can indeed “walk.”

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

Risk Taking -- Motivational Minute (13_40)

Quote of the day:

“The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try.” -- Debbi Fields

Consider:

The fear of failure often stops us from trying new things. Part of overcoming fear of failure is realizing that no one ever reaches every single goal he/she sets for him/herself.

Sometimes new priorities come into your life, or you realize something is not all it is cracked up to be. Whatever the case may be, just because you don’t complete a goal doesn’t mean you are a failure. It just means you found out it’s not for you, but you’ll never know that if you don’t give it a try.

Once you understand that it's impossible to meet every goal you set for yourself, it takes the pressure off and will allow you to feel more confident in setting goals for yourself.

Help yourself to take a chance. Write down one goal you've always wanted to go after but have been too afraid to. Then, write down the steps you need to take to reach that objective and take the first one. 

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

 

 

Giving -- Motivational Minute (13_39)

Quote of the day:

“The more you give, the more you live.” -- Bob Dedman

Consider:

If you put your trust in the economies and financial institutions of this world, or if you think worldly financial schemes will bring you happiness, you're doomed to disappointment. That's because those systems are based on selfishness, and selfishness ultimately leads to unhappiness. Even if you achieve financial success by those means, as a few do, you will never be truly happy knowing that your success came at the expense of others.

Share with others, even if you don't have much yourself. Those who give unselfishly will be rewarded with more, but those who hold back from helping others when they could, for fear of not having enough for themselves, cut themselves off from the blessings that are waiting for them if only they would give.

You may not have millions to give away, but you can start somewhere. Every little bit counts! For ideas of worthy causes—check out the Radical Giving site today

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

Gratitude -- Motivational Minute (13_38)

Quote of the day:

"Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude. Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness. Thankfulness may consist merely of words. Gratitude is shown in acts." -- Henri Frederic Amiel

Consider:

Many people tend to show their thankfulness by saying the words, "thank you" which is well and good, but that is just the first step. Why not take it a step farther?

When we are truly grateful for something, we should not only say “thank you” but do something to demonstrate our gratitude and not just depend on our words to convey it. Like the old saying goes, “actions speak louder than words.”

To help get you going with the second step, try this exercise.  Stop and reflect on something that someone did or said to you today that you appreciated. Now, in addition to saying “thank you”, reach out to convey your sense of gratitude and appreciation by doing something nice for that person.

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

Forgiveness -- Motivational Minute (13_37)

Quote of the day:

“If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Reflection:

Regarding forgiveness, consider this: When someone does something that you feel is not right or hurtful, try to recognize that people often act a certain way based on something that is going on in their life that you may be unaware of. Someone may do something that seems to you very selfish, but it isn’t nearly as bad or selfish as you’re assuming. Most likely you don’t know the complete scope of the situation they’re in. You don’t know the thought processes that they’re going through.

I know I’ve sometimes pre-judged a situation. I’ve wondered why someone acted a certain way, or said something that seemed hurtful, and I’ve thought negatively about them only later to find out that they had been quite sick, or something major was going on in their life, or in the lives of their children, and they were really going through tough times. They were experiencing difficulty, and due to that, they weren’t at the top of their game. The actions that looked selfish to me, may have been a consequence of their difficult situation.

It’s important to have compassion, and to understand that each person is like a universe in themselves, we don’t always know what’s going on in someone else’s universe. So it’s wise to not be judgmental.

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here

Kindness - Motivational Minute (13_036)

Quote of the day:

“Lead the life that will make you kindly and friendly to everyone about you, and you will be surprised what a happy life you will lead.” — Charles M. Schwab

Consider:

Have you ever been stressed-out at work over relations with a co-worker? Perhaps they are talented and ambitious, yet they behave as though they are jealous of your position. Do you feel threatened and you don't know how to react to their aggressive temperament?

Dealing with difficult people in the workplace can put a strain on your nerves and on your ability to perform in your job, especially when jealousy over position is a factor. But it doesn't have to be that way. It takes time to build relationships of mutual trust and respect, and you may have to work at it. As frustrated and threatened as you may feel, you can be sure that persistent kindness will pay off in the end.

It's like the story of a man who moved into a community where a notoriously disagreeable and contentious old man lived. When the newcomer to the neighborhood was warned about the old man's temperament, he answered, "If he disturbs me, I will kill him!" His statement reached the ears of his ill-tempered neighbor who had, in various ways, already begun to torment the new settler. But every offensive action was met with kindness until at last the cantankerous old man was overwhelmed by the kind words and deeds of his new neighbor. As a new friendship began to blossom, the old man admitted, "I was told that you said you would kill me, but I didn't expect you to do it this way!"

Wishing you all the best,

Coach Dana

(Compliments of http://www.actionvisioncoaching.com/)

If you would like the Motivational Minutes to come to your inbox click here