Then I recalled something my daughter said about a friend whose degree was not based on her passion, but instead it was based on income potential. Her friend landed that high paying job right out of college but soon realized that she was unhappy. Since her focus was on the pay her degree was skill specific and didn't allow room for autonomy. Eventually she left the coveted job and the large paycheck to do blue collar work. Now she is training for something that follows her passions. Her paycheck isn't as large but she is happy She refers to her previous job as "The Golden Handcuffs."
"Find a job you love and never work a day in your life."
Confucius
My daughter is an intelligent young woman and I enjoy our conversations. Recently she quoted something from the teachings of her church. In summary she said; "If we fail to stop learning, dreaming, and challenging ourselves we face the risk of our spirit becoming stagnant which makes us vulnerable to the world. "
This is a personal challenge for me because I can become so engrossed in completing the work that when I look up I see the life that I failed to live. Life is for living, not just working. It is so easy to become engrossed in completing the tasks, earning the paycheck, or advancing the career that I fail to make time for living.
This is a personal challenge for me because I can become so engrossed in completing the work that when I look up I see the life that I failed to live. Life is for living, not just working. It is so easy to become engrossed in completing the tasks, earning the paycheck, or advancing the career that I fail to make time for living.
Unknown
The essence of intelligence is a skill in extracting meaning from everyday experience.
In reality, each person has their own version of "The Golden Handcuffs." I know what mine is. My limitations are often self imposed. Every now and again I need to step back and take inventory of my life. There is always a reason not to get started. For me, it is always having a task to do. However, some tasks are optional. There will always be housework, work at the office, and family demands. I have only one chance at today. It is up to me to make it a priority to create balance in my life by making choices on how to use my time. My choice is for continuous learning and to make time to develop my talents.
"Dusting is a good example of the futility of trying to put things right. As soon as you dust, the fact of your next dusting has already been established. "
George Carlin
As a child I heard my mother say that "A man who reached for a star will go farther than a man who reaches for the top of tree ." It is important to have big dreams and big goals. The danger lies in setting a goal and either losing focus on other areas of our life or simply becoming frustrated trying to attain that goal so we stop trying. It is important to set goals but, just as important, we need smaller goals that will move us in the right direction. I compare this to preparing for a marathon. Small individual successes will provide benefits, motivation, as well as a learning experience to prepare us for the ulitimate success of crossing the finish line.
"How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time!"
Barbara Johnson.
Believing in ourselves is crucial to success. Eliminate self defeating thoughts and surround ourselves with positive thinkers. Negativity is a road block.
Get out of your own way! Set a goal. Don't create boundaries and don't be afraid to think outside of the box. We can become our own obstacle by creating limitations that don't exist. Do not be afraid to work for the bigger goal because, even if we don't reach it, everything that we learn on the journey is valuable.
Break the ultimate goal into smaller, more attainable goals. We wouldn't try to run a marathon without training. Use the same concept in reaching your goal. Set small attainable goals. Celebrate your successes. Learn from the failures.
Get Started. Too many people talk about their goals but only a few actually do the work to achieve their goal. I read somewhere that people in nursing homes regret what they didn't try to do more than anything they have done. We all have responsiblities but taking care of ourself is a responsibility too. Make yourself a priority.
One of the leadership seminars I attended a few years ago talked about "Adaptive Creativity" which is a trait that is sought after in leaders even more than education or IQ. People who have adaptive creativity have the ability to learn from their life experiences, enjoy new challenges, embrace change, and adapt well to diverse situations. He said that instead having the focus on "What do I need to do to be successful?" we should be asking ourselves "What do I want to learn?" Great leaders have the passion to embrace life, learn from experience, and think in creative form instead of conforming without thinking.
I realized that I have been wearing my own version of "The Golden Handcuffs." My limitations are self imposed. I made a commitment to myself to make my own goals a priority. I feel a sense of satisfaction in looking at my small measures of success over the last few days Today I have a plan in place with small goals . I am working toward a larger goal for the year. A first step.....small goals......one dream.
Get out of your own way! Set a goal. Don't create boundaries and don't be afraid to think outside of the box. We can become our own obstacle by creating limitations that don't exist. Do not be afraid to work for the bigger goal because, even if we don't reach it, everything that we learn on the journey is valuable.
Break the ultimate goal into smaller, more attainable goals. We wouldn't try to run a marathon without training. Use the same concept in reaching your goal. Set small attainable goals. Celebrate your successes. Learn from the failures.
Get Started. Too many people talk about their goals but only a few actually do the work to achieve their goal. I read somewhere that people in nursing homes regret what they didn't try to do more than anything they have done. We all have responsiblities but taking care of ourself is a responsibility too. Make yourself a priority.
One of the leadership seminars I attended a few years ago talked about "Adaptive Creativity" which is a trait that is sought after in leaders even more than education or IQ. People who have adaptive creativity have the ability to learn from their life experiences, enjoy new challenges, embrace change, and adapt well to diverse situations. He said that instead having the focus on "What do I need to do to be successful?" we should be asking ourselves "What do I want to learn?" Great leaders have the passion to embrace life, learn from experience, and think in creative form instead of conforming without thinking.
I realized that I have been wearing my own version of "The Golden Handcuffs." My limitations are self imposed. I made a commitment to myself to make my own goals a priority. I feel a sense of satisfaction in looking at my small measures of success over the last few days Today I have a plan in place with small goals . I am working toward a larger goal for the year. A first step.....small goals......one dream.
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