I was picking blueberries at the farm when I get my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box. “Go between rows 5 and 6. The bushes are full and they are my favorite kind. Smooth as butter and fantastic flavor.” That’s what the farmer said as I headed out.
He was right. The bushes were loaded with berries.
What’s your point of highest contribution? That thing that only you can do. Where you can have the most impact on the world? Do you have any idea?
I don’t.
I told myself it was really an excuse to get together with friends. Even introduce some who hadn’t met one another. It wasn’t about the painting. Because I really don’t know how to paint. Often avoid it, in fact.
Because it’s easy to get trapped in judgement.
You never think when you sit in your seat and open your Kindle that this could be the last day of your life. Make each moment count. And tell your loved ones you love them. Now.
When disaster comes, having casually heard the safety instructions isn’t enough. In times of extreme stress, you fall back on what you’ve practiced. Intentional practice, also known as drills, are what make the difference. Here’s a book that tells you how to do it.
Many people can’t see beyond the obvious. Even though the oxygen mask is round, it’s also flexible. It can change shape. Practice exploring beyond what you think is possible. Here’s more about that topic.
Maybe so many people put the oxygen masks over their mouth and chin because they breathe through their mouth, and not through their nose. Breathing is meant to be done through your nose. It’s healthier and helps your voice stay lubricated. Here’s a free 20-minute consultation on breathing and other voice techniques.
What do you think? Feel free to chime in with a comment.
We live in a world of noise. Now that everyone can be their own media company, it feels like everyone is doing it. Video, podcasts, radio, streaming music. Your car and Alexa talk to you. Even banks have gotten into the act. Bank of America just announced Erica, a virtual assistant on its mobile app. And noise isn’t limited to what you hear. There’s also the noise inside people’s heads. All the things that distract them. And now you start to talk.
Will anyone hear you above the noise?
The earth shook. The sky darkened. The curtain in the temple split. Jesus had just declared, “It is finished.” And breathed his last breath.
What brought him to the point of death?
In the last installment of this blog, you saw me make a decision. I found a third way – one that seemed to allow me to hold 2 beliefs as true at the same time, even though they would normally lead to opposite conclusions. So now what? Say “Whew!!! That’s over.” And ride off into the sunset?
Not exactly.
When we left off yesterday, I was wrestling with two conflicting truths which were keeping me torn. Kind of in a state of suspended animation or something.
So there I was, at the coffee shop with my friend, torn and wrestling. Struggling between the two.
Last week I wrote that I was torn. About what to do about a possible consulting opportunity. Now in the past I would have left the decision to the hiring manager. If we could work out the terms, I’d do it. Though I’d put some parameters around it, I’d otherwise abdicate my responsibility and let someone else decide for me. Or I’d consider only the financial impact.
Not this time. This time I wanted to decide myself – was I truly interested or not – even before we discussed terms. And I was torn.
I felt it while I was talking with him about a possibility for consulting work. Heaviness in the pit of my stomach. Not quite a knot. A weight. Sinking feeling.
