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Pulling Weeds and Planting
New Seeds
Dirt...glorious dirt everywhere. Under my fingernails, in my hair and in my socks.
It’s
my favorite time of the year with dinners outside and days filled with
sun soil and new blooms in the garden. Here in Colorado we have to wait
a little longer to begin planting for summer blossoms, but it's always
worth the wait.
I
have been sneaking in some time, a day here, an hour there, to begin
loosening the hard clay soil we have and beginning to pull the weeds
and plant a new. As I was digging in the hard
dirt a few weeks ago, I found myself reflecting upon what I wanted to
turn over, dig out and replant in my own life.
What weeds of negative behaviors and time-zapping activities do I need to pull to make room for new growth?
Lack of planning is a weed that tends to creep into my garden over and over again. Without a plan, my life gets off balance so easy and I begin to neglect the very things that are most important to me. I
know that I am more productive and more effective when I have a written
plan each and every day, but yet that weed blows back into my routine
and sabotages my success.
A stronger marketing strategy is the beautiful seed that I am going to plant this summer for blossoms that will bloom later. More time for friends is another seed that I need to nurture. We are always too busy.
Whether you like to garden or not, take some time this month to pull the weeds in your life and plant a few fresh flowers!
A Letter to My Younger Self
If you could set a time machine to any point in your future, how far would you go to take a peek? Would you even want to go? Who could resist that temptation?
Imagine your life ten years from today. What do you hope you see? Stop for a moment and picture where you are living, who you are with and what you are doing.
Now imagine that your future self catches you spying, and now the two “you’s” are sitting having a long talk. (Perhaps this is not so far-fetched for some of us who have these talks on a regular basis.)
What do you think the older you would say to yourself with ten more years of wisdom under his or her belt? What are the things you will tell yourself to do or not to do? Would you be bolder or would you live with more caution? Chances are we live too cautiously and miss out on a lot.
Think of the reverse. What if you could send your ten-years-younger-self a letter giving pearls of wisdom. What would you say?
Take some time today to write yourself a letter from your older and wiser self, giving you some advice. And then take it.
WISE CRACKS!
You know you've reached middle age when you're no longer laughing at the Craftmatic Adjustable Bed commercials. -Reprinted from Your Seventh Sense by; How to Think Like a Comedian, by Karyn Ruth-White
If your parents never had children, chances are you won't either. - Dick Cavett
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ASK BOB
A Regular Column on Relationships, by Man's Best Friend
Q: Hey
Bob, I know you are not married, but dogs always seem to be having fun,
so I'm wondering if you can give me some advice. After six years of
marriage, I find that it is not exciting any more and we just don't
have fun. Any ideas?
A: Since
I am just a wild and crazy guy, I have lots of ideas on fun and
excitement. You are asking a guy who can entertain himself all day just
chasing his tail around, but first I have to ask you...what do you do
to make this relationship fun? Fun does not happen unless we plan for
it my friend. The excitement in any marriage can quickly fade when all
you focus on is the mundane tasks of life, such as paying bills, sick
kids, and carpet stains from pets---(Hey, I'm not admitting to anything
here--That spot on the living room carpet--it was not me!). When date
nights turn into problem focus groups(that cost money, no less), it
isn't even fun to go out. Make a point to go out on FUN dates and agree
not to talk about anything that is not enjoyable. You may want to pick
up a copy of Marriage Mechanics: A Tune Up for the Highway of Love at www.amazon.com I have heard, from a reliable source, that it is packed with lots of fun dating ideas.
Bob is the faithful companion to the Schreck
family and resides in Littleton, Colorado. Like most dogs, Bob is a
relationship expert and would love to answer your questions. Just send
mail to Bob@schrecktalk.com
P O W
(Pearls of Wisdom)
You can trudge through life, or you can laugh and sing and dance! The days go by just the same. - Unknown
After winning an argument, the wisest thing one can do is is apologize. -Gina Schreck
Monthly Challenge!
Conflict Management:
For the next 30 days, be sure to add "flex-phrases" such as "I
think..." "I believe..." or "Based on my experiences..." when you
are making statements during a disagreement. The absense of these
"flex-phrases" does not leave the other person any room to negotiate
and they may feel as if their only option is to strap on the gloves and
come out fighting!
Bonus points if you can say, "I could be wrong" at least five times in the next 30 days!
Good luck!
© 2004
Feel free to forward this to all of your friends, family members and even those you don’t particularly care for!
It may not be sung in a high school play,
written in sand on beaches west of Belize or photocopied without our permission though, so for reprint permission, please call 303-978-0887.
"Random Thoughts" is a monthly email distributed by The Pinnacle Group & SchreckTalk Keynotes. www.Schrecktalk.com
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