March, 27 2006

Elegant!

I love the word elegant. I like the way it sounds. I like what it means to most people when you say that something is elegant or someone looks elegant. It's a word that just wraps itself around all of my senses and I know with absolute certainty that the thing, person or place is as close to perfect as it can get for me. I had an Aunt, who personified elegance. She dressed well, spoke well, did good deeds, had a marvelous sense of humor, but most of all she was elegant because she gave and demanded excellence in all that she did. Jackie Kennedy Onassis was ELEGANT.

I'm old enough to remember that many people dressed in an elegant way just to go to dinner. And if you went to the Opera, it was the height of elegance. Elegant people in the 40's, 50's and 60's travelled by ship to wonderful destinations. It wasn't stuffy. It meant exceptional in a stylish way. And the difference between people who were elegant and those who weren't was the time invested in a standard as much as a way of life. Anyway, the word came to me recently when I met a very fine and very famous surgeon, who just exuded elegance. I immediately trusted him and was just grateful to be in his presence. In his profession, he not only has demonstrated excellence but he also has a unique style -- well, he's elegant.

Elegant is a word that is not overused so therefore when we hear it, it means something. Elegance is definitely a goal. What we do and how we do it must always represent our best. In my mind, nothing else is good enough. Why do we sometimes settle?

March, 20 2006

Having fun?

If you couldn't answer yes to that question than...WHY NOT? Having fun is way more important than most people think. You may not always be able to set the world on fire and icky stuff does happen, of course. But you can always ask the question, "How can I have more fun right now? I really recommend that you remember to make that inquiry of yourself now and then. Why? Because it helps you tap into your power. I have noticed that most people think that they are more powerless than they really are. And when you ask yourself that silly question -- andrequire an answer.you tap into some of your creativity -- you recognize that you have more control than you thought you had. Sometimes, having fun might mean just changing where you are sitting or what you are doing for a moment. It could also mean connecting with someone you might have lost touch with. It could mean exercise. It could be listening to some upbeat music. It could be learning something. It could mean making a plan to go out and do something exciting or it could be a quiet activity that especially pleases your heart. Figuring out a way to have more fun in any given moment can set off a chain reaction that creates solutions to problems, optimism where fear existed, direction and focus. I love the energy that is released when I ask that question and seek ways to satisfy myself in the moment. Try it -- come play with me.

March, 13 2006

I'm stuck!

I was going to start this post off by asking, "Are you stuck?" So often when I talk to business clients as well as those I coach personally, I find that they are somehow stuck -- in a way of life, in a situation, in a relationship, in thinking. My job is to help them maneuver OUT of the place that keeps them from doing what they want to do or being what they want to be. But this time, I must admit that it's about me. And, it isn't flattering either. This morning when I was writing in my "morning pages" (please read Julie Cameron's book, "The Artists Way," to read about this helpful tool...or e-mail: beth@beth-cole.com for more on that) I discovered how STUCK I AM...I learned that my own rut was disabling even though I wasn't unhappy or even unproductive in this state of "no-movement." I am just holding on to thoughts and beliefs and situations that don't serve me any longer. Therefore, some things I want to achieve aren't happening and I am wondering why... duh! (Now here's an important caveat to what I'm writing -- I think that most of us analyze ourselves too much -- paralysis by analysis -- and yet that's what I'm doing here -- I bring this up for the purpose of revealing what I hope will be a useful exercise.) So as I observed my "stuck-ness" I thought -- Wouldn't it be helpful to have an inspection system that shows patterns that are no longer working for us? It's like operating on two levels -- continually observing the means as well as results that we post on an ongoing basis. It's the "constant vigilance" Freud discussed. By being fully aware of our course AND our destination at the same time, we can act/perform/work at full throttle. We can...yes, you and I can...reach new heights, new levels of excellence. We can challenge our status quo even while we accept ourselves and our situations. We can explore dimensions that may not have occurred to us. We can dream bigger than we have ever dreamed. We...you and I...can do more than we have ever done and we can do it even more easily than we have ever imagined. We can do it together because we can support ourselves during the process. We can do it because we're ALIVE and we have decided to really live our lives! We can become unstuck. From me to you...here's a kick in the pants -- it feels SO good to move forward!

March, 07 2006

A Punch in the Gut

A HARD punch in the gut! The scroll at the bottom of the screen said, "Dana Reeve has died." And I felt that I had been hit really hard in the stomach. I didn't know Dana Reeve. I don't know her teenage son. I didn't know Christopher Reeve. And yet I deeply feel this loss. From what I know of Dana Reeve is that she was a woman devoted to her family. She invested enormous time and energy and was effective in finding funding and bringing awareness to the research and treatment of spinal cord injuries (and later cancer.) She was talented. She had lost her husband and mother within months of each other and then found out she had cancer. She had a son to take care of as well as the Foundation of her late husband to run. I want to celebrate her life. Yes, I can send money to the Foundation and I will. I send thoughts to her son. I remind myself how precious life is. I make a pledge (again) to live a good life. I commit to being true to myself and always doing the best I can in any circumstance. Whatever is said in circumstances or on subjects like this sounds like a platitude. But so what...Life is a gift. Each day is precious. We all have much to give. Do something for yourself today and do something for someone else today. And honor the memory of a really good person by taking some action.