Greetings!
Over
the last few years, many people and businesses have been challenged
by the tough economy and other difficulties. Some of us have
responded in a spirit of hope and demonstrated our resiliency in
the face of adversity. In this issue we explore how to respond to
adversity in a positive way and build a reservoir of resiliency.
Focusing our attention on doing the next right thing and knowing
how to develop "resilient" habits will see us through both good and
bad times.
We
welcome your feedback or suggestions. If you would like to
provide feedback or suggest topics for future issues, please click
on the email link for Bill or Dave.
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Happy
reading!
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Bill Spreitzer
919-388-3600
We welcome your
comments and feedback on our newsletter and would love to hear from
you on how we can be of service.
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Just Do
the Next Right Thing
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 Recently
I had the opportunity to speak to a Job Connections group at my
church, many of whom have been looking for work for quite some
time. As I was considering the topics I would cover
with this group of 25 job seekers, it occurred to me that the theme
of the talk should be Hope. Hope is such an easy word
to say and such an elusive word to live. So, how does
one live a life of hope in the face of so many challenges in our
world today?
Recognize
that I am not talking about sitting around and hoping for my boat
to come in, or my lottery number to be drawn, or even that all my
dreams are answered. A book entitled "Perfectly
Yourself" by Matthew Kelly addresses 9 lessons for enduring
happiness. Lesson 2 is called "Just Do the Next
Right Thing". I find that when I focus on
discerning and doing the next right thing I am filled with hope,
even when facing the most vexing problems in my life.
Why is this and how does one figure out what is the next right
thing to do?
The
theme in many of Kelly's books is to help people become the best
version of themselves. One thing this entails is
working to understand what is your mission or purpose in
life. My business partner, Bill Spreitzer's article
entitled "Working for What You
Are Passionate About" reviews some of the basic elements of the
process of discovering your passion/purpose.
Having a clear understanding of your purpose is a
major step in understanding the next right thing to
do. My purpose is to help people achieve their
potential. I try to do something every day that moves
me in the direction consistent with this purpose.
Kelly
also talks about seeking our purpose and discerning the next right
thing to do by spending quiet time alone listening to our inner
voice. Many people need help in developing this inner
voice and hearing it clearly.Coaching often provides significant
help in this regard (see September 2010 newsletter article:
"Your Board of
Advisors").
Finally,
doing the next right thing isn't just about what's best for
me. Kelly's 8th lesson for enduring
happiness is "Focus on What You Are Here to
Give". Our mission needs to engage us to serve as
and where we are needed by others. Frederick
Buechner, a minister and author, observed that mission "is the
place where your deep gladness meets the world's deep
need". Finding what others need that engages our
talents and passion is the surest way to define our mission and
determine the next right thing to do.
Challenge
yourself to become the best version of yourself by just doing the
next right thing. Do something today that engages
your passion and gets you moving in the right direction, however
small a step it may be. This quote from the epilogue
in Kelly's book is one I especially enjoyed: "Happiness is feeling
at home with ourselves, with who we are and where we are and what
we are doing."
If
you need someone to talk to about what is the next right thing for
you to do, give us a call. We'd be happy to talk to
you.
Dave Vogelpohl
- Excellerate Solutions, Inc.
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Resiliency:
How Well Do You Bounce?
 Over
the past 3 years, most of us have been stretched, pushed, pulled
out of shape, knocked down, and stressed out by such things
as:
- Loss
or potential loss of employment
- Uncertain
financial future
- Reduction
of net-worth (devaluation of investments)
- Doing
2 or more jobs to make ends meet
- Illness
and death in our families and with friends (even our self)
- Loss
or potential loss of our home
- Broken
relationships
- More
demands and change at work
- Etc.,
etc., etc.....
These
and other challenges, obstacles, disappointments, failures along
with successes, joy and happiness is what makes up our
lives. As the saying goes, "No one said life was
going to be easy or fair."
The
question before all of us then is, how well am I at adapting and
responding to the stresses in my life? Do I
bounce back quickly from setbacks or do I languish in response to
them and become a victim to life's circumstances?
Well if you are like me (and probably like most of us) you will
probably answer by saying "a little bit of both depending on the
situation." What I'm really asking is, how
resilient are you in life?
Let's
start by defining what resilience is:
- Springing
back into shape
- The
ability to recover quickly from significant changes in one's
life
- The
capacity to thrive in spite of life's difficulties
So
our challenge is: How can each of us become more resilient
in order to find joy in living/working and be productive in spite
of what life throws at us?
After
delivering a workshop on resiliency in the workplace and reading a
few books on the topic, I offer you the following 10 suggestions in
building your personal "resilience factor":
- Focus
on those things that you can control and influence and let the
others take care of themselves (have faith).
- Be
responsible for your own attitude, thoughts, emotions, and behavior
and let go of blaming and/or trying to change others.
- Keep
yourself strong and healthy through some form of regular exercise,
eating light and often throughout the day, and getting adequate
sleep.
- Keep
life events in perspective through knowing that most things are
temporary and that "this too shall pass".
- Adopt
an attitude of gratitude by starting each day taking stock of all
your blessings.
- At
work and at home, be a part of the solution and not a part of the
problem. Embrace change as an opportunity to learn
and grow stronger - preparing you for the next challenge that is
lurking around the corner.
- Set
written goals that are harmonious with your values and life
purpose. Share them with those you trust for support
and accountability. Get into action and move
forward!
- Get
involved in helping others who are less fortunate by volunteering
your time and giving of your talents and treasure (if
appropriate). Taking the focus off of your own
problems for awhile can build perspective and peace of mind to move
powerfully ahead in life.
- Surround
yourself with positive people. We are not only what
we eat but the company we keep. Misery loves company
but so does excellence!
- Laugh
and have fun, even if for a moment. Strive for
balance between work and play - you deserve it!
In
closing, resilience is really an attitude, a state of mind that can
be shaped and developed with time and attention.
Build your "resilience factor" each day by putting into practice
one or more of the 10 suggestions offered above.
Having a coach or advisor in your corner isn't a bad idea
either.
Copyright
protected, all rights reserved worldwide. �2010
Bill Spreitzer - Excellerate Solutions, Inc.
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Motivational
Quotes
"Success
seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving.
They make mistakes, but they don't quit."
By: Conrad Hilton
"What
lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to
what lies within us."
By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You
cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb it
himself."
By: Andrew Carnegie
"All
of us get knocked down, but it's resiliency that really matters.
All of us do well when things are going well, but the thing that
distinguishes athletes is the ability to do well in times of great
stress, urgency and pressure."
By:
Roger Staubach
"Great
things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things
brought together."
By: Vincent van Gogh
"Twenty
years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you
didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your
sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
By:
Mark Twain
"Life
is like riding a bicycle, in order to keep your balance, you must
keep moving."
By:
Albert Einstein
"You
are fortunate if you have learned the difference between temporary
defeat and failure, more fortunate still if you have learned the
truth that the very seed of success is dormant in every defeat that
you experience."
By:
Napoleon Hill |
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