eRipples v4.08: Ripples of CHALLENGES!

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Life will bring you pain all by itself.
 Your responsibility is to create joy.
-Milton Erickson, submitted by Sally

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

Every search begins
with beginner's luck.
And every search ends
with the victor's being severely tested.
-Paulo Coelho, submitted by Carol


=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

This week I had the pleasure of visiting North Carolina (home of the
amazing Krispy Kreme Doughnuts!) to speak at an awesome leadership
conference hosted by East Carolina University. In a workshop on
motivation, we discussed the importance of seeking the right amount
of challenge when trying to motivate ourselves or others. If we are
not challenged enough, we get bored and lazy and our productivity
suffers. On the other hand, if we are facing too many challenges we
often become overwhelmed. It turns out we are not very successful
when we are either bored OR burned out!

The ideal state of motivation comes when we have enough challenges to
keep us on our toes, but not so much that we feel fried. If you have
been in a funk lately or if you are simply hoping to become more
motivated, try assessing your balance and see if you need a bit MORE
challenge (read a book, write an article, join a different group,
volunteer) or perhaps LESS challenge (drop some things from your
crazy schedule, take a long walk, listen to some relaxing music) and
see if striking the right balance might help light your fire!

I send you Peace,

Paul

eRipples v4.07: Ripples of ASPIRATIONS!

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

What we earnestly aspire to be, that in some sense we are.
-Anna Jameson, submitted by Donna

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

I never said "Well, I don't have this and I don't have that."
I said, I don't have this yet, but I'm going to get it. . . .
The real power behind whatever success I have now
was something I found within myself --
something that's in all of us, I think,
a little piece of God just waiting to be discovered.
-Tina Turner, submitted by Debbie

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

On Friday, I enjoyed an afternoon with the Human Resources team from
the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics. One of our topics
was "goal setting" and the importance of visualizing our goals. A
key component of effective goal setting is finding ways that we have
already acquired some piece of what we aspire to. If you want more
courage in your life, for example, it is essential that you find at
least small ways in which you have recently been courageous. This
allows you to understand what courage looks like, sounds like, feels
like; and then you can say to yourself "I want more, I want LOTS
more!"

I challenge you to spend a moment TODAY thinking about something you
want and to ponder how you have already have some of it in your life
right now!

Peace,
Paul

eRipples v4.06: Ripples of FEEDING

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

There is a field beyond right and wrong. Meet me there.
-Rumi, submitted by ZMomanzPop

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

A Native American grandfather was talking to
his grandson about his feelings after the attacks.
He said, "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart.
One wolf is the vengeful, angry, violent one.
The other wolf is the loving, compassionate one."

When the grandson asked him which wolf
would win the fight, the grandfather answered,
"The one that I feed."
-source unknown, submitted by Sissy

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

I made a quick trip to California this week to spend some time at
Mills College. We were exploring the topic of encouraging "civility
& respect." It seems there is an assumption in our society that in
order to have civility we must have harmony. Well, I disagree! And
it is okay to disagree! We do not have to AGREE in order to get
along. If we are going to cultivate peace on our planet, we need to
have respect for different perspectives. As a bonus, when we strive
to understand other viewpoints we occasionally find it useful to
adjust our own! Do not be afraid to voice your opinion or challenge
someone this week, but seek that field beyond right & wrong!

Peace,
Paul

eRipples v4.05: Ripples of SUMMER!

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PEBBLE =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

In the depth of winter, I finally learned
that there was within me an invincible summer.
-Albert Camus, submitted by Rachel

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= BOULDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o

What you still need to know is this:
before a dream is realized,
the Soul of the World tests everything
that was learned along the way.
It does this not because it is evil,
but so that we can,
in addition to realizing our dreams,
master the lessons we've learned
as we've moved toward that dream.
-Paulo Coelho, submitted by Carol

=o=o=o=o=o=o=o= PONDER =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

This I know: there are good days and there are bad days. And
sometimes the bad days can be sooooooo bad. Remember, however, that
if you just hang in there a little more.....another good day is on
its way! I believe in you and the world believes in you, so please
make sure that YOU believe in you!

Peace,
Paul