“I don’t think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday. “
~Abraham Lincoln.
Most of us have learned a great deal over the past year. It’s been a hard season, a challenging time and a great opportunity for growth — spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Here are a few things I’ve learned — and some I’ve relearned — since 2021 began a few short weeks ago.
- A square peg does not fit into a round hole. No, really, it doesn’t, so stop trying.
- Make it your own. Following another person’s steps doesn’t always get you where you need to be.
- Pruning is often the best way to grow. You have to let go of the past to reach the future.
- Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese. (From Out of the Maze).
- Things won’t go back to how they were. But they can turn out better.
- Change your mind; change your world.
- Forget win-win. It’s not about you. Focus on the other person completely.
- You can’t go in two directions at once. If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.
- If you want to see what can be, you have to get out of what is.
- Being broke and being rich are both decisions. (From the Go-Giver.).
- Don’t look for the status quo. Look for the status go.
- Who you are determines what you do. Believe it.
- You can work all day climbing up the wrong ladder.
- I’m 61 going on 35, and still wake up some mornings wondering what I want to be when I grow up.
- You can come alive, but it’s all meaningless if you don’t go do it!
- Your attitude will change your life — for good or bad.
- Asking questions is good. Asking the right question is better.
- We don’t get to choose what happens in our life sometimes. We do, however, get to choose our reactions.
- Haircuts are overrated.
- Morning quiet times are not overrated.
- No matter what comes your way, the solution is 20% head knowledge. The other 80% is behavior…or just getting up off your butt and doing it.
- You know some things you didn’t know 4-5 months ago. What will you do with it, so you aren’t in the same place (i.e. predicament, situation, circumstances) 4-5 months from now?
- Reminder: A rut is a grave with both ends kicked out. Don’t stay there: Climb out and come alive!
- Do one thing today that will make you better tomorrow.
- It all starts with your identity. Who you are matters more than what you do.
- You’ve got to have the want-to. Otherwise, you’re just stuck and don’t need to.
- Blowing it all up can sometimes help you see a better picture.
- Winners and losers have the same goals (from Atomic Habits). That’s profound if you think about it.
- You have the power — and the freedom — to change yourself.
- Closing question: Are you becoming the type of person you were called to be?
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