February 2012
37 posts
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Always Practice the Right Thing
Doing the right thing has an impact on our character and on reaching our goals. We may have the best intentions in the world, but if we are not doing the right thing, well the intentions mean very little.
But there is another side to this. It is not just about giving something up. So many times I hear people talk about what they don’t do. I don’t have this vice or that vice. I...
Day 17: Productive and Rewarding
This day was one of the best I have had yet on this 100 Day Challenge. There were no outside appointment or inside ones for that matter and so it was all about my focus. I was able to make progress on the communication skills part of the course to be taught at the community college. The lessons I was working on was on how to really understand the issue you are trying to resolve. Want a hint?...
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Day 16: Where do you get the energy?
Everything we do requires energy. We have far more control over our energy than most of us want to admit. So where does our energy go? Much of it is squandered due to bad eating habits, lack of exercising, negative thoughts, sarcasm, and unfocused goals and strategies. We find ourselves using all of our energy just getting through the day.
There is much energy to be had from out contribution...
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Day 15: Starting a new week
It is Sunday and a start of a new week. I worked today on the presentation I will be doing in June for two different groups. One of the groups are teachers here in Anne Arundel County and the second group are counselors, psychologists and other student services workers. We will be talking about creating peace in the classroom - which is also about creating peace in ourselves.
There were a...
Day 14: Good workout - other parts lagging
So this week I tweaked my knee and it is still really bothering me. But at times it feels fine and this morning was not too bad. I got some work in, and really enjoyed working with the Saturday group that comes in for our workout. Following that was a great birthday party for some 5/6 and one of the red belts (Katie) stayed and helped.
We are installing some new equipment at the studio and...
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Practicing Peace
The person who listens with compassion and speaks without judgement is practicing peace. This is how we open the door for understanding, peace and reconciliation to enter our hearts, our families, and our society. This is communication - communication is the foundation in our practice of peace.
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Day 13: Staying Focused (Application)
Day 13 was a Friday and I feel faced with knowing I need to recap my week the next day. I stayed focused this week pretty well. Here is how the day went. My normal routine in the morning went well with meditation, reading, putting the diet chronicle up and a little more reading of material to keep me focused.
In the morning after getting to the office I worked on the presentation for the...
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Day 12: Staying Focused
Seizing the day, staying focused is the goal for each day. It is very easy for me to get sidetracked on to other very interesting topics and activities. The focus today was on the upcoming black belt test. My assistant, Ariel, has done a great job of producing a ruberic for the upcoming test, while I have been laying out the bigger picture and some of the details.
My study of mindfulness has...
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Supporting our Local Schools
Tuesday morning I had a meeting at South River High School. Working with schools and volunteering when and where we can for the school system is an important part of our service and responsibility to our students in the community.
I believe that providing support for teachers and students will better the education system, if for no other reason than letting them know that they have that...
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Day 10 With a Message That Hit Home
On day 10 of course you realize that I am 10% through the 100 day challenge. But have I completed 10% of my work to reach my goals. Not really, but I am feeling even more energized to do so.
The message though I read today that really hit home was a comparison of a ‘Dear John’ letter to all of your hopes and dreams writing you personally a ‘Dear John’ letter. What if...
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Raising the Bar for this 100 Days
Today the challenge is to raise the bar, to find ways to improve, to find new techniques and strategies to accomplish goals. I spent some time this weekend looking at the goals I had originally set out and found that they were not as clear as I wanted them to be. So after examination this is where I am at this morning:
I will bring awareness to parents, teachers and students of how to create a...
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Self Reliance Means Being Responsible For Our Own...
Self-reliance is all about freedom from the control or influence of outside parties. It’s a simple concept that encourages each of us to take responsibility for our own needs; physical, emotional, spiritual, social, and economic.
To put it more directly, it’s an understanding that nobody owes you anything!
I will for the rest of these 100 days do the following 3 things to become more self...
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The week shows a need to be filled - fast
It is Saturday morning, there is no workout with the group this morning due to a yoga workshop. So I will be going in to do an early private lesson and review the week. I am feeling like I need to rewrite my goals. Not to lessen the amount of work I am committed to completing, but rather to crystalize the results I am looking for.
Yesterday on Friday I had a morning of teaching kindergarten...
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Enforce Iron Discipline
Today I will be looking at the subject of discipline. Everyone needs to work on self discipline. The question is which part of my life do I need to focus on in regard to discipline. Is it my time, money, eating, exercise, managing meetings or something else. For me it was exercise - so I had to get firm with myself and stay focused.
Whatever goal we may have, we must look at our progress...
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Day 5 recap
Thursday was a very busy day. I start every Thursday morning with a 7:30 AM meeting with the South Anne Arundel Rotary Club. This is a great group of individuals who are also interested in service to the community. Normally we have a speaker, but yesterday was a day used to have our meeting followed by packing lunches for the Lighthouse Shelter.
The rest of the morning and afternoon was...
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The Power of Setting Deadlines
Have you ever noticed that when you have a hard date as a deadline for completing a task, it always gets done? Many of us say that we work better under pressure - and we may even use that as an excuse for procrastination. But real deadlines set by leaders are not used because we keep putting things off. If we are a leader we have deadlines because we have a ‘sense of urgency about the...
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“Success loves speed. It is not the big that eats the small, it is the fast that...”
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Day 3 Recap
Today was a day of service in the community. The beginning of the day was spent doing ‘mock interviews’ with a local high school with 11th graders. The purpose is to help them with their skills in interviews and to build their resumes. I met some amazing students and enjoyed speaking with them. One of them even knew our own Mr. Doug. I am always amazed at our young people and the talent and...
Day 2 Recap
I was able to teach class this morning after my own 30 minute workout of biking, forms, push ups and sit ups. I have felt energized all day. I worked on a literacy contest that will take place in April in South County as a part of the South Anne Arundel County Rotary. Finalized the design contest that may be the certificate for the upcoming black belt test.
In addition received the final...
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Day 2 Meditation and Reading
I now have my list of goals and of course the every day things that need to be done. I was happy to get this morning off to a great start with my meditation, reading, eating breakfast, and getting a couple of emails out of the way.
My reading this morning was on the subject of peace. Peace with our family and friends. When we become angry or upset it causes a lot of suffering within...
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The 100 Day Challenge Made Public
It is time for me to again really challenge myself. I have been inspired somewhat by what our red belts are doing in preparation for their black belt test. But when I asked myself what I was doing to Live Like a Black Belt, I was not really that impressed. I can do better. So I will lay out what my goals and progress are over the next 100 days. That should put me on a path of making a difference...
