Recently
I read a story about Jill Costello in Jim Loehr’s great book, The Only Way to Win. Jill was a coxswain
on the UC-Berkley rowing team who found out she had Stage IV lung cancer at the
end of her Junior year. This was obviously a remarkable diagnosis for a
non-smoking 21-year-old who also so happened to be a peak athlete but was more
remarkable was her courage and grace in dealing with her disease. Featured in
the November, 2010 issue of Sports
Illustrated, she stated, “Your life
is happening right now and this is the only moment you can control. This is the
only minute that really matters. If you are dwelling on something that happened
in the past or feeling anxious about the future, you are missing out on your
life”. Such a profound insight got me thinking out loud that too many
of us are leading a “When I . . . “ life!
Your life is happening right now and this is the only moment you can control. This is the only minute that really matters. If you are dwelling on something that happened in the past or feeling anxious about the future, you are missing out on your life. - Jill Costello
I have
often written about the danger of waiting for some life event to happen before
you get on with your life. This creates a “When I . . .” mindset.
When I
get a promotion . . .
When I
find the right person . . .
When I
move to a new location . . .
When I
get into shape . . .
When I
earn that next degree . . .
When I
. . .
When I
. . .
(equally
troubling and unproductive is the past tense, “If I had just . . . .”!)
Now
don’t get me wrong, it is imperative that we set life changing goals for ourselves and work hard to achieve
them. The problem is when these can also become life delaying goals where we miss out on our life that is
happening now while we are
waiting on the one we are hoping for! Just think of the relationships,
experiences, learning, and development we can be having NOW just because we are
waiting on something better?!?!
I have
heard it said that yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery; thus, today is
a present! Today is truly a gift so what will you do with it? How will you
spend it? I encourage you to take joy in the minute whenever you can. Don’t
forget to lose focus on what is right in front of you while you are looking
ahead. I bet you will be surprised about all the great stuff that you can
experience in the here and now versus the there and then!
As always if I can help you and the
people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would
invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the
training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a
bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE
guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such
an initiative would be critical to add value to your organization!
Yours in Leadership,
Bill Faulkner
Principal Consultant –
Out Loud Strategies
Independent Coach,
Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team TM
Email = bill@outloudinc.com
No comments:
Post a Comment