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Sunday Story…Journaling
About 6 months ago a friend came to me and said “you should write the Sunday story yourself. “ Thus began the genesis of what you are reading today. Before that I would scour the web for some inspirational story or something to comment on and share it with all of you. Now after a little push, I write, every week, a story designed to inspire each and every one of you. Sometimes I try to touch you emotionally, or get you to thinking a little out of the box, or even motivate you to action on some level. This is my mission…to inspire transformation. These stories are my journal of that effort.
In almost every personal growth book or program I have read or undertaken there is invariably a request to “journal”. Many people find this requirement to be the most difficult part of any process. Why is that? After all, just write a few words on paper and you are done. When I was participating in The Ultimate Black Belt Test 3 a few years ago we were required to journal every week. It was difficult for me and many of my team mates. There is always an excuse, a reason it did not get done. Everything from…I forgot, I don’t have anything to say, I can’t type, I don’t write well, to No one cares what I have to say, my words don’t matter, and It’s too hard. Yep, got it. All those things are great reasons not to do it.
AND there is one over-riding reason to do it and do it faithfully. Yes, it will provide a record, a chronicle of your journey. Yes, it will help you keep the project at the front of your mind. BUT the single most reason for you to journal at least weekly is…YOU WILL TRANSFORM YOUR THINKING. And, you may ask, why is that important? It so simple really…THE WAY YOU THINK INFORMS, MOVES, AND SHAPES YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!
Right now we are doing the first ever Relentless Fitness Challenge. Each participant is required to keep a food journal. Everything you eat and drink every day for a week. This changes how you think about your food. It forces more intentionality around your food choices. A very good practice and the first step to growing into the optimum health we all desire. I have found this part of the project very difficult. Yet it is very revealing about my eating habits. Thus my mind is shifting.
As part of another process I am participating in, I write down 10 things that I did every day. Yes, there is a record of how I spent my time and what I accomplished, but even more important it forces me to look and ask if what I am doing is serving my mission and vision. Do my activities feed my larger mission? All too often at the end of the day we ask “what exactly did I do? What did I accomplish today?”
I sincerely believe we were put here, now, to evolve our soul. As part of that evolution, I need to discover my purpose. I want to live a life OF purpose ON purpose. If I live my purpose I will be doing the work I was put here to do. Journaling is part of discovering your purpose. When I change my mind I change my life!
Namaste
John
“Teaching Focus, Inspiring Transformation”
PS. If you remember last week’s story about being green…here is a video of some “urban homesteaders” in Pasadena California. I wonder if there isn’t some of this we can’t do now in our own lives? The link is here:
http://video.nytimes.com/video/2008/04/18/magazine/1194817108584/life-mostly-off-the-grid.html
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
06/27/08
Sunday Story
Listen to the Rocks Move
I live in an animate universe. When I say that I mean the natural world has ways that are always speaking. In the universe I live in, the rocks move, trees weep, and plants sing. The problem is we are not listening. When a butterfly expresses gratitude to the flower can you hear it? When the mountain heaves a sigh are you listening?
This natural order goes by many names. For today we will not be naming it. Imagine the secrets the rocks could tell you if you could hear them, if you had the patience to get really, really still and listen carefully.
Guess what? The universe is constantly talking to each of us. At least I hear it talking to me. As you all know, I do a lot of physical training. Training for marathons, grappler’s quest, ultra marathons, Ironman races and my TaeKwon-Do 5th degree test are all things I have been doing recently. As matter of fact, one of my sayings is: “Shut up and train.” Well on May 17th I ran 50 miles and completely trashed my knee. You may have seen me limping around. No problem, I will start riding my bike! Last Sunday my road bike was stolen off the back of my car! Gee, do you think there is a message there? First my knee, then my bike, and the pool is closed all summer. Maybe my training needs to slow down? Maybe I need to spend a little more time listening to the rocks move (hard to do when you are running and riding). So, I am back doing Tai Chi K’ung (join me if you wish). And I am spending a lot of my training time just sitting and listening. Now I can ignore these messages if I choose to. But I do so at my own peril. Maybe I go and get a new bike and get hit by a car. Try running and break a leg. Who knows? But what I know is the universe is speaking to me and loud enough for me to hear. I am sure if I would have been listening better, I would have heard it before this.
Lately I have been struggling with forgiveness and anger. I have been working to forgive others for real and imagined wrongs done to me. This is a real challenge point for me. It may be the Italian in me or it may be just my growth edge. And yesterday you know what arrives in my inbox right? You guessed it--- a number of quotes about forgiveness and anger. How does that happen?
Here is one of them:
A decision to hold on to a grievance is a decision to suffer. Whether the other person deserves to be forgiven or not, throw away the grudge for your own sake.
– Michael Josephson
So what is my point? What are you listening to? Have you turned off the background noise long enough to hear the rocks move? Because the TV, the computer and all the rest of our modern conveniences (cell phone, texting, my space, etc) are all conspiring to shut off your hearing. If you can get back in touch with the natural order, with the language of the harmony of the world you will hear it speak. And you will be able to move effortlessly, magically through life. The ability to listen and interpret the rhythm of the world may be your greatest gift. What are you listening to?
Namaste
John
Listen to the Rocks Move
I live in an animate universe. When I say that I mean the natural world has ways that are always speaking. In the universe I live in, the rocks move, trees weep, and plants sing. The problem is we are not listening. When a butterfly expresses gratitude to the flower can you hear it? When the mountain heaves a sigh are you listening?
This natural order goes by many names. For today we will not be naming it. Imagine the secrets the rocks could tell you if you could hear them, if you had the patience to get really, really still and listen carefully.
Guess what? The universe is constantly talking to each of us. At least I hear it talking to me. As you all know, I do a lot of physical training. Training for marathons, grappler’s quest, ultra marathons, Ironman races and my TaeKwon-Do 5th degree test are all things I have been doing recently. As matter of fact, one of my sayings is: “Shut up and train.” Well on May 17th I ran 50 miles and completely trashed my knee. You may have seen me limping around. No problem, I will start riding my bike! Last Sunday my road bike was stolen off the back of my car! Gee, do you think there is a message there? First my knee, then my bike, and the pool is closed all summer. Maybe my training needs to slow down? Maybe I need to spend a little more time listening to the rocks move (hard to do when you are running and riding). So, I am back doing Tai Chi K’ung (join me if you wish). And I am spending a lot of my training time just sitting and listening. Now I can ignore these messages if I choose to. But I do so at my own peril. Maybe I go and get a new bike and get hit by a car. Try running and break a leg. Who knows? But what I know is the universe is speaking to me and loud enough for me to hear. I am sure if I would have been listening better, I would have heard it before this.
Lately I have been struggling with forgiveness and anger. I have been working to forgive others for real and imagined wrongs done to me. This is a real challenge point for me. It may be the Italian in me or it may be just my growth edge. And yesterday you know what arrives in my inbox right? You guessed it--- a number of quotes about forgiveness and anger. How does that happen?
Here is one of them:
A decision to hold on to a grievance is a decision to suffer. Whether the other person deserves to be forgiven or not, throw away the grudge for your own sake.
– Michael Josephson
So what is my point? What are you listening to? Have you turned off the background noise long enough to hear the rocks move? Because the TV, the computer and all the rest of our modern conveniences (cell phone, texting, my space, etc) are all conspiring to shut off your hearing. If you can get back in touch with the natural order, with the language of the harmony of the world you will hear it speak. And you will be able to move effortlessly, magically through life. The ability to listen and interpret the rhythm of the world may be your greatest gift. What are you listening to?
Namaste
John
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