The following is an excellent article by tom walsh in his Living Life Fully Ezine. If you’re interested in getting your own weekly announcement of the online ezine, visit http://www.livinglifefully.com/signups.htm and click on “E-zine Announcement”

I recently took a fairly long trip in a rented truck, one that was full of our furniture. Because it was so full, it was pretty obvious that its gas mileage was going to be even worse than it would be for such a truck. In order to save on gas, my wife and I decided that we wouldn’t go any fast than 55 miles per hours in the truck, even when the speed limit was 75. Don’t worry–we pulled over often to let people pass us when there was only one lane.

But there was something quite nice about going our own pace, even when the people around us were going much faster. We knew why we were going the speed we were, and we knew that it would serve no real purpose to go faster–it would only cost us more money without accomplishing anything that we needed.

Going at our own pace isn’t something that’s valued much in today’s culture–everything and everyone seem to be geared for speed, going faster and faster, while supposedly accomplishing more and more. I suspect, though, that of the truly fulfilling tasks that we could be taking on each day, most of us are addressing very few of them with this speed that we’re allowing to take over our lives. We go faster only because we think that others expect it of us, and we’re getting stressed and worn out accomplishing things that don’t have much lasting intrinsic value at all.

Going at our own pace allows us to do many things well. First of all, if we take on a project at a pace that’s comfortable to us, we’re going to do a much better job on it. I’ve hurried through jobs before and ended up having to go back and re-do much of them because I’ve missed a step or did something poorly that made later steps impossible. Time saved? None–in fact, I often found that hurrying through a task made me end up taking longer at it, and not even doing as good of a job.

Going at our own pace allows us to enjoy the journey. If it’s a trip, we get to see the views and really soak them in, rather than flying by them and getting a quick glance at them. If it’s a task, we get to experience each step fully for exactly what it is–a step in a process–and that allows us to learn more about the processes involved in life. Many people, especially those who study meditation, have found that taking our time with individual steps is a form of meditation that allows us to truly experience the moment, whatever we may be doing.

If I’m cooking a stew, for example, I really enjoy cutting up the vegetables, even though there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to take the time necessary for the task. I find that once I start cutting up the potatoes and celery and onions, it’s very relaxing to do so, especially when I focus fully on the task and empty my mind of other things going on in my life. I may want to get them done in a hurry, but it’s better for me to take my time. It’s better for the finished product, too, for the vegetables cook more uniformly if they’re cut to similar sizes.

When I’m running, I witness more than ever just how important it is for us to go at our own pace. If I enter a 5k fun run and I try to go out with the leader at his or her pace, then there’s a good chance that I’m not going to be able to finish the run at all. If I go too fast, I’ll burn myself out and lose my ability to continue. If I go at a pace that works for me, though, I’m going to finish the race in good shape, not too depleted but not at all fresh. If I go too slowly, then the race generally isn’t much of a workout for me at all, and since running is a form of exercise for me, going to slowly isn’t an option.

Of course, there are times when it’s inappropriate to allow your desire to go your own pace to affect others. I’m constantly baffled by the people who travel in the left lane of freeways even though they’re driving five miles below the posted speed limit. They belong in the right lane, but by staying in the left lane–even when they’re not passing anyone–they’re creating dangerous situations that can have deadly results. And if you have a deadline for a project at work, settling into a slow and comfortable pace may make you feel better momentarily, but it could have drastic results when you miss the deadline for that project or presentation.

All in all, though, I find that when I find a comfortable but challenging pace, and when I stick to that pace, I experience a lot less stress and anxiety. Life’s simply too short to spend tons of time being stressed out, so it’s important if we’re going to live our lives fully that we make decisions that will allow us to do so, and not decisions that will keep us enduring stress. I know the paces that work for me because I’ve allowed myself to experiment and try new paces, and I know that if more people would explore other paces in their lives, they could find those paces that make them more effective while going through less stress.

From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Simple Living by Georgene Lockwood, 2000.

Chapter 7: Earning a Life, Not Just a Living

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” George Bernard Shaw

The Least You Need to Know

1. Old definitions of work re fragmenting and limiting.
2. We can reinvent the way we spend our life energy in any number of ways, keyed to our purpose, our calling, and our financial independence.
3. Working for yourself means more than having your own business. We can be working for ourselves in whatever we do.
4. If we choose to remain in a conventional full-time job for the time being, we can improve our situation and prepare for a better, more simple living-compatible job in the future.

New Work Choices

1. Downsizing your job and working less.
2. Asking about job sharing.
3. Working in cycles or with the seasons.
4. Combining jobs.
5. Sprinting to the finish line. (Work for a set period of time at something lucrative to be able to stop working sooner.)
6. Temporary solutions.
7. Those who can, teach.
8. Volunteering your way into a new career.
9. Take a sabbatical

I don’t know if you’ve seen these AT&T ads before, but they’re worth a revisit if you haven’t! Apparently they came out in the fall of 2009, although I only saw them recently when my friend Cathy Cohen sent them to me.

They all contain 2 things: 1 telephone and hands (maybe 1, maybe multiple, maybe tons) and each one represents a country AT&T does business in.

Take your time. They’re all worth an ‘enlarge this picture’ look. Enjoy!

AT&T Ads on Flickr

Watch the The Jim Beam Tree video.

You’ll only be able to understand what the guy is saying if you understand French. But this video will make you laugh in any language!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. What a great way to start the weekend.

—————————
The info I received from my friend Cathy Cohen:

This is a real video from a French documentary about Africa . You probably won’t understand a word, but the video is a Hoot.

There are trees that grow in Africa which, once a year, produce very juicy fruit that contains a large percentage of alcohol. Because there is a shortage of water, as soon as the fruits are ripe, Animals come there to help protect themselves from the Heat.

What happens next, you can watch for yourselves.

This is called the Marula Tree, also known as the elephant tree and is indigenous to the southern latitudes of subequatorial Africa . The wild tree, never cultivated by man, bears small yellow fruit in great profusion – a wild fruit from nature that mixes harmoniously with fresh cream and those who know, drink the wonderful creamy liquor called Amarula!!

The choices we make define us. But these days, even picking, say, a breakfast cereal can be overwhelming. Whole grain or multi-grain? Oat bran? Nut flakes? Fibre?

In her new book, The Art of Choosing, Sheena Iyengar, a Columbia University, New York, business professor who was born blind, contemplates the ways choices can motivate, frustrate, paralyze, and ultimately transform us. Her ideas for choosing more easily, quickly, and smartly:

Choose not to choose
“When my husband and I go out to eat, I let him pick the restaurant and even delegate him to decide what I should order. So much time is wasted in our culture on choices that don’t matter. Letting someone make small decisions for you can be extremely liberating—and it gives my husband and me more time to focus on each other.”

Ask for help
“We can’t be experts in everything, so do what you do best and call in the professionals for other things. I will devote myself completely to a new research study, for example.
But when it comes to choosing investments, let’s say, or making important medical decisions, I’m much better off listening to Warren Buffett or my doctor than speculating on my own.”

Use others as a mirror
“It’s important to know how our family, friends, colleagues, and strangers see us. These opinions can serve as a reality check. By paying close attention to how people react to our actions, we can decide if our behaviour—our choices—needs to change to better align with how we’d like to be perceived. The best way to start that process is to ask. As a blind person, I will ask friends, Do I look better in this colour dress or that colour? And the reactions help me shape my choices.”

Set the clock“Often, the best way to make a decision when faced with a bewildering array of options is to impose a time limit. If you’re buying a new digital camera, you could spend all day poring over websites and talking to friends about which one to buy. Or you could stop agonizing and say, I’m giving myself exactly 30 minutes to research this. That way, you won’t deplete your energies.”

Go with ‘good enough’
“Let’s say you’re buying toothpaste. There are always dozens of options, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Here’s a trick: Just pick one. It doesn’t have to be the best or have the most dazzling features. It just needs to be good enough. We call that satisficing—being satisfied with what’s sufficient.
It takes the pressure off.”

Interviewed by David Hochman for the April 2010 issue of Reader’s Digest:

One of the highest compliments an individual can receive is to be called a person of character — a class act! Thomas Leonard’s Class Act 100 assessment is designed to help you understand where you are along this path and to give you ideas for areas worth developing. While there are 100 points in total, I will post one section of the assessment: 10 statements under a specific category.

Hot to use this assessment. As you read each statement, circle 1, 2 or 3. A “1″ means the statement is SOMETIMES true. A “2″ means the statement is OFTEN true. A “3″ means the statement is ALWAYS true.

H. DELIVERY

1 2 3 Win-Win. Everyone I work with wins as much as I do. Win-win is my approach to life.
1 2 3 Results. I produce and deliver results.
1 2 3 Proactive. I anticipate needs and act early.
1 2 3 Adds Value. I seek to willingly share my talents, gifts and resources with everyone.
1 2 3 Under promises. I deliver more tha promised.
1 2 3 Interdevelopmental. I learn as much from others as they learn from me. We both grow.
1 2 3 Adaptive. I quickly adapt to new situations, ideas, technology, thus offering more.
1 2 3 Innovative. I continually experiment and make stuff better.
1 2 3 Direct. I am up front and candid.
1 2 3 Resourceful. I can pull solutions out of a hat.

_____ Score (30 max)

____________________________
From The Class Act 100 Program developed by Thomas J. Leonard and Coach U, Inc. Modified by LMK.

1. Demonstrate strong commitment.
Be totally committed to your resolution. Use self-talk that announces your commitment to reach your objectives. Burn the bridges that are attached to doubt and hesitancy. Consider the words of Ella Wilcox: “There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”

2. Act on your goal at the first opportunity.
Do not procrastinate progress. Review your goals and determine what the initial or next step should be—then, take that step the first chance you get.

3. Practice daily.
Reaching high levels of productivity is a skill that requires practice like any other developing skill. Let the realization of your goals be a daily activity. Remember that life happens day-by-day, event-by-event. Plan something today that gets you closer to your ideal. the size of the step is unimportant —the direction is all important.

4. Never let an exception occur.
Exceptions are diversions and roadblocks. Don’t allow them unless and until your new habit is firmly rooted and is in your comfort zone. Diversions should be short and planned for—don’t lose sight of your objective.

In his book The Power of Intention, Dr. Wayne Dyer defines intention as a force in the universe that allows the act of creation to take place. The book explores intention, not as something you do, but as an energy you’re a part of. In addition, Dr. Dyer provides an intention guide with specific ways to apply the co-creating principles into your daily life.

Some important points about this intention:

• You’ll feel most on purpose when you’re giving your life away by serving others. It doesn’t matter how you express it, but serving others (a few or many) is at the core of life purpose.
• Your purpose will find YOU.
• Somewhere, buried deep within each of us, is a call to purpose. There’s a silent something within that intends you to express yourself. It’s about sharing yourself in a creative, loving way using the skills and interests that are inherently part of you.

A few ways Dr. Dyer suggests to practice nourishing your intention to live your life on purpose.

• Affirm that in an intelligent system, no one shows up by accident, including you.
• Ignore what anyone else tells you about your purpose. The only thing to listen to is your heart!
• Stay in a state of gratitude. Be grateful for the opportunity to live your life purposefully, in tune with the Source of all.
  

In his book, Everyday Enlightenment, Dan Millman outlines his twelve gateways to personal growth. Here is Gateway #12:

Service is an attitude founded on the recognition that the world has supported you, fed you, taught you, tested you, whether or not you earned it. Understanding this sijmple truth can move you to do what you can to repay a boundless debt of gratitude. Service is both a means and an end, for in giving to others, you open yourself to love, abundance and inner peace. You cannot serve others without uplifting yourself.

In his book, Everyday Enlightenment, Dan Millman outlines his twelve gateways to personal growth. Here is Gateway #2:

Inside you is untapped strength of will, of spirit, of heart. The kind of strength that will not flinch in the face of adversity. You have only to remember your purpose, the vision that brought you to Earth — the vision that will take you to the stars — to the depths of the oceans and up the stairway to the soul. Great strength of will resides within you waitinf for expression.