Good. Better. Best. Which self do you want to be?

The 3-Minute Coach

September 29, 2003, Issue #53
The Joys of Pillow Art

Welcome to The 3-Minute Coach

Happy change of season! Whether you're going into Fall or Spring, it's a great time of year. Pay attention to the changes around you and be energized and renewed!

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In joy, peace and gratitude,

Louise

Food for Thought

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare." --- Japanese Proverb

Keep It Simple

The Five Powers of a Focused Mind

[From "Learn to Relax: A Practical Guide to Easing Tension and Conquering Stress" by Mike George]

Mindfulness is the ability to concentrate or become completely absorbed in a particular task or object. There are five powers associated with this state:

The power of PERCEPTION allows us to see into things and truly understand them, with neither complication nor confusion.
The power of CHOICE requires us to distinguish right from wrong, and good from bad. Having done so, we can select our option, and at every moment choose to be positive.
The power of INNER ENERGY can spur us on to new things, encourage us to change where we feel uncomfortable with ourselves and help us to enjoy life to the full.
The power of INJECTION can permit us to energize others with our own positivity. As we help them to feel positive, good energy bounes back toward us to perpetuate the positive cycle.
The power of MINDFULNESS, by which we absorb ourselves into any action or thought without distraction or complication, further energizes us by allowing the power of our mind to become concentrated, freeing us from ties of frustration, anger and petty-mindedness.

Feature Article

The Joys of Pillow Art

My husband and I both love having a lot of pillows on our bed. We currently have 8 assorted pillows that we use when we read or watch TV in bed (not including 2 "dog-bones" or neck pillows). Somewhere over the summer we started creating what we call "Pillow Art". Whoever makes the bed arranges the pillows in a new and different way.

Neither of us can remember how, when or why this started. We just know that this once-boring chore has taken on a new meaning and enjoyment! It's been at least three months and so far we haven't repeated a pattern. Instead of waiting for the last possible moment to make the bed, we actually find ourselves trying to get there first! In fact, we also find ourselves thinking about new possibilities as we go about our daily business.

It has been said that knowledge is where you find it and my husband and I collaborated to share the following lessons we've learned from this experience.

When it seems like we've exhausted all possibilities, we dig a little deeper and some of the most wonderful pillow art has been created on those days.
It is possible to find joy in the strangest or most mundane places.
Creativity is contagious. We've both noticed that on the days we personally create the pillow art, we find we bring a heightened sense of creativity (or 'out of the box' thinking) to all our work that day.
Competition adds a spark of excitement to the process. It's not exactly that we're trying to win or 'beat' the other person, but there is energy that gets generated and that's enjoyable as well.
Another element we both enjoy is the anticipation of the other's response to what we've created. For both of us, we've noticed that an integral part of the creative process is sharing what we've created.
Even though we do something the same way, day in and day out for years, does not mean that is the only, or even the best, way to do something. Habit may be the biggest killer of creativity for me because it stops the process of thinking about something.
It's the 'little' things that most impact the quality of our day and of our life. Seeking joy must include 'recognizing' joy wherever it is around and within us.
Sometimes it's hard to get into bed at night because it feels like 'destroying' our art. However, there's a cycle here where the removal of one piece of art leads to the blank slate that let's us create the next one. Don't let making something beautiful keep you from making something even more enjoyable tomorrow!
Each and every one of us is creative. Whether we apply it to canvas, clay, cooking, wood, software programs, how we wash the car or how we arrange pillows, the important component is that we express our creativity. The urge to create is within all of us and it's critical to our emotional well-being that we find ways to let it out.
Anything that makes chores easier can't be all bad. What kind of 'art' can you create in your own life? What regular activity can you simplify and beautify at the same time? I'd love to hear about it!

Related Quotes

"Creativity can solve almost any problem. The creative act, the defeat of habit by orginality, overcomes everything" -- George Lois

"Creativity is a drug I cannot live without." -- Cecil B. DeMille

"We must accept that this creative pulse within us is God's creative pulse itself." -- Joseph Chilton Pearce

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves." -- Carl Jung

"Creative work is play. It is free speculation using materials of one's chosen form." -- Stephen Nachmanovitch

This-N-That

Quilting "Be"

I've recently put together an inventory to help you step outside the box and give a fresh perspective to a situation (or your life!). It uses quilts (another of my passions), but I believe you'll find it practical and useful whether you're into quilts or not. Because it's image-heavy, I've included it as an autoresponder on my site. You can get a pdf (read by Adobe Acrobat Reader) by sending a blank email to: quilt04@touchpointcoaching.com

Principles of Attraction

Attraction is the ability to consistently draw the best things in life towards you: opportunities, strong finances, rewarding relationships, whatever you define as 'the best things'. Additionally, it means to draw them forth effortlessly, without striving, scuffling or struggling.

Thomas J. Leonard has developed 28 Principles of Attraction in his book "The Portable Coach". (Visit Amazon.Com) .

Each newsletter I will take one principle and highlight its key points. For a pdf version of all 28 principles, email attraction04@touchpointcoaching.com .

I have created a page out on the website that takes all of the Principles, with the clarification and key points I have written for each of them. It will always be updated up til the last newsletter! Principles 1-22 are there now. You can see it here: Atraction Plus!

Principle #22: BECOME AN UNCONDITIONALLY CONSTRUCTIVE PERSON
High levels of respect are very attractive.

CLARIFICATION

There are three components to this principle: (1) Unconditionally: This means "always", with no exceptions. (2) Constructive: This refers to the fact that what you say and do will build the other person up, not belittle them. (3) Become a U.C. person: This speaks to evolving into someone who does this naturally without thinking about it and not just 'practicing' a technique or process.

KEY POINTS

Constructive vs Positive. When you're positive, you build the other person up. When you're constructive, you help the other person to build something bigger.
Constructive vs. Comparative. If you compare someone's actions or results to another person's, or if you point out how they have improved, you are not being unconditionally constructive. Don't point out progress. Simply state what they are doing well.
While mentioning how someone has improved might seem like it's constructive, in fact it brings them back to where they were. It's odd, but it usually has the opposite effect of what we intend. The best way to compliment someone on their progress is to compliment them on their current behavior with no reference to the past, future or rate of development.
An important component of being unconditionally constructive is to be truthful. If you can't think of a way to say what must be said in an unconditionally constructive way, then err on the side of truthfulness. Don't sugarcoat or in any other way hold back from what NEEDS to be said.
You'll know you're making progress with this when you listen and respond to what is special and positive about other people instead of what is wrong or weak about them.

If you want to discuss these points with a coach, contact me for a complimentary session at compsession04@touchpointcoaching.com

Three-Minute Tools

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FREE TOOLS & INVENTORIES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX: My Autoresponders

Here's what's available to you:

ONE-PAGE SUMMARY PDF of ATTRACTION PRINCIPLES
Thomas Leonard's 28 Principles of Attraction
ONE-PAGE SUMMARY PDF of THE FOUR AGREEMENTS
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
ONE-PAGE SUMMARY PDF of 21 LEADER'S QUALITIES
21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell
100-POINT CLASS ACT ASSESSMENT
Track your progress towards becoming a Class Act.
100-POINT SUPERRESERVE ASSESSMENT
Identify areas where you already have reserves and find new ones.
EXERCISE: RELEASE THE PAST
PDF file with directions for letting go.
EXERCISE: WHEEL OF LIFE
PDF Exercise for gaining clarity on goals
EXERCISE: QUILTING BE
PDF Exercise to step outside the box and get a fresh perspective on a situation.

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All That BIZ

Louise Morganti Kaelin is a Life Success Coach who partners with others to help them turn their dreams into reality.
Phone: 1-617-984-2868 or 1-866-COACH-99 (toll-free inside USA)
Email: louise@touchpointcoaching.com
Web: http://touchpointcoaching.com

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