Tag: risk

Original Thought · Self Improvement · Uncertainty

Is That a Knock at Your Door

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Today the rap might just be a tap-tap. It might sound like someone banging to get in. Are you ignoring the visitor? Her name is Opportunity and she brings you possibility and challenge. When you open the door and let her in she takes the permission and will be knocking at your door almost every day. She challenges you to do what you should and encourages you to do what you could and leads you to do what you must.

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. ~ Thomas Edison
There have been many times that I heard her rapping and instead of welcoming her challenge, I bolted the door and pretended I wasn’t there. I remained still and quiet and actionless and supposedly safe. I have dealt with regret of missed opportunities by pushing myself to peek through the peephole and opening a crack to see what she brought. I haven’t accepted all or even most of the challenges but my courage grew to the point that I have taken up some of them. I learned something from all of them, even those where I didn’t succeed. There have been some enriching experiences that flowed from opening the door and I have become more comfortable with answering. The knock doesn’t cause apprehension anymore because I recognize Opportunity from our many encounters.

I think the adage that “opportunity only knocks once” is a crock.  If we ignore her, she knocks softly but is still there and when we greet her cautiously or enthusiastically she returns to bring us the abundance (hear experiences, relationships, impacts) that we feared.

Open the door this afternoon and listen to what she has for you.
B

Original Thought · Self Improvement · Uncertainty

Dare to Fail

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mistakesIf I am not making at least three mistakes a day, I am not trying. My greatest opportunities are waiting for me to have the courage and willingness to attempt them. The least I can do is step up to the plate and swing the bat. Sometimes I will foul off a curveball and learn to be more patient. On occasion, I will whiff on some high heat and gain some perspective regarding the challenge and some skills I need to develop. In a few instances, I will get hit or brushed back and end up on my butt looking foolish but if I get back up and step back into the box, I get another appearance at the plate. If I put my head down and slink off to the dugout, after striking out, I have missed the chance to improve, innovate and endure.
I am generally active in my world for 16 to 18 hours a day. If I take lots of swings and only whiff at a one every 5 to 6 hours, I am missing my share at the plate. Yesterday I wrote something rude and inane in an attempt at humour, I quoted the wrong James brother in an attempt to convince (and was corrected), I blurted out a thesis that I hadn’t thought through (as an extrovert, I do this many times a day) while trying to understand, in an effort to be curious I asked an impertinent question (without understanding my insensitivity). I wrote 750 words in an ongoing chapter, most of which turned out to be crap – but there is one sentence that has possibilities. I met 4 new people and all of them were generous and supportive about a ‘big idea’ that I shared with them and I was interested and present as they recounted what they are working on.
I ran in the rain, laughed with a stranger, ate with a friend, slept well and dreamed hard. The last sentence weren’t risks or mistakes but not that long ago they would have been unusual. I took steps to make them possible and now they seem familiar rather than odd.
A speaker yesterday, suggested that we need to let out crazy ideas out because they just might work. I have no shortage of absurdity wrestling for space in my head and now I have been given permission to give voice and action to more of it. If 3 out of 10 turn out to be viable and feasible, I will be thrilled with that average. If 1 in 100 is a home run, I still get to run the bases one more time than someone who is sitting in the stands watching the game being played by others. If my timing is right and my idea scores for me but also adds remarkable value to the efforts of three other crazy folks, then we are on our way to achieving another reason to celebrate our teamwork,
Even if I don’t clear the bases 99/100, the one grand slam is still exhilarating.
What risks can you take this morning? tomorrow? this week? Are you willing and maybe excited with the freedom and permission to make mistakes? Would you be willing to create a “My Mistakes” journal and record all the times that you pushed the envelope and had it tear? Would you commit to celebrating the 1/100 big success and commit to learning from the 99 stumbles?

If you have the confidence and courage to shake up your days, your week, your life and rattle some cages, leave a comment or contact me at bob@remarkablepeople.ca and we will figure out how we can connect and support each other.

Make Today Remarkable, by trying enough scary stuff so that you fail three times,
B

“If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”  ~ John Wooden
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”  ~ George Bernard Shaw
“I think it’s important for scientists to be a bit less arrogant, a bit more humble, recognising we are capable of making mistakes and being fallacious – which is increasingly serious in a society where our work may have unpredictable consequences.”
~ Robert Winston

“You have to change your life for yourself, and it’s about the fun of getting there – sitting in the tour van, breaking down on the side of the road, you know, having a laugh with the guys in the band, making mistakes with nobody watching.” ~ Imelda May

Original Thought · Uncertainty

CLEAR the Way

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clear

 

The past is a different beast from the future if you choose to make changes. Today, you get to imagine a preferred future. It can be something personal; a different job, better health, a stronger relationship or learning something new. Make the preferred goal as CLEAR(r) as possible. Is it Consistent with your values? Can you Learn to be proficient? Are you Eager to attempt the task? Is it Achievable in a reasonable timeframe? Are you Ready to Risk? Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those times when taking small steps will suffice. To get from a current state to your best future means CLEAR and it also means “I am all in”.

Most of our frustration with yesterday and anxiousness about today rests in the decisions we are making that either consciously or unconsciously create dissonance with stated or espoused beliefs about the world. To live in congruence, we need to intentionally reflect on our choices and where necessary act to change the chosen path.

Stagnation; the sense that our life has us trapped in a rut or worse seems utterly meaningless is a result of our curiousity dying. For goals to have any impact they can’t just be same-old-same-old. We need to be open to learning new experiences, try new approaches and meet new people.

Have you reached the bottom or are close enough to realize that it is just around the corner. Has the current state brought you to a realization that something, everything needs to change? Is now the time? If you are eager to see your life change, you can use that energy to create stretch goals.

Now that you are an avid changemaker, I need to draw you back to what is doable, for you, in a reasonable time, with the resources available. This caveat isn’t meant to restrict the very best you can be but rather should garner a response from you ” if I can get this done, I can do a lot more.”

The double R’s; Ready and Risk are where most people fail. They can either say they are ready and don’t risk anything or take on dangerous risks without being ready. When your goals are consistent, learning focused, enticing, and achievable then you are ready to get ready. My serious action bias often makes me jump without considering the outfitting it will take to survive the jump. Being ready can be as simple as creating a checklist – 5-20 items that need to be on-hand before you execute. Without over-preparing and ending up in analysis paralysis, take the minimally viable approach to planning. Now had Risk by taking one more step in the chain without the gear you might need and see where you land.

A coach can help with the in between steps and the stumbles in CLEAR9r) goal setting but don’t be surprised by what you are capable of achieving on your own.

CLEARly Make Today Remarkable for you,

B

Original Thought

Superstitions

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Are you superstitious? Last night we watched the AL East Wild Card game with family and celebrated the Blue Jays victory. As we were leaving to head home they said ” so now we need to do this again on Thursday”. I was surprised and must have looked it because they said “the division series starts and now we have started a tradition and we need to keep the winning streak alive.” They were half, maybe a little less than half, joking but it got me thinking about where I have superstitions in my life.

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I am pretty sure that I have practices and habits that I do with because of a vague suspicion that things will go better. I know that I think about a bad omen when I see a black cat but I don’t go out of the way to avoid having it cross my path. I also don’t avoid stepping on sidewalk cracks and my mother is a spry 90 year old.

Even though it is difficult to find a penny in Canada, I do practice the sentiment of “find a penny, leave a penny and good luck follows you all day long”. I repay good fortune by paying it forward and am generous when I receive generousity. I don’t know if I am being philanthropic for a future reward but I know it makes me feel better in the moment.

I have said ” bad things happen in threes” and have witnessed the self fulfilling prophecy occur. I wonder what could go wrong when I walk under a ladder and am careful around mirrors.

Thanksgiving is around the corner and turkey is on the menu. It seems weird that we still follow the tradition of turkey bone tug-of-war that goes back a long way. Legend has it that first-century Romans used to fight over dried wishbones — which they believed were good luck — and would accidentally break them, ushering in the idea that whoever has the largest bit of bone gets their wish. I am crossing my fingers that I get the larger piece this year and knocking on wood so I don’t jinx the possibility.

There is no paraskevidekatriaphobia for the rest of 2016 but crops up the second Friday in 2017. I don’t expect anything bad to happen on Friday the 13th but I do know I have said ” what do you expect to happen on this day?”

I acknowledge the easy superstitions and that I halfheartedly consider them without any real conviction but I have habits that I have been following for years and now wonder if there is anything other than routine involved.

I will be watching the first game of the Jays and Rangers although probably not with family and I will be watching to see if we need to get together for game 2.

Make Today Remarkable, by doing something superstitious,
B

Original Thought · Self Improvement

Happy 75th George

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Happy 75th Birthday Curious George. You look great for your age and it is great to confirm that contrary to rumours, you weren’t eaten by a lion on the safari you took with ‘the man in the yellow hat’.

curiousgeorge
‘Be like Curious George, start with a question and look under the yellow hat to find what’s there.” James Collins

In a world where polarization is becoming the norm and rigidity, partisanship and stubbornness reigns, what if you were the one to bend? Could you concede that you may only be 74% right? Would you be willing to listen to someone you disagree with and consider (not just accept) 26% of what they feel, believe or ‘know’? Are you flexible enough to sway a bit and still feel rooted in your values?

True curiousity exists when we seek to understand not seek to get an advantage. I have done both and am embarrassed to say am better at asking questions to gain ammunition. But on those days when my curiousity extends beyond my self interests to my interests, I am enriched and strengthened. Whether going to the beach or encountering an electric fence George took risks to gain additional information and awareness. He ‘asked’ ridiculous questions and began his analysis slightly a kilter from the norm. Every day was an everyday adventure because there was always something to try, something to question, something to upturn and look under.

George had a beginners mind and didn’t assume that because something was so that everything else was so. The cult of expert has made me/us lazy and we just accept and swallow ‘facts’. We are all better when we are courageous and challenge the accepted norms (even when they are true/right/best in the end).

Even if you are an expert, you can grow, learn, improve by adopting George’s posture ;not hunched over on all fours, but a posture of inquisitiveness and astonishment.

George made it to 75 and has been translated in dozens of languages, is on PBS and Disney by being curious. I wonder where you could go, if you asked 3 ridiculous questions every day?

Make Today Remarkably Curious,

B

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Choice

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Most everything has a choice component. We get to make choices about love, health, work, hopes and happiness. We can choose trust or distrust. In order to live a more fulfilling life we need to consider our choices.

happiness quote

Most people choose to see themselves in light of an effect. ” I am sad because you did …” I am angry because..” I can’t change my job because …” As if the world was acting upon them. In reality they can as easily choose cause and become proactive in their journey. The only thing stopping us from choosing to make our life is our ego. It causes us to seek selfish rather than sharing behaviour. It is about me and me rather than you and us. Even if you are shy and reserved your ego controls your action because you worry about being embarrassed or being laughed at. Getting past the debilitating ego and framing every opportunity or challenge as a choice begins to erode the ego’s power. As you choose to intervene in your own life and make decisions to benefit others, your life begins to fill up. If you worry about loss, losing. opinions, and status you are thinking about you, you, you.

Maslow’s pyramid was right but not in the way that we usually use it. The pyramid isn’t meant to be filled from the bottom up. If you begin with self actualization (the act of considering the other first) the pyramid fills itself (not really but it does fill from a place of strength and abundance rather than lack and weakness. Take a chance today and start turning your pyramid on it’s head.

Make Today Fulfilling, by thinking about how your choices will impact others,

 

B

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Intentional Foolishness

Bob McInnis3 Comments

“Foolishness is a twin sister of wisdom.” –Witold Gombrowicz, Polish author

Choosing to be foolish is a difficult task. Allowing the fear of embarrassment to confront you and then push it away can be daunting. Yesterday was one serious conversation after another and it wasn’t until I was Skyping with my grandkids that I felt ‘safe’ to be foolish. We made faces and told silly stories and we all smiled (a lot).

“The point of living and of being an optimist is to be foolish enough to believe the best is yet to come.” –Peter Ustinov, English actor and writer

Some of the tension around  the potential discomfit is the perceived response from others. Will they shake their head and roll their eyes? Will they snort in derision? Will they laugh at you or with you? Why should I care? I am an optimist who believes in the capability of all people. I have been disappointed and surprised when my optimism is unwarranted or exceeded. When I have had the courage to intentionally inject silliness into my day, I feel joy and I see relief and happiness on the faces of those around me. I am not silly all the  time ( likely not often enough) but when I am I choose to be optimistic about the impact.

“Superstition is foolish, childish, primitive and irrational–but how much does it cost you to knock on wood?” –Judith Viorst, American author and journalist

I will pay the small cost of knocking on wood, telling a joke, dancing in the street because the return on that investment might be the best one I am making.

foolish face

With a Silly Grin and a Weird Tune in My Heart,

B

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Big, Bold and Messy

Bob McInnis8 Comments

If you are by nature more outgoing and gregarious and were nurtured to love the spotlight and encouraged to perform then you may appreciate a big bold and messy life. Ups and downs; wild rides to the top of a coaster where you can’t see the horizon and belly jumping loops that unsettle you from your seat will be of great appeal. You will be troubled by downturns but not devastated and you likely don’t handle failure any better or worse than success. You are looking for the next cycle.

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I know lots of bbm folks and might be one myself. We relish the chance to try something ‘new’, although as I age I am not sure I take the same kinds of risks. In my head and heart I am still capable of doing anything but a niggling crack of reality is starting to shine through. My friends who enjoy a ride are working in careers where the opportunity to speak and influence is expected. They can be outrageous and say/do audacious things. A challenge for them would be to remain quiet and still for a long time (30 minutes for a couple of them – NN and JB). Most love being around people and gain energy from having an audience to test new material on.

I love my bbm friends for their enthusiasm and for how they embrace challenges head on. They can be exhausting (I can be exhausting) if you travel with them, live with them or share a workspace if you don’t share their zealous approach to the work, their relationships and their lives.

Tomorrow – Solid, Secure and Smart

B