YOUR LIFE A-Z: STAR

FOLLOW YOUR UNUSUAL SIGNS

STAR

“O STAR of wonder, STAR of night,
STAR with royal beauty bright,
westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.”

All things winter and all things Christmas include the mystery and magic of the STAR.   Legend tells us that a STAR appeared and led the Magi to the Christ Child. Many people believe in astrology and the aligning of planets that can give us direction about our life here on earth.  Regardless of your belief about this amazing phenomenon, the science of astrology is very interesting.   Think about times in your life when you have felt guided to a certain spot or given direction about a decision in your life. Take some time to reflect on your major life decisions and write about how you made them.  You may discover that your major life decisions were made in the same the way the magi found the Christ Child, by following the STAR.  The STAR appeared and drew attention and interest of those magi that were students of astrology.  The STAR is similar to anything out of the ordinary that draws your interest and attention, however you must study it and not ignore it.  King Herod could see the same STAR but he was not a student of astrology so it meant nothing to him.  He was ignorant about the way of the night sky and as a result was dependent on the magi to inform him. Don’t be ignorant about the signs of the STAR in your life.  Pay attention and follow the STAR that appears in your life. Enjoy your journey.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: FUTURE

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD? 

FUTURE

The FUTURE is a space in time that is not yet.  The decisions you make today affect your FUTURE.  The choices you make today help create your FUTURE.  However, it is useless to worry about the FUTURE and absolutely silly to think that you can control the FUTURE by the choices and decisions you make today.  The FUTURE is full of the unknown.   Being anxious about the FUTURE serves you no purpose other than to damage the presence of today.  The fact remains that the FUTURE is a double-edged sword that must be prepared for but not counted on.  If we live for the FUTURE, truly you miss the joy of today.  If you ignore the FUTURE completely then perhaps you are living recklessly in the present.   The Twenty-Minute Coach has posted quite a bit about finances, health, and the necessity to have a well-planned and structured life to obtain the most out of today.  If you ignore planning today then you will be like a careless squirrel that has no food for winter and becomes a victim to the fox who is lurking and waiting for the hungry squirrel to come down from his tree in search of food.  If you prepare for the FUTURE by being wise about money and health today then you will be prepared to weather the storms of weather, health and stock markets of the FUTURE.   Being grateful today makes the Future a brighter and happier place to be tomorrow. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z KNOW

BE WHO YOU ARE

KNOW

“He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”
― Lao Tzu
KNOW yourself.  The past few A-Z words have been a Direct invitation to KNOW yourself in precise, exact, and meaningful ways. KNOW what pleases you. KNOW your disappointments.  KNOW your Values.  KNOW your Interests.  Know what you are talking about.  If you have a passion then KNOW your passion.  KNOW what it is that draws you to it and be able to articulate your passion to yourself and to others.  KNOW yourself and you will be on the path to happiness and choices will become clear to you because you are clear with yourself.  If you KNOW you like chocolate over vanilla then you don’t stand in front of the ice-cream choices for fifteen minutes before you decide. But if you KNOW you like to try different kinds, then give yourself five minutes to choose a new and different ice cream each time.  Having a time limit helps you make up your mind in order that you don’t have to call yourself indecisive.  Go back to your Values.  Do you really Know what you Value?  What decisions or situations are you struggling with currently? What do you need to KNOW about yourself to make those decisions easier for yourself?  Spend time with yourself in order to really KNOW more about who you are and what you are about.  If you do this when a real crisis hits or you are in a real do-it-now situation, you will KNOW what the best course of action for yourself is because you KNOW yourself.

YOUR LIFE A-Z POSSIBILITIES

LEARN TO BUILD BRIDGES ACROSS OBSTACLES

POSSIBILITIES

Clearly you saw possibilities coming right after the powerful word Option. Options create choices; choices create possibilities.  Think about a flow chart.  Say over the past few months or weeks you have been thinking about going on a vacation.  First you must decide what your options are.  How much time do you have?  How much money do you have in your vacation budget?   What is it that you are wanting to accomplish on this vacation?  Do you want to relax and read?  Do you want to learn a new sport or polish up on an old favorite, like golf or fishing?  Those questions are defining your options.  

Let's say you have $1500 dollars set aside for a seven day vacation.  During that time your goal is to be active and relax.  Your resources create your possibilities.  Do not let yourself focus on the negatives of only $1500 for seven days which is only around $212.00 a day.  Accept that fact and run with it.  Wow, I have a budget of $212.00 a day if I fly somewhere for $350.00 round trip than I have a budget of $165.00 a day.  Where can I go for $350.00 round trip and what sort of accommodations can I acquire that will allow me to hike, walk, sight see, do yoga and read?  Or if I do a road trip instead, how far can I go on my daily budget of $212.00 and how much fun can I pack into that trip?  I don't know about you, but just writing this makes me want to get on the internet and plan a seven day vacation within this budget and see what fun I can have.  Possibilities are so much fun.

YOUR LIFE A-Z TIMING

TIMING

Timing is everything.  We can win the lottery at the ripe age of 21 and not have the wisdom to deal with it.  We can have happy and hopeful plans for something big and then end up with something from the outside changing it all.  Timing matters so much, but time also matters.  We often complain about not having enough time, but as we learned in QUICK, we have more time if we learn to do things QUICK. Time is money.  The more we focus on what we want, the more we realize that we must spend our time wisely and efficiently.  What time is it in your life?  Are you using your timing in the best ways possible?  How many times a day do you say, "I don't have enough time to do that?"  It is possible that timing is off and now you have three young kids at home and it is not the time to go back to school, but maybe, you come to realize that no time is better than now.  Now is the time to pay attention to where you are in your life and what you want to do with your time.  Timing can be the make or break deal with what needs to happen right now.  Be clear and do not operate out of pressure.  Remember those high sales deal, that say "for a limited time only or only for today?"  That is someone else's imposed time on you.  What is the right time for you?  You get to decide.