Monday, July 25, 2005
Not gone, just gone to the beach
In Eastern Ontario-Western Quebec, we are being blessed with one of the best summers in a long time. Very hot, yes and perfect for the beach. I love it. I have turned my house into a summer cottage and I take advantage of a superb pristine lake less than half-hour away. I feel I am living the California lifestyle right here in Canada. This is the reason I have been silent on the blog. In fact, I have done only what's absolutely necessary since Summer arrived. I schedule my days around the weather.
Are you making the most of the opportunities in your life to slow down and renew your energy? You may not have a lake nearby and you may have a five-day-a-week job AND you can still use the milder weather to spend more time outside and relax more. Whether you are a busy business owner, a full-time working mom (another kind of full-time business) or a busy corporate executive, you can take steps to give yourself more time to enjoy life. Have a pique-nique in the park or in the backyard a few times a week - a loaf of bread, cheese, fruits and some cold meats with a V-8 make an acceptable meal. Use paper plates - forget vacuuming or dusting for a week (or more). If you have your own business or are master of your work time, sleep in an extra hour once in a while or go in early and leave early or take half the day off- go to the lake, the pool or schedule a massage and go the office after the sun has gone down. Dress more casually - imagine you're in California.
My 5th speech at Toastmasters International last Friday was about pleasure and how as a society we are so deprived of healthy pleasure that many fill on "pseudo-pleasures" - consumerism, and excesses in things and those excesses are never enough because they are not the real thing. A little like taking a full bottle of vitamin C and wanting more because the real deficiency is vitamin B.
I invite you to go out and play for the rest of the summer - re-awaken that healthy child you once were. Remember what you loved doing as a child and go out and do it. Fly a kite (I'll lend you mine), go fishing, boating, camping or day-dream endlessly while you star gaze. And if someone objects, tell them, The Coach ordered it.
Enjoy the summer
Marguerite Tennier
http://www.canadascoach.com
Are you making the most of the opportunities in your life to slow down and renew your energy? You may not have a lake nearby and you may have a five-day-a-week job AND you can still use the milder weather to spend more time outside and relax more. Whether you are a busy business owner, a full-time working mom (another kind of full-time business) or a busy corporate executive, you can take steps to give yourself more time to enjoy life. Have a pique-nique in the park or in the backyard a few times a week - a loaf of bread, cheese, fruits and some cold meats with a V-8 make an acceptable meal. Use paper plates - forget vacuuming or dusting for a week (or more). If you have your own business or are master of your work time, sleep in an extra hour once in a while or go in early and leave early or take half the day off- go to the lake, the pool or schedule a massage and go the office after the sun has gone down. Dress more casually - imagine you're in California.
My 5th speech at Toastmasters International last Friday was about pleasure and how as a society we are so deprived of healthy pleasure that many fill on "pseudo-pleasures" - consumerism, and excesses in things and those excesses are never enough because they are not the real thing. A little like taking a full bottle of vitamin C and wanting more because the real deficiency is vitamin B.
I invite you to go out and play for the rest of the summer - re-awaken that healthy child you once were. Remember what you loved doing as a child and go out and do it. Fly a kite (I'll lend you mine), go fishing, boating, camping or day-dream endlessly while you star gaze. And if someone objects, tell them, The Coach ordered it.
Enjoy the summer
Marguerite Tennier
http://www.canadascoach.com
Friday, July 08, 2005
What's really important?
Hello everyone: I have been away from my computer in the past few weeks attending to important stuff in my life - selling a home and finding new accommodation - the latter having happened yesterday. I am happy to report I have found what I was looking for, making me a stronger believer in the power of attraction.
Yesterday was also the day of the terrorist attacks in London, reminding all of us of the fragility of life - I am quite certain that most of us thought of our loved ones and gave thanks that they were safe. It also put in perspective my worries about finding the right home.
Whether in business or personal life, it's often tempting to react to real or perceived emergencies while the important stuff goes undone. Reacting gives adrenaline and the illusion that we are important.
Coaching challenge: Do you react and feel important because you are rushing from one fire to the next or do you attend to what is really important? Not everything is a question of life or death - by all means, rush to the hospital if you break a leg, but make sure not everything is a ten in your list of priorities.
Have a great weekend, sorting the priorities
Your coach
Marguerite Tennier
http://www.canadascoach.com
http://www.probonocoachingcanada.com
Yesterday was also the day of the terrorist attacks in London, reminding all of us of the fragility of life - I am quite certain that most of us thought of our loved ones and gave thanks that they were safe. It also put in perspective my worries about finding the right home.
Whether in business or personal life, it's often tempting to react to real or perceived emergencies while the important stuff goes undone. Reacting gives adrenaline and the illusion that we are important.
Coaching challenge: Do you react and feel important because you are rushing from one fire to the next or do you attend to what is really important? Not everything is a question of life or death - by all means, rush to the hospital if you break a leg, but make sure not everything is a ten in your list of priorities.
Have a great weekend, sorting the priorities
Your coach
Marguerite Tennier
http://www.canadascoach.com
http://www.probonocoachingcanada.com
