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Keeping the Glass Full

Written by: Jacque Small

Article Overview: As you know, I have been out of contact for several months. Events happen in our lives over which we have no control and we do our best to respond. Such was the case for me, and as I re-establish my connection I want to share with you what I have learned.

Keeping the Glass Full

As you know, I have been out of contact for several months. Events happen in our lives over which we have no control and we do our best to respond. Such was the case for me, and as I re-establish my connection I want to share with you what I have learned.

In my case, the event was the illness of my mother, who now rests in peace after an amazing 91 years of life. My life-long lesson from her is no matter how empty the glass may look, it is actually always full.

When we have these traumatic experiences in our life, whether they involve a parent, another family member, or a dear friend, it is important for each of us to keep our glass full. How do we keep up our energy levels and maintain some kind of harmony in our life? Following are some of the ways I achieved this for myself.

Your "glass" can be broken down into two aspects: the physical realm and the mental, or spiritual, realm. These realms are interdependent, as noted by Loehr and Schwartz in their book The Power of Full Engagement. Let's explore the physical realm first, using my own experience as an example.

I had a new commitment that consumed a couple of hours each day - a visit to the hospital. I needed to pare away other activities in my life to build in this new commitment. First, I chose to do the thing I loved most - golfing - to replenish my energy and keep a balanced outlook. Second, I committed to that which was of highest value to my clients: being really present for my coaching and training sessions. In the rest of my business, I continued with the things I am best at, and either delegated other tasks or elected not to do them. Choice is a very powerful mental tool!

I noticed that when I made an active choice to let some things go, I didn't fall into the trap of using sheer willpower to get everything done. There were two benefits to this: it relieved my mental stress and provided me with more energy.

The next thing I had to abandon was multi-tasking - it required too much energy, and it interfered with being focused and getting my tasks done with ease. When I broke things down into small, focused bites of one- or two-hour chunks, it was amazing how much I accomplished and how little energy I seemed to use.

Now to the mental/spiritual realm. It is important to not only minimize energy use, it is also important to refill your energy reservoir. That is why I also strengthened my spiritual muscle. There are many ways to do this; what is most important is to be really present in the moment and fully enjoy what you are doing. When I was golfing, I would limit my thinking only to golf. I would look around and notice the full beauty of the golf course and surrounding nature. I looked at the beauty of the trees, the eagles flying overhead and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Everything is a miracle!

I would also take ten minutes each morning to meditate or do breathing exercises to ground myself for the day. Get into the habit of taking short breaks throughout the day - this is an effective way to replenish your energy. The key is to slow down for a few moments in your hectic day so that you can continue to go fast.

When you are in a stressful situation like I was, slow is fast. We maintain our health and our capacity to be there for our families and our clients.

Wishing you every success in keeping your glass full,

Jacque

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Article Tags: Balance, Focus



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