Lessons Learned on the Way to Machu Picchu  

Reaching our milestones does not give us the innate capacity to be comfortable at higher business and professional elevations. We need time to adjust and adapt to the new altitude. A trip to Peru - going from sea level to 12,000 feet in a day - taught me the value of taking time to acclimate to altitude. The body knows what the mind thinks it can ignore. That's why when we are climbing the heights to success, we need oxygen.

For busy entrepreneurs, executives and professionals oxygen is the support of people,  systems and resources, as well as guidance on the sometimes rocky and steep path to  success. This keeps us from becoming disoriented, exhausted and disheartened as we climb to the next peak. Instructions for flying at altitude make this clear. "If the oxygen masks drop, put your mask on first." The reason is simple. Too many seconds without oxygen at altitude literally clouds our thinking - compromising our ability to know that we are making bad decisions. Having the help we need allows us to enjoy the thrill of reaching new heights in business, leadership and life.

Prepare to Soar               Peruvian Andes

• How much time do you need to acclimate to the higher ground you've reached?
• Breathe...you've arrived!
  
• What support do you need to reach the next business and professional altitude you seek?
  

Tap into Your Wisdom 

Pause for a moment...and Breathe!

"For wisdom requires the discerning, the listening to, the acknowledgment of nudges and notions, of senses and sensations, of the minute and what we often mistakenly assume is the mundane. Wisdom means listening to the still, small voice, the whisper that can be easily lost in the whirlwind of busyness, expectations, and conventions of the world."   - Jean Blomquist, Author

What is Your Wise Self telling YOU?

Meaningful Wealth 

Late August a very dear and life-long friend and I drove about 2 hours north of San Francisco for a spa holiday at Indian Springs. There we found ourselves in the flow of meaningful wealth. Our experience of it was effortless - feeling centered, at ease, and nurtured by nature. As we noticed the beauty in the natural environment, our sense of being wealthy expanded. All it took was blue skies...palm trees - tall and short...verdant forest in nearby mountains...small wild life - a hummingbird resting on a tree branch, little lizards in the summer sun, cat prints on the car. Nature's bounty - but for the absence of our attention - so often escapes our view.

Rich and Enriching

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Folks Ain't Got Time 

Instead of thinking "I'll be happy when..." or saying "I'll be happy if...", freelance writer Veronica Ray suggests we ask ourselves a question. What 'if's' and 'but's' are limiting our enjoyment of life? In her book Choosing Happiness: The Art of Living Unconditionally she reminds us to focus on a natural and available energizer - JOY. 

"We may miss a great deal of joy because we expect it to be unusual, dramatic, and spectacular. We are waiting for lights to flash and bells to ring. But the truth is that joy is here, right now, waiting for us to notice it."

Return to the Present

What joy awaits your attention in this moment?

Feel Out of Control?  

Brain scientist Dr. John Medina tells us that when we can't control constant negative stress or its frequency, our experience of being out of control and trapped destroys our brain cells.

Thinking and feeling that 'there is no way out' damages our cognition - our ability to process information, problem solve, and know. The more we experience  negative stress as an endless loop, the less productive we are. No wonder we find ourselves unavailable for what we say matters most to us.

Are you suffering from any of these 'on-the-verge' signs?

• You feel scattered and unable to concentrate?
• You forget things easily?
• You never seems to be able to get anywhere on time?
• You no longer have the energy to do the things you love to do because they just feel lke more items on your to-do list?
• You use your vacations, holidays and weekends "to catch up."
• Your breathing is shallow.
• You no longer think there's a better way to deal with the constant overload that keeps you in overdrive.

 

Good News

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