I’m not usually a fan of chain emails. You know the kind you receive everyday with the admonishment to pass it on “or else”. And, sometimes they carry a wonderful message. The one below is one of those. It really makes you think about life, and the choices we make.

And, I’d like to add my own message: What would happen if we all claimed RESPONSIBILITY for our choices? If we really owned that in every situation, we do have a choice? And, it’s ours to make? Read on….

“Read  this

LET  IT REALLY SINK  IN……

THEN  CHOOSE .

John  is the kind of guy you love to hate.    He is always in a good mood and always has  something positive to say.  When someone  would ask him how he was doing, he would reply,  ‘If I were any better, I would be  twins!’

He  was a natural motivator.

If  an employee was having a bad day, John was there  telling the employee how to look on the positive  side of the situation.

Seeing  this style really made me curious, so one day I  went up and asked him, ‘I don’t get  it!’

‘You  can’t be a positive person all of the time.   How do you do it?’

He  replied, ‘Each morning I wake up and say to  myself, you have two  choices today.  You can choose to be in a  good mood or…you can choose to be in a  bad mood

I  choose to be in a good mood.’

Each  time something bad happens, I can choose to be a  victim or…I can choose to learn from it.  I  choose to learn from it.

Every  time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose  to accept their complaining or…I can point out  the positive side of life.  I choose the  positive side of life.

‘Yeah,  right, it’s not that easy,’ I  protested.

‘Yes,  it is,’ he said.  ‘Life is all about  choices.  When you cut away all the junk,  every situation is a choice.  You choose how  you react to situations.  You choose how  people affect your mood.

You  choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.  The  bottom line:  It’s your choice how you live  your life.’

I  reflected on what he said.  Soon hereafter, I  left the Tower Industry to start my own  business.  We lost touch, but I often thought  about him when I made a choice about life instead  of reacting to it.

Several  years later, I heard that he was involved in a  serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a  communications tower.

After  18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care,  he was released from the hospital with rods placed  in his back.

I  saw him about six months after the  accident.

When  I asked him how he was, he replied, ‘If I were any  better, I’d be twins…Wanna see my  scars?’

I  declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what  had gone through his mind as the accident took  place.

‘The  first thing that went through my mind was the  well-being of my soon-to- be born daughter,’ he  replied.  ‘Then, as I lay on the ground, I  remembered that I had two choices:  I could  choose to live or…I could choose to die.  I  chose to live.’

‘Weren’t  you scared?  Did you lose  consciousness?’  I asked.

He  continued, ‘…the paramedics were  great.

They  kept telling me I was going to be fine.  But  when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the  expressions on the faces of the doctors and  nurses, I got really scared.  In their eyes,  I read ‘he’s a dead man’.  I knew I needed to  take action.’

‘What  did you do?’ I asked.

‘Well,  there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at  me,’ said John.  ‘She asked if I was allergic  to anything ‘Yes, I replied.’  The doctors  and nurses stopped working as they waited for my  reply.  I took a deep breath and yelled,  ‘Gravity”

Over  their laughter, I told them, ‘I am choosing to  live.  Operate on me as if I am alive, not  dead.’

He  lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but  also because of his amazing attitude…I learned  from him that every day we have the choice to live  fully.

Attitude,  after all, is everything .

Therefore  do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will  worry about itself.  Each day has enough  trouble of its own.

After  all today is the tomorrow you worried about  yesterday.

You  have two choices now:

01.   Delete this

02.   Forward it to the people you care  about.

You  know the choice I made…… Pass it on!!

1. Cold, spicy Gewürztraminer in a hot tub on a starry starry, night. Soft music or absolute silence. Alone or with the one you love. Ahhhh. Food for the soul.
2. After some rigorous winter sport, heat up a big mug of mulled plonk to enjoy while roasting hot dogs by a roaring bonfire. Sip and munch and laugh. Save the S’mores for the hot chocolate.
3. Sip a wonderfully crisp Rose on the patio on a warm summer afternoon, chat with your partner & occasionally throw the ball for the dog. Make everything take as L - O - N - G as you can. Sigh.
4. At a winery picnic table with some cheese, fresh baguette and your favorite from the wine tasting. (Hint: choose the wine to match the weather, not the cheese!)
5. Roast Turkey and stuffing at Christmas or Easter celebrated with lots of family and friends and a bottle or two of Sparkling Shiraz. (Sparkling Shiraz is getting more common outside of Australia, but try the Seaview - good, fun and cheap!)
6. A lazy Saturday night, a funny movie (Shrek anyone?), a big bowl of buttered popcorn, and a creamy barrel fermented Chardonnay. (If you’re from BC, See Ya Later Ranch has a tasty one - not too oaky) Snuggle up on the couch and laugh till it hurts!
7. Savour a big, juicy barbequed steak with a bunch of friends, potluck salads and a few bottles of gutsy Zinfandel.
8. Winding up a great meal with fresh strawberry shortcake accompanied by a lightly fizzy, slightly sweet Muscato D’Asti. Pure, simple flavours with the promise of springtime.
9. Oh, and chocolate. Really good chocolate can be one of life’s experiences all on its own, but crank it up a notch. To really splurge for a romantic evening, light the fire and feed each other tiny bites of the best dark chocolate you can find with tiny sips of luscious vintage port. Or, if it’s just to satisfy that craving, reach for the chocolate chips and Tawny!
10. Any impromptu occasion with good food, great company and whatever you have on hand!

What is it about spring that urges us to clean and shine, get rid of clutter?

Maybe it’s the sun finally shining its light on the things in our life that are no longer of use to us. Maybe it’s the sunlight showing all the streaks on the windows and the dustbunnies in the corners. We want to scrub everything shiny and new.

Fresh.

Spring is about freshness. The sense of a new start.

We’re all familiar with Spring cleaning our homes, yards, offices. Our actual physical environment. Many people also use this time to do a cleanse of their physical bodies. So, what about your mental, emotional and spiritual environment?

Take a couple of moments now to let the sun shine on you…… Where are the cobwebs? What clutter is there? What “junk” do you need to get rid of? Where could you use a little polishing?

How good would it feel to do a personal “spring cleaning?” To have a fresh, new you emerge along with the blossoms?

Here are a few places to start. And, I’m sure you’ll find some others along the way!

Who do you need to forgive, so you can get rid of some old baggage?

What old habits are no longer serving you?

What strength do you have that could use a little polishing to let it shine?

What inner grime can you clean away to let the warmth of your relationships really touch your inner core?

What lost dream do you need to dust off and bring into the light?

How could you bring more spring “freshness” into your life?

You get the idea! There’s a program developed by Coachville called “Clean Sweep” that provides a complete checklist of 100 items which, when completed will give you added vitality, balance and personal strength. If you want me to send you a copy, email me and I’ll send it to you!

Happy Spring!!

The world seems to be filled with doom and gloom these days. Investments and house prices are falling. Jobs are being lost. Businesses are failing.

Are you worried? Are you getting sucked into the mire of negativity? Are you finding it harder and harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel?

How do you think this effects your life? How do you move forward towards your goals and dreams when from everywhere there seems to be screaming “STOP! You are under threat. Don’t move or you’ll get hurt”? What happens when you actually start believing those voices?

I’m not saying that all is well. I know it’s not. But where is the opportunity? The laws of physics tell us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So when everything is going down, something has to be going up, right?

Why can’t that be you?

Just think about it. When you buy into the hype and really believe that the world is going to hell in a handbasket – where are you headed? If you hold that belief, what chance to do you have of going anywhere else?

What if you CHOSE to believe in possibility? What could you accomplish if you looked for the opportunities?

In coaching, we are taught the concept of “Disturbance as an Ally”. To us, when there is upheaval, conflict, tension; change is trying to happen. If we embrace that disturbance and look for the opportunities, we are going to come out the other side way ahead of the game. It also points to the idea that there is never 100% truth in anything. Where is that 2% opportunity that is lying in this mess? What would be different if that is what you focused on?

Can’t find that needle of opportunity in the economic haystack? Where are you looking? Are you focusing on the hay or the needle?

So, how do you do that? Here are some suggestions! Try one or two, see what happens….

1. 1. Focus on the positive! Do the Oprah thing and have a gratitude journal. Spend some time every day counting your blessings.
   2. When you find yourself saying “I can’t”, ask yourself “how can I?”
   3. Practice active appreciation by making a point of noticing the wonderful things around you, the wonderful people around you. Tell them what you appreciate.
   4. Spend time visualizing your dreams and goals every day. Let your psyche be infused with the positive feelings of achievement.
   5. Surround yourself with positive people. Seek out those in your life that make you feel good. Ask yourself how you can make someone else feel good and do it!
   6. Be generous. Give what you can. Reap the satisfaction of making someone else life better.
   7. Finally, be good to yourself! Wrap yourself in a warm comforting blanket of self love. And, you’ll find you have an abundance to give.

Have you got another habit that you use to focus on the positive? Leave a comment here to share it with us!

You may have read this email that  has been going around. I have used the exercise in workshops before, and found the 2 glasses of wine adds quite a nice twist!

Check it out to see if you are putting your priorities first!

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in
a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 glasses of
wine…

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front
of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty

Mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the
jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between
the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They
agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of
course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar
was full. The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and
poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty
space between the sand. The students laughed.

Now, said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to
recognise that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the
important things; your family, your children, your health, your friends,
and your favourite passions; things that if everything else was lost and only
they remained, your life would still be full.’

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house,
and your car. The sand is everything else; the small stuff.

If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘There is no room
for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life . If you spend all
your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the
things that are important to you.’

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with
your children. Take time to get medical check-ups. Take your partner out  to
dinner. Play another 18. Do one more run down the ski slope. There will
always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the
golf balls first; the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest
is just sand.’

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine
represented.

The professor smiled. ‘I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that
no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of
glasses of wine with a friend.’

Baby Ainsley Elizabeth was born on Thursday morning. We’ve spent the last few days visiting Mom, Dad and little Ainsley in the hospital.

And, it’s hard to say how I’m feeling about it exactly. Everyone expects me to be SO excited. And, I am thrilled. She is very cute. And I’m very glad to see my daughter and her husband so happy.

But, I haven’t got the ooey, gooey, mushy feelings - yet. I was worried about that. You know - new grandparents that were previously all grown up and “normal” start talking silly and gushing about the grandchild. Everyone seems to expect me to turn into one of those……

I’m not even really sure what I expected. I know I don’t feel “old’ enough to be a grandma. They’re grey and wrinkled and sit in rocking chairs, aren’t they? I’m feeling a little guilty about not feeling a need to hold her constantly. I guess I never have been much of a cuddly kind of person.

I always said I liked my kids more the older they got. To me, a 4 year old is a lot more fun than a 4 day old, or 4 month old.

I guess maybe, I’m still just feeling like me. How ’bout that?

And, I am pretty proud.

Wow! the following comes from the Hopi Indian Nation and I came across it on one of my coaching networks. It is so relevant to where we are in the world right now, I wanted to pass it along. It is wonderfully inspiring and speaks to the responsibility that each of us has to create change.

Enjoy & reflect:
Reading from Hopi Nation

“You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.

Now you must go back and tell the people that this is the Hour.

And there are things to be considered:

Where are you living?

What are you doing?

What are your relationships?

Are you in right relation?

Where is your water?

Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.

Create your community.

Be good to each other.

And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!

There is a river flowing now very fast.

It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.

They will try to hold on to the shore.

They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination.

The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water.

See who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.

Least of all, ourselves.

For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt. The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

The Elders, Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation”

I watched this 15 minute video, and it kept me smiling all day! Well worth the time.

5 New Year’s Resolutions for Wine Lovers

I am re-committing to these resolutions for 2009. I tried to live up to them last year, but I know I can do better! So here they are again….. Care to join me?

1. Drink less wine. I don’t know about you, but when I look back at this past year, I have drunk a lot of wine!! And, most of it has been generic, everyday wine for generic every day kind of days. Not much that has been notable. Often, I drink it without even really paying attention. This, when you think about it, is the way I spend a lot of my time. That’s wine and life passing me by! How about you? So, resolve to drink less wine, but to really pay attention and make every glass count.

2. Drink more, better wine. My theory is: if you going to drink less wine, you can afford to drink better wine! And, I know from my own experience that when I drink really good wine, I do slow down and savor every sip. Imagine if every glass of wine you had were an occasion to note. If every sniff and sip were worth making a memory?

3. Use your best glasses. I have a cupboard full of Riedel glasses. What good are they doing in the cupboard? If you are going to be drinking the best wine you can afford, doesn’t it just make sense to enhance the experience with wonderful glasses?

4. Expand you range. Make a point of trying wines from other regions or made from unfamiliar varietals. I know very little about Italian wines. So, this year I am going to make a point of discovering the world of Italian wines. Make it fun! Do some reading, do some tasting. You might just discover a new favorite!

5. Keep a journal. How many wines have you enjoyed and planned to buy again, only to find that you’ve forgotten what they were? I love the journals that have space to record the occasion and who you were with when you had that special wine. And, what fun to go back and re-live those memories later! The journals become treasuries of precious moments in our lives. Good wine, good food, good company….. does life get any better?