Busy.....just do it and REST!

We live a busy life style and are sometimes overcommitted. So how do we rest in our busyness? I started to think about that this weekend. My wife and I went to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium with my son, his wife and their three year old. This was going to be part of a busy weekend. I was thinking about the things that we had to do as we went to meet them. It was great to spend time with them and Caitlin (the 3 year old) loved the fish and other marine life. Especially seeing a real life Nemo and Dory. She even managed to go home with a soft toy Nemo.  Now what has being with an excited 3 year old got to with rest you may well ask.

Well it goes like this, as we went round the aquarium, I noticed that as I started to watch the fish I started to relax.  As I understand, it quite a natural response as aquarium owners round the world will testify. However what struck me was that you have to take the moments of rest and relaxation where you find them. So my taking the time to watch the fish while being as present as possible with Caitlin was a winner.

We were having dinner with friends that night. One of the things that needed to be done was to make an ice cream desert cake. We were a little pushed for time, but as I started I just determined to enjoy the process. In that enjoyment I started to rest in the activity. It was not a chore I enjoyed it, becoming recreation and in the end restorative.

I was reminded of the line in Mary Poppins which says this "In every job to done there is an element of fun. find the fun and snap the jobs a game!" If we could live this out, we might just find a key to resting in our busy lives. In the things we have to do..................find the enjoyment where possible, either in the task, the environment or the company!!

Might just ease your load!

Until next time
Paul

Wisdom from the battlefield

7th Cavalry in the la Drang Valley 1965

I was reading a leadership book that discussed a technique pioneered by Lt. Colonel Hal Moore of the 1st Battalion 7th Calvary Regiment in The Vietnam War. Moore won the first major battle between the North Vietnamese army and The United States Army in the la Drang Valley in 1965.

At the time he was criticised for withdrawing within himself at times during the battle. What he was actually doing was asking three basic questions to assess his situation. Because there was a very real possibility that the enemy which completely outnumbered him would completely overrun his troops.

He asked these three things of himself:

1. What is happening?
2. What is not happening?
3. How can I effect what is happening?

These provide the basis for developing strategy which can be applied to your situation. This gives us a framework to look at our situation objectively from all sides. What is happening in the situation. What is not happening that we could have expected. This was the question that I found most powerful because I would tend to move straight from question 1 to question 3. However the lack of certain events or activity will certainly shed light onto what we can do and can't do to effect what is happening.

This is a simple but powerful strategy now used widely in the U.S military. It could work for you too!

Give it a try, I am!

Until next week
Paul

Nike might just be right

I was thinking about my own ability to distract myself  .....................to procrastinate if you will. I seemed to have overcome the ones where I procrastinate on the ones that absolutely have to be done. But I still have the ability to waste time when I have time to waste.

Now that might not seem like a problem I mean I do have the time right! If something seems like it is a while away I just put it on the do list ( that in itself is an improvement!!) Unfortunately its priority level means it has no immediate action necessary. An example of this that I am going to need a visa for the United States in November.  I can get on line, a relatively simple process I would think. So I have put it off because it is simple and not time pressured. So why don't I just do it!

So that is this weeks priority to look at the things "to do" list and complete all those tasks that can be put off. and I have.
I will follow Nike's instruction just do it! I will do them when they come up and I believe I will make my life easier. If you are like me I suggest you do it too!!!

So by next weeks blog I will have my visa in process!

Makes you stop and think!

 Not the original vase but similar

I have a green art deco style vase which belonged to my paternal grandmother. I feel strange connection to her and this vase. I say strange because she was dead 5 years before I was born so I never actually knew her. However I do love that vase!

I was washing the vase out after removing the dead roses out of and I filled it with warm water from the tap. When I first filled, the water that filled it was cloudy with a lot of small bubbles so you couldn't see through it. I tipped it out immediately. I then refilled in the same way and the same thing happened that the vase was filled with cloudy water.  I then placed it down and watched what happened; gradually the water began to clear from the bottom and within a relatively short time the water was clear.

I began to think that we can be like that when are presented with difficulty, we can immediately react and do something. Sometimes there may be a place for that kind of reaction. However the are also times when it is better to wait and when things become clear respond rather than immediately react. I know at times I can react quickly
when a reasoned response would be a better choice. Especially if you are not sure how an event or happening may effect your plans. Then like the vase the correct response will be come clear in time.

I love it when everyday events reinforce life wisdom. Think about it this and take time to respond when you can. I know I do better when I do.