Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 21st

The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness. - Abraham Maslow

Confine yourself to the present. - Marcus Aurelius

In a 2009 Stanford research study, participants were asked to focus on the red rectangle and ignore the blue rectangle.  For those individuals that considered themselves heavy multitaskers, they were not able to focus only on the red rectangle.  Various studies were conducted on the heavy multitaskers to determine if they had a special talent and the Stanford research team came to the conclusion that the heavy multitaskers just could not stop thinking about the tasks that were not being completed and there was not anything different or unique about these individuals.  

When I read this study, I knew it was about me and I think many people in this world.  We are always on the go and thinking about the next thing we need to do.  We think we can multi-task and this study showed that trying to do more than one thing at a time prohibits someone from focusing and the person is not able to complete the various tasks to the quality they need to instead of just doing one task at a time.

I am a MAJOR multi-tasker.  I run and think…I watch television and clean out email….I sit in meetings and think about things I need to do…

I decided that I want to be present in the moment because I lose out on so many things in life if I am 

trying to do too many things at one time. 

Here is my tip for the day…I often will sit in meetings and remember things I need to do and I can honestly say my Friday morning Toastmaster meeting is the place this happens most often.  I came up with a solution that I hope will help you.  When I am at Toastmasters and need to be present to hear the various speakers, I take a notepad or grab a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to mind.  Sometimes I walk out of meetings with 20 things to do and other times it is only 3 things to do.  By writing them down, I know what I need to do, but I was still PRESENT at the meeting.

BE PRESENT TODAY!!!!

Resource

https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/3419-3-reasons-you-need-to-stop-multitasking

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 14th

The future depends on what you do today. ― Mahatma Gandhi

True happiness is... to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

                                                          

In Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In and her very popular TEDTalk “Why We Have Too Few Women Leaders”, she discusses a very valuable point that I think can be incorporated into Terri’s Tuesday Tips about dreams, vision and goals…..Don’t Leave Before You Leave.  She tells of a woman that visited with her about not applying and accepting a job because she was preparing to have children, but this lady was not married or even dating anyone.  Sandberg told her she was planning for the future way too much.  

We all get excited about these new dreams and goals that we want to accomplish.  I have heard it compared to when a woman becomes pregnant.  They are excited for the birth of their child and they have 9 months of planning before giving birth.  However around month 7, ankles are swollen, a continual increase in weight and they are just ready to birth the baby. 

The same is true when a new dream is birthed in each of us.  It is great to have the dream and we are so excited when it is first conceived in our heart and mind, but we must continue on our current path until it is time to birth the new dream.  As someone that has big dreams, I can attest to this.  Part of the process of developing into the person we need to be to accomplish the next dream is to stay on the current path and continue to develop, grow and prepare until the time comes to birth the next dream for our life. 

As I have thought about this, it is a great balancing act….be the best you can be in the present AND prepare for future dreams….

One must strike the right balance between speed and quality.

- Clare Short

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is God's gift, that's why we call it the present. - Joan Rivers

Resources

·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18uDutylDa4

·         http://www.advance.latech.edu/pdf/Lean_In_Book_Review.pdf

Terri's Tuesday Tip of the Week - April 7th

Comparison is an act of violence against the self. - Iyanla Vanzant

Comparison is the death of joy. -  Mark Twain

I wish I had her hair….I wish I had her job….I wish I had her thought process.  Do you ever compare yourself to other people and wish you had what they had?  

Over the last couple of weeks, Terri’s Tuesday Tip of the Week has been talking about vision, dreams and goals.  As I have been thinking about these various topics, I want to stress that each of us has a unique plan for our lives and we will not have the same path, vision or dreams as anyone else and we should not compare ourselves to anyone else.  Each one of is uniquely created for our own purpose!

I remember when I was in high school and one of my teachers asked me why I was not more like my sister.  He had taught both of us at different schools.  She was an excellent student and athlete.  However, I was not as academically gifted as her and that comment made me feel I was not good enough.  It took me a very long time to realize that we are both uniquely gifted ladies that have different journeys in this life.  We are both making a major impact on this world in our own special, amazing way!

I would challenge each of you to dream and set your goals.  Do not compare yourself to someone else because they do not have the same purpose and passions in this life that you do.  Also, be cautious who you tell those dreams and goals to.  Go to trusted individuals for advice, but know that you are the one that is dreaming and has the vision.  You are the one that will have to get up when your body does not desire to and fight to accomplish your life’s purpose. 

Don’t compare yourself because you are on a unique journey in this amazing life that we are living… 

When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you. – Lao Tzu

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Additional Resource: https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/2635-how-other-women-may-be-killing-your-confidence/2