July 13, 2016: TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Bestful

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“If you’re doing your best, you won’t have any time to worry about failure.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

We all truly want to do our best in our work, relationships, contributions and life.

And yet that inner voice is rarely satisfied, no matter how it turns out.

Every now and then, I’m so moved by quotes, that I am compelled to share them all.

So, I offer my “best” quotes to support you being as bestful as you can with yourself today.

“Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your very best.” –Andrew Carnegie

“Why worry?  If you’ve done the very best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.” –Walt Disney

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” –Og Mandino

“Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it’s business or baseball, or the theatre, or any field. If you don’t love what you’re doing and can’t give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short. You’ll be an old man before you know it.” –Al Lopez

“Doing your best is taking the action because you love it, not because you’re expecting a reward. Most people do the exact opposite: they only take action when they expect a reward, and they don’t enjoy the action. And that’s the reason why they don’t do their best.” –Miguel Ruiz

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” –Maya Angelou

“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” –Oprah Winfrey

Got bestful?

“It helps if you remember that everyone is doing their best from their level of consciousness.” –Deepak Chopra

July 6, 2016, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Refusenikiness

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Freedom is never given; it is won.” — A. Philip Randolph

I was personally moved over the weekend by a story of what some have gone through to gain the freedoms we enjoy in this country, warts and all.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-our-freedom-darrell-gurney

As we keep the freedom and independence train chugging past July 4, what area can you drive it into this week: new career possibility, business initiative, personal self-expression, relationship exploration?

It’s not handed to us. We have to grab it. And grabbing it means we must refuse something as it is and have the courage to stand for something else.

Got refusenikiness?

“Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.” –Daniel J. Boorstin

June 29, 2016: TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Redirect Workout

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“When the negative thoughts come – and they will; they come to all of us – it’s not enough to just not dwell on it… You’ve got to replace it with a positive thought.” –Joel Osteen

It’s easy to classify others in our work and lives as ‘negative’ because of the way their thoughts or actions rub us.

But what about how we rub ourselves?

If asked, everyone would claim to be a positive person, as they perceive positive to be.

Yet, positive people have negative thoughts. It’s just what we do with them that matters.

Are we watchful observers over them, like kids outside about to get into mischief? Or do we follow their paths like lemmings, buying into their very convincing evidence?

It’s not the having of them. That will never stop. But the muscle of redirecting our mind once we notice them that is the one to develop.

Getting to that gym at least a few times a day builds stamina.

Got redirect workout?

“Only allow yourself to think negative thoughts and/or complain about anything for three minutes, three times a day.” –Karen Salmansohn

June 22, 2016: TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Ugly Discomgrowth

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“To the degree we’re not living our dreams, our comfort zone has more control of us than we have over ourselves.” –Peter McWilliams

I recently heard a leader who has been at the forefront of people growing massively in their lives and careers describe what he saw happen to many.

They began expanding enormously, for one reason or another, and experienced success and abundance greater than they had ever known.

Yet often, within a year he said, they were right back at the level they had been before…where it was controllable, what they were used to, what they could manage.

It’s easy to talk big dreams and grand visions, yet the realization of them CANNOT be comfortable or pretty. Otherwise, they’re not big dreams or grand visions.

Got ugly discomgrowth?

“A dream is your creative vision for your life in the future. You must break out of your current comfort zone and become comfortable with the unfamiliar and the unknown.” –Denis Waitley

June 15, 2015, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Regretlessness

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the road that I have the most passion on because then you can never really blame yourself for making the wrong choices. You can always say you’re following your passion. ” –Darren Aronofsky

Some of us grew up in cultures or thought circles that supported guilt or regrets.

Feeling bad about events, roads taken or “mistakes” made and then wearing those energies like a badge was somehow acceptable, if not honorable.

But think about it: beyond perhaps a swift and compassionate apology — to ourselves or others — what good has a juicy guilt or regret ever done for you?

Got regretlessess?

“With anything in life, I think that’s when you start stressing yourself out – when you start worrying about the things that are out of your control. What I can control is being at my best every day and having no regrets at the end of each day.” –Scott Tolzien

June 8, 2016, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…New Hope

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream…” –C.S. Lewis

Sometimes the stars align and an idea who’s time has come erupts in power.

Sometimes no matter what the idea, the players who participate, nor the forces arrayed behind it…it flops.

The entertainment industry is replete with examples. Can you say Ishtar?

Sure, there’s always value in attempting to learn from a disappointment, and an appropriate grieving may be in order (5 minutes, 5 hours, hopefully not 5 years).

Yet the biggest play may be to get hoped up again.

New hope has the ability to move new mountains.

Got new hope?

“Starting today, I need to forget what’s gone, appreciate what still remains and look forward to what’s coming next.” –Unknown

June 1, 2016, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Juice

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“When life gives you lemons, make orange juice and have the world wondering how you did it.” –Anonymous

It’s a darn good thing we know that our days aren’t at the effect of anything outside of ourselves.

Can you imagine if we actually thought the world out there was responsible for giving us juice?

Thank God we all carry around our own internal juicer.

Plus, I hear the cores, peels and rinds of life are even more nutritious and beneficial to us than the sweet stuff.

Imagine that!

Got juice?

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” –Abraham Lincoln

May 25, 2016, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Antonymity

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” –Dr. Seuss

Face it: we all have certain habits, qualities or personal characteristics we wouldn’t mind shifting.

It’s easy to carp on those aspects, thinking we are too impatient, judgmental, stubborn, prideful, magical-thinking, people-pleasing…or whatever our imperfection drug of choice is.

Rather than focus on the perceived excess of those, what if we put our attention on the development of their antonyms?

Stepping out each morning with the intention to be patient, tolerant, open-minded, humble, realistic and true-to-Self will likely produce greater growth…and feel a lot better at the end of the day.

Given we get more of what we focus on, what antonym can you focus on today?

Got antonymity?

“You cannot change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction overnight.” –Jim Rohn

May 18, 2016, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Monitorship

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“The first step is to monitor your thoughts: to think about what you are thinking about.” –Neale Donald Walsch

With so much going on, the swim of activity, schedule, deadlines and issues of the moment can take over.

Yet, an unassuming and unattached observer sitting in the passenger seat of our awareness throughout the day can serve us well.

A constant practice of quick review can head off possible onslought or magnify potential magic.

What just happened?

How do I feel?

What did I make it mean?

Thoughts are like playdough, moldable into whatever forms we choose.

What thought forms are you choosing to mold in the playground of today?

Got monitorship?

“I monitor my thoughts, words and feelings…because I know they are creating my life.” –Anonymous

May 11, 2016, TGIW: Unhumping Hump Day…Unbecoming

By Darrell Gurney | Blog

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.” –Steve Jobs

It seems there are two identities upon which we can focus.

There’s who we think we are now, based on our past, habits, patterns, thoughts and beliefs.

There’s who we are becoming, based on our goals, plans, dreams, desires and uncomfort-zone actions.

And yet, what if there is an “unbecoming” middle ground along the way, whereby all the logic of the head gives way to the intuition of the heart?

Where can you unbecome something you identify with so as to become who you want to be today?

Let’s make “That’s very unbecoming of you” a compliment.

Got unbecoming?

“The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.” –Albert Schweitzer