Archive for September, 2010

This summer Jen and Leah had the awesome experience of attending the National Speakers Association Conference in Orlando. They had the opportunity to hear many excellent speakers who inspired, motivated and provided positive messages in all shapes and forms. One speaker in particular that inspired them was Karen Cortell Reisman. Now, her name might not be a household word, but you may be familiar with her famous cousin -  Albert Einstein.

Interestingly enough, she didn’t talk all about her famous cousin; instead she told the story of her parents and how they went about making decision in their lives. She compared their decision making strategy to that of birds, yes….birds. Jen and Leah discuss this philosophy on this week’s podcast.

Have you ever had a decision to make?  A really big one?? Did you feel like you needed to make the decision quickly? Well, DON’T do that. When we need to make big decisions, we need to take time to make them.

Karen actually can be broke down the decision making process into three stages (back to the BIRDS) according to the birds!

The first step is PERCHING. This is what birds do before making any major decision. They  just sort of sit there, and THINK….they contemplate every issue of the decision….they weigh the consequences….they PONDER. And, most importantly, they take their time. We typically don’t allow ourselves enough time to perch. But, we really should! Allow yourself the time to really think about the decision you have to make, and think it through, weighing out the pros and cons of each possible action. There is no time limit, only YOURS.

Step two is when we FLAP our wings…this happens when we have determined the route we want to take.  So, when we *flap our wings* we are really creating our action plans…..figuring out what we need to do to get there. A very important step in the whole process!

The final step we take in the process is taking flight! This is when we set off to begin achieving our dreams. We have thought it through, we have our action plan, and now we are ready to soar!

Each step is very important towards the ultimate move you make. You don’t have to be the Energizer Bunny with every action you take……………remember to Perch. You must PERCH before you can FLY! Take the time to really get in tune with what it is you want to do. Relax, allow yourself the time, space and freedom that you need to determine your life plan.

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‘Il bel far niente’  this Italian phrase means ‘the beauty of nothingness’. If you have seen the popular movie Eat, Love, Pray with Julia Roberts, you know that her character begins to understand what the beauty of nothingness truly means while she is spending time in the beautiful city of Rome. An Italian friend of hers explains that we (being Americans) always feel like we have to be DOING something. Like the Energizer Bunny, we are always Going, and Going, and Going. Americans don’t appreciate Il bel far niente – the beauty of nothingness.

On this week’s podcast, Jen and Leah talk about how you can start to embrace il bel far niente and  learn to just be a peace with yourself. You don’t have to schedule every minute of your day with a task from the never ending “to do” list. It’s OK to just do nothing…………..and not feel GUILTY about it. By doing nothing you are actually honoring yourself and your life.

Some tips on how to enjoy il bel far niente include:

1. Schedule time in your day timer to just do nothing! Even if it is just 15 minutes per day. Use this time to relax and *turn off* your sense of urgency.

2. Meditate or practice yoga. This will help you really be in touch with your thoughts and feelings, momentarily forget about your worries.

3. Schedule time for a mini-siesta! Even if that means just closing your eyes for 10 minutes.

4. Notice your breathing patterns. Many of us actually forget to breathe! Take a deep breathe ink, hold it for 5 seconds and then slowly exhale.

5. Turn of the radio while you are driving. Use this time to let your mind wander and ponder (but do keep both eyes on the road!)

Il Bel Far Niente – make it part of your daily routine!

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