Pause, and Reflect . . .

Recently I began reading John C. Maxwell’s new book ‘The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth’. The book concentrates on personal development and growth, outlining specific ways to ensure life long education and growth.  Maxwell shares everything he has garnered about developing yourself so that you have the best chance of becoming the person you were created to be. The readers of this book are able to receive the essence of Maxwell’s expertise, which can help each of us take our personal success to the next level. A few of the laws of growth covered in the book are, the Law of Awareness - You must know yourself to grow yourself, Law of Contribution- Developing yourself enables you to develop others, and the Law of the Rubber Band – Growth stops when you lose tension between where you are and where you could be.

Currently, I am focused on the fourth law, The Law of Reflection. This law states, “Learning to pause allows growth to catch up with you”.  Maxwell states that there is power in pausing because reflection turns experience into insight as well as expands and enriches ones thinking. Everyone should take the time out of their day to pause in a comfortable, relaxing, and quite place. Maxwell suggests that when you take the time to pause utilize the “4 I’s” which are: Investigation, Incubation, Illumination, and Illustration.  Investigate the truths of your life, incubate your experiences of life similar to meditation, allow those ‘aha’ moments of life enlighten you, and finally add substance to your ideas, giving them life.

After a long and difficult year I know that I must take sufficient time to pause and reflect before entering into the New Year. It’s important to remember what your goals are and how your personal growth can contribute in reaching your potential. So keep pausing, keep asking questions, and keep growing everyday. 

“What we do on some great occasion will depend on what we are; and what we are will be the result of pervious years of self-discipline.”

-H.P. Liddon

Peace & Blessings,       -RB

Living Beyond Limit

Free, Independent, and Completely in Control

There are many times during ones journey of life when an unexpected detour occurs, where one reaches a fork in the road, and at that fork there are two pathways. The first more defined way is to continue on the current rocky and uncertain path, or the second way is break off the path and blaze a new trail. Both paths still come with their own unique challenges and situations, but the new trail promotes a better understanding and a deeper connection to knowledge while ultimately supporting in the achievement of ones dreams. Which path do you take?

To gain a better meaning for life and acquire knowledge one must invest their time in activities that promote growth. One such activity can be as simple as watching online videos from the comfort of your couch. TED.com is devoted to promoting Ideas Worth Spreading, which is also the companies tag line. The purpose of TED is to bring together the best thinkers and doers in the three worlds of Technology, Entertainment, and Design; and challenge them to talk about their lives in eighteen minutes or less.

Featured on their website TED.com, one can view the best talks and performances online for free. While doing this I came across a video that has special significance with me. Amy Prudy is a name that many of us haven’t come across before, but is also the name of an amazing person who has an equally as fascinating story.

Amy is now a professional snowboarder with many titles under her belt, but had many challenges and obstacles she has had to get over before this. When Amy was nineteen years old, she begin to experience flu-like symptoms, soon after she was rushed to the hospital in septic shock while experiences respiratory and multiple organ failure on the way. Doctors diagnosed Prudy with Bacterial Meningitis and following the diagnosis Amy remained in a coma for nearly three weeks with a two-percent chance of survival. But that’s not it, due to the lack of circulation she suffered during the beginning phases of the virus, doctors had to amputate both her legs below the knees, remove her ruptured spleen, kidneys, and Amy also loss hearing in her left ear.

The significance of Amy’s story really struck home for me because I lost my oldest sister Nakia, to Bacterial Meningitis in 1995. She was only 17 years old, two years younger than Amy. Unlike Amy, my sister was discharged from the hospital the same day with a diagnosis of the flu, and unfortunately she passed away a few hours later in her sleep.

But Amy’s story gave me hope! Many people would not be able to make it back from an ordeal such as hers, but Amy’s resilience really spoke volumes to me. Amy encourages the audience to take control of their lives and limits, by drawing inspiration from life’s obstacles. The defining moment when Amy decided to let the old Amy go and embrace the new is when she said “If my life is a book, and I’m the author, how would I want the story to go.”  I believe that many of us can draw inspiration from Amy’s story especially dealing with ones imagination and creativity.

“Our boarders and our obstacles can only do two things. #1 Stop us in our tracks. Or #2 force us to get creative.” Amy states in the video that most may see what happened to her as a disability but she says her “legs did not disable but enabled her,” to be more creative, courageous, and truly propel her off of the boarders.

Finally I just want to restate Amy’s lasting message; She believes “that our imagination can be used to break down boarders, because in our minds we can do anything, and be anything. Its believing in those dreams and facing our fears head on that allows us to live our lives beyond our limits.”

Take some time and view her inspiring story

http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_purdy_living_beyond_limits.html

Peace & Blessings

-RB