AYD - July 22, 2014 - Self Challenge

Tough Love Tuesday

"If you cannot be positive, then at least be quiet."
- Joel Osteen

Challenge yourself today to one thing .... should you find yourself in a rut, or in a negative moment, make the attempt to not add your voice, or your energy to the growing black hole.

Instead, hold back and observe.  Is there any good that can come to you, from just being another sound whose enunciation of the issue is muffled by dark chatter?  Listen, and look for the sense to be found.

There is no progress to be made by simply being a Re-run Voice on an issue.  We need to pause, review what we know, see what we cannot change and in the time we reserve being quiet, we may just hear an idea for a solution.

When dark clouds are upon us, we do not need to reach for a darker pencil to fill them in.

Good morning, Greater day.
Greater You, Is a break in the clouds for someone else.

Pierre Couturier
Husband, Daddy and Author to my Day.

AYD - July 17,2014 - Apply and Become

"Whatever you are, be a good one."
- Abraham Lincoln

Let that sink in.  Explore the idea of it within yourself.

In the industry I am in right now, I started out sweeping floors.  Not something that would motivate a 19 year old in the morning.  Then one day, someone showed me properly how to sweep the floor.  Technique ... and a little understanding as to the value of doing it right.  How that simple act had benefits to the others working in that area.

An understanding was born.  An seed for the concept of appreciation and self respect was planted.

Later I kept my job because of the simple lesson I was shown, and my effort to sweep the floor properly and stay busy.  Simple task, simple increase in awareness, simple and easy increase in effort and caring.

Simple concept ... no matter what you do, or want to do.  Apply yourself even a little more, and you will succeed in ways you are not even aware of, and will benefit in ways you cannot count. 

Good morning, Greater day.
Greater you, is without need of explanation.

Pierre Couturier
Applying Husband, applying daddy, and working at being a good author to my day.

AYD - July 11, 2014 - I Can See! I Can See!

"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak."
- Hans Hoffman

For a cluttered, too-many-things-on-the-go-at-the-same-time kind of guy like me this statement today is gold.  Very obvious, but still gold. Like flipping thru a yearbook and seeing the 20 years ago version of yourself... always there, but always "Ahhhhh" when you see it again.

 I am often like those old little Family Circle cartoons where they show the mom asks the boy to do something simple, like take the plate to a table, and they show you with a dotted line his wonderful adventure in out up down all around the neighborhood before he finally gets the plate 6 feet to the table.  Oh look!  A squirrel.

Yup...that's me. Past life I was a dog I am sure.  But I am aware of the simplicity by which we can "find" our priorities and flick the neon sign on to keep us focussed again... even for a momen....Squirrel!!

Step One - Stop .... and Take a deep breath.  It is essential to come to a complete Mind Stop.  ( Try that later today, when something gets going, like a coworker, just say "Mind Stop!"  but try it with a friend before you pull that one on the boss.)

Step Two - Admit it... say, "Self...we have a problem."  We have to identify that we know we have too much on the go, and we need to realign our wants and needs with the - here, now and "that's not even relevant until next year."  You should notice a weight being lifted already. See?  Simple.

Step Three - As the fog is lifting, pick out the shapes of the items on your Do List that are now not overlapped like a pile of pick up sticks and sort them to their catagory.  Once you see a task by itself and not under a pile of others, it is easier to asign priority level to it.  I am revising my To Do list as I write this.

Step Four - Repeat, Deep Breath.  Already feels better.

Step Five - Once you have things mentally, or paper to pen catagorized let the necessary items "Speak".  Washing my truck is a Sunday thing and all the sub tasks for it like buying the polish, getting the Shop Vac etc...are not necessary right now on Friday... so shush those items.  "Friday Family Fun Night" has it's hand raised and is squirming to say something more important.  This is my 'necessary'.

Step Six - Relax into Action.  You have simplified your Do list and self expectations. You have taken a breath to stop the race and can see the tornado is dissipating. 

 I have focussed on Task lists.  Start there.  And when you feel more of the unnecessary is out of the way, you will feel more simplified and less burdened with other areas and feelings as well.

Good morning, Greater day.
Greater you, has become more of the necessary.

Pierre Couturier
Husband, Daddy, and Author to my Day.

AYD - July 10, 2014 - The Contribution of a Great You

"If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way."
- Napoleon Hill

Go forth today and be You - but be a damn good You.

Your contribution of this brings value to all those whose appreciation you have earned, and those who may need to see that it can be done.

Good morning, Greater day.
Greater you, is your inspiring contribution.

Pierre Couturier
Husband, Daddy and Author to my Day