[CCU] Seek and Sustain Clarity
In this issue: To create the life and career of your dreams you need
to master the ability to seek and sustain Clarity
UNLEASHED!
Business Newsletter
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TUNE IN FOR A HOT
FLASH!
If you attended this
week’s "Successful Careers for Genre Busters(TM)" interview with Dr. Barry Morris
you know how much fun it was!
Well get ready for
another informative and provocative conversation!
JOIN me and my good
friend Dr. Trude Diamond, who’s the driving force behind the workplace and
political Blog called "Hot Flash".
On November 21st
join us to find out how Trude has married a successful corporate career while
building a career as a writer.
To join send a blank
e-mail to gb-interest@aweber.com
==============================
SEEK and SUSTAIN
CLARITY
This issue begins an
8-part series that examines the actions you need to master and continually
practice in order to build a successful career and life as a Genre Buster(TM).
Last week I outlined
those Right Actions which are represented by the acronym C.R.E.A.T.I.V.E:
C – Clarify
R – Research
E – Explore
A – Analyze
T – Tabulate
I – Implement
V – Valuate
E – Echo
In a moment, learn how
to Seek and Sustain Clarity . . .
QUOTATIONS
"Clarity of mind means clarity of
passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees
distinctly what he loves." -
Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, philosopher, and physicist.
"Making an
Inner Journey is risky business – it can transform your life." – Sheldon Kopp, psychotherapist,
in "Blues Ain’t Nothing but A Good Soul Feeling Bad"
"More important than the quest for
certainty is the quest for clarity."
- Francois Gauthier, French Politician
SEEK and SUSTAIN
CLARITY
Have you ever driven in
the fog?
Nothing feels familiar.
It’s dark. Shapes loom but you’re uncertain what they are. Sounds are muffled.
You feel lost. Scared. You creep along. Then
the fog thins. The light glimmers. Suddenly, the fog is gone. You can see again!
The world has colour and texture. Your path is clear. Relief sets in. The fear
drains away. You feel energized. You can speed up. And, you’re on your way.
Life’s like that isn’t
it?
You can be bopping
along. Enjoying life. Doing what you love. When suddenly, or seemingly so, you
find yourself in a Fog.
Has that ever happened
to you?
I’ve told you my story.
Unfortunately, my story isn’t that rare. Over the last 20 years I’ve coached
dozens of professionals. And, I’ve seen bright, successful men and women go
from confident to confused, from clear to fuzzy, and from certain to lost.
The precipitating
causes have been different: a downsizing, a divorce, a death, a retirement, or
a decision to follow their bliss.
The result however has
been the same: Depression, confusion, no energy – the Fog had arrived.
Is your career and life
in a Fog? Or, maybe you’re just a little bit fuzzy? Do you yearn for clarity?
Here are 3 steps you
can take to seek clarity:
1. STOP
If you’ve driven in a
thick "Pea Souper" you know that the smartest thing you can do is to STOP.
Several years ago some drivers near
Windsor,
in South Western Ontario, Canada, didn’t the result: a multi-car pileup that
became a raging inferno that killed more than a dozen people and melted the
highway.
You need to do the same
thing with your career and life. Keeping going might just lead to disaster and
a flame out! It did in my life. And, I don’t want it to happen to you. So,
stop. Take a breath or sixteen. Then…
2. LISTEN
So, you’ve decided to
stop running on empty. What now? It’s time to listen. No. Not to others. But,
to the urgings of your heart. It’s time to pay attention to that wee small
voice inside. Hark! Can you hear him or her? Is s/he crying? What is s/he
saying? You’ll never know if you don’t listen.
3. LOOK
Listening will take you
inside. Only after you hear the voice inside does it make sense to look
outside. Your Inner Voice will then ensure that you look, focus on the ‘right’
things, the right people, and the right clues.
Okay, so you’ve begun to
seek clarity. What now?
Now, you need to
continue these practices. Why?
I don’t know about you.
But, nothing’s been as devastating to me as getting clear about what I wanted,
only to lose focus, to lose sight of my vision, to wind up back in The Fog.
Here are 3 daily
practices you can implement to help sustain clarity.
1. TAKE A
WALK
I start my day early.
And, the first thing I do is to go for a 1-hour walk. There are several
benefits in this. The exercise helps my health and keeps the pain at bay. I get
a chance to review the previous day and see it differently. Often, new insights
lead to new ideas or better yet letting to of resentment and anger. I think
about my dreams. I recharge my heart, mind, and soul. And, I reconnect with my
Spiritual parts.
2. TAKE A
BREAK
I used to work full
out: 10 to 12 hours a day. I’d go without lunch. I’d rush home. Tear off to
church or to ministering to the congregation or to shopping or doing chores at home.
It nearly killed me!
Now, I take frequent
breaks during the day. Sometimes I go sit on the deck and watch the cat play or
just stroll around the yard. Other times I go for a 10-minute walk around the
block.
Oh, and I always,
always stop for lunch. I will take short drive to pick our business mail. Our
mailbox is in a mall next to one of the reservoir’s which holds our city water
supply. On nice days, I’ll go for a 15 to 20 minute walk along the water’s
edge.
3. TAKE A
BATH
I suffer a lot of
muscle stiffness and resulting pain from my Fibromyalgia. When I sit for hours
typing I get stiffer and cold. Sometimes, when I come home from a meeting, I’m
strung out and stressed – the traffic here can be nuts. So, I run a hot bath,
dump in some Epsom salts, lay back, and relax! AHHHH! The stress floats away.
Let’s sum up. You start
by seeking clarity. Then you sustain clarity through daily practices.
Easy breezy, right!
No! These ARE simple
steps. And, they are easy to do. BUT, you may find them hard to sustain. I know
I do sometimes
But, if you persist
they will become part of your life, part of your habits. If you still find yourself struggling or in a Fog — get a coach.
Until next time,
Lyle Lachmuth MS
(Organization Development)
The Unsticking Coach(TM)
Your Talents > Your
Career >> Your Life >>> Your Way! (TM)
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
PRIVACY POLICY: I will not rent, trade, or sell your name and
contact information to anyone, at any time, for any reason!
CAVEAT: CREATIVE
CAREERS UNLEASHED and its publisher, are not engaged in providing therapy. This
newsletter is provided for informational purposes only.
CREATIVE CAREERS
UNLEASHED may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety only, including
copyright, legal, and contact information and only with live links intact.
Copyright 2006 Lyle T.
Lachmuth, All Rights Reserved
