How does your desk environment support your spirit?  Is there a lot of clutter there?  Personally, I find that all those post-it notes, paper with reminder to self, and documents waiting to be read or dealt with create a great deal of stress and distraction.  One effective technique was to get organized so that only the item being worked on is on the desk. Everything else was filed in some way that was very close at hand.

Another technique is to place some item(s) on the desk that reminds us to stop for a moment, breathe and meditate for a moment.  This is what i see on my desk.  I light this candle just before my coaching sessions to help me get grounded and focused.

A reminder to breathe & meditate

Recently, my friend Deborah Redfern showed the view she sees out her office window in her blog, mentioning how she gets a lift from it.  This inspired me to give some thought to easy ways that we can recharge ourselves during our work day.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting some ideas for everyone to try. Do you make the best use of your coffee break and lunch hour?  Please do send me any techniques that you have found helpful.

Third Age explorers have been examining the concept of self-renewal as a means of creating and maintaining the kind of vitality that keeps us active and engaged in the world around us. Regenerative activities are active, rather than passive, and therefore we need to move away from the television set toward Play and Creativity as suggested by Hudson’s fourth adult passion.

Play tends to bring out the spontaneous child in us and having fun and laughter have long been known for their healing results. It is an  important aspect of happiness and health.  Engagement in games such as Bridge or Cash Flow not only exercises the brain, but helps to maintain connection with friends and colleagues.  “Games”, says Albert Einstein, “are the most elevated form of investigation” and investigation can lead to wonderful discoveries that keep our curiosity active.  When is the last time you played a game with family or friends?

Creativity is way more than playing at crafts.  It has been defined as an interaction between a person, a process and a new product that observers agree is of value. It can also be described as an inner experience brought to an outer expression and is therefore seen as a central source of meaning in our lives.  The elements in the process of creativity make it a very stimulating pursuit:

• Recognizing patterns
• Making connections
• Taking risks
• Challenging assumptions
• Taking advantage of chance
• Seeing new ways

These questions posed by Tom Crocket in The Artist Inside, will help you get in touch with your own creativity.   When was the last time you made music?  When did you last dance?  What was the last story you told?  When was the last time you engaged in the “work” of art?  How did you feel while engaged in these activities?

How have you been expressing yourself?

This morning I attended a High Voltage Breakfast Workshop with Surge Strategies Group. The topic (What’s Love Got To Do With It:  Attracting & Retaining Talent) was of particular interest to me because my business associate Marilyn Henigman of SearchWise and I have been concerned with promoting the Silver Collar Worker as an immediate source of talent that tends to get overlooked.

When the discussion came round to what needs to happen to retain good talent, I found myself speaking about a wonderful project and a wonderful team that I once worked with.

I was asked what made it so wonderful.  Well there were a number of factors;
•    The team leader (Kathleen Betteridge) had a vision that attracted us to the project;
•    We became a team very quickly, as we explored that vision together;
•    The team leader treated us as though we were the cream of the crop, even though we were new to the project and required lots of background and training;
•    The team leader found the funds and support within the organization to provide us with cutting edge training;
•    Quickly other members of the team took up various aspects of leadership in the project;
•    Despite the fact that the team was spread across a wide geographical area, attention was given to ways that members could support and share information and tools with one another;
•    The team leader and other members of the team provided encouragement when the chips were down and celebration for successes.  We all shared in the joys and sorrows of our work.
•    When the project was over, all members of the team were recognized publicly for the work that we did.  The picture you see above and below represents the glass statue that was presented to each of us.

In a nutshell, what the above represents are three things that have inspired me since then.  The leader must have a vision and be authentic.  The whole team must experiment and explore together as they develop the project. All members must connect emotionally, being willing to give and receive support.

The statue sits in a very prominent place in my office as a constant reminder of these important factors that make people fulfilled in their career and happy in their workplace.

I often think of the impact that Kathleen and the other members of the team have had on both my personal and professional life and I  thank them all.

Yesterday while working with my Morning Pages and Virtues Cards, I drew the Confidence card. Popov defines confidence as “having faith in ourselves and in life.”

I got to wondering why my confidence level tends to ebb and flow. Sometimes I feel ready to just “give ‘er” while there are other times when I feel down and wondering what’s the point. So i decided to do a bit of a reflection on the subject.

What are the indicators of confidence? Externally, we see

• A physical demeanour that shows attention to detail in the way we take care of ourselves - hair, teeth, clothing, overall look.
• Straight posture, purposeful stride
• Ready smiles and clear, interested eyes
• Our connections with others have energy and enthusiasm
• New business, career, personal opportunities are coming in
• A wide circle of friends and colleagues

Internally, we feel

• Optimistic about the future
• Satisfaction with our personal life
• On top of things - being organized and unhurried
• Gratitude for what life offers
• Able to see the positive aspects of what who surrounds us

What makes our confidence slip? I notice that mine slips when my close personal relationships are a little off or business results are lagging behind and I’m having feelings of rejection. Then I give my greatest fears about my abilities too much attention and allow in pessimistic thoughts about the other activities in my life. They all seem to run together.

What are the best ways to boost up that drooping confidence? I’ve found that a walk on a beautiful trail or the beach helps me clear away negative feelings. Then an inspirational book or conversation helps to build energy and optimism. I’ve also noticed that removing negative words from my verbal and mental vocabulary helps to maintain my self-confidence. Meditation helps to sort out my feelings and visualization of success brings the strength to move toward my goals.

What techniques do you use to maintain your confidence reserves?

We hear this word a lot these days. My own by-line says “It’s important to do what you love - with passion”

Many books and web sites are written about finding your passion, but maybe the place to begin is to discover what it means to you. Is it a hobby or pass time? Is it your life’s work? Is it addressing some very important lacking? Is it emotional reward? Does it sooth you? Does it challenge you? There seem to be lots of ways to define it.

The next time you are sitting in the sunshine with nothing to do but just be…why not give your passion some thought. What does it mean? What does it do for you? What is your passion? You could do some journaling on the topic, or it could be the subject of an artistic activity.

Here’s a challenge for everyone:  Let’s create a list of 100 WAYS TO RE-CHARGE.  I found 57 ways to re-invent yourself in Susan Crandell’s  book, Thinking About Tomorrow - Re-inventing Yourself in Midlife . and it got me to thinking about the many ways we recharge ourselves.  We don’t have to re-invent ourselves to get a new lease on life and work.   What can you add?  Here’s my list:

1. Explore/study/read about intuitives. You may think it’s hokey, but It helps to open our minds to new ways of thinking about our world - medical, spiritual, indigo children.
2. Mentor a new Canadian. We have so much to share and new Canadians are so receptive.
3. Teach others how to do something. Seeing others grow and learn is so invigorating.
4. Become a  life long learner.  Take courses, get a tutor, set a reading plan, join a book club - try new subjects to you.
5. Learn to play a musical instrument, including your voice.  It puts harmony in your life
6. Learn a language.  Encourage your children or grandchildren to join you.
7. Trace your family history.  It enhances your sense of connection to your roots.
8. Join or start a community choir. We all crave community these days, and this can be such a healing experience.  To learn more about the Gettin Higher Choir in Victoria.
9. Take up a new sport. Get some instruction first, then join a team or create one if it’s an individual sport.
10. Trade homes with someone in another city or country. Great way to learn about other cultures and connect.
11. Volunteer in pre-school or elementary school. Find you inner child;  their energy is infectious.

Are you up for the challenge?

Have you ever wondered why you begin to feel fatigued and foggy at work? Do you find yourself leaving your desk and heading for the office coffee pot thinking the coffee will wake you up? My business friend Astrid Whiting of Synergenix Fitness has some very interesting advice for us about hydration. Why not take a minute to view her YouTube session on Hydration. You’ll be glad you did!

Have you ever wondered why some people burnout, while others do not?  A recent study of health care workers by Georgia Pomaki , a postdoctoral fellow in the Dept. of Psychology, UBC indicates that people who pursue positive goals tend to do well, while others whose goals entail just keeping their head above water tend to burn out or get sick.  This seems to support the notion that controlling one’s thoughts is the best way to succeed and be healthy.  Another example of the Law of Attraction (you get what you think about whether desired or not- Losier)

The question is, how does one remain positive when everything around you looks negative?  When does the employer need to take action to improve the work atmosphere?  When does the employee need to start over in a different situation?  Where is the breaking point?

How do you deal with stress and overwhelm? According to Bill Harris in Thresholds of the Mind there are three ways people typically deal with its energy:

1. Dissipating it. There is such an energy build up that the body’s natural safety valves take care over. Some will find crying or emotional outburst does the trick, while others will move into physical activity such as running, sex or becoming more busy. Still others just need to talk it out.
2. Blocking it. This is the attempt to keep more of its energy from entering the system, and requires the shutting down of all systems. Some will go to ground in some way to be alone, others will become ill and others will become incapacitated with depression.
3. Distracting it. This is pretending the stress is not there by medicating with alcohol, drugs or food, hours of TV or computer games, immersion in some hobby, or reading

The next time you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, ask yourself the following:

• What is the source of this stress?
• What needs to be changed so that this does not arise again in the future?
• How can I reduce its energy in a healthy way?