This wonderful video about appreciating your inner child was written and drawn by Peter Reynolds of Fablevision in Boston, MA.

(Drawing by Peter Reynolds)

You can view the video at: http://www.fablevision.com/hewasme/HeWasMe_med.mov (It might take a minute or so to download.)

Your inner child holds your hopes and dreams, creative spirit, and authentic self. Make room for him/her in your life.

Thanks to Mimi Graney for sharing this video with me.

Your inner child comments (either on the topic or from your inner child ;-)) are welcome!

I love being wowed.

A few weeks ago, I dropped my car off at the dealer for its 40,000 mile service. Just your run-of-the-mill, ordinary maintenance. The phone call I received from the service department advising me that I needed new tires did not fall into that category.

I wasn’t happy.

I’d already replaced my tires at 15,000 miles (premature wear and tear) … and now I needed new tires again? Seriously?!!

And yet, at the end of the experience I was singing the praises of Johnson Lexus in Raleigh, NC. (Obviously I still am.)

They heard my concerns and acted on them. The solution they offered was more than fair and was executed with minimum inconvenience for me.

No arguing, no excuses, no defensiveness. Their energy simply went towards solving the problem.

It’s rarely the problem that creates friction or dissatisfaction; it’s how you handle it.

Next time you make a mistake, have an unintended impact or otherwise find yourself in the midst of a problem, turn it into an opportunity. Create a Wow experience for someone.

I’ve just returned from my annual Vail, Colorado trip where we had two weeks of perfect weather – warm days and cool nights – a welcome break from this year’s wretchedly hot, sticky summer here in North Carolina.

Every year I seem to have one hike that triggers thoughts on life. Last year’s occurred when I lost my head and followed my friends into the pit of death. Okay, I exaggerate. You can read about it at Would You Follow Your Friends Off A Bridge.

This year’s adventure was the Two Elks Pass trail, an eleven-mile hike that includes a 1,500 foot climb over 1.5 miles. Here’s what I was reminded of during the six hour hike:

• The best way to the top of the mountain is one step at a time.
• It’s okay to rest.
• Hard and fun are not mutually exclusive.
• Savor the effort.
• Enjoy the easy parts.
• When your feet are tired, get a massage.  :-)

As I transition back into “real-life” mode, I plan to keep these front and center. They don’t just apply to hiking!

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”  ~ Aristotle

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. Not only is it one of life’s deep truths but it’s life-changing when you live it.

The last two sentences of Aristotle’s quote show up in all sorts of places. But for my money, the power is found in the first half of his sentiment.

“Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.”

Excellence is an art. There’s no one right way to do it; you have to figure out what works for you.

Excellence doesn’t just happen. First you have to choose each part of your life or each activity in which you want to operate with excellence. Next you must define what that means for you. After that you need to learn the skills involved and define your process and mindset for acting with excellence … that’s training.

And finally you must practice – again and again – until it becomes a habit to act with excellence.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”

What does excellence mean to you? What habits do you have around excellence?

2,200 years ago …
“I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.”
~ Scipio Africanus, Roman General, 235 BC – 183 BC

250+ years later …
“It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
~ Epictetus, Greek Philosopher, AD 55 – AD 135

1,750 years after that …
“What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens.”
~ Ellen Glasgow, Pulitzer Prize- winning American Novelist, 1873 – 1945

And today …
“Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.”
~ John C. Maxwell, Author and Leadership Expert

You are in full control of what you do with what shows up your day and in your life. And that’s what ultimately determines your success and happiness.

Makes you pretty powerful!

Stop. Breathe. 

Not the regular, just-stay-alive process of air into your lungs. Conscious, feel-the-breath-moving-through-your-body, deep breathing.

Sit cross-legged on the floor or in a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Loosely rest your hands on your knees. Close your eyes (but finish this paragraph first!) and take three slow, deep breaths.

In our world of hurry up and go, go, go, mindful breathing will help you feel less stressed and more clear-headed. And it only takes a few moments.

Cultivate a conscious breathing habit. Once an hour, stop and take three slow, deep breaths. Set a recurring task on your electronic to-do list, keep a reminder on your desk … anything that will help you remember.

So simple, so accessible, so powerful.