Lean InWith Casey Grey
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Physically, we are in winter right now. It’s not a surprise. We’re coming towards the end of January and it’s Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. But people still complain and people still aren’t prepared for when it shows up.
But not everybody complains. There are many people who are prepared and who do make the most of the winter. They go skating on the canal. They go snowshoeing in the Gatineau Hills. They plan a ski trip with friends. They go tobogganing with their kids. They make the most out of a season that many run away from. The economy and life are the same. There are seasons that come and go and they never stop. It’s a continuous cycle. How would your life change if you planned for the seasons? If you made the most of the season no matter what? Winter can be the greatest season of all if you plan for it to be. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
I remember being in a restaurant with my wife last year where we were marvelling at the decor. Hanging on the wall directly beside our table was a beautiful mirror with what looked to be a hand carved wood frame.
If that mirror was hand carved by a person today, the amount of time it would take would likely be dozens of hours. What the person would need to charge for this mirror to make even a modest income would price this mirror out of reach for the majority of the population. That being said, the person would only need to find one buyer of the almost 8 billion people on earth. I believe we all have an artist within us. There's something inside of us that the world needs (or perhaps just one person needs). Whatever it is, If you keep your artist bottled up inside of you, you're doing the world a disservice. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
Last year, I started an adult gymnastics course and I’m still loving it. Alex MacInnis does a fantastic job teaching and explaining the purpose for everything.
One of the things that Alex talks about is the importance of strength. Yes, we want to be flexible but flexibility without strength can cause injuries. One without the other is also a lack of control. This is true for life. The person who is most flexible is in control however that person also needs to be strong when it counts. Life is unpredictable. We may think that we're in control but the truth is that the only thing we really have control over is how we act or react in any given situation (and most of us have trouble controlling ourselves). We may think we have control over external things or people but that is an illusion... Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
We often hear people talk about the importance of YES. "Say yes and figure it out later!" is something that comes up often in the world I'm in. Although I agree with this statement, I think we need to counter balance those yeses (is that a word?) with some nos.
For every yes you say, you’re saying no to something else. So make sure you want to do this thing you are saying yes to. You need to protect your most important asset, your time, and keep it for what is most important to you. Where can you bring more NO into your life in order to make more room for the big YES? Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
Work and fun are interesting words. What is considered work to one person could be fun to another. Work can also carry some negative feelings around it as a good portion of the population does not like what they do for "work".
I find myself "working" a lot but it's not work to me in the typical way you may think of work. I love what I do. It's all fun for me. Yes, there are times, especially as an entrepreneur, when I need to focus on things that are not fun however those times usually set me up for even more fun down the road. Those are the times that I grow the most. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
I love Mondays!
What comes to mind when you hear, "Oh, looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays." It's unfortunate that most of our society associates this with a negative feeling. If somebody is in a bad mood and it's Monday, it's okay. That's expected because it's Monday. Why do we accept this? More importantly, if this is true, why would that person continuously put themselves through the pain of feeling this way every Monday? Mondays are the gauge for my life. If I ever start to dread waking up Monday or If I start living for the weekends, there's something wrong. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
Our environment has a huge impact on who we are and what we do. Our environments will force us to create habits whether we're aware of them or not. Habits can make us or break us. They're either serving us or hurting us.
One of the things I like to do is design my environment to win. If I want to start flossing, I will put the floss beside my toothbrush or in a location where it catches my eye. If I want to eat healthy, I will purchase healthy food and keep all the junk food out of the house. If I want to stay consistent with my workout, I will join a club where people pull me to be better. If I want to stay off social media then I will install a program on my computer which prevents me from going on social media. If I want to stop watching TV, I will get rid of my TV. If I want to read more, I will put books in places I will see them or listen to audiobooks while I drive. You get the point… I believe a big part of habits is self awareness. If you know what triggers your bad habits, you can avoid those triggers. On the flip side, if you know what triggers your empowering habits, you can put yourself in those situations more often. How can you improve your environment today? Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
Trying... What a useless word.
I admit, I'm guilty of using this word. I'm trying to remove this from my vocabulary... Wait... I WILL remove this from my vocabulary. I don't see any use for it. I'm either going to do the task I have set out to do or I'm not. I'm committed or I'm not. I'm strong enough or I'm not. There's no in between. Do it or don't do it. If I think back to when I use this word, it's either when I don't really want to do something or I'm not confident I'm able to do it. In either case, it's usually just a mind shift that's required or a commitment. Let's work together to remove this word-that-shall-not-be-said from our lives. Let's replace it with something that empowers us! Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
I'm baffled when people tell me they CAN'T do something.
I can't lose weight. I can't quit my job. I can't start a business. I can't go on vacation. I can't quit smoking. I can't quit eating meat. I can't buy a new car. I can’t control my kid. I can't. I can't. I can't. The truth is that people do these things every single day. People who say they can't are CHOOSING not to do these things. They are choosing to prioritize something else. Which is totally fine if that's what they want to do! Just stop saying that you can't, because you can. Our brain is a powerful tool that, if used properly, can propel us. If used improperly, it will keep us stuck. The thing about our brain is that it does not want to be wrong. If you tell it you can't do something, it will say, "you're right! Let me tell you all the reasons you can't do that." BUT… The same thing is true when you say, "I can and I will." Your brain will say, "Alright! Let's figure out how to do this!" Just like going to the gym you need to exercise the brain. You need to train it. You need to start with the 5 pound dumbbells and work yourself up to the 100 pound dumbbells. Increase that weight every day. Remove CAN'T from your vocabulary and watch the magic that happens in your life. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players.
One of the things I enjoy doing with my son is watching animated movies. It's the little kid in me I guess. What I love most about these animated movies is the message in them. Every once in a while there's a really good one that truly stands out.
The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) is one that stood out! There are so many amazing messages throughout the movie and it was truly captivating. The one that stood out for me was, "Growing up is not the problem. Forgetting is." It's a reminder to focus on what is most important. To focus on the people whose lives I can have a positive impact on as opposed to the number of followers I have on instagram. To have fun, be a kid, smile, laugh and cry. To be present with the person in front of me. To write and talk about what inspires me. To approach everyday with a sense of excitement, curiosity and willingness to serve. And a willingness to have fun. Remember what it was like to be a kid. Remember how magical the world was. Remember how big the world was. Remember how easy it was to have fun. Remember the power of the imagination. Remember that you’re never too old to be a kid. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, Spotify, Stitcher or any other of your favourite podcast players. |
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