Sometimes we don’t realise how much we could use an extra 3, 6 or 10 hours sleep. We stay on the treadmill of doing more even if some, or many, of those things are unimportant.
If you cut your sleep short most days, by going to bed late or getting up early, or both, then once in a while have a duvet day. You might just be surprised at how refreshed you feel.
Think about all that you could smile about. Put some effort in. Perhaps you have decent health without much effort. Maybe you have good relationships. It might even be that you have more money at the end of the month than expenses.
These are all great reasons to smile. Start smiling as you wake up and as you go through the day. Train the smile muscles, both in your mind and on your face. Your life will improve in line with your efforts in this area.
What a match!! Edge of the seat, nail-biting stuff. It’s never over till it’s over. It was arguably the best World Cup final match we’ll ever see.
Congratulations to Argentina. And very well done to France. An enthralling match between two of today’s best teams and players in the world.
Strong memories can pull you in with great or horrific feelings associated with those moments.
I just pictured an incredibly strong memory of mine when I was about 12. I was playing “rocks” with my cousins at my grandparents place on the path just outside the pool house. Fun and carefree times. It’s like a photograph burned into my mind. Occasionally it’s a short movie.
Strong memories like that feel great and bring a smile to my face.
It just happens at different times and under different circumstances. Some pain you can prevent. Others are out of your control. But know which is which so you can adjust accordingly.
If you have to ask why, it’s already too late.
Sometimes you simply need a little rest. You may not always know why, but your mind and body will know.
Some of the more common reasons you’ll need a rest are: reduced sleep over the last 1-5 days, recent physical exertion, minor cold or flu coming on, minor infection somewhere, exhaustion (from long hours working (mental or physical), relief (from stress or after pushing your limits for awhile), ageing and occasionally it comes down to simple dehydration.
Whatever the reason, listen to your body. Have a rest. If the need for rest persists for several days and you can’t attribute it to anything specific, check in with your doctor. You could be low in iron or have something more challenging that needs medical attention.
You can be paid more per hour but you’ll work fewer hours. Or the company will need to reduce staff altogether and you may be one of those affected.
Employees will make more if wages go up, so margins will reduce and shareholders will be affected by reductions in dividends and/or share prices.
There always seems to be easy answers. However, that is rarely the case. Tough decisions need to be made after careful assessment and an understanding of how best to balance the various constraints and options.
Never? Really? You probably know. You might not want to admit it though.
Face the brutal facts of reality. Assess them. Make a plan. Execute. (The plan…)
This can be so difficult to identify. Have you ever tried to untangle your thoughts and feelings about even a simple sentence said by someone else?
Each word spoken can have different meanings or perspectives and be bound by different time constraints by the speaker or listener. Take the following sentence, for example: “He was so demanding of his children, it seemed cruel at times.”
There are so many ways to look at these words and I will mention a few here. What does “was” mean really? Could it be he was that way once, when the speaker saw it? Perhaps he was like that occasionally, often or always?
The word “demanding” can be used with different context. Demanding can mean high standards and in a good way. I would want the head of engineering at an airline, or my neurosurgeon, to be demanding of their team and tools.
Although, demanding at the other extreme could indicate harshness, cruelty, and unnecessary rigour.
How old or capable are his children? It can make a big difference if they are 3 or 38 years old or have some mental or physical limitations versus someone without those extra challenges.
Whose definition of cruel was being used? Was it challenging in the short term but would be more helpful in the longer term?
So much interpretation can go into one sentence. A person can misunderstand or misinterpret it with relative ease. It would be wise to guard against that. Ask more questions with less judgement or leading commentary.
Trying to understand what someone was thinking is quite different to trying to attribute a thought or sentiment to someone just because it’s what you want to hear and believe, through your biased lens, that that is what they meant.
