Two Questions to Ask Today!
Just for today, why not try and have an Appreciative Inquiry day?
- Appreciation means to recognize and value the contributions or attributes of things and people around us.
- Inquiry means to explore and discover, in the spirit of seeking to better understand, and being open to new possibilities.
Put the two together and this means that by appreciating what is good and valuable in the present situation, we can discover and learn about ways to effect positive change for the future. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Of course it’s not quite that simple, especially if we have got stuck in another way of behaving. But if you practice it does become easier, I promise!
Have a go at it for the next 24 hours. Think of it as your Pollyanna personna!
Your two questions for today are:
- What is working well in my life, what is good?
- How can I do more of it?
That’s it! Just two simple questions. Give it a whirl and let me know how you get on. No negativity allowed all day…
Photo Credit: Andrejs Pidjass
Change Your Future with This Simple Exercise
When you look back, what will you see? Will you be looking back in anger, sorrow, or joy?
The future is yours to create, right now.
Your Personal Development Exercise
Take a few moments to imagine yourself five or ten years from now. You’re sitting in a cafe, with a friend and you’re both reminiscing. Maybe you have a glass of chilled wine, or a mug of coffee or a cup of tea.
You’re really happy with what you’ve achieved over these last few years. You listen contentedly to your friend describing her life and now it’s your turn. What are you going to say? What do you want to see when you look back and share some significant events in your life? What would make you proud of yourself?
Focus for a few moments on the following key areas in your life and consider what, if anything, you want to change:
- Significant Others?
- Career?
- Where you live?
- Friends or family?
- Places you have visited?
- Hobbies or pastimes?
- Add your own…
What do you have to do now, this week, this month or this year to make those reflections become a reality? To allow yourself to look back in JOY, to be proud, content and fulfilled in your life?
Photo Credit: Ivan Freaner
Could Mondays Change Your Life?
Here’s a quick exercise to help you make this week really count!
It’s Monday, most people are back from holiday, schools are back, the traffic is flowing fast and furiously again and soon the shops will be full of seasonal delights! Time passes pretty fast, doesn’t it?
So make this week count. Don’t let it pass you by in a haze of things you always do. Don’t live the next seven days without thought. Take about 30 minutes out of your schedule now to think about something you can do each day of this coming week which will either enhance the quality of your life, or the life of someone else. They don’t need to be big things, nothing dramatic, but they do need to be things you have given some thought to.
Actions Speak louder Than Thoughts!
For example, you may decide to send a delightful card to cheer someone who is unwell? Or you may decide to find out just what is your position re a sabbatical from work? Or you may buy a bunch of flowers for someone who helped you last week? Sign up for a class which will give you an edge in your field? Work out how much you really need to live on? Plan in some time to discuss your future with your partner? Actually read that self help book? Give it a little thought and jot the seven actions down – writing helps reinforce intention.
And in amongst the seven, there may be one small thing you do which may set you off on a brand new, exciting path. Maybe, just maybe, this week will be a significant date for you when you didn’t just do what you’ve always done….and changed your life!
Do share any thoughts with us!
