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Marsh’s Mindstreaming Message

June 26, 2009 by admin  
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The Essentials

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”   As I read the words of Martin Luther King Jr. I’m reminded of real greatness.  And, I connect with a sense of real gratitude.   Gratitude.  Greatness.   The path to greatness begins and ends with gratitude.   But how is it that we can cultivate a depth of gratitude?   How can we experience more love?   How can we live a purposeful life?  

In my study of Japanese psychology I found a simple practice of self reflection, The Naikan Reflection.  The practice is designed to help us grow gratitude by asking ourselves three questions that provide a foundation for deepening our relationships with others.    

The Three Questions:

  • What have I received?
  • What have I given?
  • What difficulties have I caused?

How is Life Loving Me?  In the first question: ‘What have I received?’ we begin by examining our relationship with another and what we have received:  My partner made me fresh squeezed juice this morning.  A colleague sent me a thoughtful card.  A man at the convenience store opened the door for me.   These are all simple actions.  Or, are they?  Often we take such things for granted. We hurry through our day giving little attention to all the “little” things we are receiving.  But, as we notice what we receive from others, we become present in the awareness of how we have been supported and cared for.  This awareness brings with it a deeper sense of gratitude. Without a conscious shift of attention to the myriad ways in which the world supports us, we risk our attention being trapped by only problems and obstacles.   

How Am I Loving Life?  Next we take a look at ‘What have I given?’   The world needs your gifts and talents more that ever before.  Now is a time of sharing with others.   Among that sharing can be words of encouragement, a friendly smile, a thoughtful call.  What are your gifts?  Are you giving them freely?    

Am I Doing the Best I Can?  The third and final question is the most challenging ‘What difficulties have I caused?’   Mostly we are aware of how other people cause us inconvenience or difficulty. Perhaps somebody cuts us off in traffic, or maybe the person in front of us in line at the grocery has a lot of purchases and we are kept waiting.  We notice these times. But when we are the source of inconvenience, we often don’t notice it at all.  By bringing our attention to the times we contribute to creating difficulties for others, we bring into balance the times of inconvenience we experience.    How do we live a purposeful life of gratitude?    Perhaps Martin Luther King Jr. says it best:  He asked not to be remembered for his hundreds of awards and recognitions.  Rather he asked to be remembered for the driving inspiration of his life, “I’d like for somebody to say, that Martin Luther King Jr. tried to love somebody … I want you to say that I tried to love and serve humanity.”    

About Marsh Engle Marsh Engle is a Speaker, Coach, Author, Master Motivation Teacher who offers the Essential Power Tools for Success.  Passionate about igniting the authentic power and purpose of all people, Marsh Engle has spent over a decade facilitating hundreds of hours of coaching – especially to women – helping them to discover their purpose and propel inspired action.   The Marsh Engle Show broadcast each week on Voice America Business.  http://www.marshengle.com

 

4 Steps to Living Your Vision

Today’s an anniversary for me.  It’s been eight years since my first book was published.  And, over ten since I began to investigate what allows one person to continuously achieve spectacular outcomes every day without fail while others experience what appears to be an endless stream of bumps along their journey to success.  Here’s what I’ve discovered:  Success is in the quality of our choice of action!

All of the high achievers I’ve met and interviewed have one very important thing in common:  They each have a practiced system of success and it’s one filled with the attitudes, habits, rituals and certainty that serve rather than distract them from their vision.

 
Here’s what else I’ve discovered:  We cannot change what we refuse to see, deny or acknowledge. In other words, it pays big dividends to get real, take pure responsibility and be deeply honest with ourselves.    Know what you require in your life and allow these elements to be your continuous point of reference that guides your quality of choice and action.   The pay-off:  Your actions are inspired, your enthusiasm high and your results in alignment with your greatest vision!

 
Are you ready to bring your vision into focus and empower the actions in your life?   Begin by experimenting with the 4 Steps to Living Your Vision:

1.  INVESTIGATE. Start by taking a look at your current patterns of thought, habits of action and energy depleting attitudes – all of them.  If you are like most of us, it’s very likely that you’ve unconsciously practiced many of the same routines day in and day out your entire life.   ; As you become aware of any limiting habits of thinking, choice of language and actions, take note.  Acknowledge them.  This first step is simply about gaining awareness.  No need to judge.   Simply notice.

2. DECIDE. As you begin to take notice of your conscious and unconscious actions that have become your way of life, decide which ones tend to deplete your creativity and which are empowering and energizing.   The habits and attitudes to hang onto are the ones that propel you forward and serve your highest vision.   In many cases, these are the ones that also positively impact the people around you.   Disempowering ones are those that steal your sense of connection, joy and fulfillment – these are the ones that stand between you and living your vision.

3. REPLACE. Since every choice … including our ways of perception … tend to become routine very rapidly, the best way to eliminate an old disempowering attitude is to replace it with a fresh point of view.    Take a look at limiting behaviors and consider a new way of approach.  Become innovative.   Stretch yourself.  Transform.  Modify your choices and replace them with vibrant new actions.

4. PRIORITIZE. Start with small steps.  Prioritize the patterns that you want to tackle first.  Ask yourself which ones … when altered … will have the greatest impact in your life.   Then, focus on making small changes in those areas of your life.  Remember, what motivates and propels a purpose-full life is your passion and enthusiasm.  Break through the barriers of progress one attitude at a time – as you feel ready.  And, most of all, always keep in mind:  A vision without action is simply a dream.  An action without vision is merely a passing of time.  But vision with action can change your life and the world.

About Marsh Engle
For over a decade Marsh Engle has facilitated hundreds of hours of coaching – especially to women – helping them to discover their unique talents while empowering their ability to bring forth their creative vision and entrepreneurial success.   Her organization, Envision Network, serves as a central uniting place for feminine leaders and their organizations.  In February 2009 she launched Envision Circles, a specialized mentorship program designed to provide women one of the most creative, empowering and transformative periods of their life.

Find out more about Marsh at www.MarshEngle.com

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