I have come to realize that no matter where you are on life’s journey, how young you are or how old you are, we all have the ability to choose who we want to become and the time to start is always right now.

Especially right now.

Choose today who you want to be tomorrow. We always have a choice.

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I choose to be a great husband and father, a great friend, a person who makes a difference in my community and the world, someone who replenishes hope.

I choose to be a sought-after person who helps others navigate and prepare for the non-financial stressors during retirement (identity, purpose, structure, and social connection).

I choose to serve as a fitness coach, helping others achieve their personal fitness goals.

These are lifelong and ongoing choices. Part of who I am and want to be at my core.

These choices are how I intentionally create my life.

👍

Who do you want to become?

Become who you want to be.

You can...

Create your life.

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Do you recognize when you are not being intentional with your choices?

We have a lot going on. We're busy people. It can be easy to get lazy and let things happen "to" us. It can be easy to play the victim.

What if you made a choice to do things intentionally?

For example, how do your values help you reach your goals?

What if you identify your values and then set goals that align with those values?

Put structure into your life to "be" your values.

Intentionally decide how to put your values into action.

Decide how you will live your values.

The choices we make end up making us.

Make intentional choices about where you spend your time and energy.

Do this and witness more verve, vitality, vigor, and vibrancy in your life!

When you do things intentionally, you will

create your life.

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What happens when your values get violated?

During a coaching conversation this week, my client mentioned a situation in which he reacted in a way that surprised him. Our conversation helped him realize his reaction occurred because his value of respect had been trampled on. Our emotional responses to situations often relate back to a dissonance with something core to our being. When something or someone breaches what's important to us, it can cause a stir inside. 💡

The conversation reminded me of how important respect can be.

We show respect for others when we listen to understand, not reply, and without interrupting to say what's on our mind.

We show respect for ourselves when we honor our values or exercise self care.

We show respect when we value other people's opinions and perspectives.

Respect builds relationships and fosters trust.

Where and how do you want to show more respect?

The next time you find yourself reacting strongly, reflect on which of your values got impinged.

Create your life.

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As I get older (and wiser),

I appreciate the value of experiences more and more.

Experiences create lasting memories and stay with us as part of who we are, helping to shape our identity.

Experiences bring us to new places, perhaps help us to learn new skills, and enable us to form meaningful connections which enrich our lives.

Experiences provide fulfillment from shared adventures and perhaps personal milestones.

The joy of an experience lives on as we tell and retell stories.

🙌

My family has enjoyed our share of experiences over the years: camping, excursions near and far, road trips, garage beers with neighbors, walks along the beach, hiking in the woods, volunteering, the list goes on.

(gratitude)

My wife and I generally align on spending habits (thankfully!) and tend to focus on creating experiences and memories.

We recently took advantage of an opportunity to cheer for my alma mater in the College Football Playoff National Championship. #GoIrish

We did not have game tickets and decided to go anyway, for the experience.

We caught up with old friends and met lots of people.

We saw the #NDBand perform a couple of times.

We relished the tremendous energy surrounding the event.

The game's outcome was not what we hoped it would be. 👎

The overall experience made it worthwhile. 👍

When presented with an opportunity, big or small, how do you respond?

Has your appreciation for experiences shifted as you get older?

What stories do you want to tell and retell?

Create your life.

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Want to remain positive and upbeat?

Try to focus on what's good instead of focusing on what's wrong.

The easy path, the path of least resistance, is to keep looking for the good on the surface.

Sometimes you might need to look under the cover.

You might need to search for the good.

The good exists.

Shift your focus there and see what happens.

Focus on what's good and avoid the trap of negativity.

Create your life.

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Snoopy’s got it!

Language matters. The choices we make begin with our personal language.

There is power in how we talk to ourselves. A reframing of negative self-talk leads to an opportunity.

Consider these examples of negative self-talk and their corresponding opportunity:

👉 “I can’t” vs “I won’t” - I can't run a mile. I won't run a mile. (I choose not to run a mile.)

👉 "If only" vs "Next time" - If only I was stronger. Next time, I will build the strength I need.

👉 "It's terrible" vs "It's an experience" - Your dinner experiment is terrible. Your dinner experiment is an experience.

👉 "I should" vs "I could" - I should brush my hair. I could brush my hair (if I chose to brush my hair).

👉 "It's too difficult" vs "It takes time" - It's too difficult to learn a new skill. It takes time to learn a new skill.

What are some examples you have of negative self-talk and the corresponding opportunity?

How we say things, what we say, the words we use, it all matters.

Words especially matter when we're talking to ourselves.

We can choose the words we use.

We can choose a more positive perspective.

We can embrace Snoopy's mindset and choose to live every day.

Create your life.

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The start of a new year brings a sense of freshness and chance for New Beginnings.

As promised last week, I want to share my word that will help me thrive in 2025.

My top candidates for this year's word included: Gratitude, Purpose, Intention, and Discipline.

I chose Gratitude....

Then, during a training class only six days into the new year, we started talking about New Beginnings and helping our clients to set an intention to become an Explorer in their new beginning.

That's when revelation hit.

A resonant chord was struck. 💡

Bam! Boom! Bang!

My word for 2025 is EXPLORE!

This resonates deeply with where I am in life right now.

It feels right.

I want to step into and embrace my own New Beginnings. I want adventure, to cross into the unfamiliar and back again. I want to challenge myself to go beyond my comfort zone. I want to enjoy the journey!

Each year I am amazed at how the right word presents itself.

🤔

Recall that at this time of year, in addition to choosing my word, I also like to reflect on and share the song lyrics from "Everything is Possible Now" by Clouds and Thorns. As the new year gets rolling, these words seem particularly appropriate. This song's upbeat tempo feels good and the words energize my soul.

Everything IS possible now.

💪

"As time rolls on, I won't let life leave me behind. I can see the future coming and man it's such a sight. But time will waste me if I don't stop wasting time.

Let's dream out loud. 'Cause all we know has been turned upside down. Everything is possible now."

🎶

What possibilities exist for you today, this week, this year?

Create your life.

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What New Beginnings are you on the verge of exploring? Do you want help to identify YOUR one word that will enable you to Thrive in 2025? Send me a message! Everything is possible, all you need to do is ask!

☝️

Do you want to thrive in 2025?

🎉

I invite you to start the new year by choosing just One Word that will provide you with clarity, meaning, purpose, and focus throughout the next year. Skip the resolutions that become forgotten within days or weeks (80% of them gone by February).

Resolve to live this year on purpose, not by accident!

Choose One Word that will stick the entire year!

One Word is simple and powerful.

🎆 You will become more aware of your word in everything you do.

🎆 You will benefit personally, professionally, and even while playing.

🎆 You will build new habits focused around your word.

My word in 2024 was Acceptance. I wanted more acceptance of myself as a perfectly imperfect being. I also wanted more acceptance of those around me. With more acceptance would come more grace, more understanding, more compassion, and more love.

Next week, I will share my word for the new year.

What will YOUR word be that will enable you to thrive in 2025?

Create your life.

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How might I help you to identify YOUR one word? Send me a message!

What are the big rocks in your life?

Are you making time for your big rocks or filling in the space with small rocks and sand?

As the year winds down and you look forward to next year, consider your big rocks.

What do you need to do to make room for what is important to you?

Choose to make room for the big rocks.

Create your life.

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As the end of year arrives, give yourself permission to slow down.

Life moves fast. Every day, go, go, go! Hustling from meeting to meeting, rushing to the store, scurrying around from here to there and back again, dropping kids off at school, picking them up again, going to kid's events. We're all so busy doing things.

Ever notice how quickly everyone wants to get somewhere or do something?

What happens when you slow down?

For me, I notice the craziness around me (and sometimes my part in it). I appreciate leaves still on some trees. I notice someone's smile. I listen to the sounds. I observe the good that exists.

What might you notice? What might you appreciate in a different way?

❓

Give yourself permission to slow down so that you can:

👉 enjoy the holiday season with family and friends

👉 assess the last 50-ish weeks

👉 just "be" for a minute (or two)

You probably don't want to find yourself "Running on Empty" like Jackson Browne.

So slow down and do something to refill your cup and recharge.

💡

Here are a few ideas:

👉 take time off from work

👉 shut down the computer 30-60 minutes earlier than normal

👉 take a walk or maybe an extra walk

👉 watch TV or go to a movie

👉 read a book

👉 take a long, intentional breath

Please share what you are doing to slow down this time of year!

Create your life.

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Feedback comes in many forms.

Sometimes we might request it.

Other times, it might be an unsolicited offer.

We might find ourselves providing feedback.

Every time, it is a gift.

Even those times when it's hard to receive in the moment. Or the times we feel challenged to provide what we want to share.

Whether the feedback is positive or constructive, we can always learn from it. That's the gift.

Feedback may indicate that someone (maybe you!) is paying attention and cares.

In cases when no feedback exists, when someone remains quiet, they might not care and you may have already "lost" them or the relationship.

How do you perceive feedback?

Do you rush toward it with open arms?

Or do you hide and hope it doesn't find you?

Do you eagerly look for opportunities to share or do you avoid it altogether, even when positive?

Perhaps you find yourself somewhere in the middle.

Wherever you land on this spectrum, we receive and provide value when we and others share an assessment or observation.

Feedback is a mechanism for us to learn what others are thinking or share what we are thinking. A way to obtain or share an understanding of another's perspective. An approach to convey appreciation.

How do you perceive feedback?

Create your life.

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I want to express my gratitude (feedback!) to Bill for the topic inspiration and Andy for a conversation which was loaded with feedback for me.

Life, that is.

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Life is full of transitions.

Our transitions are often disruptors, sometimes massive change that leads to periods of upheaval, transition, and renewal.

We think our life will be linear and get unnerved when it is not.

Many of us approach life as if there are stages, one followed by another, in some sort of preset order.

Go to college. Get a job. Get a promotion. Get a "better" job. Get married. Have kids. Move to the 'burbs and buy a house. Etc. Etc.

The idea that our lives should be this linear is dead and outdated.

The world around us is filled with chaos and complexity. This much we know.

What about our life? Lots of chaos and complexity exists there, too.

We need to update how we view our life and recognize (accept?) that it's not linear.

The non-linear life includes many transitions, many disruptors.

According to research done by Bruce Feiler, the average person will go through three dozen disruptors in their lifetime and we spend roughly 25 years of our adult lives in some type of transition.

Holy cow!

With so much going on, we must develop the ability to master life's transitions.

The process starts with our ability to notice that we're in a transition.

Transitions come with an ending, a messy middle, and a new beginning.

Which of these areas are you best at handling?

Start there.

Build confidence and then proceed.

Reimagine your transitions.

Create your life.

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Do you want support while navigating transitions? Schedule time for us to chat at https://bit.ly/ms-disc.

I am grateful for family and friends, health, smiles, laughter, sunshine, and family gatherings.

Take a moment today and reflect on those people and things for which you are grateful.

Maybe even take a gratitude walk, 5-10 minutes spent saying thanks for your blessings.

We have much for which to be thankful.

Create your life.

🦃

What do you think?

❓

"Our life begins twice: the day we are born and the day we accept the challenge that our life is essentially ours to choose."

💡

This quote comes from Richard Leider, book author and pioneer of the global purpose movement.

What if we really did have a second life-giving moment?

Or perhaps even more scenarios over the course of our lifetime?

I wrote a few weeks ago about choices.

We each have a choice about how we live our life, how we engage with others, who we decide we want to be.

If we don't make the decision(s), then someone else will decide for us.

In my judgement, living life "by default" is a poor choice.

Yet so many of us choose this route, myself included for different situations during my life.

As an alternative, I suggest that we intentionally consider our values and then take action that aligns with those values.

When I work with coaching clients, one of the first things we do is identify their top values.

That's a good choice, one that leads to a life well-lived, a life of fulfillment, a life of purpose.

What choices have you made?

Remember, choosing not to decide is still making a choice.

Take charge of your life.

Make choices to get more of what you want.

Feel like you were born again.

Accept the challenge.

Create your life.

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"The best way to predict the future is to create it." - Peter Drucker, business/management expert

(This quote gets attributed to Abraham Lincoln, too.)

Too bad the 🎱 and a 🔮 cannot really help you to predict the future.

Bummer, right?! 🤪

This quote continues to resonate with me after many years.

How do you create your future?

I offer that it's all about being intentional.

👍 the choices you make

👍 the media you consume

👍 the small steps you take

👍 who you aspire to be

It's a never-ending journey.

What are you doing to predict your future?

Choose to create it.

No "magic 8-ball" needed.

Be intentional.

You cover a lot of ground by taking one step at a time.

Create your life.

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