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Well it’s that time again, when I have the opportunity to stop and reflect on the year that was.
2013 was a big year for the Better Life Coaching Blog, with traffic continuing to build and subscriber numbers increasing.
This blog has been in existence for almost four years now and I’m due to reach 1000 posts early next month.
As I launch into another year, here are the 10 posts that have been viewed the most this year: Read the rest of this entry »
If you feel like a hamster on a wheel and you’re unhappy about:
- the habits you’ve developed,
- the rut you’re in,
- the contribution that you’re making,
- your energy levels,
- your attitude towards life,
- or anything else…
Then celebrate the new year by leaving the past behind and becoming a new you.
Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year and this year has been no exception.
I’ve had an awesome Christmas, with lots of carol services, time off work, outings with the kids, too much food and time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas.
Now that it’s over, I’ve also been thinking that there are a few important themes from Christmas that can carry over to the rest of the year as well.
Here are a few that I can think of:
In the middle of a disastrous season for the Brooklyn Nets, new head coach, Jason Kidd recently said, “Well I think it is getting very close to just accepting losing. We are kind of getting comfortable with losing.”
You won’t win every game that you play.
You won’t get every job that you apply for.
You won’t close every sale that you make a pitch for.
And not every idea that you have will be successful.
There will be times when you won’t always perform to the best or your abilities, times when your opposition will be better and times when circumstances will go against you.
Birth of Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I love Christmas!
It’s a joyful time of year for so many reasons.
It’s a time of giving and receiving.
A time to remember the underprivileged and act with kindness.
A time to spend with loved ones.
A time of wonder when spent in the company of children.
A time of rest, relaxation and too much food.
Most significantly for me, it’s a time of joy as I remember the birth of Jesus.
Dashrath Manjhi was, in many ways, a very unassuming man.
A poor labourer from the Bihar region of India, tragedy struck when his wife died due to a lack of medical treatment. Between his town and the nearest doctor was a mountain that made the trip 70 kilometres long and she was unable to receive necessary treatment for an accident before succumbing to her injuries.
Broken-hearted, but determined not to allow others from his village suffer the same fate, Dashrath spent the next 22 years of his life on a single-minded purpose.
Armed with a hammer, chisel, shovel and wheelbarrow, he worked day and night to single-handedly carve a 360 foot road through the mountain that could be accessed by bicycle and motorbike, dramatically increasing access to schools, markets and medical facilities for his village and 60 others.
What an extraordinary achievement!
Classical composer Gustav Mahler had a tragic past.
As a child, seven of his siblings died before reaching adulthood. His father was a cruel alcoholic and his mother was an invalid.
Then, as a parent himself, his four year-old daughter tragically passed away, breaking his heart in the process.
As a man of Jewish descent, he constantly battled anti-Semitism throughout his career and then one day he was told by his doctor that he had a weak heart and couldn’t expect to live much longer.
In the midst of such pain and tragedy, Mahler was also able to find moments of joy in his life.
As his health deteriorated, he wrote his ninth symphony.
Hayden, Madison and Logan
I love Christmas and always appreciate receiving cards and letters at this time of the year with updates from friends and family regarding the year that’s just passed.
2013 has been another big year in our household, with the kids growing quickly and our business launching on a full-time basis, so here’s our own family update.
It’s the question being asked in vehicles around the world at this time of year.
“Are we there yet?”
“No.”
“Are we there yet?”
“No.”
“Are we there yet?”
“I said no!”
In a slightly different context, let me ask you the same question.
Are we there yet?
Ryan Giggs with another trophy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I watched the Manchester United versus Bayern Leverkusen Champions League match a couple of weeks ago and marveled at the Red Devils’ Ryan Giggs, who was to turn 40 later that week, as he pulled the strings in midfield in United’s 5-0 win.
I’m old enough to remember Giggs when he was still a teenager and his precocious talent burst onto the international football stage. He had marvellous skill and a remarkable burst of speed, but no-one could have imagined that he would still be playing for the same club and at such a high level more than 20 years and 950+ games later.
As a sports fan, I’ve seen many brilliant talents, but it’s rare that they are able to turn that into such an extraordinary career.
I believe that everyone is a 10 at something, but again it’s not often that people turn their phenomenal potential into phenomenal results, so what can we learn from an amazing footballer like Ryan Giggs?
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