InnerCompass Leadership » InnerCompass Companion

Summertime… Don’t Forget to Exhale!

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:47:15 +0000

What helps you deeply let go in summer, so that you can recharge at the cellular level? Have you done this yet this year?

Top athletes know that the rest cycle in their training is as critical as their exertion cycle. Sometimes we forget that this applies to the rest of us too!

For those of us who are better at doing than resting, summer often has extra permission for slowing down. Don’t let the window pass!

Summertime…Play Hard, Rest Well!

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:44:02 +0000

One secret of relaxation is exertion first. You can do this at your desk; pull your shoulder up tight to your ears, then let them drop and loosen.

Summer gives us great ways to do this with our whole being though. Your summer choices may include some version already; an exhilarating hike, or bike, or paddle, even energetic yard work, followed by a feel-your-whole-body swim, and then chilling in stillness. (OK, now you know what I like to do in summer!)

Where can you give yourself fully into physical activity, such that your mind can relax, and then let your body follow?

What else will make this summer deeply satisfying?

Opening Into Summertime

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:00:20 +0000

Take three minutes today… come September, you will be glad you did… and see what you can unearth here. Close your eyes, feel your feet on the floor, and remember summertime as a child. What pleasant images and sensations come to mind?

When you were a kid, (or a teen, or a younger adult…) what were your favorite summertime activities?

Which of these would you love to do now?

When was the last time you did them?

What would it take to do them now?

Which one will you do this year?

The Grey Zone…

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:30:04 +0000

Ever find yourself stuck in behaviors that are neither truly productive nor truly rejuvenating? Most of us have some favorite version of this – TV, net-surfing, social media, or other not fully satisfying behaviors.

What is your version of the grey zone?

If you were to choose instead to do one thing that you truly love – something that would support you fully relaxing – what would it be?

Remember Curious George

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:30:31 +0000

Curiosity is a powerful tool. When we get curious, life becomes less about right and wrong, and more about discovery and learning.

Consider where you might be stuck.

Where might a dose of curiosity open up a new path on an old challenge?

Single Daily Action

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:30:32 +0000

A single daily action is something we commit to doing each and every day when we recognize it’s the single most important way to get where we want to go.

In which arena are you most hungry for progress?

What is the one thing you could do each day to maximize your momentum towards this goal?

Let yourself think broadly. Sometimes a daily cultivation practice, such as reflection and planning time, exercise, or spending time in nature might be the missing piece!

The Power of Focus

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:30:25 +0000

Do you ever feel like you are more of a juggler than an archer?

Ironically, one reason we can end up in an endless juggling act is by not taking the time to choose our most important targets. Today, before picking any balls or arrows (emails or tasks) consider giving yourself 3 minutes to stop, step back, and really focus on your greatest priority for the day.

Where is the place to focus so that you can finish this day feeling satisfied?

“If the Only Prayer You Ever Say in Your Entire Life is Thank You, That Would Be Enough.”

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:30:37 +0000

Meister Eckhart

Gratitude is an extraordinarily powerful daily practice.

Try this: bring to mind one thing you are truly grateful for. Breathe into this memory as it comes to mind in full detail. Now notice the effect on your body. Done well, gratitude can be a relaxation practice as well as a spiritual practice. You can even use it in a pinch at work: when stress is rising, take thirty seconds and hit your internal reset button with one gratitude moment.

What are you most grateful for today?

“You Must Do the Things You Think You Cannot Do”

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:30:26 +0000

Eleanor Roosevelt

In Outward Bound circles, we had a corollary phrase: “We can do more than we think we can, and we need each other.”

What is the thing you think you cannot do, which with the support of others, you might actually begin?

What Cathedral Are You Building?

Kim Marshall, MA, CPCC, MSC — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:30:32 +0000

What is my best chance to make a difference in this lifetime?

Richard Strozzi-Heckler (author of The Leadership Dojo) often tells a story in his work about three stonecutters who are working side by side. They are all doing the same work. Each is asked the same question: “What are you doing?” The first replies, “I am cutting a stone.” The second replies, “I am building a wall.” The third replies, “I am building a cathedral.”

The individual ‘stones’ we carve and carry on a daily basis, our challenges and our opportunities, can be much lighter when we have the energy of a broader vision that has great meaning to us.

What cathedral are you building? What can you do to help yourself connect to your largest vision?