Share this with a friend you think needs a bit of encouragement to be... more!

Sometimes it pays to stop, pay attention, see beauty in the small things. What can you find that’s beautiful to celebrate today? Here’s what caught my eye at the resort I’m staying at in Mexico!

I’ve been thinking about this quote a lot lately.

For anyone who has ever attempted to wallpaper or tile a room thinking you didn't need a plum-line because you are sure you have a good eye... you know exactly what happens. And so it is in life.  Without principles it is easy to convince yourself things that are “grey” are really “white.”

Lately I’ve witnessed some friends making choices that fall in what I call the “grey” camp. It has saddened me.  Their choices actually hurt people.  

For me the antidote is to surround myself with people who know me, who believe in me, and call me to craft my best life.  And... call me on my stuff when I am deceiving myself.  Do you have a tribe around you to help you live.    

Do words matter to you? They do to me. I'm always picking up a new word. Here's one for today: 

met·a·cog·ni·tion ( ˌmedəˌkäɡˈniSH(ə)n )  

it means thinking about thinking. Metacognition; it's what I do... I'm owning it!

Any new words you're picking up and want to pass along?

Last November a new book Tribe Of Mentors by Tim Ferriss came out.  These days I usually read books on my kindle app but I decided to buy the hardcover.  I'm really glad I did.  I know it is a book that I will return to time and again and it deserves a space on my shelf. 

At first it was a bit hard to switch to reading ebooks.  I missed handling a book and writing in its margins.  But I got used to it and now I rarely buy a physical book.  Partly because we live in such a small condo and partly because I've learned to enjoy the convenience of having my growing library at my fingertips no matter where I am in the world.  

I'm now more than halfway through and it has not disappointed.  The book is a collection of wisdom from a wide variety of influencers and leaders.  I'm discovering new books to read, podcasts to follow and quotes to add to my quote notebook.  I usually wait to recommend a book when I finish it, but this one I can whole heartedly endorse.    

by Justin Fike

I’ve been hard at work on a novel for close to two decades now.

It’s the project through which I’ve learned how to write well, how to understand story, how to self-publish, and even how to orient my energies towards a worthy goal.

Now, after years of work and revision, I’m three chapters away from finishing off the third and final draft, but now that the end is in sight making progress has become harder than ever.

The doubting, nagging, and accusing voices are always lurking somewhere within the creative process, but if you’ve ever pushed through to complete a large and worthy effort then you know as well as I do that the voices of opposition are always loudest the closer you get to the finish line.

There are a few reasons for this.

The first is that finishing makes it real. As long as you’re still working your project has infinite potential. You can always draw energy from the possibility for improvement. Mistakes can still be fixed, inspiration can still strike, ...

by Charlene Fike

I filmed a quick video on Skilling Up and how to reframe how we think about resistance. Check it out on Youtube!