Stepping into our full potential

“This is too much, I am overwhelmed, and I have to get out of here”. These are mental statements I have noticed that I have played in mind recently, mostly related to work matters that are extremely challenging.  On my much-needed walk yesterday, a new mantra entered my mind: “step into your full potential”. Even this morning it continues to be pervasive enough to write about for today’s blog. Step into your full potential is telling me to play big, elevate your game, and be all you can be and don’t let your mind stop you. Our mind is powerful; look at Dr. Viktor Frankl who survived the Auschwitz concentration camp.  He survived by choosing a positive attitude and turning his suffering into meaning.  Look at Mother Theresa’s ability to joyfully help and live with those in India dying on the streets of extreme poverty. These are just two examples of people who reached their full potential, how many others can you name.  Step into you full potential by embracing a positive mental attitude, accessing resources, learning new skills, taking action towards self-improvement. Stepping into your full potential enables you to reach higher levels of being and change your view of life: trading in desperation for triumph and more likely for most turning frustration into achievement. I need not to become a Mother Therese to find meaning in work and life. I must recognize the free will that starts in my mind to reach my full potential. My life is better as I focus on work and commitment, practice loving more deeply and change my mental chatter to “I can, I am able, and I rise to the occasion”.

Memo 9: Find a penny pick it up and all lifelong you’ll learn to save.

The real quote, known by most is “find a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.”  I am not sure who coined, punned intended, this phrase, alas it brings to mind that a penny saved is a penny earned.  Mostly as I pondered my habitual way of finding pennies, and other coins and actually saving them either reflects my frugality or my interest in savings, probably both.  At a more rudimentary level, this concept of saving pennies is actually the essence of today’s financial coaching memo: developing the muscle of saving.  Saving and learning to save is like anything else you must practice doing it and it will become part of your way of being.  In my own family, I know that people toss aside pennies as meaningless and yet I know someone who saved every penny and other spare change from the time his daughter was born until she was 16 and bought her first car with the change that had been saved over her 16 years.  I know for myself, I frequently turn 5 pennies into the bank for a nickel so that I have the parking meter money. How often have you needed parking meter money and wished you had not tossed aside your odd change. I am sure many can attest to paying a parking ticket for not having change available. Pennies to parking money, pennies to cars, what can you turn your pennies into? Start saving your pennies and you will learn to start saving.