I was walking the dog the other day and grumpy about something. The sky was mostly overcast (probably adding to my mood) except for a break in the clouds in the distance. And through this break came the most amazing ray of sun – determined to shine. I stood and watched this scene for such a while that even our Labradoodle Reiki became impatient.

A break in the clouds – what a great analogy. It is what we need to look for when we are stuck in a mood, attitude, or place that takes us down. We need to find a break in the clouds when things are difficult, challenging or fatiguing. We need to be optimistic – focused not on gloom – but on opportunities and possibilities.

Consider these:

1. You are stuck in what appears to be an infinite waiting line. The break in the clouds may be the people you meet on either side of you as you are stuck waiting – meet them, talk to them, share some time with them.

2. You planned an amazing barbecue and Mother Nature decided that day was better covered in windswept rain instead of sun. The break in the clouds may be that the tighter quarters forced everyone to visit more personally, or the great games it forced you to take out of the garage that were the hit of the party.

3. You are heading to a family holiday dinner and are dreading the event. The break in the clouds may be your invitation to a good friend to join you that may change the entire dynamic of the day – for everyone.

4. You are working with a total Debbie Downer-type personality – she complains about everything and always find the negative. The break in the clouds may be to ask for a promotion or transfer – bringing you to a new opportunity and the ability to meet new people.

I was stuck in a mood that was affecting everything I was doing and thinking. I needed the break in the clouds – a walk outside with an adorable dog – to remind me that no matter how overcast life sometimes seems, there are always small breaks – positive things – that can both end the gloom and improve our focus. Getting outside allowed me to see the break in the clouds, which turned out to be my ‘break in the clouds.’

Nature is an amazing teacher. When all seems dark, there is always – someplace – a glimmer of something extraordinary. Nature doesn’t broadcast the extraordinary; instead, we have to pay attention and watch for it.

The same is true with life. When things are tough, there is always something right in front of us to mitigate the challenge – we just have to choose to be patient, present, responsive and optimistic enough to see it. There is always a break in the clouds.

Good news should always be shared. And learning to find the breaks in the clouds – of seeing opportunity and possibility in all that happens – is very good news. Please share this with someone who can benefit from it. Contact me to learn about the Break-in-the-Clouds and other Greatness Coaching techniques.

There is something hardwired in us (or learned) that seems to focus on what is missing instead of what is present – I call it our inner cynic.

I know so many people who can look at rosebush and see more thorns than flowers; those who see a great pasta dish and obsess about carbs instead of appreciate the flavors, and those who see a line at the movies and complain about the crowd instead of anticipate an amazing show. Mindset. Outlook. It’s ours to control.

So, today, I commit to fight the inner cynic by deciding to celebrate, not only because it’s my anniversary (another year together with the world’s best and most amazing person) and I just found out that my middle daughter is engaged (congratulations Karalyn and Rich!), but because a great life is one regularly marked by celebrations.

Here are 7 reasons to celebrate today, right now. Come up with your list. Post it someplace to review when your inner cynic wants to takes over.

1. There are amazing people in your life. We just have to learn to see what is amazing about them. When we stop our critical look and allow them to be who they are, we see the greatness in the people we know and love. And then we can appreciate them more.That is a reason to celebrate.

2. You are part of the most amazing moment in time. This moment is amazing because you are here an in it. Your life is going on now. You build your life in each moment. You invent it. Your life is built moment by moment – and you define the moments. That is a reason to celebrate.

3. Your struggles and challenges show you how capable you are. When life is easy, you move along on autopilot. When life throws you its challenges, you start to dig deeper, invest in yourself more and discover more about your capabilities. Challenges help you become better. That is a reason to celebrate.

4. Our world has more right with it than wrong with it. Sure, we hear about all of the things that are wrong with our world. Listen to the news and you can get yourself depressed. But when that happens, go look at nature – a tree, flower, a mountain; go look at technology – a building, car or computer; go look at someone you love. There is perfection in our world and there is so much more right with it than wrong with it. See the good. That is a reason to celebrate.

5. You have the ability to choose how you live. You choose – moreover, you get to choose. Never underestimate the value and power of choice. This never means choice is easy but it is a gift to be able to decide who you are, where you live, what you become and how you bring your best to the world. The worst thing you can do is to ever give up this choice. It is your greatest gift. Choice is a reason to celebrate.

6. What was doesn’t have to affect what is or what can be. Our pasts are truly that – our past. There is no specific connect of the past to our present or future unless we allow it. Celebrate that each day you get the opportunity to create something new, or not. You get the opportunity to change from your yesterday, or not. This is a reason to celebrate.

7. You are loved. There are people who think you are amazing – and who love you for you. Know who these people are. Appreciate their support, connection and loyalty. Return it. This is a reason to celebrate.

Celebration is not just for holidays. Every day is worthy of celebrating. Every moment in life is valuable – whether easy or difficult. Accumulate every great moment and you build a great life. And the fuel for a great life is celebration.

Great news should always be shared and learning to constantly celebrate life is good news. Please share this with someone who can benefit from it. And contact me to learn how celebrations and other Greatness and Life Coaching techniques can help you create a great life.

Big, not little. Large, not small. Life is grand. Or, it is supposed to be grand. It is not something we are to just “make it through.” It is something to be celebrated each day – something to make the most of.

I love to listen to Loretta Laroche – a great speaker who uses humor to remind us that each day we should be focused on loving our lives. She used to wonder why we save our china for when company comes over, or to stay out of rooms that had just been cleaned. Isn’t every dinner worthy of china? Isn’t every person worthy of living in a clean room?

Marcus Buckingham of the Gallup Organization shares that 65% of employees do just enough at work not to be fired; their performance is average – small. In his analysis, only 18% of employees show up ready and willing to do great things at work. Why do so few people choose to do their best – and then some – at work?

I think it has a lot to do with the way we each choose to live.Sure, there are some jobs that just don’t fit us and we don’t bring our best. But more often than not, average work performance happens because we have chosen to do average life performance. We have chosen to let others make our decisions for us, give up on dreams and do just enough to get by.

So what does it take to wake up and remember that life is not a dress rehearsal – and that everyday counts, matters and is there for us to make it extraordinary? It takes a commitment to think about your life in a big way. Here are some ideas to get you going:

1. Find your life hero. Find someone who inspires you to be all that you can be; someone who has chosen big over little, great over average. Learn about how they made this decision to never settle and accept mediocrity. Learn how they make their dreams a reality and how they deal with adversity and never lose their focus.

2. Define your dream. Imagine you have no restrictions, limitations or voices in your head (real or imagined) that tell you no – what is this dream? Focus on it, what your life will be like as you work towards it and how it will feel to achieve it. Journal about it. Talk to others about it. Create a picture of it and leave it constantly in view to help you stay focused on it – in good or tough times.

3. Get a buddy. Or a friend. And travel this road to greatness together. Each of you finds your hero, defines your dream and builds your daily plan to live life in an epic and large way.Hold each other accountable to stay in the big view of life; be there to support each other when either slides back to doing anything in an average way.

I think the greatest challenge in life is that so many people have been convinced it is acceptable to just get by in life – to do just enough. My own perspective is that nothing about life – the good or the bad times – is ever meant to be average. Each great time reminds of the majesty of life. Each bad time reminds us to learn, grow and to use tough times to improve and to remember what great times feel like.

I know life is not (always) a party – all good times. But I do believe that when we each choose to go for big, not little – large, not small – great, not average – each day is better. Better days help us love our lives, which encourages us to keep living in a big way. Living in a big way is how we improve our world.

Good news should always be shared. Choosing to live life in a big – not a small or average – way is good news. Please share this with someone who can benefit from it. And contact me to learn about Think Big and other Greatness Coaching techniques, and how these tools can help you change how you think about your life.

You’ve seen the TV shows of hoarders and people with too much stuff. Or maybe you know of people whose houses are clutter magnets – stuff everywhere. It is hard to find a place to sit or even lean without needing to move things.

Besides being a culture of “stuff,” our clutter is very telling about how we live. Is your life like a messy room? Stuff everywhere, no direction, clarity or order? Is your mind cluttered and distracted?

Author, spiritual teacher and psychotherapist Sylvia Boorstein says in her book, Happiness Is An Inside Job, “The living room of my own mind, unless I keep tidying it, is not a relaxing place.” In other words, when our minds are full of clutter, we can’t move or think clearly, easily or sanely. When our minds are loaded with clutter about hurt feelings, things that did not go right, problems and challenges, we don’t create any space in the mind to search for solutions or ways to live our best lives. It is too crowded in there with all the wrong stuff – stopping us from having room for the right stuff.

So back to the cluttered living room. When there are too many things – too much clutter – it is hard to bring anything new – better – into the room. Our minds and lives are the same. When we are stuck in a story of what we are supposed to be or do, instead of creating the space to explore what we are great and passionate about, we don’t make room for something better. And every day just goes by without any change – any improvement. And you know the saying, you don’t get this day back.

So, what do you do about it? Clean out the clutter. Here are some ways to get started:

1. Keep a clutter journal. Start to record when you see yourself getting stuck in a situation that isn’t for you. It may be a job you hate or feel unqualified to do. It may be a relationship that is unfair, unhealthy or unproductive that needs to either be improved or terminated. Notice your physical space and assess how much clutter is there. See what is and be able to label the clutter in your life – this is a starting point.

2. Create a vision. Define what you want your life/work to be and build a one-week plan. One week only – nothing more. What specific things can you do just this week to start to refocus on where your work/life/faith, etc. needs to be for you. Small steps. Look for immediate progress. This gives you the courage to keep moving and to see some instant successes. Next week, build another one-week plan. Develop some momentum.

3. Tidy your space. Clean up your physical space so your mental and emotional spaces can also have room. Throw things you don’t use or want away or donate them. Buy a shelf, container or folders to organize your papers, books, and personal items. Define when you want to have your space organized – and do a little each day. Make room for you and the life you want in your physical space.

The moment I started taking more control over putting things away, making the bed, throwing the laundry in the hamper, filing papers and organizing my space – I found I had more room. More room to move, to think and to allow things to happen.

As I cleaned my external space, I could more easily move to my mental and emotional space. The more space I created, the opportunities appeared to build what I wanted in life – not to just accept what happens. Clarity creates focus. Focus allows us to build our extraordinary lives. We can’t do or be extraordinary in the middle of clutter.

Good news should always be shared. Ending the clutter so new opportunities and possibilities can appear is great news. Please share this with someone you know who can benefit from it. And contact me to learn more about de-cluttering and other Greatness Coaching techniques to help you build a life you love. Be well. Be great.

I was at the eye doctor’s lately – I was there because what used to be clear wasn’t so clear any more, particularly that distance between my shoulder and the tips of fingers. But with the help of a stronger prescription (and progressive glasses), it all came back  - and with greater clarity.

This visit to the eye doctor’s office reminded me of life. Unless we regularly check in on our life vision, it can gradually loose clarity. We become less aware of what is really important. We find ourselves going through the motions without ever achieving what we want, or living/working in the way we want.

But, like at the eye doctors, we can make a couple of quick adjustments and completely improve our vision. Try these couple of ideas to improve your vision of life:

1. Spend time with someone you really care about. Watch their reactions. Watch for their feelings. Ask about what matters to them. Has life started to move so fast that the people in your life are feeling like they don’t know you any more? Have you allowed things in your life to be more important than the people in your life?Improve your view of people you love.

2. Spend time outside. Go to a garden, the woods, a field or even to the garden section of Home Depot or Lowes. Stop and notice the colors, the textures and the choices of all the plants, flowers and trees. We have a built-in extraordinary show every time we step outside if we choose to notice it. It is there for our entertainment, appreciation and protection. Improve your view of nature.

3. Watch your world. Notice who around you needs what you do best. Do you have the vision to see more than just yourself? We are all part of our world; we each have gifts and abilities that can support and help others. Do we have the eyes to see what really matters (and the courage to do something about it)? Improve your view of your world.

When we choose to pay attention – to improve our view – we see things with greater clarity. Sometimes we see the beauty of an outstanding world; sometimes we see what this world needs to end some of its suffering. You can’t appreciate the beauty or respond to its suffering if you can’t see it. Both require action – from you – from all of us.

Do you need to get your vision checked to better appreciate your world and to find your best place in it?

All great self-improvement starts with clear vision. Knowing yourself – what you are good at, passionate about and what matters to you – gives you clarity. Knowing your world – what is going on and what today’s issues are – gives you clarity. Then you can see clearly enough to know where you fit and how to respond.This is how to build a life you love.

Good news should always be shared and improving your clarity of you and your world to build a life you love is good news. Please share this with someone who can benefit from it. And contact me to learn about “improving your vision” and other Greatness Coaching techniques. Be well. Be great.