lifecoachingbymikezinn

[lifecoachingbymikezinn]

Sticking Your Finger into a Light Socket

Have you ever stuck your finger into a light socket? This is not a pleasant experience for sure! When I was six years old I stuck a "bobby pin" into a light socket. Why? I am not really sure. Looking back all of these years, it was possibly just curiosity. When we are young, we have so many curiosities. "The world is our oyster". We have this huge table of food ,ready to eat. We don't think of any of the ramifications. We are curious! Without a thought, we just dig in and eat!

Unfortunately, as we get older, our curiosity tends to wane. We get set in our ways and lean towards "safer" endeavors. Some of our family members, friends and co-workers, might applaud this as becoming mature. Go to school, find a career, settle down and stay safe. Don't get too curious about what is on the other side. Curiosity is for kid's. In other words, don't "stick your finer into a light socket".

As a result of this "safe mindset", many people don't take risks, don't stretch their abilities and lose their creativity. That job and career that looked so safe and stable, is now an Albatross. Each morning starts with the dread of another long and unfulfilling day. The only motivation, is getting to Friday afternoon and free of a job that has become such a burden.

There is good news on the horizon! There is a solution, that all people can be a part of. By "figuratively" sticking your finger into a light socket, it is possible to re-energize your career and life. Sticking your finger into a light socket, can be painful, but the long-term rewards can be life changing.

[lifecoachingbymikezinn]

What Are Your Causes?

In 1965 one of the most impactful musicals of all time hit the Broadway stage. The Man From La Mancha was a musical version of the story of Don Quixote. Late 16th century Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, was imprisoned. In prison Cervantes dressed himself up as a character named Don Quixote. In short, Don Quixote fantasized about being a hero, defending the weak and making a name for himself.

The song track for The Man From La Mancha, became famous for many of its tunes. The most famous being Impossible Dream. This song was sung by Don Quixote about his fantasy life. I heard this song recently and one line has continued to stand out in my mind. Hence, this article was born! The line is ,"are you willing to march into Hell for a heavenly cause"? The wording in this musical line is extremely powerful. The notion of walking into fire, chaos, danger and Hell would make even the bravest person pause. Even more important is the question, what are my causes and would I be willing to march into Hell to defend those causes? The answer for me, is a resounding yes! As we head into the second half of 2023, can I put some positive action toward my causes? As this song stated, would it not be positive for me to "right the unrightable wrong"? Would it not be better, "to run where the brave dare not go"? It has been said that the true, great leaders are many times ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds. What can you do in 2023 to improve in some small way the lives of others? Think about the following and determine if you can adopt just one of these heavenly causes:

Help the elderly. Is there a senior in your neighborhood who could use some help with yardwork or shopping? Is there someone who is just lonely and needs some basic human interaction?

If you belong to a church, or service organization look for opportunities to volunteer. These groups always need help and many times it does not involve a particular skill.

Become a Mentor. Young people, newly married couples and folks in the workforce always need a person with experience to act as official, or unofficial Mentors. "Your experience is your expertise". "Pay it forward".

For 2023 continue to ask yourself, what are my causes? What causes can I adopt to help others? Am I willing to march into Hell, if this cause is worthy? What a great 2023 we could all have with this one single act of unselfish kindness.

[lifecoachingbymikezinn]

Searching For The Perfect Note

Carlos Santana is an American guitarist, composer, singer and band leader. Santana is known for his blend of rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Santana rose to fame in the late 1960's and had a resurgence in his career in the 1990's. He has won ten Grammy Awards and continues to share his music with the world.

As you can imagine, Santana loves creating music and playing the guitar. After all of his years in music, Santana does not consider practice as drudgery, or a sacrifice. This practice time offers Santana the opportunity to "tinker" with his music, sharpen his skills and experiment with new songs. Santana likens this time with his guitar as an offering!

During a recent interview, Santana summed up his philosophy on music and life. When asked what he was searching for in life, he replied "the perfect note". Santana is not looking for eternal happiness, or world peace. He is looking for "the perfect note". One might ask, at seventy five years old, what does Santana need to prove? For some fifty plus years, Santana has entertained audiences and wrote and performed Grammy winning songs. Perhaps what Santana is really saying is, his best work is still ahead of him! Entertaining audiences and using music as his offering, Santana is striving for later in life activities and living life to its fullest. He is searching for "the perfect note".

Being happy and productive past the traditional retirement age is becoming a goal for an increasingly growing number of people. Later in life activities and lifelong learning are gaining momentum with many mature folks. People in all walks of life are exploring new passions, creating "bucket lists" and giving back as they create the next phase of their lives. When does one start to plan for this "Third Act"? The sooner the better! Start to explore your passions with lifelong learning. Be curious about the world around you. There are multiple avenues to be a lifelong learner. Explore books, podcasts, classes etc., to learn as much as possible about your "Third Act". The questions is, are you still searching for "the perfect note"?