Day 80 – Forgive and Forget

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Indra

Life is so short and we never know when or how but one thing is for sure we should all be prepared to forgive and forget! ~ Stella Rowley Feb 6, 1959 – Aug 9, 2011

Stella Rowley

Stella Padwick

Today is the day that family and friends says their final goodbye to Stella Rowley before she is finally put to rest. Stella Padwick and I were best friends in high school. She befriended me when I joined Coleridge School, Cambridge, U.K. I was new in the country and I welcomed her friendship. She had these big green eyes and an open smile. We were the only girls in Physics.

She was warm, sensitive and a wonderful spirit. When I left Cambridge in 1975, I lost all contact with her and others I knew at Coleridge school.

June of 2010, I received an email from her titled “Old School Friend Maybe”. Her third sentence reads “…I am Stella who did Physics with you.” Within a few days we had exchanged over twenty emails filling each other in on our lives so far. She contemplated plans to swap her timeshare in Scotland for a visit to Canada.

A month later she was diagnosed with Cancer and started the fight against the disease.

In November of last year, we connected by Skype and talked endlessly one evening. We tried to Google other friends in the hope of finding others we used to know. She was so determined to track one particular friend, Christine Housden but with no luck.

Last Sunday, while being online, I saw a message from her Skype Account. Unfortunately, it was Paul, her husband contacting me to inform me about Stella passing away peacefully while in the hospital. This news struck me hard.

We had talked about seeing each other this year. I went on to Facebook to check her profile and found another message from her daughter. As I read through Stella’s last wall posts, I found the above quote posted on June 29th. Stella leaves a painful reminder of our short lives and often unforgiving hearts. She took strides to make peace with a few around her before she left.

Could we all aspire to do the same? Rest in peace, dear Stella and thank you for being back in my life if only for a short while. I will always treasure that.

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Day 79 – Reaching Goals

Posted on August 18, 2011 by Indra

Glory lies in the attempt to reach one’s goal and not in reaching it. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

Yesterday I talked about goal focus. So what happens when you don’t reach your goals? This rings true for me in another part of my entrepreneurial life where the journey has had its fair share of obstacles but not without it’s own rewarding moments.

On this journey, I have met so many concerned, eco-conscious people who appreciate the product and loyally support the use of the product. If this was the only I thing I did for a living, I would certainly be in the poor house very quickly. I continue to maintain the business as I believe in the product; I personally use it at home and at the office.  All my family members’ use it as do all my loyal customers. The best thing about it is that it has absolutely eliminated the use of plastic bottles at home and in the office!

Are you ready for the unexpected outcomes as you attempt to reach your goals?

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Day 78 – Goal Focus

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Indra

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals. ~ Henry Ford

Isn’t that the truth! When was the last time you felt you were caught in endless obstacles? As part of my new beginning, I have much going on. Repairs around in my new house. Launching a brand new product in the marketplace at work. If I took my eyes off the main goal, it would seem like there is nothing but obstacles.

For the house repairs, I have to remain pretty cool with quotes I am receiving and evaluate against my overall budget and timing before making a final decision and scheduling the work.

The same rings true at work where I continuously assess the teams’ overall work and commitments against the main goals. It would be too easy to get side tracked with issues and focus on the obstacles instead of the goal.

Where are you focused these days? What are your goals?

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Day 77 – Entrepreneurship

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Indra

It comes from saying no to 1,000 things to make sure we don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. Steve Jobs (1955 – ), BusinessWeek Online, Oct. 12, 2004

People often wonder about the life of an entrepreneur. Is it hard? Is it truly fulfilling? It can be both and there are many challenges as an entrepreneur. Being able to say no and delegating to others are right up at the top.

To be an entrepreneur you have to be able to wear many hats at once. This means being ready to do anything that the business demands but also knowing when to step back and allow others.

If being an entrepreneur is a part of your new beginning? Talk to a few that you know and respect to learn some of their hard learned lessons.

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Day 76 – More Beginnings

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Indra

The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.~ David Weinbaum

Beginnings can take many forms. It can be a starting all over at work, in our personal lives or simply creating something with our existing lives.

As I sit in the coffee shop writing this blog, I notice an older gentleman across the room reading very intently as if he was learning to read. I noticed he was mouthing some words aloud…it wasn’t until I glimpsed the cover of the thick book that I realized what he was really up against. He was learning Japanese. How refreshing is that!

That’s one way of creating more beginnings to create a richer life. What new learning are you anticipating in your life? Perhaps it is a new fitness routine or a new relationship. Whatever it is, it will change you just a little from the way you were before. This is what life is about!

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Day 75 – Dreams

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Indra

When I dream, I am ageless. ~ Elizabeth Coates

This is the quote that was on my birthday card from my daughter this year.

Dreams make our lives richer. Dreams propel us forward. Dreams make the impossible possible. Dreams are all we have when we arrive at a dead end.

Ancient cultures encourage sharing dreams as a way of solving daily problems. Dreams can reveal hidden fears and strengths.

Next time you find yourself stuck…allow yourself to dream your way out.

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Day 74 – Our Aims

Posted on August 13, 2011 by Indra

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. ~ Michelangelo

What is it that you are aiming for in your life right now? Is it achievable? Have you wondered about setting perhaps a higher goal? What would that journey look like? Would it perhaps provide a richer experience than the journey you make now?

Evaluate your goals as you embrace your new beginnings. Are you prepared to aim higher?

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Day 73 – Work

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Indra

“What is work and what is not work are questions that perplex the wisest of men.” ~ Bhagavad Gita

In search of the perfect existence, some of us are compelled to examine our careers and work. What defines work? What is not work? Is our work our purpose or means to survival?

As we define our new beginning, these are only a few of the questions we might face. Is it demeaning to take on work that helps pay the bills but leaves our soul empty?

Nothing is demeaning as long as it is done with intent and purpose. Working to pay the bills is as honourable as living your life doing what you love. Perhaps once the bills are paid, you can be free to pursue your passions. Nothing lasts forever, if as part of your new beginning you have to take a step back to go forward, welcome it. It may lead to a better path yet unknown to you.

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Day 72 – Critics

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Indra

Pay no attention to what the critics say; no statue has ever been erected to a critic.  ~ Jean Sibelius

When you find yourself in new situations, people close to you can often be more anxious than yourself. Often this anxiety is coupled with criticism. Perhaps it is over a decision or choice you’ve made for yourself or for others.

Hear them out, you don’t have to react or act to what is being said. Trust your own instinct and go with it.

 

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Day 71 – Perfect Conditions

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Indra

Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. ~Alan Cohen

My daughter is back in the city from the cottage. She is ready to join me in my mission to complete the move. We will for the balance of the month live simply with sparse furnishings. It’s not perfect as we will soon have to move downstairs in  about 3 weeks. But it is a beginning nonetheless.

Is there such a thing as perfect conditions in your life? When was the last time you had perfect conditions in whatever it was you were attempting?

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