Tag: wisdom

Pick Your Battles Wisely

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

Life involves a series of challenges and choices. It only makes sense to choose your battles wisely.

We often dispute insignificant things when there are more important matters that beg for our attention.

No matter how well-meaning you are fighting the battles you think are of paramount importance, sometimes the battle is won when you back up and let situations run their course.

By doing so, you will be far more effective in getting your point across.

Fighting battles for the mere challenge is a waste of time and energy.

If the world came to an end today, would those battles have the same significance?

If the battle is not beneficial, and the stakes are high pending the outcome, avoid the conflict altogether.

Life rarely goes the exact way we may have in mind, and there will always be people who disagree with you or do things differently.

Reevaluate your priorities and understand that there will be battles not worth arguing over, battles you can’t do anything about, and battles that are frankly none of your business.

Advertisement

Food For Thought Friday

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

💡 Who are you becoming?

💡 Indecision is a decision.

💡 The right time is now. Do it now!

💡 Resist the temptation to make excuses.

💡 Sometimes it’s ok to say nothing.

💡 The truth is often uncomfortable.

💡 Ask for advice versus an opinion. One creates a partnership, the other produces a critic.

💡 Help someone who can’t help you back.

💡 Overthinking is a problem. Failure to think is doom. Exercise balance.

💡 Remember, active minds have constraints.

Food For Thought Friday

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

💡 You have to get over living in the temporary shelter of your own mind.

💡 When your heart is in a safe place, you can live anywhere.

💡 The deeper you dig, the more real it gets.

💡 Trust is one thing that changes everything.

💡 If you don’t know, just say you don’t know.

💡 Growth escapes those stuck in doing things the same old way.

💡 What happens to you and through you, outshines what happens to you.

💡 Miracles are “crazy” to those without inner vision.

💡 Substance is the key to life.

💡 Be thankful for your triggers. They reveal areas where you are not free.

Food For Thought Friday

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

💡 What’s your expectation for today?

💡 What you don’t know can be your greatest strength. It enables you to do things differently than everyone else.

💡 Respect the feelings of others even when it differs from yours.

💡 Know when to move in silence. Less tell. More show.

💡 Avoid spreading negativity. Treat it like the noise it is.

💡 Self-awareness is half the battle.

💡 Do it to make a difference, not to make an impression.

💡 Solving problems with money is the least creative solution.

💡 People often understand what they want to hear, not what you mean.

💡 There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you had enough.

Behaviors Are Contagious

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

There’s more to life than good or bad.

For example, if a wealthy person is miserable and a poor person is happy. Is the wealth or lack thereof good or bad?

So much of our stress comes from labeling the challenges we encounter throughout our lives.

💡 The “why” of life has infinite answers.

When life doesn’t go as planned, we as human beings tend to give more weight to the negative.

For example, you just had the most exquisite meal at a highly rated restaurant. As you walk to your car, you step in a pile of dog poop. What happens next?

You are in control of the way you look at life.

Choose wisely.

Behaviors are contagious.

Creating New Stories

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

I came across an article this weekend that touched on facing today’s fears, living today’s dreams, creating new stories, and understanding ourselves. The lessons that follow help to move us to those ends.

1. If you want to change the world, you have to fall in love with what already is. The same goes for changing yourself.

2. Listen to your doubts. They not only teach you of your fears but also your wisdom.

3. It’s okay to claim all is well amid doubt and confusion and to be happy despite challenges.

4. Your feelings are your choice. What manifests after may not be. Choose wisely.

5. What you say does not determine your honesty, but why you say it.

6. Never decide until you have to.

7. Take full responsibility for your life and never forget to have fun.

8. Always see work as play and play as important. Soon you won’t know the difference between the two.

9. The trick to being in the right place at the right time is knowing you already are.

10. The secret to living the life of your dreams is to start living them at once, however humbly, to any degree you can.

Source: Mike Dooley

Food For Thought Friday

Ramona Mills1 Comment

💡 What size is your leadership (S, M, L, XL, or One Size Fits All)?

💡 Think critically about what you see, hear, and witness.

💡 Who and what do you gravitate to? Why?

💡 Character is revealed when pressure is applied.

💡 Many imagine. Few execute.

💡 What you “don’t want” and “don’t like” is not a meaningful contribution.

💡 Gratitude is an attitude and a powerful influence over behavior.

💡 Who can tell your story better than you?

💡 Your response defines who you really are in other people’s eyes.

💡 Consistency beats intensity.

Uncertainty

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

I, like many others, have had to regroup from the changes that 2020 has brought about. Finding ways to balance the unpredictability of my career and the “new normal” called chaos is not for the faint of heart. Despite the challenges, I realize that inaction is a waste of time and will get you nowhere fast.

When we overanalyze and fight for never-changing security, we stop experiencing the full array of choices life has to offer during our journey. Many of us have an obsessive desire to know what is happening now and what tomorrow will bring. Wondering what the future holds is a tough question at any age. Instead of trying to figure it all out, get comfortable with the discomfort of uncertainty.

There is an ancient Japanese Philosophy called Wabi-Sabi. It is a mindset that embraces the unpredictability of life, and it teaches us to celebrate the way things are instead of how it should be.

Life is unpredictable. And that’s okay. Embrace it. When nothing is certain, everything is possible! Our plans for tomorrow, next month, or next year may not unfold as we expect. But it is imperative to take action and keep moving forward.

Illustration: The Ready

Knowledge vs. Experience

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

The internet provides us with vasts amounts of information, but does it help us truly understand? Information overload doesn’t result in more wisdom. If anything, the opposite occurs – information without the proper context and interpretation only muddles our understanding.

There’s a difference between knowledge and experience. Obtaining knowledge requires some sensory input: reading, watching, listening, and touching. In contrast, experience comes with time, exposure, and practice.

For example, we may recognize a written language just by looking at the characters, but we will not understand it unless we take time to study it and put it to use.

We may also know something intellectually, but our intuitive thoughts, feelings, and emotions can cloud our understanding and shortchange our experience.

Chinese philosopher Confucius sums it up well: “I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.”

Illustration: Hugh MacLeod / Gapingvoid

Food For Thought Friday

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

💡 Where you are today is a direct result of a decision you have or have not made.

💡 Don’t be an “if” thinker. Be a “how” thinker.

💡 Honesty provides others freedom of choice.

💡 Is the source of the problem internal or external?

💡 How you see yourself is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

💡 Naysayers are good at what they do and never cease at their work.

💡 Wanting to make everyone happy is a setup for disappointment.

💡 There is no timeline as to when you should have everything figured out in life.

💡 You don’t need a prestigious title to perform a significant role.

💡 Where there is ignorance, society does not advance.

Prayer

Ramona Mills2 Comments

Prayer is the first step in any venture.

Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our lives.

When you pray, great things happen.

Prayer quiets your thoughts and emotions and prepares you to listen.

Too often, we pray superficially. Prayer, by contrast, requires concentration.

When you pray, difficult decisions fall into proper perspective. Therefore, pray for the wisdom to see it and the energy and motivation to do it.

When it seems your prayers have gone unanswered, what you need may already be within your reach, or you have yet to fulfill the responsibilities given to you.

Maturity Isn’t Defined By Age

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

Society has come up with its idea of a maturity timeline such as:

Sixteen to obtain a driver’s license.

Eighteen to leave the nest and enter adulthood.

Twenty-one to purchase alcohol.

Twenty-five to rent a car.

In reality, does this define maturity?

Age doesn’t always correlate with maturity.

Life experiences can boost one’s maturity level at a rate of increase that is dictated by social influences, family upbringing, personal desires, and a host of other factors.

There are also a bunch of old fools.

The fundamentals of maturity involve the ability to deal with problems immediately, the ability to learn and grow from past experiences, the ability to accept fault for one’s actions, the ability to maintain a level head, the ability to maintain a positive attitude, and the fortitude to grow in wisdom.

Know How to Pick Your Battles

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

Life involves a series of challenges and choices. It only makes sense to choose your battles wisely.

We often get hung up disputing insignificant things when there are more important matters that beg for our attention.

No matter how well-meaning you are in fighting the battles you think are of paramount importance, sometimes the battle is won when you back up and let situations run its course.

By doing so, you will be far more effective in getting your point across.

Fighting battles for the mere challenge is a waste of time and energy.

If the world came to an end today, would those battles have the same significance?

If the battle is not beneficial in some way, and the stakes are high pending the outcome, avoid the conflict altogether.

Life rarely goes the exact way we may have in mind, and there will always be people who disagree with you or do things differently.

Reevaluate your priorities and understand that there will be battles not worth arguing over, battles you can’t do anything about, and battles that are frankly none of your business.

Ignorance is No Excuse

Ramona MillsLeave a comment

Where there is ignorance, society does not advance. We are living in a state of confusion and mixed messages. Yet, there is a wealth of information at our fingertips.

Ignorance is no longer a plausible explanation. If we expect certain behaviors to change, we must first understand what reinforces it and do something about it instead of making excuses for why it exists.

We are all accountable for our actions and have been equipped with the manual of life to teach us morality. Anything outside of that becomes free will.

It only takes one person to create a domino effect of change, so take a stance and speak up. Allowing others to force you into a position of ignorance only perpetuates the problem.

Never stop the pursuit of seeking knowledge because every time you find it, wisdom will grow.