Here is your Five-Bullet Monday, sent from Brisbane Australia
A quote I am pondering:
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ― Harold Whitman
Have you ever found yourself mundanely discussing a topic, and then a different subject comes up, and your energy level soars, your face lights up, and suddenly you're doing most of the talking? That's because you are likely passionate about the new subject. Wouldn't it be cool if we could spend more time on things about which we are passionate? Too often, we bury our passions because they seem outlandish, we feel unworthy, they don't seem to be a priority, or they look to be out of reach. We all need something exciting, so why not unpack those passions once more and give them another whirl? You never know what might come of it.
A question we should be asking more often:
Can you tell me more?
This short question packs a punch. The reasons are twofold: it shows we are good listeners and we are genuinely interested in what a person is saying, and; secondly, we often don't get the full story on the first run, especially if someone has done something wrong or things haven't gone well. We are also often too busy thinking about what we want to say before the other person has even finished talking. That is a habit we need to stop. By asking the person, "Can you tell me more?" you draw out the whole picture that should help both them and you by increasing your knowledge, creating better options, and strengthening your relationship.
A book I am reading:
Know What You're For: A Growth Strategy for Work, an Even Better Strategy for Life – Jeff Henderson
This book was a great listen about developing and demonstrating unselfish motivation in work and life. In the book, Henderson brings out the principle of FOR, i.e. who are we doing this for, ourselves or other people? If our true motivation is to benefit friends, customers, team members, or family, that will pay huge dividends in the end. That's because people will quickly figure where your real intentions lie, and if they discern that it is FOR them, then their response will often be more than you could have hoped.
My favourite podcast this week:
What's Essential – Anna McKeown on Nurturing Your Own Unique Strengths
In this podcast, Greg McKeown brings his wife, Anna, onto the show, and they talk about the successes and difficulties they have had in nurturing their strengths and those of their children. Anna also talks about the challenges of returning to her work (acting) after raising a family for the last 20 years. They both share great insights on the show, and I think it is well worth a listen.
Hugh-Tips
Well, here goes my first week of Hugh-Tips!
Pay yourself first with every salary deposit that lands in your bank.
The common wisdom is that we should be investing 15% of our take-home salary every month. If we don't pay it straight away, there is often too much time left at the end of the money, and that means the 15% investment doesn't happen. Instead, as soon as the pay deposit lands, the 15% investing money should head out of your banking account into your investing account. And best of all, you can automate it! That way, when you look at your spending money in your bank, you see the 85%, not the 100%, and your spending habits automatically scale back. Paying yourself first is a proven principle testified to by thousands of successful investors worldwide, so I strongly encourage you to give it a try.
My highlights from the prior week
Emerging from quarantine and enjoying a week with my daughter in Brisbane
I feel very fortunate to have managed to get into Australia, have an excellent quarantine experience and then get from New South Wales into Queensland, no small feat for a non-Australian living in Canada. Since emerging from quarantine, I have had a wonderful week with my daughter, doing Dad and daughter stuff, enjoying her fabulous cooking, running, walking and swimming together, and doing a little shopping. On Tuesday, we leave on a two-week camper van trip heading north up the Queensland Coast, which has epic written all over it.
My challenge to you for this week
Are the people you hang around with lifting you or pulling you down?
Jim Rhon once said, "We become the average of the five people we spend the most time with". Given the truth of that statement, I encourage you to list out your personal top five. Now, rank each one on the lift-me-up vs pull-me-down scale? If some of them are on the pull-me-down scale, maybe you should start scaling back the time you spend with them? In their place, can you find people clearly in the lift-me-up class and try and hang out with them? Family members will likely take up one or two of the five positions, and, understandably, adjusting the time spent with them is more complicated. Nonetheless, you should still be able to flex that time up or down to some degree. If you take these steps, make sure you do it sensitively and with respect, and you should soon start to see the benefits.
Have a great week
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