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We Just Got Started, Fear And All

July 23, 2012

When we started rise365, we didn’t know what we wanted the site to ultimately become. However, we did know the direction we wanted to head and what our first step was: To get started with our first post!

photo by Ben Mendes

Fortunately, as we took those first steps, more became clear along the way. We’d never be where we are today had we waited till we had it all figured out. It’s been a journey and a learning experience, like a lot of things.

There were times of fear thinking we were being too transparent or that we were going to offend someone or come across the wrong way. Then there were times of encouragement and excitement as we got emails from people around the world saying how we encouraged or inspired them.

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The Lighter Side: Optimism And Dwight Schrute

July 21, 2012

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take responsibility for making it so.” ― Noam Chomsky

[tentblogger-youtube cEvLepKE2Ko]

Question: Do you ever feel like you need shades when you look at your future?

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Is Indecision Holding You Back?

July 20, 2012

 

“In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt.

 

Indecision. It was our crutch. We hid behind it, used it as an excuse, and let it control our lives for years.

In the past, we let it kill our inspiration, motivation, forward progress, dreams, and goals. It will also try to kill our relationship. If it doesn’t kill it, it will at least drive a wedge between you a million miles wide.

It takes your confidence and dashes it as glass on concrete. It will take a relationship and twist it and spin it till it chokes itself. It will stomp on you, crush and disable you.

Indecision will kill you and everything you love.

I have always put off making decisions because I didn’t want to face the fear of making a wrong one. I would therefore let other people make my decisions and then I could blame them if things went awry.

I didn’t realize I was doing this, I just thought decisions couldn’t be made if the path ahead was unclear. 

 

“It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do.” ~ Elbert Hubbard

 

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Why You Need To Move Your Elephant

July 19, 2012

This morning I sat down with my journal. I had a moment of quiet and needed to hash through some things that have been on my mind.

I wrote.

As I write the thoughts begin to untangle. They unfold their long tentacles and I start to distinguish the problem behind the problem.

I find I often have to hunt for the real problem and it is usually hiding behind the elephant of a problem that I think is the real problem. The elephant stands there like a big lug blocking my view like a brick wall.

photo by brittanyhock

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Captivating Kindness

July 18, 2012

Today, I learned something valuable. I saw a story play out right before my eyes.

photo by .guin

A woman arrived. She was kind, interested in others, personable, and gracious. People rushed to her aid, doting over her, talking to her, and laughing with her. They were all basking in her glow, hoping to catch a ray of her overflowing sweetness.

There were other people in the room at this time, but this one woman caught my attention and the attention of everyone else in the room.

We all gravitated toward her like she had a magnetic pull.

It was like getting caught up in the excitement of a storm and then it passes and you feel different. The ground around you is wet from the rain. The leaves on trees nearby are contorted from the gusting of the wind.

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What Automatic Debit Taught Me About Personal Growth

July 17, 2012

I’m in the process of changing the way I receive payments in my business. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while, but never had the guts to do it.

I was afraid I’d get a lot of kickback from my students and prospective students would be more hesitant to sign on with the new system.

Two of my star pupils!

For those of you who don’t know, I own a music lesson business where I give guitar lessons.

The industry standard for a while has been such that you pay a certain amount for each weekly lesson. If you have 4 lessons in a given month, you pay for 4 lessons, and so on.

I’m switching to a flat monthly amount.  In addition, I’m changing over to automatic debit verses getting paid each month by check.

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What I Learned On Instagram On Sunday Afternoon

July 16, 2012

Recently while zooming through pictures on Instagram, I stumbled across a series of photos taken by someone somewhere amazing.

photo by davidg

There were snow-capped mountains with the sky big and blue. It looked wild and beyond beautiful.

The comments were many and varied, but said things like, “I wish I was there,” and “Oh, you’re so lucky.”

I was struck by the words in the comments. How stuck and discouraged they sounded. I could hear longing in the words typed and could almost view the distant dreamy eyes of the person on the other side.

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