Last month, we made our annual trip up to the Skagit Valley to see the tulips. We were able to go on a Monday at peak bloom, and the tulip views were incredible! I am always looking for lessons and learnings in life, particularly in nature. As we took photos and took in the beauty, the overcast skies adding to the vibrancy of the colors, I couldn’t help but notice the rows were planted by color, but the color blocks were not always consistent. I almost used “perfect” instead of “consistent” but there was a perfection about this inconsistency.
Amongst the rows of lavender tulips, there were pops of other colors – red, yellow, and red and yellow tulips. These flowers weren’t just different in color; they also happened to be noticeably taller. We took home a bouquet, and my husband trimmed them down to fit in with the gerbera daisies already on our kitchen counter. If you haven’t had tulips before, well, they keep getting taller, which was more noticeable since they had been trimmed to the same height as the gerberas.
These tulips represented, both in the field and in my kitchen, some important insights for me. I loved seeing the different colored tulips that had popped up unexpectedly in the rows of lavender and how they stood tall. They were different and unique from their surroundings both in color and height, but unlike so many humans, there was no shame. They seemed to stand proud and taller, proclaiming their differences and these differences enhanced their beauty. Likewise, in the vase on my kitchen counter, the tulips kept growing, ending up quite a bit taller than the gerberas with them.
I think these tulips are on to something, unafraid to be different than the other tulips surrounding them. Not only unafraid but proudly standing tall in their unique colors amidst the sea of lavender tulips. The variation added to the beauty. It is my hope that our world becomes more like these tulips, beautiful because of all the variability and divergences, standing proud and tall while also belonging, continuing to grow regardless of efforts to be made to fit.
What makes you unique? How do you feel about your unique attributes and qualities? Do you stand tall and proud of the distinct traits that make you who you are? Do you try to avoid standing out and attempt to hide the parts of you that make you dissimilar? How has your identity and how you feel about your differences changed over time? How are these differentiations your strengths, your super powers? What does it feel like to reframe your distinctions as the unique qualities your family needs, your team needs, your community needs, and the world needs? If you’ve owned your superpowers and your place in the world, how does it feel to live with purpose, comfortable in your own skin, standing tall and proud? What might you share with someone else less comfortable in their own skin that might support their growth and ability to embrace who they are?
Quote(s) I’m pondering:
“You don’t need to be perfect to inspire others. Let people get inspired by how you deal with your imperfections.”
~ Paulo Coelho
“The world is changed by your example, not by your opinion.”
~ Paulo Coelho
“Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”
~ Kurt Vonnegut
What I’m listening to:
Shatter Your LIMITING BELIEFS: 3 Secrets to UPLEVEL Your GROWTH MINDSET
The School of Greatness
Hosted by Lewis Howes
“THE STORIES WE TELL OURSELVES EITHER LIMIT US OR EMPOWER US. CHOOSE TO WRITE NARRATIVES THAT EXPAND YOUR POSSIBILITIES, NOT CONFINE THEM.”
Imagine what you could achieve if you didn’t tell yourself you were limited. That’s where your true potential lies. Today we bring to light the common stories we tell ourselves holding us back from reaching our full potential, and how to break free from those limiting beliefs! Rob Dial, Noah Kagan, and Dr. Joe Dispenza to explore the powerful theme of breaking free from the limiting stories we tell ourselves. Rob Dial shares insights from his extensive experience in personal development, discussing how changing our internal narratives can lead to manifesting desires and achieving happiness. Noah Kagan brings his expertise in entrepreneurship, revealing how reframing our approach to challenges and failures can unlock paths to financial freedom and success. Dr. Joe Dispenza rounds out the conversation by explaining how modern science supports profound personal change, teaching listeners how to rewire their brains and bodies for better health and a more fulfilling life.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What practical steps can someone take to move beyond their old narratives and adopt a new identity that fosters transformative success?
- How can someone apply mindset change principles to achieve both their personal and professional goals?
- What strategies are effective in dismantling limiting beliefs and creating empowering personal narratives?
- What are some entrepreneurial tactics that help overcome mental barriers and propel success?
- What scientific methods can be used to improve health and elevate one’s consciousness?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Strategies to dismantle limiting beliefs and rewrite empowering personal narratives.
- How to apply principles of mindset change to achieve personal and professional goals.
- Entrepreneurial tactics for overcoming mental barriers to success.
- Scientific methods to transform your health and elevate your consciousness.
- Practical steps to evolve beyond old stories and embrace a new identity for transformative success.
- Plus much more…
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
By Anna Lembke, MD
What Amazon has to say:
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES and LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER
“Brilliant . . . riveting, scary, cogent, and cleverly argued.”—Beth Macy, author of Dopesick
This book is about pleasure. It’s also about pain. Most importantly, it’s about how to find the delicate balance between the two and why, now more than ever, finding balance is essential. We’re living in a time of unprecedented access to high-reward, high-dopamine stimuli: drugs, food, news, gambling, shopping, gaming, texting, sexting, Facebooking, Instagramming, YouTubing, tweeting . . . The increased numbers, variety, and potency are staggering. The smartphone is the modern-day hypodermic needle, delivering digital dopamine 24/7 for a wired generation. As such, we’ve all become vulnerable to compulsive overconsumption.
In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it. Condensing complex neuroscience into easy-to-understand metaphors, Lembke illustrates how finding contentment and connectedness means keeping dopamine in check. The lived experiences of her patients are the gripping fabric of her narrative. Their riveting stories of suffering and redemption give us all hope for managing our consumption and transforming our lives. In essence, Dopamine Nation shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work
By Chip Heath and Dan Heath
What Amazon has to say:
Chip and Dan Heath, the bestselling authors of Switch and Made to Stick, tackle one of the most critical topics in our work and personal lives: how to make better decisions.
Research in psychology has revealed that our decisions are disrupted by an array of biases and irrationalities: We’re overconfident. We seek out information that supports us and downplay information that doesn’t. We get distracted by short-term emotions. When it comes to making choices, it seems our brains are flawed instruments. Unfortunately, merely being aware of these shortcomings doesn’t fix the problem any more than knowing that we are nearsighted helps us to see. The real question is: How can we do better?
In Decisive, the Heaths, based on an exhaustive study of the decision-making literature, introduce a four-step process designed to counteract these biases. Written in an engaging and compulsively readable style, Decisive takes readers on an unforgettable journey, from a rock star’s ingenious decision-making trick to a CEO’s disastrous acquisition to a single question that can often resolve thorny personal decisions.
Along the way, we learn the answers to critical questions like these: How can we stop the cycle of agonizing over our decisions? How can we make group decisions without destructive politics? And how can we ensure that we don’t overlook precious opportunities to change our course?
Decisive is the Heath brothers’ most powerful—and important—book yet, offering fresh strategies and practical tools enabling us to make better choices. Because the right decision at the right moment can make all the difference.
~
You can sign up to receive my Three Thoughts for Thursday post as an email on the third Thursday of every month by clicking here. If you’ve missed any of my Three Thoughts, you can find them all on my blog. If you enjoyed this post, take a look at April’s Three Thoughts. You may also be interested in reading my four-part Lessons of the Run series – Endurance, Resilience, Rest, and Grit. And finally, don’t miss my latest posts, ponderings and thoughts “View from the Rearview Mirror,” and on the importance of being your unique self, “YOU Are the MISSING Piece!”
If you are interested or know someone who may be interested, I also offer leadership and emotional intelligence coaching and workshops. You can find more information on my website, or you can use this link to set up a free 30-minute introduction to coaching session.
Last year, I celebrated the 5th anniversary of my stroke with the writing of this commemorative post, a training run, flowers, pie, and special time with my kids. I continued the celebration by running the Boston Marathon in April, five years after I ran the course for the first time (six weeks after my stroke). Please join me in celebrating these milestones by taking time to celebrate your own milestones and by fully embracing the opportunities in front of you, the value in the little things, and the beauty that surrounds you in this wonderful, messy life. I will forever be grateful for my stroke and the path of integrity I found in its wake.
Last September, I hosted my first local, in-person event here in the Seattle area, Savor the Sweetness. I hosted the event again and had a different but equally fulfilling experience; I think I will be making this an annual event! Rather than waiting until September, if you are in the Seattle area, come join us June 8th for the Serenity Retreat. Contact me for more information, with any questions, or to join the invite list!
I have the privilege of hosting the Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group for ICFLA. WE are kicking off our 2024 explorations and learning journey on February 27th, with guest, Dr. Heather Backstrom, author of Collaborative Confidence, who presented on “Using Stakeholder Mapping to Help Clients Enhance Self-Awareness.” On May 28th, join us for The Relevance of EI in the Workplace and Exploring and Supporting Confidence in Our Clients, with guest, Irené Turtle, Executive and Team Coach. Register today! You do not need to be a coach or a member of ICFLA to attend these sessions. Please join me for our sessions in 2024!
If you are interested in joining and co-creating these learning communities, please use the links above to learn more about ICFLA’s Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group and the Women’s Events. I hope you will come along for the journey!
I’m always looking for new inspiration, new books to read, and new podcasts to listen to, so please send your suggestions my way or comment on this post to offer some new recommendations!
As always, thank you for your continued support and readership! Stay strong, stay brave, stay true to you!
Wishing you a season of unconditional self-love, willingness to own your gifts, and courage to stand tall in your uniqueness! Thank you for being a part of my journey!
Desiree Briel Rodi Consulting & Coaching 
[…] of my Three Thoughts, you can find them all on my blog. If you enjoyed this post, take a look at May’s Three Thoughts. You may also be interested in reading my four-part Lessons of the Run series – Endurance, […]
LikeLike