What do you have to say for yourself?

"Words create worlds" My friend Rob recently made that point.

It is that moment you utter the words "I love you"

Everything changes

Or when you say "I'm sorry",

Everything changes

Or when you say "I'm sorry... its over"

Or "I'm sorry but I love you"

Words create worlds

Seriously...

What do you need to say and to whom do you need to say it?

It matters

Seriously...

It matters because you matter

Your heart

Your needs

Your opinion

Your longings

Your words

If you don't have anything nice to say, you still may need to say it.

Does practice really make "perfect"?

Does Practice Really make "perfect"? I recently wrote a ThatLife post about perfectionism.

The outpouring of private messages surprised me.

Seems like there are a lot of us moving from the impossible heights of unattainable perfectionism into a deeper level of transparency, peace and balance.

Ah, balance...

That place between the guilt, ego and shame that keeps us toiling and yet never being satisfied and the other side where we just give up.

Where we say "I can't do anything perfectly, so I won't do anything."

Balance is beautiful.

Balance allows us to focus on important things before they become urgent.

Balance gives us space in which to practice.

The sweet thing practicing is that it implies imperfection.

But It also implies effort.

Practice makes makes a precedent we can be known by.

Practice makes us good.

Practice makes us better.

Practice makes us our best.

You will be tested...

My friend Spencer used to say "In life we all get tested.  Pass the test."

I was recently "tested" and while I didn't get 100% I'm happy to say that I passed.

So lets call the class "your life" and the core curriculum "your values".  

You value truth and yet sometimes it's hard to tell tell the truth.

You value having a healthy body and at the same time fried dough is soooo good.  

What values are most important to you?

Take a minute and make a list.  

Which are the easiest to live in line with?

Which are the most challenging?

Which of your values currently requires a little extra "study"?

There, as Spencer said, will be tests.

There will also be quizzes.  

The tests are obvious.  

A loved one gets seriously ill

You lose your job

Your marriage falls apart.

The quizzes are less obvious.  

Unless you're looking for them.  

Will you consider your list of values and throughout the day be aware of "quiz" moments when they are challenged.  

Study

Pass the quizzes

Pass the test

We lost Spencer last year and yet his wise counsel still serves me well.  

I miss him...