Traveling from St. Louis to Cleveland the other day, I was mesmerized by behaviors observed in the airport. People-watching is certainly the most intriguing and cheapest form of entertainment!

Here are married couples who seem to be completely disconnected and unaware of the presence of each other (or, at least I’m assuming their married because of that particular behavior)! Mom’s and dad’s who also look detached from the eyes, hearts and souls of their little ones who will be little for so little time. Those same parents, irritated at the childlike behavior of their precious wonders who are simply being children. Elderly people whose eyes look and feel distant, empty, null and void.

Then I observe young love (or maybe lust). Here’s a noticeable glimpse of joy, playfulness, pleasure and hope. Over there is a rare parent looking deeply into their child’s eyes and smiles at their delightful, yet completely silly behaviors. And to my right, an elderly couple holding hands and sharing a glance of “knowing” what’s really important.

I can’t help but wonder: When do we forget the charm, wonder and awe of each other and of life? When does the genuine excitement and thrill of each treasured day become regular, monotone, tedious, repetitive and apparently boring? When do we begin to forget to cherish moments and hold each other gently in our hearts?

Then, I open a magazine and read:

To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe. ~ Marilyn vos Savant

This airport layover in a relatively mediocre setting has awakened my senses and slapped me upside the head. I too often walk through an entire day relatively dead to the glorious splendor all around me. I’ve missed moments of bliss as I stood at the altar of dull.

Not today. Today, I will heighten my awareness and appreciation of everything and everyone who surrounds me. And, I’ll do what I can to take this into tomorrow. May you genuinely and completely enjoy your day!

Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

I’m working in the fine city of St. Louis this week. And, like many of you, the last few days I’ve heard commentators, colleagues, comrades and companions of Martin Luther King reflect upon him as a man and a marvel who created miracles with his exceptional passion, unstoppable persistence and legendary oratory.

While listening I wrote down several of his quotations. Many of them I remembered him delivering, in real time, on my family’s little black and white television set when I was a child. With today’s social media, I imagine his words have gone viral all across the globe this week. And, why wouldn’t they when the words he spoke decades ago are piercingly relevant today:

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

A riot is at bottom the language of the unheard.

I suspect we’ll experience intense global change in the next few decades. I pray we surface at least a few wise, courageous leaders who walk us through it with increased understanding, compassion and grace.

Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

For the first time, I’m experiencing Amelia Island in Florida. What a lovely place to work! Sitting on my balcony, looking at the enormity of the ocean, listening to its sound and attempting to do my daily, disciplined “sit” with silence; I glance at a hotel magazine and notice an interview with Billy Crystal (creative avoidance – I’m not yet as disciplined as I’d like to be with stillness!)

One statement in the interview immediately reminded me of his character in the movie City Slickers. Remember that movie?! And, of course, my train of thought led me to more and more thinking (and thinking is NOT supposed to be part of stillness!), so let me share . . .

While preparing for the next 12 months, don’t forget to ask yourself the “one thing” question. Remember that line in City Slickers? Curly explains to the Billy Crystal character that the secret to life is finding the “one thing.” Crystal immediately asks, “What’s the “one thing?” To which Curly responds, “That’s what you have to figure out.” That’s what we all have to figure out! It may not be easy; however, it’s got to be rewarding! (And, if I were more disciplined with my quiet time perhaps I’d be closer to knowing my “one thing!)

So, I ask: What is the one thing you could achieve that would make 2012 one of the best years of your life? And, what is the one thing that would inspire you to press on to succeed, even when you don’t feel like it? What is that one thing that could give you motivation and courage in the moments you feel you have none? What gives you your inner drive? What’s your why?

You will be tested. You will encounter obstacles. You will experience pain. It will suck at times. You will want to quit. So, you need a significant reason WHY you want to forge ahead and continue to pursue and persist through the pain, obstacles and sucky stuff. ~ Darren Hardy, Success Magazine

During your daily (yes, daily) scheduled quiet moments, contemplate your “one thing” and your “why.” It’s often said the answer is in the question. This year, let’s get in the habit of asking ourselves the important ones! (And, I wish you increased discipline with your stillness practice!

Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Here in early January many of us are in the “what do I want this year to be” phase. Pretend its one year from today, January 4, 2013, and you’re reviewing your 2012 life. When you look back and reflect upon 2012: What learning helped you know more about truth? What pleases you most? What makes you giggle? What are you most proud of? Who are you glad you met – and stayed connected to? What will you not repeat?

How do we really know the desires of our hearts? How do we turn those desires into reality? Here are a few things others have shared with me that always help:

Make time to be quiet. In life’s busy-ness it’s easy to get caught up in the rush of things. Every day (yes, every day) pull yourself away from people, cell phones, computers and TV. Otherwise, how can you hear to the depths of your heart? You’ll be vulnerable to listening to what other people want for and from you; however, the desires of your heart will go unheard.

Pay attention to what thrills you. What great thoughts move your heart to excitement and joy? What would you most like to accomplish; to become? What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail . . . if success was guaranteed? Questions like these can move you to the dream zone, where your heart can express itself and help you with direction. So, regularly schedule some “dream time” for yourself, and make note of the joyful expressions that speak to you.

Write down the dreams of your heart. Make sure you have pen and paper with you at all times. Write down what surfaces during dream time, as well as what whispers and screams during your busy days (since you’ve consistently welcomed the heart to express itself during your dream time, you’ll notice it will begin to speak outside of those scheduled times). Don’t filter the dreams that surface. Write them all down – this is your DREAM list! There’s nothing foolish or outlandish about what speaks to you. Your dreams and goals are unique to you and call you to become your best self. Achieving our specific goals bring joy to our life because they create more congruency with who we want to become.

Prioritize your dreams. What dreams are most important to you? Which ones do you really want to accomplish and in what order? Which are most feasible? Which can you accomplish immediately, with little or no additional resources? Which require more information, resources or personal attributes than you currently possess (there are life calling clues in there!) Remember, creating a life worth living requires dreaming, THEN action – consistent action!

The pain of discipline or the pain of regret . . . which do you choose?

When your life is near the end, will you look back with joy or regret? Each day we move closer to what we desire, or away from it. The choice is yours.

Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Reviewing the list of goals set for the next 12 months, I anticipate great adventures, full of challenges, struggles, disappointments and victories – all part of the self-improvement process. Selecting the qualities we want mastery with is one of the most important things we can do. Many who have left legacies worth considering stood upon the foundation of continuous growth and development.

A young Benjamin Franklin, who eventually became a skilled entrepreneur, writer, printer, scientist, inventor and statesman, was brilliant, eloquent, driven, opinionated and argumentative. On a trip to Europe, one brave confidant was kind and bold enough to pull him aside and give him feedback. He told Ben it didn’t matter how intelligent or well-spoken he was, it didn’t matter. People would literally avoid him because they couldn’t tolerate being in his presence.

Although he was devastated by the feedback, it didn’t cause him to deny, rationalize, wallow, blame or resist. Instead, he began a focused, deliberate self-improvement process. To start, he listed what he believed to be the attributes of an influential leader and prioritized them by selecting thirteen virtues he felt most worthy of his attention. Then, he organized himself around a demanding schedule of acting, monitoring and improving.

He focused on one attribute for 13 weeks then started all over again. Rotating through his top 13 translated into intentional improvement of a specific quality four times every year. Did he effectively improve in areas that made him more influential?

Hell is when who you are meets who you could have been. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Where will you focus your personal self-mastery efforts in 2012? When prioritizing your list, make certain it matters to what you want to accomplish, and more importantly, to who you want to become.

Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!
Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

I’m working in the mountains of Denver until the end of the week, hoping the predicted snow bypasses us so I can make it home for Christmas! My awareness, anticipation and appreciation of the treasures of family, friends and foods of holiday gatherings are therefore heightened.

What a wonderful time of the year to meditate on what we value, to decrease the probability of taking for granted that which stands right in front of us day-by-day.

It’s easy to acknowledge what I’d miss if I was snowed in and distant from my family on Christmas (and I refuse to play out that scenario!) So, I ponder something I heard years ago:

A single grateful thought toward heaven is the most perfect prayer.

Today, I’m grateful to be experiencing snow capped peaks, and am equally as grateful for a delay in more snow and safe travels home to those I love!

Happy Holidays, filled with gratitude to all who celebrate the season!

‎Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!
Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

In the midst of all the hurried, hustle and bustle of the holidays, I hope you take a few moments to stop, breathe and take in the magic that surrounds you now and then. At any moment there’s something that can literally take our breath away, if we just pay attention.

Yesterday, in between completing a project, writing reports and gently rearranging an ornament that looked out of place on the family room tree, I decided to take a break and wrap a few gifts. While looking for the wrapping paper I stumbled upon a letter my sister gave me weeks ago that our mom wrote while recovering from a serious operation decades ago.

Mom suffered severely with Alzheimer’s for years before passing over, so it was truly magical to read her thoughts when they were still clear. She shared “observing suffering and loss” caused her to “evaluate life and think more clearly.”

Here are a few messages I’m now able to meditate on this season because I stopped for a few moments and to read the magic:

Life has great meaning when one sees others having it taken away.
We need to think more of the whole family instead of our own requirements and wants.
We should help each other to develop our own personalities to the greatest degree.
Be careful not to put importance on the wrong things. We must put first things first – something I’ve had a hard time doing (she had 6 children!) and teaching you (I think she taught us just fine!)
Our lives are what we each make them. Let us not ever forget this.

And words that sat in my heart with acute tenderness as I remembered her graceful beauty:

None of us are going to be here forever. I’m sure the pain of parting will not be as deep with wonderful memories of enjoying each other.

I can still hear the sound of her voice:

Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.

Mom, I promise – that’s a gift I will honor this year!

Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!
Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Yesterday, I finished work early in South Beach, Miami. So, I decided to walk the streets of the Art Deco District to enjoy the architecture, savor the abundant aromas that linger in the air and differ from restaurant to restaurant, and smile at the sparkling apparel found only in South Beach. As I sat in a Cuban restaurant, overhearing conversations from another table my ears fell on this statement:

You can’t change your destination overnight, but you can change your direction in a moment.

Specific intention and purposeful decisions make all the difference. Are you satisfied with the destination your current activities are leading you toward? If not, perhaps it’s time for a course correction. This minute is as good as any to sit and ponder your choices.

‎Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.

Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

Working in Florida, and got “lost” driving from Sarasota to Naples. However, during the un-welcomed deviation, we met some intriguing people and found a few treasures on our way back onto our more direct path. I giggled as I remembered a message that was sent to me earlier in the week:

Detours, challenges, and crisis are simply covers for miracles that had no other way of reaching you.

It was a good reminder to reduce my angst and increase my anticipation during the unexpected diversions in life. Let’s face it – they happen. A smile of “what if” while on the alternative route makes for a better detour than the scowl of “oh, _____!”

So, the next time it feels like you’re taking the “long way around” perhaps you too can smile and wait to experience a bit of wonder.

‎Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com

We’re in New York City to share Thanksgiving with our daughter, Courtney and her husband, Scott. This is their first Thanksgiving as husband and wife. So, I pray they (and all of us) continue to be grateful for the good things about our loved ones and reduce the concentration on the things that make us a bit irritated. Hey, we all have flaws. What benefit is there to making them the center of our attention?

A focus of gratitude for each other, for the relationship, and for the care and support we extend to each other is critical for relationships to thrive. As Virginia Satir wrote:

Feelings of worth flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible – the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.

My wish is that all who are reading this are able to be grateful for the acceptance, love and genuine care of a nurturing family. If you’re not feeling cared for at the moment, may you have the courage and compassion to reach out and give to another that which you desire. And, then be grateful for your ability to give.

Wouldn’t it be a shame if we only focused on our blessings that one Thursday in November? Let’s do our best to pay attention to the gifts we have (especially in each other) regularly. Doing so will give our hearts more pleasure, our minds more peace and our communities an increased feeling of worth.

‎Life is calling . . . Today’s the day . . . Make this moment matter!!

Learn Lavishly. Live Significantly. Leave a Legacy.
Visit www.The Success Studio.com
www.marilynnsemonick.com
To subscribe to Wednesday Wisdom or to read archived postings visit: www.thesuccessstudio.wordpress.com
Marilynn Semonick, CEO (Chief Exploration Officer)
Educator, Consultant, Coach, Facilitator, Professional Speaker
Marilynn@marilynnsemonick.com