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The Mental Toughness Report & Emotional Resilience Report #1: Positive ideas to create more happiness, fun and success in your life.
Why golf balls are important to happiness:
"The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy."
The Dalai Lama
A Professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large empty glass jar and then proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
So the Professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
Again they agreed it was.
The Professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The Professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the space between the grains of sand.
"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
'The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favourite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else -the small stuff.
If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the waste disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
This story is a great reminder that taking time for the important things in your life is a vital part of being happy.
Action Exercise:
1 What are the most important things in your own life? Write them down. These are the golf balls in this story.
2 Now take one of these things and spend at least five minute of time on it.
3 If it's an important person, phone them and have a chat. If it's your health, spend a few minutes eating something that is good for you. If it's one of our favourite passions, book some time to treat yourself.
4 Invest some time every day on the golf balls in your life.
We have some more great ideas in the next month's edition of The Mental Toughness and Emotional Resilience Report.
Do something special to maintain the morale and motivation of your sales people. Link them to the
Rev Sales Network.
Warm regards from the Foresight Team.
PS: Next Month's
Mental Toughness 2-day course is on September 9 - 10 at the University of Auckland School of Business.
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