Category Archives: G.O.T.H. Series

Choosing to Fail Forward

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent email:

In those moments when you find yourself standing face to face with an issue you battled before — one bearing a lesson you were sure you’d already learned — remember, repetition is not failure. Ask the waves, ask the leaves, ask the wind. Repetition is required to evolve and grow. And repetition allows you to fail forward. We learn the right way on the way.

Truly, failures are opportunities to begin again smarter than before. If you’ve heard differently, forget what others have told you. Fail often, fail fast, clean it up, learn from it, move on, and then repeat. Just because things didn’t work out for you today, doesn’t mean there’s not something big in store for you tomorrow. Rest easy and get ready. Don’t waste your energy justifying your next step to the naysayers.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.

It Was All Feedback

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Here’s an inspiring excerpt from Mary Morrissey’s recent release, Brave Thinking:

For anything to have a chance of becoming reality, you need to first imagine it. When we allow ourselves to imagine a life we would love, we discover resources we didn’t know we had. With a well-formed dream, you can advance confidently in its direction. The laws of nature work differently when you are in this state. Take as an example Thomas Edison, arguably one of the most prolific inventors of all time, who aimed to devise a major invention every six months and a minor one every ten days.

When asked how he survived 10,000 failures before building the first incandescent bulb, he famously replied that he had never had a failure. He had simply found thousands of ways for it not to work.

It was all feedback. “I was never myself discouraged or inclined to be hopeless of success. I cannot say the same for all my associates,” he wrote. “Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

Source: Brave Thinking, pp. 42-43

Too Late is a Decision, Not a Position

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In her book, Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways to Stop Stressing & Start Living, life coach Susie Moore shares insightful gems. Here’s a thought-provoking one for anyone contemplating a second, third, or nth act in life:

There’s nothing worse than adding milk to your tea, taking a sip, and discovering that the milk is…sour. You check the carton and the expiration date tells you it went off days ago. The milk has a “line-in-the-sand” expiration. Do not use it after this date—it will taste gross and might make you sick.

But why on earth would we think that humans have an expiration date? Let’s say we did. When would it be? Age thirty-five? Forty? Fifty-seven? Says who? And for what practical reason? As Oprah says, “So long as there is breath in your body, there is more.”

I love to hear stories of people who started things at later life stages. My mum went back to school in her mid-fifties to study childhood education. Julia Child released her first cookbook at fifty. Vera Wang entered the fashion industry at forty. Harriet Doerr published her first novel at seventy-four.

You are not behind. When people come to see me hoping to launch a new venture but think they might be “too late,” they overlook the fact that they already know so much. Their experience is a huge advantage, not something to underplay or discount. No experience is wasted. It can be gloriously transferred. I work with former (“recovering” they tell me) lawyers who now coach stepmoms to navigate the challenges of a blended family. Accountants who create art and sell it all over the world. Didn’t they get the memo that January 1, 2013, was their expiration date and that they’re breaking the rules? I guess not. Someone should arrest them.

I once heard an investor say, “We prefer to invest in slightly older CEOs. They’ve experienced more. They can be wiser. We have better outcomes with them.”

It’s never too late.

Source: Let It Be Easy, pp. 247-248

The Secret to Success

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Here’s an inspirational message from bestselling author and motivational speaker, John Maxwell:

Focus on Your Blessings

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

Even when your past — your story — tries to pull you back in, you can consciously do your best to focus on your present blessings. What do you see in your life right now? Be thankful for the good parts. For your health, your family, your friends, or your home. Many people don’t have these things.

Remind yourself that the richest human is rarely the one who has the most, but the one who needs less. Wealth is a daily mindset. Want less and appreciate more today. Easier said than done of course, but with practice gratitude does get easier. And as you practice, you transform your past struggles into present moments of freedom.

Ultimately, on the average day, happiness is letting go of what you assume your life is supposed to be like right now and sincerely appreciating it for everything that it is. So, at the end of this day, before you close your eyes, smile and be at peace with where you’ve been and grateful for what you have. Life has goodness.

Keep reminding yourself…

*You are not your bad days.

*You are not your mistakes.

*You are not your scars.

*You are not your past.

Be here now and breathe.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.

Wisdom from the Duck

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Here’s an inspiring post from the Mind Fuel Daily blog:

We may see ducks regularly at the local pond or park, but have you ever stopped to consider and appreciate their many compelling qualities? Here are five things we can learn from the duck.

Form Quality Partnerships

Contrary to popular belief, ducks do not mate for life; instead, they practice seasonal monogamy each breeding season. Are you with the ideal partner for the current season of your life? Make sure your close partnerships in work and in life are a “match” for each phase or project.

Make Family a Priority

Female ducks lay an average of 5 to 12 eggs that hatch within 28 days. While they are gestating, the male duck will protect the nest and fight off any potential invaders. Be protective of your kin and raise your children attentively.

Let Stress Roll Right Off You

Ducks are equipped with naturally waterproof feathers that allow them to stay comfortable and dry even while in the water. They also don’t hold a grudge; if they have a tiff with another duck, they shake the stress of the encounter from their feathers and get on with their day.

Keep Your Wits About You

Ducks have an internal GPS system and see in color 360 degrees around them. The are also able to sleep with one eye open and half their brain engaged for protection against predators. Enjoy your life, but be ready to navigate quickly away from pitfalls and hazards.

Be Buoyant and Flexible

Equipped with both webbed feet and wings, most ducks can travel by water, land, and air. Be flexible and cultivate a buoyant spirit in life as you travel from one adventure to the next.

From the mallard to the wood duck to the scoter, ducks delight with their beautiful feathers and cheerful dispositions. Consider how you might apply these examples of wisdom from the duck.

Source: Mind Fuel Daily Blog

Argue for Your Possibilities

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In her book, Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways to Stop Stressing & Start Living, life coach Susie Moore shares insightful gems. Here’s one of my favorites:

If you argue for your limitations, you get to keep them. But if you argue for your possibilities, they expand.

We are experts at knowing our limitations. We defend them doggedly. We set up Judge Judy-style courtrooms in our heads and play the part of the prosecution—against ourselves. Against our own possibilities.

What if we flipped the script?

Next time you’re about to prove a personal limitation, pause. Is it helpful, to you or anyone else? I’ve never found it to be so.

Are you “too sensitive”? Maybe you’re highly empathetic, and that’s a superpower!

Are you “disorganized”? Maybe you’re an action taker who focuses on the overall mission over tidy perfection.

Are you “on the bossy side”? Maybe you’re a natural, confident leader.

What’s there to apologize for or explain away, exactly, here?

Here’s a fun exercise. Imagine you’re responsible for defending your possibilities in a courtroom. If you had to be your own attorney for just five minutes, what would you say about who you really are and what you can do?

Source: Let It Be Easy, pp. 65-66

Letting Go

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

A long-time fan of bestselling authors and coaches Marc and Angel Chernoff, I look forward to reading their emails and blog posts. Here’s an excerpt from a recent post:

All of the things from our past that we desperately try to hold on to, as if they’re real, solid, everlasting fixtures in our lives, aren’t really there. Or if they are there in some form, they’re changing, fluid, impermanent, or simply imagined storylines in our minds.

Life gets a lot easier to deal with the moment we understand this.

Imagine you’re blindfolded and treading water in the center of a large swimming pool, and you’re struggling desperately to grab the edge of the pool that you think is nearby, but really it’s not—it’s far away. Trying to grab that imaginary edge is stressing you out, and tiring you out, as you splash around aimlessly trying to holding on to something that isn’t there.

Now imagine you pause, take a deep breath, and realize that there’s nothing nearby to hold on to. Just water around you. You can continue to struggle with grabbing at something that doesn’t exist… or you can accept that there’s only water around you, and relax, and float.

Today I challenge you to ask yourself:

*What’s something from the past that you are still desperately trying to hold on to?

*How is it affecting you in the present?

Then imagine the thing you’re trying to hold on to doesn’t really exist. Envision yourself letting go… and just floating.

How might that change your life from this moment forward?

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Marc & Angel’s website.

Growing My Wings

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

I look forward to receiving weekly emails from Robert Holden, a British psychologist, author, and broadcaster, who works in the field of positive psychology and well-being. Here’s an excerpt from a recent email:

At the start of the year, I got a shoulder injury. I got it playing football with my son Christopher. I was playing in goal, when I made a heroic dive that ruptured tendons in my shoulder.

A few days later, my family and I flew to Findhorn, Scotland. I booked myself in to see Kemi, who is an amazing bodyworker and healer who lives nearby.

“There is a deeper purpose to this injury!” Kemi told me.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Your shoulders are telling me that they want you to rest more,” she said.

“I’d like that,” I said.

“To heal your shoulder injury, you will need to lighten the load you are carrying,” she said.

“You mean, take some weight off my shoulders?”

“Yes,” she said. “And it’s time to grow wings.”

Louise Hay believed that the body is a message board. And that your body is always trying to give you messages to help you be healthier, happier, and more whole.

Kemi feels the same way about the body. “Listening to your body is a spiritual practice,” she says.

Asking yourself a question like, “What message does my body want me to know today?” is a great practice for living a healthy life.

My new spiritual practice is growing wings. I am enjoying playing with this metaphor.

‘So, what can I do to grow my wings?” I asked Kemi.

“Let life love you more,” she told me, with a smile.

“I wrote a book about that!” I said.

“Let your angels help you more,” she said.

“You mean, stop trying to do life all by myself,” I said.

“Exactly,” she said.

Note: I highly recommend subscribing to Robert Holden’s website.

Keep Showing Up

Posted on by Joanne Guidoccio

On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In A Year of Writing Dangerously, author and teacher Barbara Abercrombie shares anecdotes, insights, and solutions. Here’s a thought-provoking excerpt:

Maybe the essay you’re writing, or the memoir or novel, has now taken up residence in your inner life, like a DVD playing in your head. Maybe as you go to sleep at night, you’re working on your story, you dream it. And when you brush your teeth in the morning, you’re thinking about it, seeing flashbacks of your own life or your characters hovering behind you. If it’s a book you’re working on, you imagine what the cover will look like. Articles you read in the newspaper or online, things you observe, hear on radio or TV—everything starts to connect to your work.

Maybe you already have a draft of an essay or short story you’ve written that needs to sit for a while for you to get some perspective on it, and you’re looking for the subject of your next one. What you look for, you usually find.

Or maybe not. Maybe you’re stuck. But the only way to become unstuck is to keep showing up, to keep writing. And trust that when you do show up, something will be playing in your unconscious.

Source: A Year of Writing Dangerously, p.149