Arminda Lindsay

Being On Purpose

Ugly Duckling

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uglyduckling

I love the story of the Ugly Duckling because he struggled with self-image, belonging, personal performance, bullying and general unhappiness.

Until he didn’t.

During his transformation everything around him remained the same:

  1. The family occupied the same nest.
  2. The bullies were still throwing barbs at anyone who would stop long enough to listen.
  3. They were all floating on the same pond.

What changed?

Only the way he saw himself.

Yes, there was a physical alteration on his outside, but it wasn’t until the Ugly Duckling saw himself differently from his inside that transformation took place.

True transformation requires of us the inside work — the place only you know — and can happen with one turn in the mirror.

Because once you’ve transformed you’ll never see yourself the same way again.

What’s Your Different?

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different

I LOVE being noticed because I’m different.
Because what I offer my clients is different.
Because I have my own way of putting myself together.
Because I don’t subscribe to the conventional wisdom.
Because what I do works for me.
Because my different is exactly what I love most about me.

What’s your different?

Future Planning

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butterfly

“If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you will be unhappy for the rest of your life.” — Abraham Maslow

Have you ever stopped long enough to consider your own “what ifs”?

At year’s end, does the caterpillar set goals on how to be a better caterpillar next year? Of course not! She creates an entirely new future and transforms her very DNA to grow her own wings.

Create your future from your future and don’t worry about being a better caterpillar.

Is there a pair of wings inside of you, waiting to emerge?

Loving you, always.

Linear Happiness?

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line

The “achievement” of happiness is not a linear equation.

You will never be happy when ___________ happens, or arrives, or is completed, or you get the idea.

Happiness happens because you create it in spite of the line you’re walking.

Being happy is a conscious choice you get to make every single day from the inside out.

Choose you. Choose happy.

Let’s Do the Time Warp!

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sundial

How often have you heard yourself saying you don’t have enough time in your day? Or a new project comes along and your stress level increases exponentially because of the perceived time commitment? Or your heart rate goes up just looking at your ever-expanding list of things to do?

Have you ever wondered why you feel like nothing is getting accomplished even though you are always busy?

And in those moments you dismiss it all by acknowledging, “I struggle with time management,” as if that wipes your slate and gives you permission to continue being busy with little outcome.

Steve Chandler says, “. . . with a clear mission driving [you], time management is never a problem.”

Would you agree that when you really want something (anything), you figure out how to get it?

What is your mission?

Here’s the promise: Get a mission, identify your wants, focus on your goal(s) and time slows down and moves to the side as you create your how.

Every single time.

True Colors

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trees

If you are so fortunate to live in or have visited a part of the world that is home to deciduos trees, then each autumn when the leaves start changing color and the mountainous roads are busy with onlookers toting cameras and multiple stops just to stare at their splendor will be familiar to you.

Did you ever wonder aloud, “Why do the leaves change color?”

Ask instead, “Why do the leaves cover up in green?”

Photosynthesis 101: the trees use clorophyll (the green stuff) to absorb the sunshine, which sunshine (energy) + water produces oxygen for you and for me. (Thanks, Amazing Planet!)

Fall is simply the time of the year when the trees take off their makeup as they prepare to go to sleep for the winter.

But wait! That means the vibrant and gorgeous and uniquely amazing colors we see dotting our deciduous landscape are the trees’ TRUE colors! The green they parade around wearing during the spring and summer is simply a cover up of their true inner beauty: an attempt to be just like everyone else.

Oxygen-giving necessities aside, what green pigments are you hiding behind? Are you willing to step away from your mask and stop comparing yourself to everyone around you?

What are your true colors?

How can you show off the splendor that is you?

DISCLAIMER: I am not a scientist. That awesome interpretation of photosynthesis is my own.

The Sky is Falling!

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acorn

An acorn fell on my head today.

The exact same thing happened once upon a time to Chicken Little (from the classic children’s book of the same name) and she immediately told herself that the sky was falling and then proceeded to run around telling the same (made up) story to anyone who would listen!

WARNING: spoiler alert if you keep reading past this point!

Long before they reached their destination, Chicken Little & her friends believed another made up story (which was missing a few subtle plot points) and ended up as Foxy Loxy’s permanent dinner guests.

Because Chicken Little dramatically overreacted to an upsetting incident that was out of her control she got herself and all of her friends killed.

The sky was never falling.

Upsetting and out-of-our control incidents happen all the time. How many of us make up stories when we get hit on the head with an acorn? Other than a temporary insult to your noggin, that acorn doesn’t impede your progress for long.

Unless you choose to stop everything and claim a falling sky.

Choose to tell a different story.

Your sky is never falling.

Ignite Your Adventure

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adventure

“At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since.“  – Salvador Dali

What do you want? Or perhaps the question is: What did you forget to remember that you want?

Do you control your own outcome? Or do you live holding back, never giving yourself permission to create, to pursue, to ignite?
Create an adventure, which by definition is an exciting or unexpected event or course of events.

Push your control button. Go. Get out of your own way.

Star Light, Star Bright

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starlight
Star light, star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have this wish I wish tonight.

We’re accustomed from childhood to make wishes and throw them into the universe, hoping without believing we’ll see a return on that coin tossed into the fountain, the dandelion fluff blown against the wind, the first or even the shooting stars we see in the night sky.It’s habit. Habit to throw out our words without truly meaning or believing them to be true.What if instead of casually throwing about out our wishes, we create a dream.

What if instead of tossing coins into a fountain and hoping without believing, we deliberately choose action over hope.

Hoping leads to wasted wishes, and wishes are nothing more than passive and passing thoughts.

Be the maker of your dreams rather than the wisher leaning over the edge of an empty (yet thought-filled) well.

Be and become instead.

Do Not Feed the Pigeons

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IMG_4921

The park pigeons are fat and dependent.

You are emotionally and psychologically “fat” and dependent on the thoughts you continue to feed to yourself about your story. Whatever your story is, I promise you it’s made up. It’s not true. It’s only true as long as you keep feeding it.

Whether the economy is bad, or the customers aren’t buying like they used to, or you can’t get and/or keep good help, or your team is suffering from low morale, or you had a rough childhood, or you have commitment issues, or it’s because of your relationship with your mother, or the competition is spending more than you. . . just stop.

Stop feeding the pigeons.

allarminda.com | 2024