Back to the Notes from the Coach Table of Contents

December 2006, Year-end Reflection

Musing

Joyful holidays to all of you! Whether you honor Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanzaa, it is a rich season of light and hope.

My challenge at this time is to slow down occasionally, breathe deeply and simply savor the the richness of the music, the lights, the rituals and the experience of goodwill in this community. For me it is also a time for schmaltzy classic films like "It’s a Wonderful Life" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Miracle on 34th Street". It’s true, I love those films!

If you are still pondering what gifts to give, I want to give a plug this year for more meaningful gifting. Most of us have too much "stuff". There are gifts of experiences (theatre tickets, gym membership, a day of your full attention) -these don’t need to be wrapped!

There is the Heifer Project Here you can give a gift of a cow for milk, goat for cheese, or bees for honey, which will sustain a poor family on this planet.

You could also adopt a manatee or give to countless other non-profits that need funds.

My Holiday wish for each of us is that in 2007 we make this world and our community a happier and more peaceful place for all of us. This particular planet is just too small for us to not get along. Our diversity is what contributes to the rich fabric and tapestry of our lives. May your relationships at work, at home and in your community thrive in the coming year. Here's to a prosperous, peaceful, and joyful Holiday and New Year.

Tool

I’ve decided not to veer from my December tradition of offering you questions for reflection on the past year. Carve out some quiet time for reflection and assessment during this hectic time. Pick the questions that speak to you and listen for your answer.

These questions also make for interesting, juicy discussions with loved ones over the holidays. Here the challenge is to truly listen to each other. Remember, your curiosity coupled with your full attention can be the greatest gift of all. It costs nothing but energy and time.
  • What was your most meaningful triumph or accomplishment in 2006?
  • What was the most significant decision you made in 2006?
  • What was the greatest lesson you learned in 2006?
  • What was the most loving service or contribution you performed in 2006?
  • What is your biggest piece of "unfinished business" in 2006?
  • What are you most satisfied about completing this year?
  • Who are the three people who had the greatest positive impact on your life in 2006? Now, when do you plan to tell them?
  • What was the biggest risk you took in 2006?
  • If you were accused of being a kind and generous person, would there be enough evidence in 2006 to convict you?
  • What are you most grateful for in 2006?

Food for Thought

"KEEPING QUIET" by Pablo Neruda

Now we will count to twelve
And we will all keep still
For once on the face of the earth.

Let’s not speak in any language; let’s stop for a second,
And not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment Without rush, without engines;
We would all be together
In a sudden strangeness.

Fishermen in the cold sea
Would not harm whales.

And the man gathering salt
Would not look at his hurt hands.

What I want should not be confused With total inactivity.

Life is what it is about,. . ..

If we were not so single-minded
About keeping our lives moving,

And for once could do nothing,
Perhaps a huge silence
Might interrupt this sadness
Of never understanding ourselves
And of threatening ourselves with death.

Perhaps the earth can teach us
As when everything seems to be dead in winter
And later proves to be alive.

Now I’ll count up to twelve
And you keep quiet and I will go.

Laughter

Back by popular demand and stimulated by the current weather, this joke is only for those who indulge in the sport of skiing - Nordic or downhill. The rest of you may skip this, you wouldn't understand!

TOP 15 PRE-SEASON SKI EXERCISES - START NOW!!
  • Visit your local butcher and pay $30 to sit in the walk-in freezer for thirty minutes. Afterwards, burn two $50 bills to warm up.
  • Soak your gloves and store them in the freezer after every use.
  • Fasten a small, wide rubber band around the top half of your head before you go to bed each night.
  • If you wear glasses, begin wearing them with glue smeared on the lenses.
  • Find the nearest ice rink and walk cross the ice 20 times in your ski boots carrying two pairs of skis, accessory bag and poles. Pretend you are looking for your car. Sporadically drop things.
  • Place a small but angular pebble in your shoes, line them with crushed ice and then tighten a C-clamp around your toes.
  • Buy a pair of gloves and immediately throw one away.
  • Secure one of your ankles to a bedpost and ask a friend to run into you at high speed.
  • Go to McDonald's and insist on paying $8.50 for a hamburger. Be sure you are in the longest line.
  • Clip a lift ticket to the zipper of our jacket and ride a motorcycle fast enough to make the ticket lacerate your face.
  • Drive slowly for five hours - anywhere - as long as it's in a snowstorm and you're following an 18-wheeler.
  • Fill a blender with ice, hit the pulse button and let the spray blast our face. Leave the ice on your face until it melts. Let it drip onto your clothes.
  • Dress up in as many clothes as you can and then proceed to take them off because you have to go to the bathroom. 2. Slam your thumb in a car door. Don't go see a doctor.
  • Repeat all of the above twice a week until it's time for the real thing.


Back to the Notes from the Coach Table of Contents

Home About Janet Ott Services Newsletter Testimonials Resources Contact Site Map
Copyright © 2003 Janet Ott