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Strong Within Self Development Challenge 26: From Ordinary to Amazing

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Chris

I haven’t written in awhile been working on writing a book and I have let my blogs slide a bit, but I know you all have been out in the world making the best of your lives not sitting around at your computer waiting for my next blog ;). I have been speaking with people lately on the expectations they have for their days and ultimately they have for their lives. Maybe I am old fashioned but I don’t think there is one ordinary day in our existence upon this earth. Yes maybe things might seem monotonous since we have done certain tasks in the day over and over again, but there was a time in your life when it was new and fresh. When things were exciting because you were uncertain of what would come next. We have taken the day at hand for granted by thinking tomorrow will be exactly as it is today. I like to look at kids and how they love to explore and find out things, and how the most ordinary thing to us can be a wonderful puzzle to explore and solve.

Now I am not perfect and I have my bad days, and I forget about the blessings I have been giving- that this day ahead of me is mine, and it is mine to dream and do with it what I may, and that anything and everything is possible. But I have continually worked to create a habit, for those times when not feeling as strong, with myself and the life coaching clients I work with to remember that there are NO ordinary days, that a day is not “just” good but amazing!!! That a day is your canvas upon which you will put your life brush upon and create a stunning “life” of art.

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Strong Within Personal Development Challenge 25: Are You Looking at the Problem Backwards?

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Chris

It’s easy to look at the world and say what the problem is. It’s easy to look at other people’s lives and tell them they didn’t get it right, it’s easy to look at our lives and find all the mistakes we made. I believe there is value in seeing the whole picture and not ignoring information, but I think we are looking at the equation of life backwards. It’s easy to see the problems, it might even be said that we are hard wired to look for the problems first. But what if you chose to see life differently, what if you decided to look at life (externally and internally) through a solution focused lens.

Let’s be frank, the reason people look through a problem focused lens is: it’s easier. It’s harder to individualize and step back to see the bigger picture and ask questions that search for the solution instead of focusing on the problems. I get in this argument all the time – well aren’t both of those arguments the same? I say no. The reason being is a problem focused outlook will look at the weakness and ask how do we get over, through, or around this obstacle; and the solution based approach will look at the strengths a person has and say what if there was no obstacle (for sometimes the obstacle was created because we decided it was there)? Each outlook comes from opposite sides of the spectrum.

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Living a Life With No Regrets

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Chris

A life with no regrets; this blog could go in any direction but I have a specific message I want to deliver today- The subject of loss and death. In my life coaching practice I have helped others deal with this but it’s always different when it hits you personally. We like to avoid the subject or maybe it’s even we really never think of it until after the fact. Recently my grandfather passed away and even though I believe there is something more to this life than just the physical, it still can be a difficult transitioning process for those of us who are still here after the incident.

Are you living a life of no regrets?
In life I see a lot of unhappiness and unsatisfied people. A question that begs to be asked is are you living a life with no regrets, are you doing what you want and sharing your full emotions with all those around you, or are you finding yourself wishing for another chance to make it right?

Sometimes I think we wish life was like technology. Like with our DVD/Blu-Ray players you can hit pause at anytime, you can rewind or fast-forward with the push of a button; our video game systems give us the chance to have another life or lives and do it all over again. While we can always change our direction in life, and we can choose how we want to feel at each moment; there are some places with no do overs. There is a passage that slips thru our fingers in this physical realm that we will not be able to access after certain things pass us by such as death. While I believe we all are connected and that we can be in contact with spirits that have passed on, while we are still on earth, I do know we only have one chance to experience the physical aspects of those we love right now.

Now this is not to down you, but just to remind you of the fragility of our lives and how we can find true peace when someone we love leaves us. Death is actually a measurement of time to help us make sure we DO NOT take our lives lightly and to help us put priority and purpose upon our time on this earth. So, have you taken the time to sit down and listen to the ones you love, have you taken the time to give them hugs just because, have you taken the time to give them a call and see how they are when you can’t be near them, or have you told them that you love them? Yes while this will be a great thing for their happiness, in the end it really will calm our souls and wishings for a do over, as we will have no regrets if that time ever comes too soon… and it always does come too soon (we want our friends and families to live forever).
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Personal Development #24:Surviving is Killing You

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Chris

A friend of mine Rob C. showing his Strong Within and putting his best life forward In the English Lake District, UK. Super cool shot & I would love to share it with you all. If you would like to be a part of the Strong Within around the world campaign email me at chris@strongwithin.com for details.

I wanted to commemorate this blog post to the late great uplifter Zig Ziglar. He passed away last week, and he was one of my influences that got me into wanting to be a life coach. If you don’t know him you should check out some of his quotes if not his books and ideas. I wanted to start this blog off with a quote of his:

“A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.”

Now this blog is not necessarily going to be about work and finding a job (but with the way the economy is maybe I should ;-) sorry I know the election is over), but it will be more about the business of your life. I think many of the problems we have are due to thinking when we change the situation or circumstance things will be ok and life will all be amazing. Now, while I do believe there are no coincidence (when we actually open our eyes and take notice of patterns and signs in our life), I do believe we have to put in some sort of work and not just wish or wait for luck to happen to us.

The metaphor that I see in this quote is: life is not just about surviving but about continually searching and traveling the path. There is a saying I like that says “be happy where you are; don’t be content but always be happy where you are.” We ask for just enough money to get by, we ask for someone to come into our life so we won’t feel so alone, or maybe we negatively ask for things just as much. Such as the person who says I don’t want to be fat, poor, or stupid anymore. Yes it may sound harsh but we can be our own worst critics. And by us focusing negatively, we actually are not asking for what we want but asking for what we don’t want, thus getting more of what we don’t want and continually feeling bad about it. Which continues our endless loop of disappointment. Continue reading →

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VLOG Authentic Listening in Our Meetings & Greetings

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Chris

It’s Thanksgiving here in the U.S. so I wanted to say I am thankful for all the blessings in my life and for all of the people who come to the Strong Within site. I hope that you will find some things to take away to better your life. I recently went to Mexico on vacation and was reminded about how we pass so many people each day and it is can be so easy to lose touch with what is really important: connecting with others and sharing and taking great experiences in our time with each other.

It can be so easy to get lost in ourselves and miss the great things that are right in front of our eyes. I hope this video makes you think a little differently, I hope this video will reopen your eyes to what is important in your life, and that you not only pass on your amazing gifts and experiences with those around you, but that you also take the time to learn and let others share their amazingness with you.

Would love to hear your experiences or thoughts on this matter. I am thankful for all of you, so let us all remember our blessings every moment and keep putting our best life forward! Much love and peace to you all!

Sorry about the quality of the video, I am not sure how to make it look better on YouTube… I am going to have to learn a few more things about videos and uploading I guess. It’s more about the message; you don’t need to see my mug anyways ;-)

CLICK ON THE VIDEO TO WATCH

© 2012 Chris O’Hearn all rights reserved

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VLOG Bookmarks of Negativity

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Chris

I am heading out on vacation tomorrow and I wanted to get something out to you guys before I left. I hope this reaches you well. It was a little rushed since I am pressed for time at the moment, and I’m still learning how to work my video editing software. That will def be a long road. I wanted to talk about how it is so easy for us to come back to that negativity in our mind, how we put bookmarks there so we can find the darkness, the I told you so, that negativity that keeps us from moving forward. In life it so much easier to let the nay-sayers of our lives hold us back from reaching our real selves, our true potential, and those nay-sayers a lot of times are ourselves. Look at where your focus is, and maybe take another angle and look at how something is possible rather than looking for ways to prove yourself right about not succeeding. You will decide what you can and can’t have; Take a look at where and what your focus is currently on.

Have an amazing day and let me know what you think of the video by commenting here. Let me know a time that you overcame the odds by telling a different story. Looking forward to chatting with you all and hearing about all your awesome stories of success. Make it an amazing day!

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Forward Moving Thoughts #1: Mediocrity is for the weak minded

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Chris

Are you respecting your plan for life? Are you keeping true to yourself and the dreams you had for it? With all the obstacles, all the nay-sayers, and all the negative thoughts that are running through our head’s each day; it can be easy to forget about our dreams.

Take hold of your dream, no matter how ridiculous people say you are for believing it. They are not you, and you don’t want to live their mediocre life anyways. You were intended for greatness. You are one of a kind, you are an amazing essence on this earth with your brush of life making its mark, and you are a person who follows through on their commitments. Especially the commitments you made to yourself. Grab your dream, and bring some reality to it by setting a plan to work on it every day. And wake up in love with your life and your dreams as you move one step closer each day… no matter how small that step is… keep moving purposefully and you will make it your reality.

Put your best life forward… starting right now

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Personal Development Challenge Week 23: Beating Your Best Not Others

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Chris

“A good soldier is not violent.
A good fighter is not angry.
Good winners do not contend.
Good employers serve their workers.
The best leader follows the will of the people.

All of them embody the virtue of noncompetition.
This is called the virtue of noncontending.
This is called employing the power of others.

This since ancient times has been known
as the ultimate unity with heaven.”

Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu

This quote got me thinking about the dualities of this world we contend with. That to be good at something we have to do whatever is necessary to get what we want, or to have something it is about fighting. In my time in the corporate world, and seeing the office politics, it was common ground to see those who would step on anyone to get what they wanted. And while some of those did get the promotion of money or title they actually lost in the end.

Like the saying, “what good is it to gain the whole world if you lose your soul in the process?” We have forgotten the faces of truth, and character, and of inner beauty as we mar up the earth with our need to beat out another, in our need to push someone down to get what we want, in our belief that winning means there needs to be a loser. The prize at the end of the day is not if you achieved the “thing,” but that you found and kept true to “self” in the process. If you were able to find self, you will find the greatest gift that has eluded so many upon this human existence… inner peace and life purpose.

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Personal Growth Challenge Week 22: Would You Rather Be Right or Rather Be Happy?

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Chris

It’s been awhile since I have written a blog. A lot has been on my plate so forgive me for not reaching out to you. I wanted to get something out to you as a quick reminder for enjoying your summer. This blog’s main premise is on a quote I like… “Never argue with a fool. They will not only drag you down to your level, but beat you with experience every time.”

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Remembering Everyday Miracles #2 Your Brain & Your Mind

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Chris

It is so easy to forget, but the greatest treasures of our time (if not any time before us even) are not the immense riches of this world but the intrinsic simple golden tokens already within us. We all hold the key to greatness, and it is so easy to forget about the amazing power we already possess within us. Let’s take a look at one of the greatest instruments in our grasp that most likely is forgotten about since it is always at work and can easily be taken for granted.

What an Amazing Machine
When you think about it, the brain is the most amazing machine on the planet, and we have access to it at any and every moment of our life. Some might say well “mine is defective” or “mine isn’t as good as that person.” But this is not about comparing apples to oranges since we all are different (and have different talents and abilities); we all have the chance to use our brains the best to our abilities. Albert Einstein said “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” No matter what the subject is in front of us, we all have the capacity to learn it. How persistent are you with your subject and your rate of sticking with a problem to learn it? For some people some subjects might come easy to them, to others not as quickly, but if you stick with it long enough you will understand and master it over time. So how can you remember to not give up in your endeavors; that it is less about being smart and more about having endurance?

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