Could taking a step back from your obstacles could help you overcome them?

I had my first ever Wii experience while babysitting this evening. Computer games have come along way from the ones I remember (Pac Man? Donkey Kong?).

One involved shooting targets, balloons, tin cans, space ships and I was trying to avoid the ducks (I don't eat meat - feel guilty shooting at it on a computer game!).

M said the tin can level was the hardest but I said, "No, the space ships" (they kept kidnapping clones of my avatar and "I" was making scared noises on the screen).

She said, "That's just because you're scared of them!"

And it was true - there was a part of me that felt in danger of annihalation. I was cringing and yeeshing at the screen whereas when M tacked that level, she shot at the spaceships without any emotional attachment / fear.

Is there an area of your life that you're too closely identified with to make the progress you'd like to be seeing?

By taking a step back and reminding yourself that you're not actually in danger, your head will be much clearer and you'll be better able to avoid the problems that crop up day to day.

Connecting with people (Linkedin)

I've just joined Linkedin and, though very new to it, am enjoying connecting with people from my various walks of life.

If you're on Linkedin, you can find me at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/eve-menezes-cunningham/14/702/979

DIY doctoring - Take some time to do an audit

Have been so low on energy lately (including a few instances where I was sleeping for 14 hours and I couldn't do things like go to a party next door, sit upright without feeling faint, stand up and so on) that I went to the doctor.

Assumed it would be anaemia or something (not being a medical professional, I decided to keep my diagnosis to my self) but have been referred for more tests.

Am sure it will all be fine but it made me think about some people I know (my parents) who never go to the doctor.

With my health and with life in general, if I feel something's not right, I'd always rather look into it and find out what I can do to improve things rather than bury my head in the sand (it's very claustrophobic, the sand gets in your eyes and it's impossible to breathe).

Is there something you've been concerned about? Might be your own health? Your performance at work? Your business's security? Your relationship? Your finances?

Pay attention to your concerns. Whether it's nothing to be worried about or a good time to take stock and start doing things in this area differently, once you know what you're dealing with you can take action.

The world is your lab

I love all the CSIs. Especially CSI:NY.

I love it when they go lo-tec and use basic science. It's still beyond me but "proves" that they can find what they're looking for even without all the fancy computers.

I had a bit of a catch up this weekend and in one episode, Stella and Mac were in Greece and declared that the whole world was a lab. They used a fountain for a special kind of water they knew existed because they're magical scientists. Then they located a coffee burner as a heat source and Stella sacrificed a platinum earring to ____ (OK, I tranced out a little then and don't know what chemicals they were using but it was impressive).

In real life, it's easy to get sucked into familiar ways of doing things and not even try to improvise when things get a little off track.

But finding ways to turn the world into your lab - somewhere you can experiment with different approaches to problems until you find a strategy that works better - can help you shift things.

You don't have to start with something high risk and scary but if, for example, you're trying to become more assertive, rather than jumping in with your boss / partner / whoever you have the most issues with, start small. Experiment with writing a complaint letter or email in a way that enables a company that's let you down to respond in a way that allows everyone to win.

If you're trying to pluck up the courage to ask someone out after being single / in a relationship for ages, practice saying a simple Hello to people you normally wouldn't engage with (a chat at the checkout counter when shopping? Starting a conversation with a stranger at the bus stop)...

There are all sorts of ways you can experiment more.

Getting lost - and being OK with it

As Andre Gide said, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”

Personally, I like to know my next step.

Just the idea of getting lost in a maze makes me feel quite nauseous. Even though I know it's supposed to be good for you (taking yourself off autopilot and trying new routes even to familiar places energises all the senses as we pay more attention to our surroundings).

Think about it, though. We rarely make progress (as individuals or on a larger scale) without allowing ourselves to spend time in uncertainty.

It may be being physically lost or considering applying for a new type of job / leaving a relationship in the belief that you will find someone who's better for you in the future.

Think about your life.

Are their areas you're happy to get lost in?

In which areas does the very idea of being lost make you feel anxious?

How can you shake things up a little? (Not so much to make you feel so uncomfortable that you end up retreating back into your comfort zone but enough to help you glimpse the other options that are out there for you).

Attempting to compete with fictional characters (again)

I'm still in shock after catching up on some CSIs... Laurence Fishburn's character, Ray, is not only a trainee CSI, but a former Professor of Criminology and Medical Doctor (Barbara Sher, author of What do I do when I want to do everything? would love him!).

And even though the so-called Las Vegas nightshift seem to be on duty in daylight as well as neon, Ray spends the moments he has off work doing pro bono medical work for a free clinic.

And I'd been impressed by Mac (in CSI:NY) with his crazy work hours but apparent daily morning swim in the most beautiful natural pool I've ever seen - wanted to go to New York just to swim there...

If they (fictional as they are) can fit so much into their days, I can certainly make time, every single day, for some meditation.

It always helps me feel better, calmer, more focused, serene and more. Yet I often think "I don't have time!"

What do you wish you could make more time for?

You're the scriptwriter for your own life - how can you make it happen?

Looking for the best in people

"The most effective way to achieve right relations with any living thing is to look for the best in it, and then help that best into the fullest expression" - J. Allen Boone

Sounds great in theory but it can be pretty challenging, when angry, irritated or hurt by someone, to focus on their good points.

Still, when you succeed, it really does help shift things.

Whether it's someone at home, at work or even an acquaintance, before hurtling down that "Aghhh, and another thing...!" spiral, think about the things they're good at, kind things they've done, times they've made you laugh or helped you out...