Sabotage!

Oh man, ever catch yourself doing something you know you shouldn't or saying something you know better than utter? It's strange in that moment as your reality almost splits in two. You are there in the situation, physically as that pause button goes on and you begin a dialog inside your head!

It's really strange in those times of conscious compromise when you start becoming lawyer-man or lawyer-woman, using all kinds of verbal gymnastics to avoid the truth of a situation and sabotage something better. We renegotiate that which we'd already determined and are literally arguing on the side of sloth, laziness, procrastination, blame, fear, apathy...

Craziness! But that voice that has you eat another piece of cake or go to bed beyond the time you'd already determined is a real and really seductive 'voice'.

What is the antidote, Mr. Renaud? Well, take a look at the four Universal Standards of The Uncompromised philosophy. Consider Enthusiasm, Courage, Endurance and Integrity. Which US has been eroded sufficiently in your life that you are now considering acceptable the negotiation of your agreements to yourself?

I know for me (because of that %&*# app, Angry Birds) last night I stayed awake 25 minutes later than I wanted. 25 minutes might seems like no big deal but... the 25 minutes isn't the point (thought it is a breach of my word). The point is that in those 25 minutes I said to myself, "No matter what, this is my last game"... 15 times! Each time I said, "Oh well..." and played again.

Ug! It is a slippery slope when renegotiation becomes easy because compromise starts small, we get cozy with it and it becomes easy with the bigger things as well.

What are the little ways that you've compromised?

How long did you take??? ...to do what??

I write a blog for a local paper in Albany (NY) each Monday. I've been writing for some time and haven't experienced much trouble in saying something that has some value -and doing it in 30-45 minutes. That was until this Monday (8/23).

I wrote for 5 hours.

I posted it.

It was not good. Oh, it was not good.

I deleted it.

I struggled for a topic to write about.

Took 2 more hours to write something that was about 300 words!

http://blog.timesunion.com/success/the-uncompromised-honda-pilot/270/

Wow. Some days we just don't have it, at all!

Lessons for me? Write that blog in advance of my due date. I know, I know... I'm not sure what to say about another lesson but I do know that sometimes when a situation goes far past absurd, it can be surprisingly funny.

Wow... that was only 10 minutes!

RR

Watershed Moments

A watershed is where things come together to form or take on a new direction.

What are the moments that you most powerfully recall changing your life?

Who said what to you?

What did you see or do?

What decision did you make?

What were the circumstances?

I will never forget one watershed moment in my life. My brother confronted me with some hard truths regarding my decent into ignorance. It marked a turning point in my life that set me on a course for becoming a different person and doing what I so enjoy today: teaching and coaching.

I don't know if you can incite or predict a watershed moment and they aren't always cozy when they occur, but what you can do is choose how you'll respond to these moments.

On second thought, maybe you can make such a radical decision in your life that you can create a watershed moment. Hmmmm, what will yours be??

RR

What is Courage?

Courage is doing what 'must be' done. What is courage? Courage is:

1. saying no to another drink.
2. exercising when you don't want to.
3. remaining quiet.
4. speaking up!
5. saying, "I love you".
6. departing when you know something isn't right.
7. speaking up when something is wrong.
8. forgiving.
9. seeing yourself in the humblest of society.
10. acknowledging the greatness within ourselves.
11. sacrificing for another.
12. holding on another moment.
13. keeping your word even when no one would know if you didn't.
14. doing the hard thing.
15. doing what is easy to put off doing.
16. saying what you believe
17. being humble
18. reading a book who's author you don't expect to agree with.
19. smiling anyway.
20. asking for help.

What is courage? Look to The Uncompromised.

RR

Keeping it Simple

I've heard it said that the wisdom of the generations can be boiled down to this: There ain't no free lunch.

That got me thinking about what the bottom line philosophy of The Uncompromised is. Here it goes. The Uncompromised have integrity and are consistent.

Integrity: Be Good

Consistency: Do Great

Simple...

Be Good -Do Great,

RR

When Nobody is Looking...

It's easy to hold true to your word when you know people are watching. It's easier to let ourselves be slack around all sorts of agreements we make when no one is looking -or no one will know.

Excluding for just a moment, any scenario dealing directly with another... I wonder, who are you when you compromise your integrity to yourself? What are the consequences of breaching your word to yourself -even if it is 'only' about mowing the lawn or flossing your teeth at night?

Compromised integrity creates low self-esteem, hamstrings potential and obscures purpose. It erodes your true identity and sets you up to tolerate the next compromise.

Where are you most apt to compromise your word today? Where do you have the potential to get a bit loose with what you've already decided?

Be Good-Do Great!

RR