Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited
Do more autotelic things!
The other day I stood on my head.
“Why?” you ask?
“Why not?” said I.
I stood on my head because I can! I stood on my head because I hadn’t done it in decades and I wondered if I could still do it. When I came back right side up, I felt great!
It was an autotelic activity.
Autotelic activities are those that you do just for the joy of doing them. Not for external reward. Not for money. Not for glory. Just the act of doing them is reward itself.
For me playing ringette is another autotelic activity. When I go home after a game, my hub asks me what the score was – and I usually don’t know – sometimes I don’t even know who won. Yes, really!
But… I love it – I love playing that game. I love skating fast (well, my version of fast!) with the cool air blowing through my helmet. I love digging hard for the ring. I love picking up a perfect pass. I even love falling down when I’m trying hard to stop the ring. I love chasing the other skaters and trying to keep up.
Now I’m not suggesting you stand on your head or play ringette, although we are always looking for players, but I’m asking you to think about your day, your week, your month and notice how many things you are doing just for the love of it.
Adding more autotelic activities to your life it’s just one more way to live Your Life, Unlimited!
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This week on Your Life, Unlimited radio – we enjoyed the inspiring time spent with Les Wiens, who spoke about investing in yourself, creating a philanthropic goal for the year and seeing if our goals match our ‘whys.’ He is more than a financial planner, he is a community advocate who, along with his wife Terry, makes our world a better place.
Also on the show was the Idea Sculptor, Maggie Chicoine. Maggie talks about her life altering ‘dent,’ feeding your brain in addition to your body and asking good questions.
Maggie says…
“Albert Einstein’s mother Pauline knew what to do. Apparently, she asked her little dyslexic genius, “What good questions did you ask today?”.
Obvious questions are often not asked. Assumptions lead to flawed solutions and short-sighted decisions. Questions clarify. Take Lois Lane, for example. She never did ask Superman if he knew Clark Kent.
Questions, carefully designed, bring out the best in people. Questions develop employee engagement: commitment, truth, integrity and innovation. They are the foundation of dialogue, especially when they are aimed at gathering more information. Try “Tell me about…” as a substitute for “who, what, when, where, how”. Eliminate “why” for now. Why? People get defensive instantly.
Ask each other what’s important, and better still, what’s most important? The right questions will lead to the right people, making the right decisions, for the right reasons, at the right time.
Bring Einstein’s mother to the table.”
Enjoy the whole show here…
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Stephanie Staples, CSP* is the author of When Enlightening Strikes – Creating a Mindset for Uncommon Success, an internationally acclaimed motivational speaker, and the recipient of the 2014 Manitoba Woman Entrepreneur Award for Contributions to Community. Stephanie empowers audiences & clients across North America to bring their ‘A’ game to work and to life. Stephanie has a special interest in working with and empowering nurses and healthcare providers. She happily calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada home. You can get loads of complimentary resources to help with issues such as work/life balance, wellness, stress management and happiness in general, as well as find out more information about her coaching and speaking services at http://www.YourLifeUnlimited.ca.
* Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), conferred by the National Speakers Association is the speaking profession’s international measure of professional platform proficiency. Less than 10 percent of speakers have earned this credential and are recognized as some of the best in their fields. Stephanie was one of only five professional speakers in Canada (and the only woman) to attain this designation in 2013.
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