Word Of the Week #606: Accountable
March 17, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #606: Accountable
Accountable – responsible for the outcome or decision that you make.
Do you care about results more than your image or ego? Can you treat rude and cruel people with the same kindness you extend to anyone else? How well do you handle deadlines that are unreasonable?
This is the third of Travis Bradberry’s Forbes article, “11 Signs You Have The Grit You Need To Succeed.” He writes, “Grit is that “extra something” that separates the most successful people from the rest. It’s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.
Developing grit is all about habitually doing the things that no one else is willing to do. There are quite a few signs that you have grit, and if you aren’t doing the following on a regular basis, you should be.
- You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that exceed expectations. Successful people find a way to say yes and still honor their existing commitments. They know the best way to stand out from everyone else is to outwork them. For this reason, they have a tendency to over deliver, even when they over promise.
- You have to focus on the details even when it makes your mind numb. Nothing tests your grit like mind-numbing details, especially when you’re tired. The more people with grit are challenged, the more they dig in and welcome that challenge, and numbers and details are no exception to this.
- You have to be kind to people who have been rude to you. When people treat you poorly, it’s tempting to stoop to their level and return the favor. People with grit don’t allow others to walk all over them, but that doesn’t mean they’re rude to them, either. Instead, they treat rude and cruel people with the same kindness they extend to anyone else, because they won’t allow another person’s negativity to bring them down.
- You have to be accountable for your actions, no matter what. People are far more likely to remember how you dealt with a problem than they are how you created it in the first place. By holding yourself accountable, even when making excuses is an option, you show that you care about results more than your image or ego.
Bringing It All Together
Grit is as rare as it is important. The good news is any of us can get grittier with a little extra focus and effort.”
This week’s focus is to be accountable. How many times have you delivered results that exceeded expectations? Are you able to stay focused when the details become mind-numbing? How good are you at dealing with problems that you may have created? Are you willing to habitually doing the things that no one else is willing to do?
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FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – 16th Port – Semarang, Indonesia – Day 38
March 10, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – 16th Port – Semarang, Indonesia – Day 38
Thursday, March 3rd – 16th Port – Semarang, Indonesia – Day 38
- “We Got Us a Convoy”…led by flashing blue lights, our tour buses barreled down the road. And why would we need a police escort you ask? Potential terrorist target? Heavens no! This was all so we could get to the temple on time.
- We needed them to clear the traffic so we could get to our destination in under three hours. Otherwise we didn’t go and that is “just plain bad for the economy.”
- That would have meant no Borobudur…a Buddhist stupa and temple complex in Central Java. And the main reason we even took this trip in the first place….to see one of the world’s truly great ancient monuments and the single largest Buddhist structure anywhere on earth.
- At 1200 years old, the scale of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is incredible. Not to mention the remarkable attention to detail that went into the construction. Rumor has it (but who really knows) that it took over 75years to complete. Over 2 million stone blocks were hauled up the hill and the entire structure was created without using any mortar.
- Borobudur lay abandoned and hidden for centuries under layers of volcanic ash and thick jungle growth. Nobody knows for sure why it was abandoned. But one theory is that volcanic eruptions coupled with a powerful earthquake drove terrified locals away.
- In 1956 UNESCO began an assessment process for the full scale restoration of the monument. Beginning in 1968, a major plan to restore Borobudur was created. This huge project involved a complete overhaul and took 14 years. The unsteady foundations were stabilized, everything was meticulously cleaned, and a major drainage system installed.
- Borobudur measures an amazing 403 square feet and more than 100 feet high. We spent two hours climbing and exploring each of the four tiers. The central dome at the very top is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa. The entire temple is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.
- And just as we were ready to leave, a sonic boom burst of thunder cracked over head. It was the loudest we’d ever heard. Startled we looked up and all you could see were hundreds of dragonflies as they shot out of the trees. Then soft rain drops arrived and all we needed was a breeze to have instant AC.
FUN-cocktail – French ’75 – Bombay Gin, fresh lemon sour, topped with sparkling wine and a twist of lemon.
- More Crazy Clock Stuff! We had to turn them back one hour last night and then had to move it forward tonight.
Not so FF – A 7.4 earthquake hit in the ocean off Indonesia today and there was a tsunami warning. First a cyclone and now a tsunami! What the hell is going on? Your worst nightmares if you’re on a ship in the middle of the ocean!
Word Of the Week #605: Resolve
March 10, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #605: Resolve
Resolve – to make a firm decision about.
Do you believe in your ability to make the right choice? How good are you at staying the course once you’ve made a decision? How good are you at keeping your emotions in check?
This is the second of Travis Bradberry’s Forbes article, “11 Signs You Have The Grit You Need To Succeed.” He writes, “Grit is that “extra something” that separates the most successful people from the rest. It’s the passion, perseverance, and stamina that we must channel in order to stick with our dreams until they become a reality.
Developing grit is all about habitually doing the things that no one else is willing to do. There are quite a few signs that you have grit, and if you aren’t doing the following on a regular basis, you should be.
- You have to keep your emotions in check. Negative emotions will challenge your grit every step of the way. While it’s impossible not to feel your emotions, it’s completely under your power to manage them effectively and to keep yourself in a position of control. When you let your emotions overtake your ability to think clearly, it’s easy to lose your resolve. A bad mood can make you lash out or stray from your chosen direction just as easily as a good mood can make you overconfident and impulsive.
- You have to trust your gut. There’s a fine line between trusting your gut and being impulsive. Trusting your gut is a matter of looking at decisions from every possible angle, and when the facts don’t present a clear alternative, you believe in your ability to choose; you go with what looks and feels right.
- You have to give more than you get in return. There’s a famous Stanford experiment where an administrator leaves a child in a room with a marshmallow for 15 minutes, telling the child that she’s welcome to eat the marshmallow, but if she can wait until the experimenter gets back without eating it, she will get a second marshmallow. The children that were able to wait until the experimenter returned experienced better outcomes in life, including higher SAT scores, greater career success, and even lower body mass indexes. The point being that delay of gratification and patience are essential to success. People with grit know that real results only materialize when you put in the time and forego instant gratification.
- You have to lead when no one else follows. It’s easy to set a direction and believe in yourself when you have support, but the true test of grit is how well you maintain your resolve when nobody else believes in what you’re doing. People with grit believe in themselves no matter what and they stay the course until they win people over to their way of thinking.”
This week’s focus is on resolve. How willing are you to forego instant gratification? Are you able to trust your gut without being impulsive? How well do you maintain your resolve when nobody else believes in what you’re doing?
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FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – 15th Port – Bali, Indonesia – Day 36
March 7, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – 15th Port – Bali, Indonesia – Day 36
Tuesday, March 1st
1st stop – Silver Factory – It must be against the law for a tour guide to “not take you to at least one rip off store!”
- And today we actually hit 3 of them! Shopping in Bali is not the same as it was when I was here 25 years ago. Success has gone to their heads and the prices they are charging….totally obscene!
4th stop – Ubud – considered to be the cultural centre of Bali, is famous as an arts and crafts hub. Here you can find first class art galleries and stores….and with prices to match. Ouch! I wandered into a fabulous fabric store with hand painted silk scarves that were pure heaven. And unfortunately had to walk out empty handed. Too rich for my blood…and wallet!
- Puri Saren Agung translates to Water Palace and this little gem of a temple sits back from one of the main streets.
5th stop – the Ubud Monkey Forest – a sacred rain forest featured in the book Eat, Pray, Love – this huge protected area in the middle of town is home to hundreds of monkeys all either roaming, running or swinging from the trees.
- “Whoa Dude! Could I possibly be that cute?”
- Today the floors are being scrubbed and incense fills the air as the temples are readied for this evening’s festivities.
FUN-cocktail – Vanilla Sidecar – Courvoisier V.S.O.P Cognac, Galliano, Grand Marnier Rouge, with freshly squeezed lemon sour.
FUN-fact – The Oscars are still running nonstop on channel 73!
FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – 15th Port – Bali, Indonesia – Day 35
March 7, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – 15th Port – Bali, Indonesia – Day 35
Monday, February 29th
- Oscar’s Live on the Red Carpet begins at 6 am in the Hollywood Theatre. And the good news – it’s on channel 73 in our stateroom!
- Deal of the Day – $50 got us a car and driver for up to 10 hours with Bali Made Tours. We booked it online and met Diana (a male) at 8:00 am just past the “taxi gauntlet.” Today was all about exploring the major sights in the Northwestern section of the island.
- Bali is one of the smallest islands in Indonesia covering an area of 2000 square miles with a population of over 3 million. On the beach you‘re lulled by the gentle lapping of the waves on the sand. And in the city you’re alarmed with all the beep, beeps and putt, putts…brought to you by the hundreds of thousands of scooters attempting to weave in and out of the cars and miniature trucks on the tiny narrow twisting roads!
1st stop – Pura Taman Ayun Temple – which translates to Garden Temple in the Water. This large complex is surrounded by a man-made moat. The grand stone entrance walkway led us through an expansive grass garden area to various open air buildings near the back and on each side. We were met with a symphony of Cicadas in the trees. So loud they drowned out all the other sounds.
- It turns out that we were in for a real royal treat too! Every 210 days is 6 months on a Balinese calendar and encompasses a big celebration filled with food, music and dancing. In one of the largest rooms women and men alike were busy chopping, shredding, skewering, stuffing, and wrapping all of the delicacies for their feast. 4 inch thick slices of tree trunks served as the cutting boards and banana leaves as the wrappers.
2nd stop – Ulun Danu Temple at Lake Bratan – a 16th century complex on the edge of a crater lake at the base of one of two volcanic mountains. The morning mist made this temple all the more magical.
3rd stop – Jatiluwih – terraced rice fields as far as the eye can see. Recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site it consists of 5 massive rice terraces covering over 48,000 acres.
4th stop – Tanah Lot Temple – which means temple of the sea and earth. Built in the 16th-century, it is one of 6 temples built at the water’s edge.
- After 10 hours of touring today we are totally exhausted! It’s a kick back night of watching the Oscar’s re-run.
FUN-fact – 93% of the population is Hindu.