Making Every Day Extraordinary

How many times do you get up, go to work, do your job, have lunch, wait out the afternoon, go home, make dinner, watch some television, go to bed?

Making everyday extraordinary is nothing more than making a choice. Sound easy? It is. Sound tough? It is.

Mary Welch has over 30 years experience in education and business. She has a degree in Transformational Leadership and is a TOP® facilitator. She is a graduate of the Coaches Training Institute, Vistar Integrated Programs, North Hennepin Leadership Academy, and numerous personal growth workshops. Mary can be reached at serendptycircles@aol.com.

Mary Welch, life coach, TOP facilitator and President of Serendipity Circles took a group of 10 individuals though a 3 hour journey of imagination, reflection, joy, laughter and peace.

While it isn’t possible to fully appreciate the experience in written word, let me at least walk you though some of the guidelines Mary gave us to help us achieve everyday extraordinary experiences. Grab a pen and paper and enjoy the trip.

First, what makes you joyful? Find a childhood memory that evokes joy. Think about it, feel it. What feels does it evoke? Who was there? What emotions are you feeling? What do you see? Write down the smells, the sights, the vision.

Next, what touches you? What makes your day “good”? What is your definition of “memorable?” Make a list of the things that make any specific day stand out from the rest. Did you read a good book? See an old friend? Laugh with family?

What do you do, each and every day, to make it memorable to you? So often we are caught up in the day to day crisis of life, forgetting the gift that each day brings to us. Make a list of things you can do, big and small, that would make each day stand out.

Dewitt Jones, a photographer for National Geographic Magazine, has a wonderful video called “Everyday Creativity.” In it, Mr. Jones shows us how to be creative in ways that are personal to each one of us. He also imparted some simple, yet profound, philosophies. There is usually more than one right answer. His example – a wonderful photograph of a waterfall, the sun bouncing off the water, crisp blue sky. That is one right answer. Next, a photograph of the same waterfall, in a different perspective, with one small tree standing tall in the torrent of water. That, too, is a right answer. All he had to do was change his perspective. Such a simple idea.

Mr. Jones also told us that for each 30 photos you see in a National Geographic article, close to 14,000 (yes, THOUSAND) photos are shot. This philosophy? Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Don’t be afraid to break out of the pattern you are in, don’t be afraid to keep looking.

Finally, Ms. Welch took our group through a training technique that, with practice, will put you in a place of your most potential, a device to help all those moments come together. It’s called ORID: Objective (what are our senses saying?); Reflective (what feelings does this evoke?); Interpretive (what does this mean to you?); Decisional (what action will I take?).

Teresa Tierney works for a law firm in Minneapolis in the area of corporate and health care law. A frequent attendee at JOA, she recently became an "official" parishioner. Teresa's passions include her family and friends, photography and, of course, her two felines Ophelia and Paddy. Teresa can be reached at teresatierney@email.com.

When you are next faced with a decision, an impasse, a situation in which you feel like a bird caught in a net, sit down with ORID. Listen to your head, your heart, your soul. Find your joy. Find your passion.

Make a choice. Make every day extraordinary.