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Fall 2011 Vol. 7 No. 2
Welcome to RiseZine my quarterly electronic
magazine (ezine) that can help you solve problems in your business and your
life. It is my desire to bring you inspiration from the experiences I gained
during the twenty (20) years I spent as a Judge of the Denver County Court
participating in the transformation of lives. I’m convinced that those
experiences will heighten your knowledge, sensitivity and outlook on the
issues you face in your business and your life. I am honored to share your
precious time with you.
THE THREE “I’s” OF CHANGE
I have a fascination with eagles. The eagle has the longest lifespan of
any bird.
When the eagle turns 40 years old its long a flexible talons can no
longer grab prey which serves as it food. Its long and sharp beak becomes
bent. Its aged and heavy wings become stuck to its chest and make it
difficult to fly. The eagle is left with only two options: die or go through
a painful process of change which lasts 5 months.
When I was in Vail, Colorado this summer to deliver a presentation to the
Rocky Mountain Government Purchasing Association, I was met head-on with the
concept of Change. While living in Colorado for over fifty years I skied the
Rocky Mountains 30-40 days a year. I can remember 10-15 runs per day at up
to 11,000 feet altitude. Attaining speeds of up to 40 mile per hour without
getting winded, it was invigorating! So imagine my dismay when I was walking
a quarter of a mile to dinner in Vail Village and I was completely out of
breath. Living a sea level for the past seven years had caused a change in
my body. (No I’m not talking about my excess weight…we’ll talk about that
later) My lung capacity had shrunk because it didn’t need the volume I
required when I lived in Colorado. When my breathing became labored that
beautiful Colorado night, I knew I had to write about change in this
RiseZine.
Have you discovered lately that there is something you used to do so
well, but now you’re not so good at it? That you once felt so good about
yourself, but now you don’t think that you’re so great? Or, that some things
around you are changing so fast that you’re having a hard time catching up?
Well, today I’m going to suggest 3 tools you can use to kick start the
needed change you want in your life:
INITIATE
IMITATE
INTEGRATE
Thanksgiving is the worst time to begin a change in your life because it
is the beginning of the holiday season. So, what better time to make a
change that will cause you to have a better attitude about yourself than
after Thanksgiving? I love golf. Let’s be clear, golf is a game, not sport.
It’s not a replacement for exercise. I play golf at least twice a week, but
I don’t get a workout. When I lived in Denver I walked the golf courses I
played most often. I would get exercise from the walk. I learned that
walking while playing golf is discouraged because the course loses revenue
from renting the carts. The older I get the tougher it is to lose weight;
because my body and my fat have gotten to be really good friends. So if I
want to tune my body, I must exercise!
Over the past few months, I looked for an exercise program. I remembered
all those notices from my retirement plan administrator touting our health
club benefits. The goal of the health care plan was to make it easier for
its members to stay healthy through free, convenient health club
memberships. I decided to read the information and learned that a health
club partner was located in our area. I had to initiate the action to
begin my exercise program. Now I am attending Lois’ exercise classes at the
Player’s Club Fitness Center twice a week. Her classes are a combination of
Pilates, aerobic motion, targeted resistance using weights and barbells. As
a beginner I had to imitate her movements as I learn the routines.
It’s only been a few weeks but I am already feeling and seeing the benefits.
On Sunday, when I put on my suit getting ready for church my wife said, “I
like the way that suit fits you now.” That alone is worth the effort. What
have you been putting off until tomorrow…passing over the books, articles or
mail that can change your life because you won’t initiate the action?
The transformation process for the eagle requires that it fly to a
mountaintop and sit on its nest, knock its beak against a rock until it
plucks it out, then wait for a new beak to grow back. I’m waiting on a new
body to emerge. The eagle then plucks out its talons with the new beak and
waits for the new talons to grow back. It reminds me of my transformation
from law. When I’m asked why I left law and began my speaking, training and
coaching business, I always say it was because I wanted a change. I moved to
a different state, culture and climate and left friends and family behind…I
was reinventing myself. Many suggested I work in mediation and arbitration
after retirement from the bench…that would be a smooth transition. I met
with Leslie Lawson, a friend who had a successful business in Denver, but to
me mediation/arbitration was “material cut from the same cloth.” I knew I
wasn’t going to practice law; I loved law from the bench, but I didn’t want
to step up to any bar that didn’t serve beverages. (Pun intended) My passion
was to deliver an inspiring message taking all that I had learned from those
experiences on the bench and in life and share them with unique, non-legal
audiences. I attended National Speaker’s Association and Toastmaster’s
International meetings and absorbed as much as I could. I had to imitate
all those people I had known who started their own businesses with nothing
more than passion. I could begin to feel the “talons growing back”. The
eagle starts plucking its old-aged feathers with its new talons. It takes 5
months for the feathers to grow back and for the eagle to take its famous
flight of rebirth. I expect to see my new body in 5 months!
When I look over my weekly schedule, I have to integrate exercise
into my activities. With golf, I will spend 20 minutes in the exercise room
before I hit the first tee; with bridge, I will spend 20 minutes on the ‘Wi’
before going to the Bridge Club; after Toastmaster’s, I will attend a yoga
class at the Player’s Club. That will keep me in balance in light of those
sedentary activities (golf and bridge) that I enjoy. But I can’t forget
about that “other problem”…food. Tufts University Health and Nutrition
Letter says it takes 20 minutes for the brain to notify the stomach that
you’ve had enough to eat. I am a notoriously fast eater. The newsletter said
if you lack attention and enjoyment from the slow consumption of food, you
will consume more than you should and that substantially increases the
chances for extra pounds to creep on. So, according to Tufts, I must
integrate slow eating into my routine in order to change my weight. OK,
now I have a plan to integrate the change I want in my life. Join me
and/or read about my progress in 5 months. I want to be an EAGLE!
INITIATE, IMITATE AND INTEGRATE for the change you want in your life.
You can be an eagle, too!
When it rains, most birds head for shelter; the eagle is the only bird
that, in order to avoid the rain, starts flying above the clouds…Where do
you want to fly?
Can’t your organization use a healthy infusion of inspiration, motivation
or training in Leadership, Decision-making, Communication, Ethics or
Team-Building? I can provide a keynote, workshop, seminar or individual
coaching tailored to meet your needs and help you and your team
RISE.
Judge Beau Patterson
Email
Beau@PleaseRise.com.
Judge Beau
Patterson
PO Box
24008
Hilton
Head Island, SC 29925-4008
(843)
342-7473
Facsimile:
(843) 342-7470
“Actually,
it’s not that most people don’t have much and they just want a little; It’s that
they have it all and they just want a little.” -Anonymous
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