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Relaxation Media Presents - Autumn Moon

The moon is bright to guide us through the dark and on to our destination be it near or far. For some reason an autumn moon seems brighter than at other times of year. We hope this episode brings light and an opportunity for reflection to you. Thank you for your continued support.

Your comments and ideas are always welcome. Whether you have an idea for a future episode some feedback on the show we'd love to hear from you.

Additionally, we are looking for partners: If you or someone you know would like to have your music featured in our show please e-mail us at podcast@relaxationmedia.com. This program's music was provided by Kevin MacLeod at http://incompetech.com.


©Relaxationmedia 2011

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Enjoy this colorful sunset set to the music of Michael Allen Harrison and the Lawrence Gallery. Please share this show with your friends and colleagues.

Your comments are always welcome. Please leave us feedback in iTunes,or the podcatcher you use, on our website or at our youtube channel.

We are looking for partners: If you or someone you know would like to have your music featured in our show please e-mail us at podcast@relaxationmedia.com.

Thank you for your continued support.

Michael Allen Harrison And The Lawrence Gallery
"Cosmos And Poppies" (mp3)
from "Notable Impressions"
(MAH Records)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
Buy at Amazon MP3
More On This Album

After living through the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that hit japan on March 11th and loosing contact with my family for several hours I’ve adjusted my perspective on life. Sure it took more than eight hours to make a trip that usually takes 45 minutes and it took some of my friends more than 24 hours to get home. But that is a minor inconvenience to having your town swept away by a tsunami or after finally arriving home finding your house washed away and your family dead.

Yet people in Tokyo were panicking. The were buying out all the bread, rice and instant foods. There was plenty to go around if folks would have only curbed there strategy of getting every family member to go to the store and buy as much as they could carry. This will pass and those who benefit the most will be the ones who stay calm and provide a sense of stability. This is an opportunity for all of us to show are strength and make the best of an unpleasant situation, help others who are truly in need and advance our crisis management skills. We will survive.

While many people are relying on others to make decisions for them or provide additional information each of us needs to take control of our own situation and live a life. Whether it be an earthquake, a job layoff or a death in the family, you will survive. So live everyday like it is the last. Dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Make sure that important things are completed each day, because there may not be a tomorrow. And when tomorrow does comes start fresh knowing that you are moving forward, not cleaning up yesterday’s mess. Your lives are yours alone, a precious gift given at birth. Don’t waste it by letting someone else guide you in a direction you don’t think is right or even worse letting life pass you by because you don’t take time to consider your own path. You are the navigator, chart your course.

We at Relaxation Media encourage you to make a donation to help the people of Northern Japan. Any contributions made at our site will be donated to a Smile Kids Japan a fund that benefits child survivors of the tsunami and earthquake. Or you can donate directly by going to:
http://www.smilekidsjapan.org/donations/tohoku-kids-project-for-donors/

Happy Monday, 50 e-mails in your in box, a project progress report due tomorrow and three meeting looming on your agenda for today. After getting out your shovel and digging though a mountain of work the pile just seems to grow and grow until you're ready to run from your cubicle screaming. If this is what your average day is like don't fret. You can manage workplace stress and take control of your workflow with a simple three step relaxation technique: quiet your mind, analyze your tasks, and review your results.

Many people say, "I have a lot to do, so I can't slow down I have got do to more in less time!" Well, the amount of work only grows over time, that is true. However, the faster we work the more apt we are to make mistakes that require us to redo the task. So taking a couple of minutes to breathe deeply and quiet our minds will allow us to see the big picture and thus be more effective in every duty we undertake. Breath in 1-2-3-4 then out 4-3-2-1. Repeat this process until your mind is wrestled free from the detail of the assignments awaiting your attention. Then listen to your internal rhythm: What is your pace? At which tempo can you control the inputs? Once you have achieved this state of mind you can calmly and objectively prioritize all the tasks on your plate.

It is time to analyze what is required to complete each item on today's agenda by asking yourself these five questions:

• Which duties have the biggest impact?
• Which task have the highest / lowest priority?
• How long do I really need to complete each item?
• Which items involve someone else?
• Are there any activities that can be done quickly?

Once you've answered these prerequisite questions it is time to prioritize tasks and get busy.

As your day progresses make sure to keep focus by avoiding distractions like e-mail notifications or leaving your web browser open. If you find your mind wondering it is time to do one of your quick tasks or get up and take a short walk to get your blood circulating. In fact, taking five minutes to re-energize every hour or so is the way I keep focused and sharp throughout the day. Then as you near the end of the day it is time scrutinize your results by reviewing your progress over the course of the day with another set of five questions:

• What did I do well today, and what progress did I make on longer projects?
• What did I struggle with? Who or what can help me to improve my performance in these areas?
• What did I do when my mind started wondering and how quickly did I regain focus?
• Is there anyone I need to update, ask a question to or follow up with?
• What am I going to do tomorrow?

These question will help you to understand how to cope with day to day workplace stress and what you can do to get the most from your efforts. Notice that there is more of a focus on others in these reflective questions. It is important to remember you are not alone in you work. You are part of an organization and most everyone in your company wants to part of something good and bigger than themselves. The only way that can happen is if everyone helps each other, so don't be apprehensive about asking for feedback and advice, or averse to giving some of your own when asked. Just make sure to add some time to your daily schedule to apply the feedback and monitor your results.

By quieting your mind, calmly planning your day and analyzing your results you will have more control over your daily performance and life will slow down for you. Allowing you to get the most out of each day and reducing the amount of stress you have to cope with every day.