Greetings! March 2008 It's hard to believe Spring has arrived with such chilling weather out here in the Northeast. Happy Spring all the same! This month's workout, Hind site is always 20/20, is about choice making. I hope you enjoy. If, at any time, you would like to unsubscribe, simply go to the end of the newsletter. Warmly, Jean M. DiGiovanna, President, ThinkPeople Monthly Theme Monthly Workout Monthly Poem Upcoming Workshops/ Events Hind Site is Always 20/20 “I coulda, shoulda, woulda, if only I knew then what I know now.” How often has that thought come across your mind? We make choices everyday and some are more challenging then others. For those who know me well, choice-making, especially outside of my career has not always come easy for me. I love change, diversity and variation. I also like to have a taste of everything and my personality type is all about experiencing life. With that, I find that I may not always know what I want until I’m in it. This makes having to commit to future plans a challenge and may ultimately let’s myself down or other people I am attempting to make plans with. If we continue to question the choices we make or we think, “I wish I was there, but I’m stuck here” or “I could have been doing X and now I’m doing Y”, then we are no longer present to our life in the moment. If we are always thinking “I coulda, shoulda woulda…” we are not living for today, right now, and opening ourselves up to what could be possible or available to us in each moment. Instead, we beat ourselves up or put ourselves down for having made the wrong choice. What we often forget is that we made the best choice we could with what we knew at the time. Just like our parents made the best choices they could with what they knew at the time. We can be upset with ourselves or them for a long time, but it never serves us in the end. It just drains more of our precious energy we could be using for making our lives extremely fulfilling. What if you saw every choice in your life as the best choice you made with what you knew at the time and accepted and honored that? What if you embraced your own choice-making style and what is important to you, whether it be committing to one thing in advance, wanting a taste of everything or waiting until the last minute to choose? Instead of making yourself wrong for what you are made of, or beating yourself up for something you did in the past, explore acceptance. Remind yourself that you are only human. Every choice we make gives us more insight into the next one. Hind site is always 20/20, but living in the moment is what life is all about! Cheers, Jean M. DiGiovanna Monthly Workout: Hind Site is Always 20/20 Take on the following questions and process below for this month’s workout: Think about the last choice you made that you were either frustrated or angry about or dwelling over. What might you need to give up or let go of to fully accept that you made the best choice with what you knew at the time? What is your choice-making style? How could you honor more of your own style of choice-making? What might you need to let go of to fully embrace your style? Are you willing to let go or give those things up? If not, move to step #8 below. If so, remind yourself that you are only human and allow yourself to learn from the past and move forward. What is the biggest learning you can take from the last choice you made? How can you incorporate that learning into your life today? As you make future choices, recall the learning and know that you are making the best choice with what you know in this moment. If you are not able or willing to give up or take on those things, dwell in the inquiry, “What is it to embrace my choices and my own humanity?” I look forward to hearing what you experience! (please e-mail me at jdigi@thinkpeople.com) Hind Site is Always 20/20 It’s easy to look back and wish you had made a different choice. You have more information than you had then. But, living in the moment is all there really is, So how can you embrace and accept what has been? Take each day as a learning experience. Know that you have everything you need. When it comes time to make a choice, relax into your heart, And trust that it will know how to lead.                          ~ by Jean M. DiGiovanna PUBLIC APPEARANCES The Role of Coaching and Mentoring in Training by American Society of Training and Development(ASTD) Greater Boston Chapter Thursday, April 10, 2008 6pm - 9pm Best Western, Waltham, MA Jean DiGiovanna will join panelists, Ina Jubert and Bill Joiner to discuss accountability, responsibility and the coaching contract , coaching a leader of high potential through the development cycle and using coaching to ensure application of new skills. Details or to register: http://www.massastd.com Curious about ThinkPeople's other services beyond Coaching? Check out Corporate Facilitation/Training/ Consulting I hope you've enjoyed ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout and found it valuable! Feel free to forward to your friends, family and colleagues. To read past editions of ThinkPeople's Newsletters and to learn more about our services and products, visit us at http://www.thinkpeople.com/resources.html If you wish to unsubscribe, please e-mail unsubscribe@thinkpeople.com Copyright Info: ThinkPeople's Monthly Workout for the mind, heart and soul is ©2008 Jean M. DiGiovanna. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. Jean M. DiGiovanna, Publisher Amy Rewakowski, Editor ThinkPeople ~ Bringing Individuals and Organizations Alive! jdigi@thinkpeople.com http://www.thinkpeople.com/ 617.489.7494