Riddle Me This

I’m life coach and quizzer Peter Winslow, here with a puzzler you may find amusing. See if you know the answer:

You can’t fake it, but you can certainly hide it. You can’t buy or sell it, yet it is truly priceless.

When you display it, everyone wants it; you can't see it directly, but everyone recognizes it. And when you have it, you are much loved and often pursued for it. What is it?

Most people will chime in with answers like love, wisdom, or happiness. Some come to conclusions like integrity, compassion, character, honor, dignity, passion, altruism, and more along these lines. So, who is correct?

It seems to me that everyone is. And what do all their inferences have in common? We could say that they all demonstrate the qualities of what can be called “inner beauty.” So, what is inner beauty and more to the point—have you got it?

You have met people who seem to be overflowing with gratitude, poise, charm and other qualities of inner beauty. So, what was it about them you most admired? This is recognition of your own beauty, because we are not able to recognize subtle qualities in others which we ourselves do not possess.

As your inner light grows, you become more radiant on the outside. You look and feel healthier, happier, more vibrant and alive, brimming with passion and substance. You even become what we might call magnetically attractive.

The reward is much more than you imagine. It includes communion with the very source of life itself, and the ability to bring authentic love into this world. People then recognize their own inner beauty reflected in you, and that, my friend, is the definition of true love: the recognition of oneself in another.

 – Peter Winslow

“I Vant To Be Alone”

I’m life coach and counselor Peter Winslow. Without traveling too far into the distant past, I can remember a time when I was somewhat-to-very uncomfortable being by myself, and feeling alone.

Maybe you can relate to this. If you are anything like many of my life coaching clients, the uncomfortable feeling of being alone may be a critical factor in your own success and happiness.

In time, I came to understand that for me, these feelings occurred because I didn't really like who I thought I was—and more importantly, I didn't know how to change that. It all seemed very difficult and emotionally draining. Yet with time, the tide eventually turned. As with most things, in the end it all worked out for the best.

Case in point: let’s say you've just gone through a difficult break-up with a significant other and you're ready to move on. It can be very empowering to realize that moving on, in a sense, can mean coming back home to who you really are.

If you feel uncomfortable being alone, you might remain in a dysfunctional relationship long past the point at which you otherwise might have freed yourself. When you're okay to be with yourself, by yourself and for yourself, things can and do evolve for the better. For one thing, you become more attractive to other people. Ironic, isn’t it?

Think about it… if you don't really like to be with you… why would anyone else (at least a healthy anyone else) like to be with you? In other words, if you can’t stand being with you—who can?

Ask yourself the question: am I more attracted to someone who doesn't like to be alone, or to a person who is comfortable in their own skin no matter who they are or are not with?

With this awareness in our grasp, our break-ups can signify a new beginning and lead to new personal growth. And that is a very exciting prospect for anyone.

 –Peter Winslow

Spring Forward or Fall Back

I’m life coach and logician Peter Winslow. Here’s a topic for conjecture: as you may be aware, daylight savings time cascades across the land again this coming Sunday. But… why?

We in the Arizona desert have curried favor against adjusting our clocks to manufacture another hour of sunlight during the oppressive summer season. We've got enough sun as it is. So I wonder… if we were to turn the clocks back and not forward, would we actually receive less sunshine this year?

I find it curious that jinking the clock really does alter the circadian rhythms in our bodies. Of course we get the same amount of sunshine either way—but how we feel is the real issue, and sunshine does increase serotonin levels in the brain. So do you feel better yet?

People have long speculated about the effects celestial bodies have on human bodies. Consider the fact that the planet Mars is reversing direction in the sky right now, exiting retrograde and doing a complete one-eighty against the backdrop of interstellar space. Astrologers tell us this rare event means we are about to undergo dramatic changes in matters of romance and finance. They say it's all to the good—but what do you say?

I say that just because we Zonies don't adjust our clocks to save daylight doesn't mean we won't spring forward, throttle our obstacles and make the odds come our way.

In a song titled Thick as a Brick, Ian Anderson asked: “Do you believe in the day?” Belief is truly the one and only deciding factor in the matter of “daylight savings.”

 –Peter Winslow

Substance and Fortitude

I’m life coach and success catalyst Peter Winslow. Today I have some compelling questions for you and you’ll want to consider them carefully.

First, are you a person of substance and fortitude?

Think on this for a moment. Set aside the trappings of ego, the part of you that tries to control what you believe. Really and deeply consider what I'm asking you here: how able are you to live a life of meaning while overcoming that which no longer serves you?

Next question: if you found a way to address every challenge in your life, a way that could provide stability and acceptance through every obstacle, would you use it? Of course you would.

What if every challenging situation you face—be it financial, health related, relationship, personal—could be resolved with a single asset? How much energy could you recover and redirect toward acquiring that which you really desire?

Such an asset exists, and the good news is—you will soon own it free and clear. It is called confidence.

Confidence is the key to undo the fear and resistance that have long stood between you and your dream. When this key is fully integrated and applied, your “problems” become little more than steps to ultimate power through personal growth.

The challenges that had seemed so terrifying are then recognized as the experiences you needed to identify and hone your character. Your job is to be confident, accept what your challenges offer, and calmly observe as they work their magic and then like old skin, organically fall away.

 –Peter Winslow

Carpe Diem

I’m life coach and success catalyst Peter Winslow. Today where I live we had an incredibly lovely morning, and I was certain to make the opportunity to get out and enjoy it.

Notice I did not say “take” the opportunity; I said “make” the opportunity. Opportunities are often a matter of our own making, and we who live useful lives seize opportunity as we please. We realize that opportunities abound at all times; the question comes down to when to seize and when to pass.

For example, we're frequently given the opportunity to share our own unique gifts and talents with others, and many times we choose to pass. Too often this is simply because we doubt ourselves or our abilities.

Your personal gifts are an intrinsic part of who you are and when you share them with others, you touch their lives in a meaningful way. This means that every gift you possess has the potential to bestow opportunity on someone else.

To share your gifts with others is to demonstrate an understanding of the self. Are you blessed with the talent to awaken beautiful emotions in others? Do your aptitudes reveal more practical advantages? Your natural ability to listen, to cook, to crack people up, to organize, garden, or think outside the box can greatly empower the people around you.

Our inner gifts are a means through which we can make the world a better place. It’s as simple as this: by doing what we love to do, we provide useful opportunities to others.

 –Peter Winslow