Monthly Archives: May 2008

Perfection In Such An Average Day – Part 1 of 2

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There’s an old, somewhat worn out personal development / goal setting exercise that usually goes something like this:

“Imagine you’ve just six months to live.

What would you do?
Where would you go?

Who would you spend time with?”

I (and some of my coaching clients) invariably have trouble imagining our own future demise – it’s been no easy matter to get anything out of this exercise.

Perhaps that’s why I’ve been so taken with how Mitch Albom approached the topic, in his 1997 best seller, Tuesdays With Morrie.

On Mitch’s thirteenth Tuesday visit with the ailing Professor Morrie, he’s suddenly struck by the fact that he last saw Morrie standing up over 16 years ago.

And that leads to a rather beautiful and impromptu question to his former professor:

“What if you had one day perfectly happy, I asked?
What would you do?”
(page 175, Tuesdays with Morrie)

Want to know what Morrie replied?

Then listen to Tape 1 of Mitch’s edited recording for Morrie’s Perfect Day.
(It’s a 5 minute audio clip – listen online or download).
Oct 2011 Update: The link appears to have changed or been removed.

Please stop and do that now.

So, having heard Morrie’s voice (or read his words), does the title of this post ring any bells for you?

Sure did for me!

Wishing you much perfection in this average weekend.

All being well, I’ll post part 2 on Tuesday.

- Mark McClure

Blog Comments Made Easier

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Blog Comment Posting Update:

I’ve been manually approving all comments to this blog and while it makes sure that the sp#m is not published, the downside is the delay in publishing legitimate comments (as I typically only check once a day.)

Your comments will now be automatically published on this blog as long as you have:

  • at least 1 comment approved and published (this helps discourage the drive-by spammers).
  • no more than 2 web links (url) within any 1 comment.

Naturally, the aim is to encourage more comment and dialogue around successful career change, coaching and mentoring with my blog readers.

That being said, please note I reserve the right to remove and delete comments at my sole discretion. (e.g. comments containing profanity or what I or my legal advisers consider to be inappropriate.)

I’m currently using Akismet to catch most of the spam – so let’s see how this new policy goes.

(If you have any problem posting comments you can leave a message via my contact page: http://markmccluretoday.com/contact )

- Mark McClure

My Coaching BlogRoll

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(Oct 2011 Update: I will be removing my Blogroll soon and replacing it with a post describing the blogs I follow.)

I’ve just added a “coaching blogroll” to this site – see the right hand column.

As time goes by I’ll expand the list to include other career coaching and personal development blogs I like to follow.

But to start with, I’m including 2 great coaches I’m proud to know in person.

Jacinta Hin was my first career change coach a few years ago and is highly recommended. Multilingual, patient yet firmly persistent, she is a coaching rock of strength to have on anyone’s team.

I’d reason to be grateful to her a while back as I was in a bit of a funk about some career related issues, and she helped me gain some much needed fresh perspective on what I was reading as a “FUBAR” event.

Jacinta’s blog is: http://jacintahin.com/

Charles Burke is a mentoring friend who I’ve met just once in person – but we chat monthly via Skype.

This guy doesn’t believe in sitting on his hands when it comes to making career changes and is also a prolific writer and exceptional coach.

He’s recently moved with his wife from Japan to Northern Thailand and is living life to the fullest.

Charles has his blog at: http://bullseye-living.com/

[Mar. 2012 Update: Charles also has a kinde e-book service at: http://misterebook.com/]

Enjoy!

PS – My Coaching blogroll is NOT a list of recommended coaches and resources, per se.
It’s more of a personal work in progress as I come across people interested enough in career change and personal growth to write about them online.

I have no control over the content of any blogs and sites linked to from this blog (unless I own them!) Caveat emptor.

-Mark McClure

IronMan Scott Rigsby’s New Movie

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I highlighted the incredible story of Scott Rigsby, IronMan extraordinaire in this Feb 2008 post on doing the unthinkable.

Tonight I was pleased to watch his new short movie by following this link: Unthinkable

Honest to goodness, a better example of a true “IronMan” hero to marvel at would be hard to find – even in Hollywood.

His achievement is really inspiring and maybe will help you “run through your own open door”.

- Mark McClure