Enough!

Written by Leigh Martinuzzi 

Do you have enough?

Are you enough?

Why is enough never enough?

I wonder in the history of the universe if there has ever been anything or anyone that has been genuinely content with life. Fulfilled with everything they need or want. Grateful. Enough!

I feel regardless of who you are, where you live, your circumstance, or the hand you’ve been dealt – that there is always in some aspect of who we are or the life we live a feeling of lacking, a sense of not enough. (more…)

Set Goals & Challenge Yourself by Leigh Martinuzzi

“I like to challenge myself. I like to learn – so I like to try new things and try to keep growing.” David Schwimmer

I enjoy challenging myself. I am a casual but regular swimmer. My usual swim is 2.5 kilometres. I don’t push myself although on occasions I get the motivation to put in an extra bit of effort. On average, a casual two and a half kilometre swim would take me a little under fifty minutes.

Recently, I went for a swim on a day that was not my typical schedule. I had limited time, so I set myself the challenge of doing as many laps I could. I managed to do 60 laps (1500 meters) in about twenty-six and a half minutes. (more…)

Questions Better Asked by Leigh Martinuzzi

Written by Leigh Martinuzzi 

“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” Thomas Berger

To ask questions is to live with an inquisitive, curious and progressive mind. Questions have the power to enhance the quality of our life, and we need to encourage each other to ask more. All questions lead to answers, and all responses have a purpose. Needless to say, no question is a wrong question, the only unfortunate question is one never asked.

When we ask questions we learn, we grow, we develop our awareness, and as we do, we begin to understand. What harm can come from that? (more…)

Anger – How: Part 2 by Leigh Martinuzzi

“Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

The purpose of anger is to heighten our awareness and attention so that we can focus on bringing balance to an unmet need. I’d consider these needs fundamental to our survival. Essential for living a satisfactory quality of life.

Needs that we perceive as necessary, those that test our tolerance levels leading to mild or intense forms of anger, are most likely “novel” needs. Those that we feel that without, our quality of life or experience will somehow less when in fact it has nothing to do with our overall well-being or survival. I’d like to call these “superficial needs.”

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Anger – What and Why: Part 1 by Leigh Martinuzzi

Anger; a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility, noun;
fill (someone) with anger; provoke anger in, verb.

Anger is a powerful emotion triggered by how we feel based on the current state of our body, mind and environment. It is said to be a surface emotion which is perhaps due to the intensity of both the biological and physiological reactions that arise. Does anger serve a purpose? Could it be a beneficial emotion? Or is it wasteful, unnecessary and self-defeating?

I’ve never been an angry person however that may merely be a perspective based on how I feel anger shows up. I feel anger and have had many experiences in which I’ve allowed anger to take the best of me. However, overall, it is not something that I feel has a significant effect on my life. Perhaps it does. What I have learnt is that anger has multiple ways of expressing itself. More on this soon. (more…)

My Practice of Elimination – 5 for 5: Part 2 

By Leigh Martinuzzi (revised – original post 07.09.2014)

Last week I revised an article I wrote on a practice I developed a few years back. To be honest, nothing too spectacular, but rather an exercise of clearing out the rubbish and replacing it with more good. You can check out the post here.

It came out of necessity. As I found myself halfway through the year, I began to notice patterns creeping back into my daily life. Things that I believed were disrupting the accomplishment of my goals. In reflection, I realised this and began to do work to remove what wasn’t working and improve on what was. (more…)

The Practice of Elimination – 5 for 5

(revised – original post 07.09.2014)

After the first half of the year, I have had to revisit my goals, my visions, my direction, my focus and question why. The year has veered off track, and I need to figure out why it played out as it has and how I can course correct.

To be kind, it has been a great start to the year. However, I’m impatient and desire accomplishment. I think we all do. I am frustrated when I feel I’m moving away not towards my goals. In efforts to continually improve and grow I search for hidden answers. (more…)

The Beginnings of a Positive Mindset

Positivity is contagious. It spreads like wildfire. It is the key to engaging, influencing, building, strengthening and maintaining relationships. When you conduct your life with a positive mindset and commit to putting it into daily practice, you will raise your level of happiness.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve done a fair bit of research on positivity, however, to be honest, I almost feel as though I was born an optimistic. But I know, or at least believe, that optimism isn’t a natural trait this. Positivity is a learned trait, and regardless of how we’ve been raised, we can alter our negative or positive disposition. (more…)

Are You Moving Away or Moving Towards?

Written by Leigh Martinuzzi 

At the core, we are biological beings who are driven by pleasure and pain. The fundamental human motivation is survival, what motivates us to fulfil this is to move away from what may be as harmful or limiting and move towards what enhances or nourishes this need. What I’ve learnt is that most of us can either be more strongly influenced by and therefore act upon what we wish to avoid or what we desire to move towards. What type are you, away or towards?

After doing some research on this topic, I feel that I have a towards personality. As for my wife, I think she’s an away type. It is not a representation of good or bad, rather it represents why people have different motivations. Ultimately it will affect the way we operate. (more…)

Sharing Is Expressive – Venting is Limiting

“Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.” Don Miguel Ruiz

It is important to share how we are feeling. It’s a method of healing and self-expression. However, when we “vent” it may exacerbate the situation, intensify any emotions that exist, and limit any potential for resolution. Venting seems to work with the ego that is guided by untruth, poor fact and assumption. In this approach, we may find ourselves dealing with a higher level of suffering.

We’ve all heard about the benefits associated with positive affirmations. Dan McGinn, the author of Psyched Up, talks about the power in performance by using a technique called reappraisal. The positive stories we tell ourselves help booster confidence and reduce anxiety.

Venting is a focus on the negative aspects of our current state or condition. It is more about being dissatisfied or ingrateful about how external circumstances are perceived to affect our current or future well-being. To vent doesn’t merely involve kicking a chair or screaming at the top of our lungs. Venting evolves into inner dialogue that is negative and often false.

It becomes less about sharing how we feel and more about bitching, moaning and whining (BMW). At least that is how Cy Wakeman would explain venting. In an interview I did with Cy she said venting only promotes the ego. And if the ego if not controlled it can take us down paths we do not wish to walk. Venting assists it to do that.

The ego is a story that we cling to, especially if we are not aware, that will lead us further into a state that is not conducive to success, performance or a heightened sense of well-being. Sharing is healing, expressive and beautiful. Venting is about twisting the false reality we are obsessed with further out of control.

Cy’s thoughts were that we should not vent but share. In sharing, we can express our feelings and such expression is good for healing. Self-expression is useful for moving forward with our lives.

Venting, on the other hand, forces us to attach to a story that is not real, negative and often blown out of proportion. It takes the focus away from any lessons that may arise from an awareness of our feelings to focus on inner narration that is false and misleading.

Next time you want to vent or are told to vent, stop yourself. Instead, seek to understand why you feel that way. Share your feelings either in self-reflection and thought or with another, explore its truth and depth. Then in understanding perhaps you can avoid future occurrences and more importantly you can move on with life in a more positive and happy state.