Bask in the wonderment of being a conscious part of the universe

Bask in the wonderment of being a conscious part of the universe.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Joshua Earle

Over the last 30 years, I’ve met thousands of other coaches who share a mutual commitment of supporting others to lead extraordinary lives.

One, named Jay Perry, has been a pioneer in the field and has influenced and inspired countless other coaches to pursue this meaningful and rewarding profession.

Jay came up with a concept he called a “wondershop” as an alternative to the more traditional workshops many of us have attended over the years.

Exploring new horizons and depths of living turned on many bright lights of insights for those who were lucky to participant.

EXERCISE:

Create your own outline for a wondershop you would like to attend.

Share this concept with people you admire and respect for their ideas to compliment your own.

Set aside some time with these folks to do some wandering and wondering around the universe.

Rewind and review the game tapes of your life

Rewind and review the game tapes of your life to improve your future efforts.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Andy Benham

In professional sports it’s common practice to review game tapes of past performances to get ready for upcoming games. Most teams also evaluate their competition to create strategies for winning based on the strengths and weaknesses of their next opponent.

How can your magnificent mind play back your own personal and professional efforts? How good is your memory at capturing the specific moments where breakthrough insights were offered?

Unfortunately, the game tapes of our lives can be distorted by time. Things become blurred or erased completely over the years unless we find a more permanent way of recording our observations.

EXERCISE:

How could you use a journal, notebook, cell phone, or an alternative tech tool to review your days?

Consider doing weekly, monthly and yearly reviews to capture more of the knowledge and wisdom offered by life.

How good are you at finding silver linings and blessings in disguise

How good are you at finding silver linings and blessings in disguise?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by meriç tuna

Most people are familiar with the phrase “Seek and Ye Shall Find.”

Since childhood, playing games like hide and seek, peek-a-boo, and scavenger hunts have been ways to find people and things we consider interesting.

As the years roll by, what we tend to look for narrows. We seek pleasure, amusement, and fun, and we definitely do our best to avoid the distasteful and difficult. Over the years, how have you looked at the ups and downs of life for insights and lessons learned?

EXERCISE:

Where have you been blind to finding the silver linings and blessings that were disguised in some of the challenges you’ve faced?

How might greater reflection about your past and a deeper look at present and future events guide you toward a more fulfilling life?

How can you incorporate note taking into your daily habits?

How can you incorporate note taking into your daily habits?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Cathryn Lavery

When I consider the topic of note taking my initial thoughts go back to my school days. Listening intently to my teachers in grade school and my professors in college was paramount to getting the “A’s” I was seeking. Capturing what was said and giving it back to them seemed to be the secret recipe for success.

Following my formal schooling the extent of my note taking focused on grocery shopping and the occasional list of questions for doctor visits. Like many others, I felt my note taking days were over. There didn’t seem to be much need to remember a bunch of stuff that wasn’t going to be on the test.

These days, getting ahead and staying ahead is as important as ever. Capturing new ideas and valuable insights and keeping them to use now or in the future is essential to progress in our increasingly complex and fast-moving lives.

EXERCISE:

Purchase a small notebook or use a note-taking app on your phone to capture more of the nuggets of wisdom that cross your path each day. My friend Sam Horn uses a catchy quote “Ink it when You think It” that can help you remember to apply this important skill.

Please let me know how this practice helps you ace your actual life.

The thought is father to the deed

“The thought is father to the deed.”

—Sigmund Freud, 20th Century Austrian founder of psychoanalysis

Image of Sigmund Freud

Image from wisdomtoinspire.com

Sigmund Freud, who lived between 1856 and 1939, was the founder of psychoanalysis, a method used for treating mental illness, and a theory which explains human behavior.

Among his various contributions, he developed a topographical model of the mind. He proposed that the mind was analogous to an iceberg, with the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious minds representing different levels of awareness.

I suggest a bit of editing in today’s quote. Consider replacing the word “father” with “mother,” or at least adding it, given what is required for the conception and eventual birth of an idea, a person, and of course, their deeds.

EXERCISE:

How can you examine and explore your thinking on all levels to more fully conceive and give birth to your most meaningful and inspired actions, to better your world?

A Point of View Can Be a Dangerous Luxury

“A point of view can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding.”

—Marshall McLuhan, 20th Century Canadian Professor

Image of a messy drawer

Image from Unsplash by Ashim D’Silva

Most people generally prefer order to chaos. We tend to like thing organized neatly, whether it be our closets, our files, and in the case of today’s quote, our minds.

When we take in information and experiences, we like to put them into neat piles based on previous knowledge. We categorize them by varying points of view on what is right or wrong, good or bad.

When you hear those around you – or maybe even yourself – saying, “I Know,” it often means they or you have stopped listening or closed their mind to alternative insights and perspectives.

EXERCISE:

With whom and on what issues have you developed a point of view that is holding you back in either your personal or professional communities?

Take My Advice I’m Not Using It

“Take my advice. I’m not using it.”

—David J. Henderhand

Image of the TED logo

I am a big fan of TED Talks. I love great ideas, and as a coach, I find myself sharing them all the time. I recently saw Mel Robbins’ TEDx San Francisco talk from 2011, from which I had a “take away” – I’ll get to that in a minute. First, a few questions:

  • What percent of the advice you offer others is acted upon?
  • What percent of advice you offer to others do YOU act upon?

It is, after all, great advice. It makes perfect sense, and you’ve seen it work wonderfully for others!

Talk is indeed cheap, and Mel Robbin’s advice to all of us is that once the insight, idea, or words of wisdom pop into our minds, we must act upon them within five seconds to activate and reap the rewards they bring.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you use this five second “insight into action” strategy to use far more of the advice you offer to others?

How can you also coach and support others in your world to do the same?

How might you also apply this concept to the advice others offer you, and don’t happen to be using at the moment?