Monthly Archives: March 2013

“The race is not always to the swift … but to those who keep running.”

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“The race is not always to the swift … but to those who keep running.”

– Unknown

Over the years, I have known a number of friends, colleagues and clients who took on the challenge of running a marathon. The most inspiring was a friend named Jerry, who was in his late 40s and about 50 lbs overweight.

Each week of his extensive training program, he would email his friends and colleagues about his efforts and progress. He even gave us his cell phone number to call him during the race, to provide support and encouragement.

The result – Jerry finished the race. (The time? Well, let’s say that it was way over six hours.)

Another wonderful result for Jerry is that he now sees he can take on other life challenges, because he keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

Exercise:

What proverbial life races are you planning to run, and where will you need a little “Jerry” inside you in order to finish?

“Persistence prevails when all else fails.”

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“Persistence prevails when all else fails.”

– Unknown

I believe that most people create their own luck, through the work they do day in and day out. Today’s quote suggests that persistence is a key for us to guarantee greater success and achievement.

Unfortunately, persistence almost always looks like work, and the light at the end of the tunnel often appears faint.

Exercise:

In what areas of your life does your ‘why’ make you cry, or bring you close to tears? You can bet that you have discovered a domain of your life where both persistence and the resulting rewards of your commitments will be realized.

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprint of your ultimate achievements.”

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“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul; the blueprint of your ultimate achievements.”

– Napoleon Hill, early self-help author

As a parent, I believe one of our most important jobs is to help develop the capacities of our children to dream and envision a bright and wonderful future.

It is exciting to imagine that we are all born with an inner blueprint that, through our capacity to dream, gets revealed and clarified along life’s journey.

This quote is encouraging all of us to exercise the muscles of our soul and fully realize our capacity to grow, in order to express our fully authentic self.

Exercise:

How can you revisit your exuberant and authentic inner child and recapture (or more fully discover) the blueprint of your soul?

Google the phrase “vision quest” and consider some of the various means to explore this idea further. Feel free to email me (barry@dempcoaching.com) regarding what you discover.

“Find inner peace and thousands will flock to your side.”

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“Find inner peace and thousands will flock to your side.”

– Serafim of Sarov, 19th century Russian monk

For over 30 years, my professional life has included some form of sales or business development component. The volumes of books, tapes, videos, CDs, and DVDs on the subject is enormous – and yet this simple statement may save us all considerable time if we make its message paramount to our efforts.

My interpretation of this idea is that people are attracted to something or someone when they realize that others have a highly favorable experience, or benefit.

Remember the scene from the movie When Harry Met Sally when the woman across from Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks said, “I’ll have what she’s having.” 🙂

Exercise:

What have you achieved or realized in your life that attracts others to you?

What is it that others have achieved and realized that attracts you to them?

“It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.”

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“It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis.”

– Margaret Bonanno, American writer

We are all familiar with the saying that “all great journeys begin with the first step.”

Far too many people wish their days, weeks and even years away by looking into the future for when they expect to be happy – you know, when all the stars align. Unfortunately, for most people, life doesn’t seem to work out this way.

Instead, Margaret is suggesting we take one bite of life’s smorgasbord at a time to experience the bountiful feast that life can be.

Exercise:

What does the phrase “living happily ever after on a day-to-day basis” look like to you?

Consider discussing your thoughts with members of your family, close friends, and with your colleagues at work.