“Move past the myopic ‘present you’ to become the sagacious ‘future you.’”

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“Move past the myopic ‘present you’ to become the sagacious ‘future you.’”

—Michael Bungay Stainer, Author of The Advice Trap and The Coaching Habit

How have your personal and professional worlds changed in the past three or four months?

How did things look a year ago for you and others in your communities?

To what degree has your focus shifted from “me” to “we”?

Where have you expressed sagaciousness in your actions, and where might you feel reluctance to step forward?

Our world needs all of us, and we all need one another to address this pandemic and other local and global challenges.

How might we all use this point in time to come together to more fully and more enduringly synergize our collective efforts to realize a far better “future us”?

EXERCISE:

What actions can and will you take to move past the myopic “present you” to become the sagacious “future you”?

“Being charismatic doesn’t make you a leader. Being a leader makes you charismatic.”

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“Being charismatic doesn’t make you a leader. Being a leader makes you charismatic.”

—Seth Godin, American Author

Image from Unsplash by Ani Kolleshi

The COVID-19 pandemic has tested all of us in may ways, personally and professionally.

Who are the individuals that stand out in your heart and mind as true leaders, taking a stand for what they value and believe?

Consider the folks at the grocery store, your mail carrier, your local banker, and other essential business professionals. How about those health care workers putting their lives on the line, leaving their homes to help those hit hardest, some even going to other states?

What about our military professionals and government officials? Who has truly stepped up? Who has side-stepped or blamed others for how things are or are not progressing?

EXERCISE:

How can and will you more fully acknowledge and recognize the acts of leadership all around you? How and in what ways have you stepped up to be seen and heard in your communities? What would be the value if all people around the globe did the same?

Friday Review: Weakness

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FRIDAY REVIEW: WEAKNESS

How do you define weakness in others? In yourself? Here are a few weakness-related posts you may have missed.

 

“A strong foe is better than a weak friend.”

 

 

 

 

“Everyone is a moon and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.”

 

 

 

 

“Professional is not a label you give yourself. It’s a description you hope others will apply to you.”

 

 

 

“If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits.”

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“If you are going to doubt something, doubt your limits.”

—Don Ward, Late Canadian Hockey Player

There is no doubt that our lives have been limited in many ways these past few months. Our freedom to visit with friends, go out for a meal, and attend social gatherings has put the brakes on our lives.

With an unclear future and difficult current realities, our doubts about our capacities have thwarted our efforts, even when nothing but our own thinking is stopping us.

Over the year, I’ve recommended Rick Carson’s book, Taming Your Gremlin as a resource to take on the villainous bullies lurking in the shadows of our minds. His approach includes awareness, altering our behavior, creative visualization, and seeing ourselves as being “in progress.” These efforts can strengthen our capacity to doubt our doubts – to get out of our own way, and live a happier, more enjoyable life.

EXERCISE:

Pick up a copy of the book or check out THIS SHORT VIDEO check link to help tame your own pesky gremlins.

“It’s all about your audience.”

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“It’s all about your audience.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Gabriel Benois

While walking around my neighborhood the other day I ran into Paul, a friend from my health club when it is not closed due to social distancing efforts.

While keeping our distance, we discussed our families. Mine live in other states, his live nearby. Surprisingly, we discovered that we are both using video chatting platforms to stay connected. He informed me that it was virtually impossible to buy a webcam due to the spike in this method of communication.

In some ways, we have all become video celebrities with our families, friends, and business colleagues as our audiences, and we as theirs.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you more fully demonstrate just how important these people are to you today, and when we can (hopefully) reconnect in person?

“The key to the future of the world is finding the hopeful stories and letting them be known.”

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“The key to the future of the world is finding the hopeful stories and letting them be known.”

—Pete Seeger, 20th Century American folk singer and social activist

Image from Unsplash by NeONBRAND

Where do you get news about local and global events?

To what extent do these outlets use the “If it bleeds, it leads” approach? What do they do to keep your eyeballs glued to the site, so you also see the ads for various pharmaceutical products to speak about with your doctor?

What percent of these newscasts and articles focus primarily on the negative rather than offering a higher percentage of hopeful stories along with the objective fact-based realities?

Stories of hope, compassion, empathy, and courage can and do inspire us to bring out and express these qualities in our personal and professional communities.

EXERCISE:

What positive and hopeful stories do you write and share, to uplift those around you?

How can and will you inspire others in your world to do the same to raise our global spirits?

“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.”

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“If you want to touch the past, touch a rock. If you want to touch the present, touch a flower. If you want to touch the future, touch a life.”

—Author Unknown

Barry, Wendy and their Grandson Weston

Some say the best coaching one can receive is the example others set through their daily actions. In that regard, my wife Wendy deserves a Nobel Prize for touching the lives of so many in her various communities.

As a wife, mother, grandmother, and especially as caretaker for the past 8 years of my 93-year-old father Marvin, I can attest to her ability to forward everyone she meets. Without her generosity and positive advocacy, many of us would lead far less abundant and fulfilling lives.

When Wendy was a little girl, her mother Dorothy would sing, “I love Wendy, she’s the girl for me,” and Wendy would sing back, “How about that?”

EXERCISE:

Who in your life has touched you and others deeply, helping you to realize a better future?

Where and with whom can and will you more fully touch the lives of others and set an example?

Friday Review: Problem-Solving

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FRIDAY REVIEW: PROBLEM-SOLVING

What skills or strategies do you employ in problem-solving? Here are a few posts related to problem-solving you may have missed.

 

“There is a great difference between worry and concern. A worried person sees a problem and a concerned person solves a problem.”

 

 

 

 

“Each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems.”

 

 

 

 

“From the errors of others, a wise man corrects his own.”

 

 

 

 

“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.”

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“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.”

—Wallace Stevens, 20th Century American modernist poet

Image from Unsplash by Greeshma Gangadharan

In recent months, I’ve had considerably more time to think. My daily routines have changed a bit with my health club closing, and working from home.

Instead of my normal fitness efforts I have introduced a 50-minute walk. Although it is not around a lake, it allows for significant, peaceful contemplative time.

Although I am getting plenty of steps and fresh air, of greater interest and value seems to be my mental, emotional, and spiritual explorations. Taking this time to look far more closely and clearly at the truths of my life and our world has been profound.

EXERCISE:

Consider taking a walk around your own lake or neighborhood and see what truths are revealed. Feel free to reply to this post and let me know what you discover.

“You don’t need superpowers to be someone’s hero.”

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“You don’t need superpowers to be someone’s hero.”

—Ricky Maye, writer and public speaker

Image from Unsplash by H. Shaw

I recently had a small basal cell carcinoma removed from my back. Once I got the OK from my insurance company (which took weeks), my dermatologist took a good sized chunk out of me, to make sure he had a significant margin of clean tissue. This left a two-inch boo-boo with numerous sutures.

The wound care instructions required periodic dressing changes which I was unable to do on my own due to the location of the wound. Unfortunately, my wife was out of town supporting my dad with his assisted living efforts. Vidal – and a few other folks who go to my health club – came to my rescue and patched me up.

EXERCISE:

Who are the heroes in your personal and professional communities? How can you more fully acknowledge and appreciate their contributions to your life? Where and with whom can you don your own cape to be a hero to others in your world?