“I’m breaking the habit of being myself.”

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“I’m breaking the habit of being myself.”

—Dr. Joe Dispenza, lecturer, researcher, consultant, author

Image from All American Speakers Bureau

Describe your best future self.

What personal qualities and characteristics do you intend to develop in the years ahead?

If you find this exercise challenging, consider looking to the people you most admire and respect. You can also look to the past for individuals who set an example you wish to emulate or build upon.

EXERCISE:

Who are the people you identified?

What are their most favorable and inspiring qualities?

What current habit do you plan to break to more fully realize an even better version of yourself?

“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed…”

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“Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.”

—Denis Waitley, American motivational speaker

Image from Unsplash by Constantinos Panagopoulos

Did you know that Harvard University has a course on happiness?

Think about it.

The students of one of the most prestigious universities in the world want to learn what’s involved in living a happy life, and don’t want to wait for some day down the road to begin their journey.

The fact that extrinsic recognition, rewards, and accomplishments alone never seem to do the trick is surprising to many people. It is our inner journey and the pursuit of intrinsic factors that provides the fulfillment we all seek.

EXERCISE:

Please pick up a copy of the book Happier, by Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD, which provides the backbone information for Harvard’s most popular course.

You can also look into the work of Martin Seligman, PhD, author of Authentic Happiness, for additional guidance into living a happier life.

“I need to take a sacred pause, as if I were a sun warmed rock in the center of a rushing river.”

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“I need to take a sacred pause, as if I were a sun warmed rock in the center of a rushing river.”

—Dawna Markova, consultant member of the Society for Organizational Learning

Image from Unsplash

To what degree is your life like a rushing river of endless “to do” items? How often do you feel swept away, pulled under, perhaps even drowning in the commitments and urgencies of life?

How often do you experience peace of mind or a sense of calm centeredness throughout a typical workday or weekend?

If you are like many of us, your answer may be, “Not nearly enough.”

EXERCISE:

Consider the importance of adding a few more “sacred pauses” to your day to regain your footing and catch your breath so that you may fully experience a more satisfying life.

Consider meditation, prayer, walks in nature, exercise, power naps, and digital fasting as some potential strategies. Please reply to this post with some added suggestions you have found helpful.

Friday Review of Posts on Perception

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FRIDAY REVIEW: PERCEPTION

They say perception is reality. Here are a few perception-related quotes you may have missed. Click the links to read the full messages.

 

“Reality is the other person’s idea of how things should be.”

 

 

 

 

“Choices are the hinges of destiny.”

 

 

 

 

“We are sitting under the tree of our thinking minds, wondering why we’re not getting any sunshine!”

 

 

 

“Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise.”

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“Work hard in silence. Let success be your noise.”

—Frank Ocean, American singer/songwriter

Image from Unsplash by Glenn Carstens-Peters

I hope you love your life. I hope all your personal and professional efforts are rewarding in themselves, and that there is no need to brag or boast to call attention to your successes. After all, tooting your own horn can often backfire in our world of considerable judgement.

Ask yourself the following questions regarding your current work efforts:

  • How much impact, influence, and say do I have in my work?
  • How much am I learning, growing, and bettering myself through my work?
  • What difference, contribution, and purpose does my work provide to others in my various communities?

EXERCISE:

Take one minute tonight after you brush your teeth to look in a mirror and reflect on all your silent successes. You may notice how others in your world often toot your horn for you.

“Nothing is work unless you’d rather be doing something else.”

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“Nothing is work unless you’d rather be doing something else.”

—George Halas, founder of the Chicago Bears

What would you rather be doing at this very moment? Hopefully you love learning, personal growth/development feels more like play than work, and reading The Quotable Coach every morning is an enjoyable and rewarding minute of your day.

What are the areas of your life in which you expend considerable effort because those activities fill you up rather than bring you down?

When I first began coaching, I was introduced to the word “toleration” by Thomas Leonard of Coach University. Simply defined, tolerations are things that bug us, sap our energy, and could be eliminated. Although some people have a sense of pride and even feel noble about carrying many of these burdens, there can be a considerable price to pay.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you bring more fulfillment and satisfaction into your work and life? What are some of the tolerations you can reduce or eliminate to lead a more enjoyable life?

Consider picking up a copy of Thomas Leonard’s book, The Portable Coach to learn more about this technique.

“The good and the wise lead quiet lives.”

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“The good and the wise lead quiet lives.”

—Euripides, tragedian of classical Athens

The subtitle of the book, Quiet, by Susan Cain is:

“The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking.”

By no means am I suggesting that extroverts are not good or wise. I am, however, suggesting that because of their quietness, we often miss seeing the goodness and the wisdom in those who are more introverted.

Perhaps you are one of them.

Other resources, including the classic “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, describe the value and impact of the more quiet and humble Level 5 Leaders.

EXERCISE:

Where can you more fully appreciate and perhaps pursue a quieter life to experience even greater wisdom and goodness in your world?

“Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.”

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“Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.”

—Ralph Marston, 20th Century professional football player

Image from Unsplash by Bruce Mars

How happy, healthy, and successful are you? If for some reason your answer falls a bit short of where you hoped you would be at this point in your life, today’s quote provides two nuggets of coaching.

To what degree are your personal and professional goals truly ambitious and inspiring? How passionate and motivated are you when you discuss them with others or even daydream? How much of this inner talk converts into committed action?

Personal doubts and other forms of limiting beliefs act like vampires that suck the life out of most of us from time to time. Consider your own awareness of these vision-draining thoughts. To what degree are they currently limiting your vitality and success?

EXERCISE:

What goal-expanding and doubt-limiting efforts can and will you take to move your current reality to far more extraordinary levels?

Consider partnering with a family member, friend, mentor, or a coach to assist you and guarantee your success.

Friday Review about Patience

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FRIDAY REVIEW: PATIENCE

How would you rate your level of patience on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest? Here are a few patience-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

 

“Patience is the Companion of Wisdom.”

 

 

 

 

“If you want to gather honey, don’t kick over the beehive.”

 

 

 

 

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.”

 

 

 

“A lie never lives to be old.”

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“A lie never lives to be old.”

—Sophocles, ancient Greek tragedian

Image from Unsplash by Bahram Bayat

How well do you sleep at night? How much do you like who you see when you look in the mirror? To what degree do you keep secrets, fib a bit to spare someone’s feelings, or perhaps keep silent on one or more of your most important beliefs?

Such behaviors are becoming increasingly difficult to hide due to our gossip-starved, always on, hyper-connected world. The media actually keeps count of out-and-out lies, half truths, and perceptional sleight-of-hands many politicians and celebrities exhibit.

Beyond the idea that lies never live to be old, consider the actual aging caused by the insidious toxic effect for all of us when exposed.

EXERCISE:

Where in either your personal or professional life would greater truth set you and others free, so you can get a much better night’s sleep?