FRIDAY REVIEW: MEANING
What gives your life meaning? Here are a few meaning-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.
“Her soul was too deep to explore by those who always swam in the shallow end.”
“When you decide to collect experiences rather than things, you never run out of storage space.”
“When you decide to collect experiences rather than things, you never run out of storage space.”
—Joshua Becker, Founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist
Image from Unsplash by Chuttersnap
Did you know that the self-storage industry generates revenue of 38 billion dollars annually and that almost 10 percent of households use them? Many also have basements and garages full of stored items.
The volume of self-storage units in the United States alone could fill the Hoover Dam with old clothes, skis, and keepsakes more than 26 times.
Beyond the costs, consider the maintenance and generalized stress caused by the clutter and junk most of us would never pay for again if given the chance.
EXERCISE:
What are some strategies to lighten your load to live a simpler and perhaps more minimalist lifestyle? At the same time, what are a few life experiences you wish to collect that may only take up space on your camera or computer hard drive? What actions will you take today to make progress in both areas?
“What would happen if you doubled down on service?”
“What would happen if you doubled down on service?”
—Robert Richman, keynote speaker and culture architect
Image from Unsplash by Square
Did you know that it takes 5-7 times the effort and resources to obtain new customers than to keep existing customers?
With this statistic in mind, how much effort have you and your organization focused on new customer acquisition rather than making sure your current customers are delighted with you, your products, and of course, your level of service?
Customer loyalty is worth billions, however, we often slack off on our best behaviors once we close the deal. Much like when we say our “I Do” to our life partners. Given the divorce rate of about 50%, we all can see the need to maintain and more appropriately improve these relationships if they are to prosper.
EXERCISE:
What are some ways you can and will double down on your levels of service in your professional and personal communities? What would be the value of the loyalty generated?
“What is the problem that you are the answer to?”
“What is the problem that you are the answer to?”
—Author Unknown
Image from Unsplash by Hans-Peter Gauster
Consider all the roles and responsibilities you have in a typical day. How is it that you create value in your professional and personal communities?
Which of these efforts create the greatest intrinsic and extrinsic value for others and at the same time bring the greatest joy and life satisfaction to you?
Consider the overlapping of these areas as your personal and professional brand or niche. How much of your day do you expend in these efforts versus those that feel like an obligation or burden?
EXERCISE:
What are your special talents and unique abilities that light you up and solve meaningful problems in the world?
How might you realign your daily efforts to spend far more of your precious time doing what you were meant to do?
“Everybody Matters.”
“Everybody Matters.”
—Bob Chapman, founder of Truly Human Leadership
Where do you stand on the two words of today’s quote?
More specifically, where do you stand as it relates to the following communities:
- Family
- Neighborhood
- Your organization or place of employment
- Your city, state, country
- The upcoming 2020 census
- The world and all global citizens
- The plants and animals that share our earth
As a boy, I attended Creighton Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of my fellow students was Kim Sledge of the singing group, Sister Sledge, who became pretty famous for their hit song, “We are Family.”
EXERCISE:
Where can and will an “everybody matters” family approach to your various communities improve your world? What difference could this make to improve our planet if we all treated each other this way?
Consider checking out Bob Chapman’s book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People like Family.
Friday Review of Posts on Effort
FRIDAY REVIEW: EFFORT
Where do you put your strongest efforts in life? Here are a few effort-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the messages.
“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.”
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”
“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.”
“A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.”
“A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.”
—Aristophanes, 4th Century BC Greek Playwright
Image from India Today
Take a look at this list of famous foes:
- Batman / The Joker
- Superman / Lex Luthor
- Professor X / Magneto
- Spiderman / The Green Goblin
- Harry Potter / Voldemort
In the business world, consider the following pairs:
- Coke / Pepsi
- Ford / GM
- Thomas Edison / Nikola Tesla
- Bill Gates / Steve Jobs
- Marvel Comics / D.C.
What other famous adversarial pairs can you think of? What potential positive benefits have been brought forth due to the considerable challenges faced on the battlefield – both imaginary and real?
EXERCISE:
Who do you consider your foe? How and in what ways may they be providing you wise lessons you often overlook?
“The world is loud and crowded.”
“The world is loud and crowded.”
—Author Unknown
Image from Unsplash by Teun Swagerman
Recently, I watched a Netflix program called “The Worlds Busiest Cities.” I was amazed by what it is like to live and work in these loud and crowded hubs of humanity.
Given the seemingly relentless pace and overall stresses experienced by many, I found myself saying that I could never live in places such as these.
I’ve often shared the adage, “I spent a week in New York one day” to describe my experience of one of the busiest cities in the United States.
Although many of us live in much smaller communities, our lives are considerably louder and more crowded than in the past, due to smart phones, social media, and our 24/7 society that seemingly never stops.
EXERCISE:
What sanity-enhancing strategies can you bring into your world to provide more wiggle room and lower the volume of life?
“How can I help more people?”
“How can I help more people?”
—Author Unknown
Image from Unsplash by Toa Hefitba
Research has shown that a critical component to a purposeful, happy life is helping others.
Consider how you currently help others in your personal and professional communities.
What contribution and difference have you made at this point in your life?
Each day, we allocate our time and energies. At some point we run out of gas and need a recharge. Beyond our own efforts to efficiently use these resources, how might you leverage yourself to make a ten-times or 100-times impact?
The Quotable Coach Blog and the book based on this series is one way I’ve chosen to assist people well beyond my geographic reach to better their lives.
You are welcome to explore the almost 2,000 posts written over the past 8 years, by checking out the drop-down category list when you scroll down the home page.
EXERCISE:
What leveraged activity can and will you pursue to help even more people in the years ahead? Feel free to reply to this post with some actions you intend to take.
“Not all things are to be discovered. Many are better concealed.”
“Not all things are to be discovered. Many are better concealed.”
—Sophocles, 4th Century BC Greek Writer
Image from Unsplash by Mohamadreza Ashdari
Before you speak: T.H.I.N.K.
T: Is what you are about to say TRUE?
H: Is what you plan to say HELPFUL?
I: Will what you say IMPROVE the situation?
N: Is saying it NECESSARY?
K: Is it KIND?
EXERCISE:
How would your professional and personal relationships improve if you did more thinking before you spoke? Where would more silence and concealing your inner voice be the best approach to take with selected individuals? What other aspects of your life would be better off concealed?