start paving

Posted on by

“If you don’t like the road you are walking, start paving another one.”

—Dolly Parton, Country Singer/Songwriter & Actor

Image of paving machine

Image from YouTube

 

In the Motor City – Detroit – the car is king and most people don’t do a lot of walking. We do, however, do a lot of driving, and the roads in the region are poor at best. Pot holes are at epidemic levels, making driving costly in terms of repairs, and dangerous to human life.

A colleague made me aware of an amazing technology being developed in Europe. This machine mounted on a truck platform miraculously fixes pot holes of various sizes in 5-10 minutes. Here is a video about it.

EXERCISE:

Which of your personal or professional roads are getting bumpy and require repair?

Where and how will your begin paving these thoroughfares to smooth out your journey to reach your most desired destinations?

Goodness is easier to recognize than to define

Posted on by

“Goodness is easier to recognize than to define.”

—W. H. Auden, 20th Century English-American Poet

Defining something limits what it is. Recognizing or distinguishing something opens up and expands the possibility of what it can be.

Take a few minutes to reflect on the following list of words. Try to define them and then explore the many factors or qualities that can be attributed to them:

• Happiness
• Health
• Quality Relationships
• Success
• Mastery
• Leadership
• Professionalism

EXERCISE:

What does it mean to be a good person? What is it that you observe and recognize in yourself and those around you when you experience goodness?

How would you answer similar questions in your recognition of the seven words above, exploring one per day in the coming week?

What other words might you add to this list that would be worth far greater recognition?

Friday Review: Truth

Posted on by

FRIDAY REVIEW: TRUTH

Just what is the truth? Here are a few truth-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full messages.

 

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

 

 

 

“All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered. The point is to discover them.”

 

 

 

 

“Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

 

 

 

Never Say Anything About Yourself

Posted on by

“Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true.”

—Brian Tracy, Canadian-American Motivational Speaker/Author

Image from news247.gr

Self-talk is a fascinating subject.

We all do it, and given your interest in personal growth and development as a subscriber to this blog, you are more aware and mindful of this than many.

What percent of the time do you focus on the negative rather than positive side of your self-talk equation?

What if 50 percent of your internal conversations were beyond or beneath your awareness?

EXERCISE:

This week, enlist family, friends, and colleagues to help make you much more conscious of when you put your inner voice on external speakers.

Based on their feedback and input, determine exactly how many of these message you want to come true for you.

How can and will you enhance these messages to live a more positive and fulfilling life?

If You Blame it on Someone Else

Posted on by

“If you blame it on someone else, don’t expect it to get better.”

—Author Unknown

Blaming and making others wrong is like a black hole in the world of relationships. Nothing good ever comes out of it.

Unfortunately, we each view the world through our own perceptual filters. On many occasions, our views do not agree or align with others. This is not bad in itself, except that we often go a step further to prove our point or to undermine those who think and do otherwise.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you reduce or eliminate playing the blame game, personally or professionally, to improve your life?

Don’t Give Up On What You Want Most

Posted on by

“Don’t give up on what you want most for what you want now.”

—Author Unknown

About eight months ago, I had my annual physical. For the most part, both the doctor and I were pleased with the exam and lab results, with the exception of my blood pressure. It was getting to the point where medication was on the horizon.

Given my past experience in the pharmacological industry and my strong desire to live as healthy a life as possible, I decided to dramatically alter my eating habits and make food my medicine.

What made this particularly difficult was that I started this primarily plant-based diet while on a family vacation. Restaurant food and countless temptations surrounded me! The good news is that I have remained medication free with normal blood pressure, and have shed a few pounds to boot.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently wrestling with yourself regarding what you want in the short term versus what you want most in the long run?

Should you wish to take on a similar health/medication related issue, consider reading Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s book, Whole.

A Warrior does not need to prove

Posted on by

“In order to have faith in his own path, a warrior does not need to prove that someone else’s path is wrong.”

—Paulo Coelho, Warrior of the Light

If you are a loyal reader of The Quotable Coach, or even if you are somewhat new to this resource, I’m sure you have surmised that I am a win-win, positive, and life affirming individual.

For me, looking at what is right and what is possible inspires me to be a coach and support others in pursuing extraordinary lives for themselves.

I do, however, get discouraged at times, particularly when I see how often some people think that in winning the game of life for themselves, others must lose or be proven wrong.

EXERCISE:

How can you tap into your own warrior spirit to achieve what you desire, without needing to vanquish your foe, or prove others wrong in the process?

Friday Review Blame

Posted on by

FRIDAY REVIEW: BLAME

Where does the blame belong? Here are a few posts about blame you may have missed. Click the links to read the full messages.

 

“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”

 

 

 

 

“When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that three of his fingers are pointing at himself.”

 

 

 

“Finding fault replaces peace of mind.”

 

 

 

 

 

You Don’t have to get it perfect

Posted on by

“You don’t have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going.”

—Jack Canfield, Co-Author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series

Image from sarasdesk

Doing things perfectly rarely happens on the first attempt and yet many of us seek this elusive level of achievement throughout our days.

Many who are fully aware that achieving this level of excellence is virtually unattainable procrastinate or fail to even make the attempt.

I once heard someone ask the question, “How do you write a good book?” His answer was to write a bad book and keep on working on it until it becomes good.

EXERCISE:

Where might you get going on some important project and use an aim, shoot, adjust your aim and shoot again strategy to achieve your professional and personal goals?

When the heart is afire

Posted on by

“When the heart is afire, some sparks will fly out of the mouth.”

—Thomas Fuller, 15th Century British historian

Image from Unsplash by Jamie Street

Today’s quote is about leadership. Take a moment to consider the sparks flying out of people’s mouths these days. Gun control, global warming, nuclear proliferation, politics, and the economy are just a few of the hotly debated subjects.

What topics have your heart afire? To what degree do you share your own thoughts and opinions on those topics with others?

EXERCISE:

Where is the status quo unacceptable in your personal or professional worlds? Where can and will you play a greater leadership role and let a few more sparks fly out of your mouth, sharing your heartfelt beliefs?