Don’t Argue Your Path

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“Don’t argue your path with other people. Walk it.”

—The Lazy Yogi

Meme of today's quote

Check out this cornucopia of statements that may help reduce arguments and improve your worlds:

  • Actions speak louder than words.
  • Walk your talk.
  • I don’t trust words. I trust action.
  • Let your success make the noise.
  • Don’t tell people your dreams. Show them.
  • Practice what you preach, or change your speech.
  • The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.
  • Characterize people by their actions, and you’ll never be fooled by their words.
  • People lie. Actions don’t.
  • What you do speaks so loudly I can hardly hear what you are saying.
  • Good words won’t cover up ugly actions.

EXERCISE:

Select at least one of the statements from this list and display it in your professional and personal space, where you will see it throughout the day.

Please let me know which you selected, and how it impacted your day.

The World Must Learn to Work Together

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“The world must learn to work together, or finally it will not work at all.”

—Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

Image of a team

Image from OD4pic

As part of my preliminary discover process, two of the questions I use to determine the potential value of a coaching relationship are:

  1. What is working and going well in your personal and professional life?
  2. What is not working or going as you wish in your personal and professional life?

Based on the answers provided, a customized coaching relationship can be used to support going from good to great, or from not good to substantially better.

Perhaps no single factor impacts these areas more than the ability to create mutually trusting relationships and work toward common objectives.

EXERCISE:

Given the state of the world and specifically your worlds, what efforts and actions can and will you take to work more effectively and successfully with others?

keep stillness inside you

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“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside you.”

—Deepak Chopra, Indian-American New Age Author/Speaker

meme of today's quote

Image from QuoteFancy

What is your current level of stress? How fast is your world moving? How much chaos do you experience in your personal and professional communities?

What strategies do you use to slow things down to find greater calm, and the peace of mind we all seek?

Sadly, the weekend to rest or that vacation we so desperately need to recharge may be days, weeks, even months away.

What can you do at this very moment to keep a source of stillness inside you, to call up and use at a moment’s notice?

EXERCISE:

Check out these links to add new or alternative strategies to your repertoire:

10 Steps to Keep Calm and Carry On

40 ways to achieve peace of mind and inner calm

 

Friday Review: Vision

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FRIDAY REVIEW: VISION

What new worlds can emerge as you utilize the power of your vision? Here are a few vision-related posts you may have missed.

 

“Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakens.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Only dead fish swim with the stream all the time.”

 

 

 

 

“What we see when watching others depends on the clarity of the window through which we look.”

 

 

 

The Best Speech You’ll Ever Regret

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“Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”

—Ambrose Bierce, 18th Century American Writer and Civil War Soldier

Image of 2 men screaming at each other

Image from Flickr by Sid

When was the last time you lost your temper and really let someone have it? Perhaps you even rehearsed your speech and shared your seemingly justified attack articulately with equally practiced volume and gestures.

What happened after the initial “feel better” burst of adrenaline and getting things off your chest?

If you are like many, you may have experienced considerable fallout, and repercussions much like the aftershocks of an earthquake.

EXERCISE:

Where would counting to ten or a hundred, or simply holding your tongue more frequently, dramatically reduce the number of regretful interactions you experience?

 

The Spur of Competition

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“Without the spur of competition we’d loaf out our life.”

—Arnold Glasow, 20th Century American Businessman

Image of a bicycle race

Image from Flickr by Rob Annis

Growing up, few kids wanted to be called a “Loaf.” Although the word has many meanings, in today’s quote it refers to being a procrastinator, or lazy.

Sports, getting good grades, and even entering the working world were the spurs that had me leap into my days with energy and enthusiasm, striving for success.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional world would a greater spirit of competition spur you on to higher levels of success?

Optimism is a kind of heart stimulus

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“Optimism is a kind of heart stimulus. The Digitalis of Failure.”

—Elbert Hubbard, 18th Century American Writer

Image of a gallon jug of Optimism

Image form Pinterest

Digoxin is a drug extracted from Digitalis Lanata, a plant found primarily in Eastern Europe. It is used to treat heart conditions.

Consider how you or those around you define Failure. What if it were akin to a heart condition that could be treated effectively with a drug called Optimism? You’d probably keep a ready supply by your bedside, in your pocket or purse.

How would sprinkling it over yourself or those around you be just the cure to relieve the potential failures of life?

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully and generously share your most hopeful and optimistic qualities and characteristics?

Where can you use it to heal and strengthen your own heart, and the hearts of others? How can you use it to help yourself and others bounce back from the setback and failures that come along?

Behave toward everyone as if receiving a great guest

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“Behave toward everyone as if receiving a great guest.”

—Confucius, Ancient Chinese teacher and philosopher

Image of Disney's Beauty & the Beast

Image from Disney Movies

I enjoy Disney movies – how about you?

My favorite over the last few years is Beauty and the Beast. A highlight of the animated and live actor versions is the “Be Our Guest” extravaganza.

Imagine how special and delightful it would be with the extraordinary level of service, attention, and delicious morsels of food offered at such an event.

EXERCISE:

How would your personal or professional world improve if you were to treat each and every one as a great guest you held with the highest regard?

Friday Review Effort

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FRIDAY REVIEW: EFFORT

How much effort do you put into your daily tasks? Here are a few effort-related posts you may have missed.

 

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

 

 

 

 

“Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.”

 

 

 

 

“You can either throw in the towel, or use it to wipe your sweat.”

 

 

 

Confront Improper Conduct

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“Confront improper conduct, not by retaliation, but by example.”

—John Foster, 18th Century Irish Politician

Image of a gift tag saying "generosity is..."

Image from Flickr by Stewardship-TransformingGenerosity

Mainstream and social media are having a field day given the domestic and international conflicts that abound.

Confrontation is at epidemic levels, with no end in sight. It is clear that whatever we resist persists, and seems to be getting even worse.

Instead of retaliation and fighting fire with fire, what if we all consistently demonstrated only the most honorable, ethical, and moral character traits in all our personal and professional interactions?

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom would setting a good example improve your situation and perhaps improve the conduct of everyone concerned?