Hope Awakens Courage

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“Hope awakens courage. He who can implant courage in the human soul is the best physician.”

—Karl Ludwig Von Knebel, 18th Century German Poet

Image of a hand

Image from selfhypnosis.com

It is pleasant to consider the profession of coaching as a form of healthcare for the human soul.

So are the skills of teaching, mentoring, counseling, parenting, and even friendship.

What other types of relationships can you describe that induce, elicit, and awaken hope and courage in others?

EXERCISE:

How can and will you use your healing powers to generate greater possibilities and hopeful courage in those for whom you care?

Better to be Occasionally Cheated

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“Better to be occasionally cheated than perpetually suspicious.”

—B.C. Forbes, 20th Century Scottish-born American financial journalist

Meme stating "Assume Positive Intentions"

Have you ever been duped, cheated, taken advantage of, or just lied to about an important matter?

If you’re like many, it can be the cause of anger, frustration, and sometimes even embarrassment.

What is the cost of being too trusting?

What is the benefit of assuming positive intentions by those around us?

Unfortunately, many people become increasingly suspicious and take a “Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me” perspective, building an “I’m No Fool” wall around themselves.

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom would an Assume Positive Intention (API) perspective make the biggest difference in your personal or professional world?

The Greatest Source of Happiness

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“Satisfaction of one’s curiosity is one of the greatest sources of happiness in life.”

—Linus Pauling, 20th Century American Chemist and Author

Image of a boy curiosity

Image from Flickr by Mohammad Abdullah

Rate yourself from one (low) to ten (high) as to your general level of curiosity.

Virtually everyone I ask to do this exercise places themselves in the six to ten range. A few even go beyond ten, to see what happens when they break the rules.

We humans are seekers, always looking around the corner or over the hill to discover what lies beyond our own knowledge and view of the world.

Consider our historic and current explorers.

Examine the risks we as a species have been willing to take to feed this craving, the boost of dopamine, and the feeling of happiness it provides.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you boost your happiness index by becoming a more curious explorer?

Please reply to this post with the actions you plan to take.

 

Friday Review Listening

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FRIDAY REVIEW: LISTENING

How well do you listen to yourself and others? Here are a few listening-related posts you may have missed.

 

“If we only listened with the same passion that we feel about being heard.”

 

 

 

“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”

 

 

 

“You can’t judge my choices without understanding my reasons.”

 

 

 

 

Vital to Every Operation is Cooperation

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“Vital to every operation is cooperation.”

—Frank Tyger, Editorial Cartoonist

Image of a team

Image from BK Forex

What do elite Navy Seals, your favorite sports team, and a top surgical team have in common?

They are all examples of the impact and synergy of cooperation.

In these situations, the acronym TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) couldn’t be more appropriate and true.

I experienced this personally in the writing of my book, The Quotable Coach: Daily Nuggets of Personal Wisdom. Those helping me pull off this project included hundreds of people such as family, friends, editors, loyal readers, and of course, the insightful minds of those quoted.

EXERCISE:

Where is a booster shot of cooperation and teamwork required to pull off some vital operation in your world?

Do What is Required

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“It’s not enough that we do our best. Sometimes we have to do what’s required.”

—Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1940 – 1945

Meme of Today's Quote

How do you define “Doing Your Best”?

Perhaps it involves working long hours, working till you’re exhausted, till you have nothing left in your physical, mental, or emotional tanks.

What if this best effort is still insufficient to produce the outcome you desire? What options, often hidden from view, are available to somehow find a way?

Churchill’s quote creates a provocative coaching question:

What’s Required?

The openness of this question will likely have you inquire and explore efforts beyond your personal best to tap into people and resources previously not considered.

EXERCISE:

Where in your world is your personal best not enough to achieve a particular goal or outcome?

How would exploring what is actually required in this situation lead you to a solution previously hidden, or not considered?

scratching the itch

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“Too many young people itch for what they want without scratching for it.”

—attributed to Tom D. Taylor

Meme of today's quote

On a scale of one (low) to ten (high), rate your own perception of the work ethic, general persistence, and grittiness of the six generations of people currently on the planet:

  1. GI Generation, born 1901-1926
  2. Mature | Silents, born 1927-1945
  3. Baby Boomers, born 1946 -1964
  4. Generation X, born 1965 – 1980
  5. Generation Y | Millennials, born 1981-2000
  6. Generation Z | Boomlets, born 2001 and after

What do you think are their goals, desires, and wishes?
What general environmental and societal factors have shaped their attitudes towards work and improving their lives?

EXERCISE:

To what degree do you and others in your multi-generational communities scratch the itches in the hard-to-reach places?

Check out this link to discover some interesting characteristics of each group.

Mend Your Manners

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“Look at the manners of others and mend your manners.”

—Japanese Proverb

Meme of today's quote

As part of my signature Personal Excellence Training, which kicks off each new coaching assignment, I conduct a Core Values/Life Vision exercise. A key part of this effort is for the coaching client to describe their “Best Future Self.”

Most clients inquire into their own good qualities first, then examine the wonderful and desirable qualities of those they admire.

Some take an alternate approach, exploring their own undesirable qualities and the poor manners of others, then flipping these traits around to identify the opposite trait they would choose to exemplify.

EXERCISE:

Where it is appropriate to mend your manners, personally or professionally?

How can the example set by others assist you in this effort?

Feel free to reply to this message and request the full list of questions I use in this exercise.

Take The Oars

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“If the wind will not serve, take the oars.”

—Latin Proverb

Image of oars


Image from Flickr by Sarah Brabazon

Have you ever been sailing, wind surfing, flown a kite, or even played golf on a breezy day?

What was it like in terms of your progress and level of success when the wind was at your back?

It’s pretty great when we get an assist to help us on our journey!

All to often, however, life doesn’t provide the winds that serve us, and in some cases, the headwinds of life come directly at us to thwart our efforts.

EXERCISE:

Where and on what personal or professional issue is it time to “take the oars” and do the difficult and challenging work that will get you where you wish to go?