“You can either throw in the towel…”

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Barry

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

—Author Unknown

Image from getyourbridebody.com

When was the last time you had a really rigorous workout? You know, the kind that makes your muscles burn, makes you gasp for air, and drenches you in sweat?

Where do you, or have you, demonstrated similar efforts in your personal or professional life?

How often do you give things your all? With what frequency do you merely put in enough effort just to get by? How often do you throw in the towel and give up completely?

EXERCISE:

What are the key tasks or priorities in which you could dig deeper, make a stronger commitment, or break more of a sweat?   With whom can you partner to coach, encourage, and challenge you to give these goals your very best?

“Every wall is another fence…”

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Barry

“Every wall is another fence that thins the herd.”

-Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine

Photo from dailycamera.com

If you enjoy physical challenges, check out the NBC reality show, American Ninja Warrior.

Contestants drop like flies as they attempt to move through a series of challenging and sometimes diabolical physical tasks across a difficult obstacle course.

Many of the courses include a “Warped Wall,” a 14-foot high obstacle that is quite daunting, and quickly thins the herd.

EXERCISE:

Examine the professional and personal walls you face each day. Where can you develop additional strengths and capacities, scale more walls, and “thin the herd” in your favor?

“Speak in such a way that others…”

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Barry

“Speak in such a way that others love to listen to you. Listen in such a way that others love to speak to you.”

—Author Unknown

Image from beyond.com

One thing I know for sure is that quality relationships result when our focus is on others rather than ourselves.

Being interested rather than interesting will channel your listening and speaking skills, to help you successfully navigate your professional and personal worlds.

EXERCISE:

Choose your words today, so that they resonate at the frequency others hear and appreciate. How can you tune into the messages and signals of those around you, so that you fully honor and show how important they are to you?

“Being entirely honest with…”

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Barry

“Being entirely honest with oneself is a good exercise.”

—Sigmund Freud, Austrian neurologist and the father of psychoanalysis

Photo from imgkid.com

Coaches are frequently asked, “What is the difference between coaching, counseling, and therapy?”

A thirty-second post would never do justice to this question. In today’s quote, Freud points to the value and usefulness of creating greater self-awareness, which is a component of each of the three supporting professions.

EXERCISE:

How would greater self-awareness and honesty serve you today?

“I remind myself every morning…”

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Barry

“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”

—Larry King, American television and radio host

Image from Flickr by Ky Olsen

Have you ever considered why we have two ears and only one mouth? Why not one of each? Perhaps some higher power—not just Larry King—knew that listening is twice as valuable as speaking.

EXERCISE:

Practice using open-ended questions, including the all-powerful “What Else?” This follow-up & layering technique will help you speak less and learn more, at home and in your workplace.

“The growth and development of people…”

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Barry

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”

-Harvey S. Firestone, American businessman, founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company

Image from freightdawg.com

Personal growth and development are among my top core values. Not so surprising is the fact that a very high percentage of people seeking the support of a coach share this commitment.

There is a magical power that reveals itself when we pursue our own personal growth, and support the growth of those around us.

What would be possible if each parent, teacher, and student would embrace and demonstrate these values?

EXERCISE:

How will you pursue your own development as a leader by supporting the growth and development of others today?

“Life doesn’t have to be…”

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Barry

“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

—Author Unknown

QC #844

I recently finished reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. This book focuses on issues regarding aging, the state of affairs of healthcare, and the quality of life—or lack thereof— that often results.

We’ve all heard the statement “no one ever gets out of this life alive.” Gawande points out our ability and responsibility to make sure we make our journey workable and wonderful, despite the imperfections and challenges we face.

EXERCISE:

If you or those you care about are experiencing the imperfection of our healthcare system as it relates to our aging society, consider reading this book. Where can you support yourself and others in having as wonderful a life as possible?

“The world is full of…”

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Barry

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

—W.B. Yeats, Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature

Image from freger.weebly.com

Take a moment to examine your current ability to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell.

Did you know that:

A Silvertip Grizzly Bear can smell you from 18 miles away?
Jumping spiders can see four primary colors versus the three that humans see?
Some birds have an internal GPS that acts as a compass, to help them find their way home?
The bat uses echolocation to navigate and catch its supper?
Catfish have 10 times more taste buds than humans (100,000 versus 10,000)?

EXERCISE:

How can you capture more of the magic life has to offer by sharpening and focusing your senses? One way to develop these capacities is to focus on each sense separately, whenever possible.

“You can’t reach for anything…”

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Barry

“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.”

—Zig Ziglar, American author, salesman, and motivational speaker

Image from bradbyers.com

Imagine you are learning to juggle, starting with three balls. Your initial efforts are awkward, but you quickly learn that you must release one ball in order to catch the next, then quickly toss that one, too. You just can’t hold on to anything for long without losing the momentum of the entire batch of balls.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life are you required to juggle people, priorities, and projects in order to have more of what you desire? In such cases, you must release some of them temporarily. What if your job here is to make sure you release those that represent yesterday’s junk so that you can have more of the quality balls in your life?

“The tiny seed knew…”

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Barry

“The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light.”

—Author Unknown

Image from www.scottthor.com

Today’s quote builds on the one about the mighty oak that once was a nut that simply held its ground.

Here, along with persistence, we must often accept and manage the dark, dirty, and difficult aspects of life. Eventually, we emerge into the light of becoming all that we can be, which can appear a bit “nutty” to us, and to others, along the way.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you more fully embrace the challenges and barriers that stand in the way of your sprouting and growing into a mighty oak of a person?