“By Doing What You Love…”

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Barry

“By doing what you love you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.”

—Satsuki Shibuya, painter, artist, spiritual teacher

Photo from Flickr by Chattgd

Most coaches I know have their own coaches, supporting them on their professional and personal journeys. They consider striving for their own definition of success and fulfillment of great value and importance.

This behavior is one of the most important characteristics that attract clients to a particular coach. People see that their potential coach walks the talk and has made considerable progress in their own life journey. This makes them credible as a supportive partner in helping clients realize their goals.

EXERCISE:

Who do you know that truly loves what they do, and awakens your heart to pursue your own passions and purposes? How can you do more of what inspires you, to have the same influence on those around you?

“I Love Cooking for…”

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Barry

“I love cooking for myself and cooking for my family.”

—Al Roker, NBC weather anchor

photo from Flickr by Nicole Abalde

From my youth, I have loved to cook, often helping my mom during holidays or on weekends. We would frequently create a production-line to make and freeze dishes for future meals.

As a teenager, I worked for Colonel Sanders cooking Kentucky Fried Chicken, then at several delicatessens, and as a baker’s apprentice at a restaurant/bakery.

As an adult, I delight in the creative aspects of cooking. I love the limitless combinations of ingredients, and the resulting aromas and tastes.

By far, the greatest pleasure comes from sharing my passion with those I love, especially my family. For me, cooking is a special love language, in which I literally serve those I care about most deeply.

EXERCISE:

In what ways do you express your love for those you care about most?

Consider picking up a copy of The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. In these pages, you can explore how best to demonstrate your love, and receive the love others are sending your way.

“My life needs editing.”

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Barry

“My life needs editing.”

—Mort Sahl, Canadian-born American comedian and actor

Photo from Flickr by Matt Hampel

Have you ever considered writing your autobiography?

If you did, how many people would lay down some cash to buy it? What if you handed out copies for free? How many people would spend the time to read it?

If your answers fall short of producing a best seller, perhaps your life—at least the life still ahead of you—could use a bit of editing.

EXERCISE:

Examine the lives of those you respect and admire as a place to begin writing and living the next chapter of your life. Make sure you use your most playful, adventurous, and creative thinking to build on and expand on the good things you see.

You can also do a bit of editing on the life you have already lived. One simple way to do this is to replace all setbacks and failures in the light of lessons learned.

Feel free to reply to the post with any thoughts and insights that come up for you.

“It’s during bad times that you..”

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Barry

“It’s during bad times that you can tell if someone is any good.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Betsy Weber

Take a moment to examine your personal and professional relationships. How many truly good people can you list, based on the quote above?

It is pretty easy to be friends with people when times are good and little or few demands are placed on us. When the going gets tough, fewer people step up and step in to help.

These special few, appearing like angels sent from heaven to help us when we stumble, hold a “sacred” place in our hearts.

EXERCISE:

What can you do today to thank and fully acknowledge these extraordinary people? Take a moment to consider how many people in your world would place your name on their list.

“Surround yourself with people who…”

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Barry

“Surround yourself with people who make you hunger for life, touch your heart, and nourish your soul.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from lovetoknow.com

Over the years I have repeatedly heard that each of us is a close reflection of the five people with whom we spend the most time.

If this is true—or at least somewhat accurate—examine your five most prominent personal and professional relationships to see how they make you hunger for life, touch your heart, and nourish your soul.

One way to progress in this area is to give the same support back to those five people, simply because you can. By making such an investment in others, I hope you will discover the wondrous gift of reciprocity that will leave you with even more than when you began.

EXERCISE:

Share this quote with at least one person in your personal and/or professional life. Please share with them your sincere desire to contribute to their life. Be prepared to let them know how to best support you when they ask.

“Do more of what makes you Awesome.”

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Barry

“Do more of what makes you awesome.”

–Kid President

Photo from Flickr by Sam Howitz

Awesome is such an awesome word.

For years, I’ve encouraged my clients to be their personal best, pursue excellence, and of course, discover their strengths.

What is it that you do that literally induces awe in others?

Some might describe awe as a heightened sense of admiration or even a reverence for your gift, unique ability, or area of personal mastery.

Whatever it is, doing more of it will most certainly bring you great fulfillment, satisfaction, and most likely produce quantifiable rewards.

EXERCISE:

Consider asking a handful of people who know you best what makes you awesome. This is not the time to be timid or overly humble. Hopefully these conversations will shed some light on gifts or talents you have overlooked.

Once you come down from the high you will likely experience in these discussions, get out there and let others in your world know about the awesome qualities and abilities you see in them.

The greatest challenge you face

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Barry

“The greatest challenge you face will probably not be the technical side of your job (your expertise), but rather interacting with other people.”

—Shirley Tayor, American author and Speaker

Photo from bolderlogic.com

Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients. Here in southeast Michigan a sizable percentage of our economy is somewhat dependent on the automotive industry.

A fairly common assignment is to support the growth and development of up-and-coming leaders and managers. These assignments almost always include a focus on the softer skill of interpersonal communication, so important to producing greater results within and outside the organization.

It is for this reason than many experts in the fields of talent management, organizational development, and executive coaching insist that EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is at least as important as IQ and technical expertise.

EXERCISE:

Assess yourself and those you work with regarding the technical and soft skills necessary to work optimally. Consider training and/or coaching to support yourself and others to maximize these important attributes.

“The best teachers are those who…”

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Barry

“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don’t tell you what to see.”

—Alexandra K. Trenfor

Photo from bats.blogs.nytimes.com

I have been an active and engaged member of the ICF (International Coach Federation) for almost 20 years. Today, this organization has well over 20,000 members in more than 100 countries. The IFC has been one of the most active in establishing the ethics, standards, competencies, and credentialing criteria for the industry.

Fundamental to the value and impact of the coaching process is how it engages the individual in a variety of learning experiences requiring personal inquiry and self-discovery.

A phrase I like very much that describes this client-centered educational effort is “Coaches let their questions do the heavy lifting.” Although teaching experiences that “show and tell” can be a part of the learning process, it is perhaps when we help others to see, discover, and learn from within that even greater benefits are realized.

EXERCISE:

Think back to the teachers, mentors, and coaches in your life who have made the most significant impact in your life. Examine how many of them helped you discover and believe in your own potential and greatness.

How can you be this teacher or coach for those you care about in your professional or personal life?

Should you have the interest to learn more about coaching and the ICF, please visit www.coachfederation.org

“One of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face…”

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Barry

“One of the hardest decisions you’ll ever face in life is choosing whether to walk away or try harder.”

—Author Unknown

QC #742

Today’s quote reminds me of an excellent little book by Seth Godin titled “The Dip.” The subtitle is: “A little book that teaches you when to quit and when to stick.”

Godin believes that winners quit quickly, often, and without guilt, until they discover the right DIP, worth beating for the right reasons. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for sticking and getting beyond it.

He further demonstrates that people who lose fail to stick out their DIPS when they quit at the moment of truth—or they simply never discover the right DIP to conquer.

EXERCISE:

Consider picking up a copy of “The DIP” to discover for yourself whether you should stay the course or summon the courage to quite sooner or more often.

“I’m too busy working on my own…”

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Barry

“I’m too busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is greener.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Jeremy Page

Spring is here, and the people I speak with can’t wait for warmer weather, longer hours of daylight, and the beauty Mother Nature provides.

When my neighbors begin to emerge from their homes, I see them out walking or participating in some other physical activity, or, relative to today’s quote, jumping into lawn care and maintenance.

I’ve heard some of them compare their lawns to others—sometimes favorably, others not. This characteristic of comparison can be a source of upsets, dissatisfaction, and frustration.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional life are you paying too much attention to other people’s grass? How would tending to the fertilization and care of your own abilities, projects, and priorities reward you with the results and satisfaction you desire?