“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

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“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”

– C.S. Lewis (attrib.), author of the Narnia books

460Image from Flickr by soupboy.

With the Olympic Games in Sochi taking place right now, I was curious to learn the age of some of the oldest athletes. Among some interesting anecdotes, I learned about Ann Abernathy who was called “Grandma Luge” for her participation in the 1988 Calgary Games, the 1992 Barcelona Games, the 1994 Lillehammer games, the 1998 Nagano Games, the 2002 Salt Lake City games and the 2006 games in Turin.

In her final Olympics she wore a red helmet to honor women over 50 that go out and do what they want to do.

The commentator on her final games called her “Nonna Olympia” or “Grandma Olympics” and in a ceremony at the Olympic Village, the Major presented Ann with an Olympic Torch in honor of her achievement.

Exercise:

What goal have you yet to set, or dream have you yet to dream, because you think you’re too old or it’s too late?

“A balanced diet is a chocolate in each hand.”

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“A balanced diet is a chocolate in each hand.”

– Unknown

459Image from Flickr by JohnSeb

Chocolate is considered a superfood with about five out of seven people worldwide enjoying it very much. I am one of them!

Below are some interesting facts to consider when enjoying this treat. (Some people believe it should even be its own food group…)

  • It can decrease the risk of stroke.
  • It can boost heart health.
  • It can fill you up and keep you full so you don’t overeat (!)
  • It may reduce the risk of diabetes.
  • It may offer protection from UV rays and skin damage.
  • It can quiet a cough.
  • It can boost your mood – it does mine.
  • It can improve blood flow.
  • It can enhance your vision.
  • It can even boost your brainpower and make you smarter.

Exercise:

For those of you who enjoy it too, look for ways to moderately include chocolate in your life to make it a bit sweeter.

To learn more, check out the Huffington Post article “10 Health Benefits of Chocolate” at the link below:

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/chocolate-health-benefits_n_1383372.html

Perhaps you could even give a gift of chocolate to someone you love. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner…

“The Olympic Games are the quadrennial celebration of the springtime of humanity.”

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“The Olympic Games are the quadrennial celebration of the springtime of humanity.”

– Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games

457Image from Flickr by Jon Curnow.

As much as the Olympics is a coming-together of the best athletes in the world, it is also about the world coming together to celebrate our collective humanity.

Exercise:

With the winter games beginning, how can you bring your own Olympic spirit to your various communities to foster and celebrate your own springtime of humanity?

“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning…”

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“The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.”

– Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games

458Image from Flickr by Jodimu

The 1992 Olympic Games inspired me to pursue coaching as a career. Beyond gold medal individual achievement, it is the fundamental pursuit of excellence that drives me. I also enjoy how, in many different ways, the Olympics is a wonderful expression of my life vision as described below:

My life vision is a healthy, peaceful, beautiful world of extraordinary relationships, great accomplishments, and integrity; an exciting world of respect, dignity, leadership, courage, and honor, where all people generously and passionately contribute their best to one another.

(You can find out more about my vision, mission and coaching philosophy here: www.dempcoaching.com/my-coaching-philosophy.)

Exercise:

If you happen to also be a champion of the “Olympic Spirit”, consider replying to let me know what the Games mean to you.

Getting Re-Motivated in the Journey Toward Your Goals

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This is an excerpt from my appearance on BlogTalkRadio’s show On the Dean’s List, with host Dean la Douceur.

In this five minute clip, Dean and I talk about:

  • Hitting a plateau in your journey toward your goals – and what you can do about it.
  • The concept of “creative tension” and what this means when you’re stuck at a plateau.
  • Exploring a new vision for the future to re-motivate you.
  • What to do when the people around you are uncomfortable with you changing.
  • The book Influencer: The Power to Change Anything and the power of different types of support.

Simply click below to play the audio file:

[audio:http://www.dempcoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Barry-Demp-Deans-List-4.mp3|titles=Barry Demp, “On the Dean’s List”]

If you’d like to hear the whole of my interview with Dean la Douceur (37 minutes), please click here to visit the Podcasts page on my Barry Demp Coaching website. You can listen to it online or download it.

“Your greatness is measured by your horizons.”

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“Your greatness is measured by your horizons.”

– Michelangelo, Renaissance sculptor and painter

456

Image from Flickr by The Nick Page.

When was the last time you watched the weather report on the evening news? In addition to temperature, humidity, and chance of precipitation, they sometimes include “visibility,” which is the distance one can see clearly toward the horizon.

Consider not only how far you can see into the distance but also what you can see. The inspirational and vivid goals within your horizons, as Michelangelo suggests, can be the fuel of greatness.

Exercise:

Imagine you have the capacity to expand your vision’s clarity and distance, viewing your personal horizons through a telescope or binoculars.

What horizons do you see that will be the measure of your greatness in the days and weeks ahead?

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could…”

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“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher

455Image from Flickr by jovom.

I have a pet peeve: receiving the answer “not bad” when I ask someone how they’re doing. What constitutes a “bad” day and what exactly does “not bad” actually mean? Sure, we all have those days when things don’t go exactly as we planned – in fact, they rarely do. The question to ponder here is how upset you get when this occurs.Consider daily blunders and absurdities as very tiny leaks from a great glass of your favorite beverage. No matter what happens, you can always maintain at least a half-full perspective, knowing that each new day starts overflowing with possibilities.

Exercise:

Try on the idea of “what you get done each day is what you get done” and learn to be satisfied with whatever shows up. With each new day, consciously choose to be fully alive.

“Rain and sun are to the flower as praise and encouragement are to the human spirit.”

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“Rain and sun are to the flower as praise and encouragement are to the human spirit.”

—Author Unknown

454

Image from Flickr by solarisgirl

As a former science teacher, I am fascinated by the process of photosynthesis – that plants can use sunlight to make their own food seems nothing short of a miracle.

Man—and virtually all animals—eat these plants as our way of sustaining life. Yet we are feeding only the body portion of ourselves – leaving our souls and spirits a bit empty.

Exercise:

How can you feed others the important nutrient of praise and acknowledgement, and surround yourself with others who will offer it to you in return?

“It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear that counts.”

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“It’s not what you say, it’s what they hear that counts.”

– Unknown

453Image from Flickr by brizzle born and bred.

Learning how to communicate effectively is perhaps the highest priority for most individuals and organizations entering a coaching relationship. This may not be what they originally emphasize in the first meeting – instead they tell the coach they want to improve sales, productivity and quality.However, beneath most forms of achievement is a foundation of effective communication – and a critical subset of it is to truly hear and understand others.  A technique to improve your odds of being heard is to practice and master the art of listening to others first.

Listening to others is like emptying the other person’s “expression cup.” When we let others fully express their ideas, we create space for our opinions to enter the open spaces in their minds – especially if these are on the same topic as their ideas.

Exercise:

To turbo-charge your relationship skills and your communication mastery in the year ahead, look to your own ability to honor each and everyone you meet.

Seek to listen and understand others before you seek to be heard by them.

You may wish to download my Masterful Relationships workbook, which includes extra guidance on active listening. Go to http://www.dempcoaching.com/download-your-free-workbooks and enter the password barrydemp (all lower-case).

The Coaching Business, How to Choose a Coach, Plus Free Tools and Resources for You [audio]

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This is an excerpt from my appearance on BlogTalkRadio’s show On the Dean’s List, with host Dean la Douceur.

In this seven minute clip, we discuss:

  • My work coaching other coaches (you can find out more about this here).
  • The coaching business and what you should look for when bringing in an outside consultant or coach.
  • How to establish whether a coach or consultant is credible and competent.
  • The tools and resources that I offer on my website – and why I’m willing to offer so much for free.

Simply click below to play the audio file:

[audio:https://www.thequotablecoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Deans-List-3.mp3|titles=Barry Demp, “On the Dean’s List”]

You can sign up to get my free workbooks by following this link.

If you’d like to hear the whole of my interview with Dean la Douceur (37 minutes), please click here to visit my Podcasts page. You can listen to it online or download it.