#109: “There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.”

Posted on by

– Beverly Sills, opera singer

I tend to believe in the quote by Gary Player, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

Look at how we celebrate the great achievements of individuals and groups in sports and business: these people have put in the work to reach places worth going. How do you get to Carnegie hall? Practice, practice, practice.

Exercise:

Where do you intend to go in this world that will make the journey worth all the effort?

What will be your long and winding road to success that will be worth the trip?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#108: “Mishaps are like knives, that either serve us or cut us, as we grasp them by the blade or the handle.”

Posted on by

– Herman Melville, author

The word “mishap” seems a bit more open to interpretation than other words such as mistakes, errors, and failure. Whichever word you currently use to identify life’s bumps in the road, it is our human ability to interpret these events that makes all the difference.

When we grab the blade of these events, we are stopped, defeated, or overcome. We tend to stay down and never do or try that again.

When we grab the handle, though, we see these events as opportunities to learn from, and improve our life and the world.

Exercise:

What mishaps have occurred recently in your life?

How can you grab the handle, so the lessons you’ve learned will serve you in the future?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#107: “Often the greatest enemy of present happiness is past happiness too well remembered.”

Posted on by

– Oscar Hammling, writer

Many of us long for the good old days, the years of our youth – where things seemed simpler and the stresses of the modern world didn’t knock on our door, call us on our phone, or enter our email inboxes.

We selectively go into our memory banks and replay all those reruns of family vacations, personal adventures, and winning moments … without any of the commercials that were there all along.

Exercise:

Consider the Kodak experience at Disney World. Perhaps “making memories” is what our days are for. With this perspective in mind, how do you intend to live this day?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#106: “There is a giant asleep within everyone. When that giant awakens, miracles happen.”

Posted on by

– Frederick Faust, author

Is the giant within you fully asleep, taking a catnap, or just a bit drowsy these days?

What are some strategies to waken this giant to the status of full alert?

Consider the following ideas:

1. Identify the giants and leaders in your organization or community and practice similar behaviors.

2. Double your efforts on any worthwhile endeavor – and see what level of accomplishment results.

3. Cut the amount of time you give yourself to accomplish key tasks in half, to create greater urgency – and see what happens.

Exercise:

Send me your best ideas that you have used to create miracles in your professional and personal life. (Email me at barry@dempcoaching.com.)

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#105: “Make happy those who are near and those who are far will come.”

Posted on by

– Chinese proverb

Many years ago, I read a little book entitled Fish that presented a simple set of concepts to improve every work environment. The concept I remember most is “make their day.”

I get great pleasure looking for opportunities to add just a little bit more sunshine, one more smile, or an additional laugh to someone’s day. (Pretty corny, huh?)

The people in this world who focus on others tend to attract more people and more opportunities into their lives. We speak about their personalities with terms like “charisma” and “magnetic.”

Exercise:

What efforts do you take daily to support the happiness of others?

Who are the people in your life that bring you the greatest happiness?

What else can you do today and in the future to “make their day” and, in turn, attract more good things into your life?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#104: “Rules and models destroy genius and art.”

Posted on by

– William Hazlitt, writer

Many historic thinkers have explored left-brain versus right-brain thinking. Modern-day thinkers often refer to the concept of linear or analytical thinking versus quantum or non-linear thought.

Whatever you call the two types, they are both highly useful and have their place in making the world work. As a business coach, I see many great examples where procedures and systems increase profits. Six Sigma, Kaizen and other quality initiatives are widely used in organizations today.

Yet when we overuse procedures to manage the abilities of people, we often diminish their ability to act, think and create.

Exercise:

Where do rules in your professional and personal life serve you well, and where do they limit your creativity and genius?

How will you find the right balance?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#103: “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.”

Posted on by

– John Ruskin, artist and art critic

We have all heard the quote, “When you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” A by-product of this mixture of love and work is mastery, due to the amount of practice we experience over time.

Think about famous artists, top athletes, and great entertainers as examples of this synergistic combination.

Exercise:

What are your greatest skills, where you lose yourself in love?

It would be wonderful if these included your vocation. They may be hobbies or similar avocations – and hopefully, they can include building extraordinary relationships, in all areas of life.

What masterpieces have you built to this point and what future works of art are on the way?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#102: “That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”

Posted on by

– Henry D. Thoreau, author and leading transcendentalist

My father Marvin, at the age of 85, is one of the people I most admire. Throughout my life, he always referred to himself as one of the richest men in the world. We lived very modestly in a row house in Philadelphia, and I can never recall him complaining about his life.

He included among his riches:

  • A loving marriage
  • A job as a teacher, coach and counselor, where he got to make a difference
  • A happy family life with three wonderful kids (including me :-))
  • Good health
  • Close and loyal friends
  • A good sense of humor to laugh at life and even at himself

 Exercise:

What are your personal riches that cost you little, yet bring you great wealth?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

#101: “Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or nation.”

Posted on by

– Oscar Wilde, writer and poet

This quote seems a bit contrary to the idea of being happy with who you are and what you have, and living in the present. It does, however, point to a significant driving force for most of us – namely, the desire for growth and progress.

Exercise:

Where in your professional and personal life do you experience dissatisfaction or discontent? Which of these areas can be influenced and improved through your efforts?

Select one or two of these and make the needed changes to realize the progress you desire.

Find a coach or an accountability partner to help increase your chances of success.

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

The Quotable Coach reaches 100 Quotes

Posted on by

Thank you for being a loyal reader of The Quotable Coach. We now have over 100 quotes – all sent to people like you, and archived on this website.

To ensure you don’t miss future quotes, please consider signing up to receive them straight to your inbox. It’s completely free, and all the quotes, commentaries and exercises are designed to take less than a minute to read.

Some people save the quotes in an email folder, some people print them out, and some even like to post them on the bulletin board at work.

You can enter your details in the sidebar to the right to join over 300 others in receiving quotes Monday through Friday.