#100: “Death is Nature’s expert advice to get plenty of Life.”

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– Goethe, writer and poet

We have all received the advice to get plenty of rest, exercise, water, quality food, fresh air, etc. I love the idea of getting plenty of life.

We could also think about having more:

  • love
  • laughter
  • adventure
  • beauty
  • quality relationships
  • risk
  • excitement
  • learning

Exercise:

Select 5 – 15 actions that you will take to help you get plenty of life.

If you want extra credit, try thinking of at least one action for each letter of the alphabet. Share this list with others.

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#99: “Friendships multiply joys and divide grief.”

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– Henry George Bohn, British publisher

There is a good reason why we are social creatures. We simply live and survive better when we are part of a community. Our friendships tend to be very intentional in their ability to move us forward in life.

Have you ever noticed that successes are far sweeter when celebrated with friends and family? How much better do you feel when you experience sadness, disappointment and grief in the company of others, versus going it alone?

Exercise:

Which friends multiple your joy and divide your grief? How can you show them your gratitude?

Who in your life today would benefit from your special friendship?

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“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

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“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

—Proverbs 12:15, The Bible

Image of a man listening with ear buds

Photo from Unsplash by Alex Blăjan

Have you ever had someone say, “I know” when you share something with them? Doesn’t that just drive you crazy?

Or, worse, how often do others interrupt you to fill in the remainder of what they were expecting you to say?

Both of these situations indicate that others are not listening – or that they’re simply far more interested in listening to their own favorite subject: themselves.

When we fully listen to others and truly consider their ideas, we expand our world view beyond our individual perspectives.

Exercise:

Where in your life can you develop greater wisdom, by listening more fully to others?

 

#97: “It has been my observation that people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

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– Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

Could it be that simple? Can we just make the choice to be happy?

We have all heard stories of people with great beauty, talent, and financial wealth who are miserable. We are also aware of entire societies where people have very limited worldly possessions, yet live joyful lives.

What’s the secret? Can we actually be the architects of our own happy lives?

Abraham Lincoln refers to the word “mind” as the source. Today, there’s the entire field of positive psychology to explore this in great detail.

Exercise:

Consider purchasing a copy of Martin Seligman’s book Authentic Happiness or Tal Ben-Shahar’s book Happier, and make up your own mind.

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.

#96: “In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out…”

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“… It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

– Albert Schweitzer, humanitarian

Have you ever noticed how life has lots of ups and downs? We experience the glories of victory – and the agonies of defeat.

We have heard the life phrase “this too shall pass.” We eventually find our footing from our low points – and are brought down to earth from the peaks of life’s mountains.

This quote is about the special people in our lives that bring out our very best and ignite the fullest possibilities of living.

Exercise:

Who are the advisors, mentors, coaches, family members and friends that provide you with this spark?

Have you thanked them lately?

Where could you help rekindle the fires of others?

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.

#95: “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it…”

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“…without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity.”

– Gilda Radner, actress

I never knew Gilda Radner in any other way than in her comedic role on Saturday Night Live. I do remember how devastated Gene Wilder, her husband, was upon her passing.

There is now a wonderful organization, Gilda’s Club, named after her. It aims to help individuals and their families make the most of the challenges of cancer and similar diseases.

Perhaps her life was a form of improv when she took each moment and each situation and made the best of it. After her death, people were inspired to make the best of even that situation – by setting up Gilda’s Club.

Exercise:

How can you play and dance with the ambiguities of life and make more of your moments delicious?

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#94: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”

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– William Shakespeare, playwright

Our ability as humans to interpret the world around us is remarkable. Consider your thoughts about the following pairs of words:

  • life – death
  • win – lose
  • big – small
  • happy – sad
  • right – wrong
  • power – force
  • full – empty
  • leadership – management
  • optimism – pessimism
  • young – old
  • growth – decline
  • success – failure
  • strong – weak
  • natural – artificial

Exercise:

Is there a fundamental “goodness” or “evil” in anything?

How does your thinking about the world and others help you or limit you? How could you expand or shift your thinking to lead a far more fulfilling 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.

#93: “The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today…”

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“The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”

—Gaylord Nelson, co-founder of Earth Day

Image from Unsplash by Jason Buscema

I once saw a behavioral experiment, conducted with small children around the age of three or four years old. The experiment involved marshmallows. The child could have a single marshmallow immediately, or they could wait five minutes longer and be rewarded with two marshmallows.

Some of the children simply gobbled the one immediately. However, the children who were able to delay their gratification seemed far happier with their accomplishment.

Exercise:

What sacrifices are you willing to make today to help yourself and others have a far better future — even if you may never receive thanks or the rewards directly?

What would you like your legacy to be?

Examine the contents, not the bottle

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“Examine the contents, not the bottle.”

—The Talmud, the central text of mainstream Judaism

Image of dusty wine bottles

Photo by Marco Mornati on Unsplash

We all know the adages, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” and “Discover the beauty within.”

It is so much easier, though, to use first impressions to make quick decisions – and rarely do we ever get the full story. When this happens in our interactions with other people, we refer to these as shallow or superficial relationships.

Only when we look deeper can we fully grasp the full value and the potential that lies within others.

Exercise:

How would taking the time to examine the contents of another person’s character lead you to a more fulfilling life?

With whom in your worlds have you only scratched the surface?

The bad news is time flies

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“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.”

– Michael Altshuler, motivational speaker

Image of a Pilot in front of his plane

Photo by Kora Xian on Unsplash

I recently attended a coaching conference where a speaker, Jim Selman, shared his work on the topic of aging. I was surprised to see just how significant and universal the subject was for the majority of conference participants – including myself.

What does it mean to age well? What has many of us pursue the fountain of youth, through everything from plastic surgery to the next wonder drug?

How can we transform our views on aging, to impact our lives in the areas of health, happiness, self-expression, meaningful relationships, and the overall desire for purpose?

Exercise:

How will you pilot your life, given your answer to the question above, to make the most of the precious time that you have?