#19: “The greatest good you can do for another…”

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“…is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.”

– Benjamin Disraeli

I am often asked to share my perspective on the fields of consulting, mentoring, and coaching as a way of supporting others in moving forward. In doing so, I like to distinguish an inside-out contribution from outside-in efforts.

Masterful coaching emphasizes that the majority of the answers and potential lie within the proverbial athlete/client. As we help them discover their own answers and potential, the lessons learned stick far better than any outside-in concept.

Exercise:

In the multiple roles you may play as a parent, friend, colleague, and business person, how can you reveal the riches in others?

Who in your life will do likewise, bringing out the best in you?

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All We are Capable of Doing

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“If we were to do all we are capable of doing, we would astonish ourselves.”

– Thomas Edison

Roger Bannister’s historic break of the 4-minute mile.

What are two or three of your greatest personal achievements?

What percent of your total potential did it take for you to breakthrough to those achievements?

Many of us are aware of the story of how Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile. In the following few weeks, dozens of others did the same.

Look at other achievements in our society in entertainment, science, and business, to see what it took for people to reach those.

EXERCISE:

What are your unique abilities and talents and what invisible barriers must you break to astonish yourself?

#17: “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success…”

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“…is knowing how to get along with people.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

What man or woman do you know who truly stood alone and had a successful life? Even the archetype of the rugged individual, John Galt in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, seems to be missing the vital component of community and quality relationships.

Quality relationships at home, work, and in our communities are a vital catalyst in making things work.

Exercise:

What do you observe when people do not have the ability or the desire to get along with others? What specific relationships in your world need your best efforts to create the shared successes you desire?

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#16: “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand…”

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“… The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.”

– Alexander Graham Bell

When I was very young, I remember using a magnifying glass to focus the sun’s rays and burn small holes in a piece of paper. I bet you did too.

With this idea in mind, I began to take interest in the concept that greater focus is also the source of greater achievement.

In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell established that it takes 10,000 hours of focused practice to achieve personal mastery.

Exercise:

What must you do less of (or stop altogether) in your life, so you can start or do more of other focused activities? Think about what matters to you most on your journey to personal and professional excellence.

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 email address in the sidebar to the right.

#15: “The road to success is always under construction.”

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– Lily Tomlin

I live in Michigan, where we joke about having two seasons: winter and construction. How can this pertain to life, where it’s all about learning, growing, and evolving? The aging process and entropy itself are seemingly designed to deconstruct us.

Imagine wearing a t-shirt that says “Under Construction”. What energies must we expend to move forwards instead of backwards? Our minds, our bodies, our communities – and yes, even our roads – can all benefit from putting up the orange barrels and letting the world know we’re under construction.

Exercise

What do you want to build in your life? What roads need to be maintained or created to help you on your 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 email address in the sidebar to the right.

#14: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…”

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“…the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

– Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr

Serenity is not something I see much of these days. Life seems to be in constant overdrive.

If the world around is moving too fast and you can’t keep up, find the capacity within yourself to slow down, recover your energy, and reset your personal metronome.

Exercise:

Whatever we resist persists.

What can you do to accept and allow that which you cannot control? The weather and traffic come to mind.

Where can you tap into your intentions to change things that are changeable? Your health and fitness and personal relationships may fit into this category.

What other strategies of perspective can you use to gain the serenity you desire, and to find peace of mind when needed?

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 email address in the sidebar to the right.

#13: “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity…”

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“…An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”

– Winston Churchill

Call it attitude, perspective, a paradigm, or a mental model: how we look at things affects everything. The lenses we wear as we look at life truly color what we see.

I tend to lean heavily in the direction of optimism and possibilities. I seek moments of learning when things do not go the way I desire.

Most people like to be around others with a can-do, find-a-way perspective.

Exercise:

What strategies can you develop to see good things in life as the norm, and the not-so-good things as temporary barriers to overcome?

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 email address in the sidebar to the right.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit.”

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Image of hands holding up letters of "Excellence"“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is a habit.”

– Socrates

Over 95% of New Years Resolutions never come to pass. Inertia keeps things much the same. When change does come, it is often from outside us … and it is often unwelcome.

Exercise:

Here’s a simple three-step process to bring the discipline of personal excellence into your life:

1. List two or three things you really, really desire.

2. Identify the vital behaviors that are essential to achieving these desires.

3. Engage in these behaviors every day for a minimum of three weeks. Design as many social and structure supports as you can, in order to help you stay the course.

 

#11: “A man only learns in two ways…”

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“…one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people.”

– Will Rogers

I love to learn: it is one of my signature strengths. I take a great interest in the world of blogging and books, because they constantly feed this passion.

A book, for me, can be a source of crystallized wisdom from someone I may have never met, who took the time to share their knowledge, insight and perspective of perhaps many years.

Exercise:

Who are the people in your world (that may not necessarily be smarter) that have much to contribute? Are you committed to having open ears and an open mind, and the desire to learn and to be your personal best?

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 email address in the sidebar to the right.

To the world, you may be one person

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“To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”

—attributed to Brandi Snyder

Image of a parent and child

Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

One of the greatest sources of life satisfaction for many of us is the desire to make a difference.

I’m not talking about leaving a monument to your success or an achievement noticed by many. I’m referring to the difference we make in the lives of others, by being parents, colleagues, mentors, and yes, coaches.

It seems that the more we give to others in these areas, the more we receive.

Exercise:

Who in your life means the world to you? Who are the people who have made this impact in your life?

Look for ways to be intentional about fostering such relationships, and other ways to show your gratitude for them.