“The first impression may be…”

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Barry

“The first impression may be the only impression.”

—Author Unknown

image from jimmycasas.blogspot.com

In our fast-paced world, we generate first impressions in a matter of seconds—sometimes nano-seconds.

What impression do people have of you through your appearance, your spoken words, and even your letters, emails, texts, or social media posts?

EXERCISE:

What efforts can you make today to assure that people get the very best impression of you? As today’s quote suggests, it may be the only one they have.

“I remind myself every morning…”

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Barry

“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”

—Larry King, American television and radio host

Image from Flickr by Ky Olsen

Have you ever considered why we have two ears and only one mouth? Why not one of each? Perhaps some higher power—not just Larry King—knew that listening is twice as valuable as speaking.

EXERCISE:

Practice using open-ended questions, including the all-powerful “What Else?” This follow-up & layering technique will help you speak less and learn more, at home and in your workplace.

“Life doesn’t have to be…”

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Barry

“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

—Author Unknown

QC #844

I recently finished reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. This book focuses on issues regarding aging, the state of affairs of healthcare, and the quality of life—or lack thereof— that often results.

We’ve all heard the statement “no one ever gets out of this life alive.” Gawande points out our ability and responsibility to make sure we make our journey workable and wonderful, despite the imperfections and challenges we face.

EXERCISE:

If you or those you care about are experiencing the imperfection of our healthcare system as it relates to our aging society, consider reading this book. Where can you support yourself and others in having as wonderful a life as possible?

The Person You Want

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Barry

“Be the kind of person you want in your life.”

—Author Unknown

Image from picturespider.com

When you got up this morning, brushed your teeth, washed your face, and looked in the mirror, who did you see? What were your thoughts about the person staring back at you? For the moment, leave out any and all references to your physical features and appearance.

Instead, focus only on those inner qualities that make you who you are. Consider the following qualities to start, and add a few of your own:

Optimistic	Dependable	Cooperative
Honest	Respectful	Creative
Integrity	Open-Minded	Courageous
Hard-Working	Caring	Brave
Loyal	Service-Minded	Bold
Friendly	Helpful	Affectionate
Trustworthy	Generous	Loving
Responsible	Productive	Kind

EXERCISE:

How will you, today and in the future, become even more of the kind of person you want in your life? Consider sharing your intentions with selective people—those you respect and admire for their wonderful qualities—to help hold you accountable for being the best version of yourself possible.

“Be sure to taste your words…”

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Barry

“Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.”

— Author Unknown

Image from behappy.me

Did you know that there are professional tasters for wine, tea, beer, coffee, and even vodka? These discerning taste specialists are charged with evaluating flavors, aromas, and other general characteristics of beverages. Fundamental to the tasting process is actually spitting out most, if not all, of these liquids.

The words we utter throughout our days, too, have various qualities. How sweet, sour, salty, or bitter are the words you use in your professional and personal life?

EXERCISE:

How would taking more time to taste, and perhaps reformulate, your words before you spit them out into the world help you achieve the relationships and results you desire in life?

“If you could kick the person…”

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Barry

“If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.”

-Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States

Photo from ibosocial.com

Personal responsibility and accountability are two very important qualities of those who tend to be the most successful in a coaching relationship. People who possess these characteristics know they are the proverbial athlete on the field of their own lives, and only they can put points on the scoreboard.

I often observe, to the contrary, many people playing the victim, putting much, if not all, the blame for their lot in life on others.

President Roosevelt’s statement makes it clear: We, alone, control our thoughts and actions. Hopefully we use them to influence our world for the better.

EXERCISE:

Where would a bit more self-coaching and taking greater responsibility for your current place in life make the biggest difference in your professional or personal life?

“I have an existential map. It has…”

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Barry

“I have an existential map. It has ‘you are here’ written all over it.”

—Steve Wright, American comedian, actor and writer

Photo from Flickr by Zen Sutherland

Steve Wright is a comedian with a very quirky sense of humor who definitely sees life through some unique glasses.

His quote makes me think of the phrase, “wherever you go, there you are.” What makes this useful is that we can take even more responsibility and accountability to influence our world simply because we are an integral part of each situation in which we find ourselves.

Instead of being affected by our circumstances, we can become the cause of them.

EXERCISE:

How can you apply your own presence and capabilities wherever you find yourself to improve your existential world?

The price of Anything

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Barry

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

– Henry David Thoreau, American author, philosopher and transcendentalist

QC #1011b

One of the first quotes I ever shared in The Quotable Coach series was “time is the coin of life” – how we spend our time and who we spend it with literally has a price.

Exercise:

Examine your life domains and ask yourself if each investment of your valuable life equity was worth it.

Consider making a few adjustments by doing more of some things, less of others, and starting a few new and interesting activities – and of course stopping those intolerable ones that you regret the most.

Time is the coin of your life

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Barry

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.”

– Carl Sandburg

Image of a watch and coins When we are young, we believe that we have an unlimited amount of time. Who cares if we waste a day – a week – a month – a year?

We trade our time for money, and as we pine for more and more things, we often get caught up in a vicious cycle. It starts to feel as if time is running out.

If you’re lucky enough to live for 82 years, how many hours will that be? How many days? How many weeks? How many months? When you do the math, you can work out what an hour, day, week, month, or year is truly worth to you.

82 years works out to around 30,000 days, 4,200 weeks, and less than 1,000 months. If you’re 40 years old, you have around 500 months left.

Exercise:

Imagine a big jar with 4,200 quarters. Each week, you take one quarter out. That’s your life being used up.

What changes will you make today to spend your time more wisely?