“Life is like a road trip…”

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Barry

“Life is like a road trip. Enjoy each day, and don’t carry too much baggage.”

-Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Georg Sander

When I first met my wife Wendy almost forty years go, she would often tell me stories of her family’s famous road trips. Her mom, dad, and two sisters would spontaneously jump into their station wagon and head off to places unknown. Each passenger had their turn at directing the driver, telling them to continue on the current road, or to turn right or left.

When they got hungry, they would discover places to eat. When they got tired, they found places to rest. They often traveled with only the clothes on their backs, and little else.

EXERCISE:

How can you live today as if you were on a road trip? What can you do to enjoy it to the max, taking little or no real or mental baggage along for the ride?

“I would like to travel..”

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Barry

“I would like to travel the world with you twice. Once, to see the world. Twice, to see the way you see the world.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Nilanjan Sasmal

The majority of my coaching clients would include travel as one of their core values. They want to see and experience more of the world with the precious time they have left. To some extent, they have a bit of regret that they haven’t made a bigger dent in their bucket lists.

Have you ever noticed how much joy and excitement is experienced when a baby is born? Perhaps it is because this new life allows all of us—especially the new parents and grandparents—to start a new life “adventure” with a child who is seeing the world for the first time.

EXERCISE:

How can you be far more intentional in your efforts to see and experience the world, and at the same time, double your pleasure by looking through the eyes of those who share the adventure?

“All things come to pass.”

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Barry

“All things come to pass.”

—Heraclitus, pre-Socratic Greek Philosopher

Photo from Flickr by Kpcmobile

We’ve all heard the phrase “Nothing Lasts Forever.” This, of course, includes the good things as well as the bad. After each great storm the sun shines again, and then the clouds and storms return.

Given these facts, how might we gain power from Heraclitus’ words of wisdom? Perhaps we can choose an optimistic frame of reference to both maximize and celebrate the good in life, and also minimize the times when life brings us down.

EXERCISE:

How can you accentuate the positive and eliminate or at least minimize the negative, which will come to pass throughout your day?

Consider making the exercise above a daily practice to support you in living an even more extraordinary life.

“Worrying won’t stop the bad stuff…”

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Barry

“Worrying won’t stop the bad stuff from happening. It just stops you from enjoying the good.”

-Author Unknown

Not a single person ever got out of this thing called life alive. Bad stuff happens and without question, it happens to everyone.

Someone once told me the reason many people get up in the morning is simply because they didn’t die in their sleep.

What a sad thought.

Worry is something we actually do to ourselves, which very often keeps us from being fully alive and enjoying all the good that life has to offer.

EXERCISE:

Try the More/Less/Start/Stop exercise as it relates to the concept of worry, by answering these questions:

What things can you do to experience more joy, fulfillment, and vitality today?
How can you worry less and not focus on potential bad stuff that could only possibly occur?
Start each day reading some form of affirming optimistic material to set the course for your day.
Stop associating with people who worry excessively in your professional and personal lives. Worry is contagious.

Feel free to modify this More/Less/Start/Stop exercise with alternative questions you would like to ponder.

“My Sun Sets to Rise Again.”

Posted on April 21, 2015 by Barry

“My sun sets to rise again.”

—Robert Browning, English poet and playwright

Photo from Flickr by Tomas Penalver

A student named Julio, asked to interpret Browning’s quote, said, “The sun sets to lay to rest what is done, and rises to give way to what is to come.”

That this quote begins with the word “my” causes me to focus within, to examine and reflect on the experience of my day, as well as the level of initiative I bring to it as I bound out of bed in the morning.

I find Julio’s interpretation beautiful and poetic. I also feel that Browning was challenging each of us to play a more active role in manifesting each day to the best of our abilities. He asks us to bask in the satisfaction of being an integral part of the rhythmic flow of our lives and the world.

EXERCISE:

Spend a few morning and evening minutes in thought, to capture your intention for the day to come, and reflections on the day that is done.

“If time were to take on…”

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Barry

“If time were to take on human form, would she be your task master or freedom fighter?”

—Richie Norton, author, entrepreneur, strategic advisor

Photo from Flickr by Gioia De Antoniis

Each of has the same 24-hours in our day. Some view this “life capital” from a constraining, scarcity perspective, thinking there is never enough. This often reflects on their attitudes and their level of fulfillment and engagement.

Others view time with an attitude of abundance. They champion and make the most of every moment, fully embracing the gifts each day can bring.

EXERCISE:

What adjustments can you make to your views about time to become more of a “freedom fighter” and less of the “taskmaster”?

“There are people who would love to have your bad days.”

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Barry

“There are people who would love to have your bad days.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Tristan Bowersox

A few weeks ago I visited my family physician. I was having a difficult time with a challenging bug affecting a lot of people.

My symptoms included sneezing, sinus congestion, a headache, a scratchy throat, and every coach’s occupational nightmare – laryngitis. My voice vacillated between bullfrog and complete silence.

My appointment time was 3:00 p.m.; I was still in the waiting room at 3:50. The only distraction was the video wall, showing the four seasons at a number of beautiful locations, and other images in the natural world.

Perhaps the most revealing way in which I passed the time was in observing other patients and their significant health challenges. It caused me to shift my perspective of my own “monumental” situation.

EXERCISE:

Notice how often you make mountains out of molehills, or major in the minors of life. Realize all the goodness and reasons for gratitude that surround you. How many people do you see in the course of your days that would prefer to have your life, even when you are having a bad day?

“No one ever injured their eyesight by…”

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Barry

“No one ever injured their eyesight by looking on the bright side.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Tim Ebbs

A total solar eclipse will be visible in many parts of the world today, but not here in my home town in Michigan, USA. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, and the moon fully blocks the sun. Click here to see if and when the eclipse will be visible in your area.

Most people know that looking directly at the sun can lead to permanent eye damage or blindness. Fortunately, looking at the bright side of life and having an optimistic attitude never injures – and usually aides – people in living happier and more successful lives.

EXERCISE:

Write some of the words listed below on a Post-it Note and stick it somewhere in your home, office, or car where you will see it several times over the next 24 hours… or longer, if you wish.

Cheerful	Hopeful	Positive
Sunny	Encouraging	Idealistic
Promising	Upbeat	Expectant
Rosy	Happy	Enthusiastic

“A bad attitude is like…”

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Barry

“A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You can’t go anywhere until you fix it.”

— Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Paul Chenoweth

A not-so-funny thing happens when we have a bad attitude. People will avoid us. If they can’t avoid us, they will eventually begin to judge and criticize us—which is, in some regards, our bad attitude rubbing off on them, and a “flat tire” in our lives and relationships.

The good news is that we can control our perspectives and perceptions, inflate our view of the world with a brighter outlook, and move forward with others who want to ride along.

EXERCISE:

Ask at least one person in your professional life and one person in your personal life for coaching about the fullness or flatness of your attitude. Explore with them what modifications or adjustments would make the biggest difference, and promise to change with their support.

Another possibility would be to offer feedback and coaching, if requested, to others who would like to make adjustments in their own lives.

Feel free to reply to this post and let me know what happens.

“If you see the world in black and white, you’re missing important grey matter.”

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Barry

“If you see the world in black and white, you’re missing important grey matter.”

—Jack Fyock, PhD, Market Strategies International

photo from wonderfulengineering.com

When was the last time you had a conversation with a friend, colleague, or family member in which they responded to a statement with “I know”? Not the “I know” that is agreeing with the statement. This is the “I Know!” that indicates they have fundamentally stopped listening and have stuffed what you are saying into a pre-existing black/white category in their mind.

Ask those in your life how often you step into this “I Know” world — we all do this to help simplify our lives and navigate our world with greater ease. Alternatively, as Fyock suggests, we may be missing much of life by not using all of our grey matter to experience the many shades of grey an expansive and diverse life can offer.

EXERCISE

Imagine you were an artist who only had black and white paint to work with, and there was a rule forbidding you from mixing them together.

Now remove this limitation and paint away.

How can reducing your black and white “I Know” thinking expand your cerebral canvas to lead a more diverse and expansive life?