Tag Archives: Barry Demp Coaching

Hope is like a road in the country

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“Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence.”

—Lu Xun — Pen name of Zhou Shuren, 20th Century Chinese writer and essayist

Image from Unsplash by Greg Flessing

Life From Above is a new 4-part PBS series where cameras in space tell stories of life on our planet from a brand-new perspective.

Our planet is constantly on the move —from individual animals to powerful weather systems.

In episode one — Moving Planet — I was fascinated to see how rotund hippo communities, in their movement to find the freshest vegetation, actually build networks of waterways to irrigate and transform areas that would have otherwise become barren wastelands on the African continent.

EXERCISE:

Where are you walking with others in your personal and professional communities with hope and optimism?

How can and will your collective efforts reward you with greener pastures where things bloom and blossom.

“If you want light to come into your life, you need to stand where it is shining.”

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“If you want light to come into your life, you need to stand where it is shining.”

—Guy Finley, American self-help writer

Image from Unsplash by Elisa Coluccia

In the northern hemisphere we are headed into winter with both colder temperatures and shorter hours of sunlight. During these months many of us hibernate a bit and the reduced sunlight can often influence our emotions and moods.

What strategies have you tried or seen others use to stand where the light is shining? What approaches beyond bringing more natural lighting sources into your home or going south like migratory birds might help you maintain a sunnier disposition?

EXERCISE:

Create a list of your closest relationships and communities. How can you make an extra effort to spend more time with these individuals and groups to boost your levels of vitamin D3 all year round?

Balancing, not balance, is the process of coming back to your center over and over

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Balancing, not balance, is the process of coming back to your center over and over.

—Calm app Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Ethan Richardson

On October 1, 2004,  Fast Company Magazine published an article titled:  Balance is Bunk!

It has been a central myth of the modern workplace: With only a few compromises, we can have it all. The Fast Company article says this is all wrong, and it’s making us crazy.

The quest for balance between work and life, as we’ve come to think of it, isn’t just a losing proposition—it can be a hurtful, destructive one.

This is not, of course, what many of us want to believe.

In the last few decades, balance has won huge cultural resonance. No longer mere daily conversation fodder, it has become something like a new inalienable right with self-actualization and quality time for all.

Consider the concept of riding a bike as a fitting metaphor with the process of riding successfully is one of constant adjustment.

Similar situational adjustments and iterative shifts in our focus are the norm and we may need to accept and actually choose our imbalances—particularly the ones that make us happy.

EXERCISE:

How would the act of balancing versus seeking a steady state of balance help you find your center in order to lead a happier and more fulfilling life?

FRIDAY REVIEW: Balance

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FRIDAY REVIEW: Balance

What can and will you do to find and maintain balance in your life? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“Surf what is happening versus suppressing it.”

 

 

 

“Getting even throws everything out of balance.”

 

 

 

 

“Rather than choose ‘all’ or ‘nothing,’ choose ‘a little something.’”

 

 

 

“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.”

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“To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing.”

—Eva Young, M.D. Orthopedic Physician

Image from Unsplash by Jason Strull

How familiar are you with the concept of BE, DO, HAVE?

One way to describe this idea might sound like: in order to HAVE the life you desire you must DO the things that are consistent with your vision, values and BEINGNESS.

Other examples of this could be wanting to be healthy and fit without the proper nutrition, exercise, and rest, or wanting to move up in your career without doing the hard work to earn your advancement.

EXERCISE:

Where are you procrastinating and still thinking about what you most want in your life? What must you begin doing today to not have this habit become your undoing?

The truth is our finest moments are likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled

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“The truth is our finest moments are likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled, for it is only such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways of truer answers.”

—M. Scott Peck, 20th Century American psychiatrist and author

Image from Unsplash by Nik Shuliahin

Most people have a relatively short attention span. Some say it is only around seven seconds before they move on to another shiny object.

It is for this reason I try, on most days, to select and share thought-provoking quotes of only one or two sentences. If the quotes I offer grab you, I do my best to keep my commentaries and exercises to a minute or less.

EXERCISE:

Your assignment is to simply re-read today’s quote to explore its wisdom. For extra credit, please reply to this post with your views and perspective on searching for different ways and truer answers.

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”

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“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”

—John C. Crosby, 20th Century American politician

Image from Unsplash by krakenimages

What is your personal and professional experience with mentoring and coaching?  How many brains have you picked and how many ears have listened to you before they pushed or pulled you in the right direction?

Where have you been on the other side of this equation where you offered to be there for others in your various communities?

What qualities made these relationships most effective and successful?  What lessons have made the most significant and lasting impact in your life?

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom can you be even more intentional and proactive in your mentoring and coaching efforts? Who can and will you be calling today to ask for or offer this valuable gift?

Don’t play the blame game. Accepting things as they are and working to improve them is an act of personal responsibility.

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Don’t play the blame game. Accepting things as they are and working to improve them is an act of personal responsibility.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Slim Emcee

Blaming others and playing the victim perpetuates a cycle of powerlessness.

Focusing on our role in various life situations can help us determine what control and influence we may have to make things better through our committed efforts.

No one ever scored any points sitting on the bench or for being a Monday morning quarterback.

EXERCISE:

What are some of the areas of your life in which taking personal responsibility versus blaming others would make the biggest difference?

What is the first step you can and will take today to make this shift in how you approach some of your current challenges?

Friday Review: Attitude

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Friday Review: Attitude

What role does attitude play in your life? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“It’s hard to see a halo when you’re looking for horns.”

 

 

 

“If you are not willing to learn no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”

 

 

“To some this may look like a sunset. But it’s a new dawn.”

 

 

 

“Truth does not carry within itself an antidote to falsehood. The cause of truth must be championed and it must be championed dynamically.”

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“Truth does not carry within itself an antidote to falsehood. The cause of truth must be championed and it must be championed dynamically.”

—William F. Buckley Jr., 20th Century American author and commentator

Image from Unsplash by NeONBRAND

Where do you get your news? Who are the people and what are the sources you trust? What are some of the sources that bend the truth, provide widely divergent views and spins on current events, in pursuit of their own agenda?

In the past—and to some extent today—I was foolish enough to believe that the truth would always set us all free and that it was indeed the antidote to any falsehood.

These days, the truth itself does not always matter enough to set things right, given the many other divergent perspectives being advocated.

EXERCISE:

Where are you dynamically championing the truth in your various personal and professional communities?  How can you better apply a “trust but verify” approach to the many sources of information coming your way?