Tag Archives: Barry Demp Coaching

“Learning never exhausts the mind.”

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“Learning never exhausts the mind.”

—Leonardo Da Vinci, the genius and most influential artist in history

Image from Unsplash by Dmitry Ratushny

I consider myself a lifelong learner and make the inclusion of daily learning experiences a top priority. I crave new ideas so much that many of my daily rituals and habits include them.

Unlike Leonardo, however, my capacity to learn gets a bit weary over time. I’ve noticed that when I visit museums, read for extended periods, or watch educational TV programs, I reach a limit and need a break to rest my mind with an alternative activity, or even a nap.

Fortunately, my mind recovers fairly quickly and I am ready once again to sponge up and apply new learning in quick order!

EXERCISE:

What topics and areas of learning energize you the most? How often do you exercise your mind to expand your capacities for growth and personal development?  Where do you need short breaks to renew and recharge between these efforts?

How can you more fully observe and appreciate all the good things in life?

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How can you more fully observe and appreciate all the good things in life?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Tom Barrett

What has a recent hardship made you appreciate?

As you go through difficulties and darkness, make it a goal to appreciate all the good things in life. By observing this contrast, we can experience much gratitude for everything and everyone who brings richness and joy to our days.

Seek the good stuff and you will find it in abundance!

EXERCISE:

Where has experiencing some dark and difficult patches in life helped you see and more fully appreciate the light of all the good there is on your path?

“People who need help sometimes look a lot like people who don’t need help.”

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“People who need help sometimes look a lot like people who don’t need help.”

—Glennon Doyle Melton, American author and activist

Image from Unsplash by Razvan Chisu

In my work as a coach, I’ve been most fortunate to work with many wonderful and highly successful people. On the outside, most of them present to the world an image of great achievement, self-sufficiency, and confidence.

Surprisingly, when allowed to dig below the surface many of them show their more vulnerable sides, revealing their need for assistance on various personal and professional levels.

Exercise:

Where and when do you sometimes present a “fake it to you make it” image to the world?

Where could you and others in your world need a helping hand that may not be readily apparent?

Who could you ask or offer this needed assistance?

“I would like to die on Mars, just not on impact.”

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“I would like to die on Mars, just not on impact.”

—Elon Musk, CEO, at Tesla and at SpaceX

Image from Unsplash by Nicolas Lobos

Elon Musk probably lives by the credo “No Risk, No Reward.” He has clearly pushed the boundaries of entrepreneurship to their limits, and in many cases, come out on top. Although financial success is used on many occasions to demonstrate achievement, Musk’s shoot-for-the stars approach almost always focuses on making a difference and leaving a contributing dent in the universe.

Clearly venturing into space safely and reaching the red planet in one piece is pretty high on his list.

Exercise:

What impact do you wish to make with your personal and professional life? How can you more courageously go where you’ve never been before to explore and reach new levels of your potential?

What is the level of your listening?  Who in your life deserves your very best efforts, in which you listen for what is said and not said?

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What is the level of your listening?  Who in your life deserves your very best efforts, in which you listen for what is said and not said?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by austin distel

Do you consider yourself a good listener? Why or why not?

My listening skills have improved considerably since I began my meditation practice. The people I am with take on greater importance and I do my best to make them the complete center of my attention.

Showing sincere interest, listening carefully, and letting them fully express themselves are my chief aims in each interaction.

EXERCISE:

What is the level of your listening? How can you go even deeper in your most important relationships?

 

Friday Review: Generosity

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Friday Review: GENEROSITY

How can and will you demonstrate a generous spirit over the coming months? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

“Ideas, bread, and books are all the same. They’re better when they are shared.”

 

 

 

“Run marathons in the footwear of others.”

 

 

 

“Be frugal and generous.”

 

 

 

 

What if in skipping the pain, I was missing the lessons

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“What if in skipping the pain, I was missing the lessons?”

—Glennon Doyle Melton, American author and activist

Image from Amazon

One of my favorite poets is Mark Nepo. I am reading his brilliant volume, The Book of Awakening for the third time.

My first read was almost 10 years ago, just after the passing of my mother, Rose. Upon subsequent readings, I have come to realize just how many of his life lessons came out of a variety of painful points in his life including a very serious bout of fighting cancer.

The past two years have introduced us all to many painful experiences. What learning can you embrace from your pain and perhaps even the pain others experienced in your various communities?

Exercise:

Consider awakening to the lessons you may have missed by exploring Mark’s book for yourself.

The glass ceiling doesn’t apply when you’re building your own house

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“The glass ceiling doesn’t apply when you’re building your own house.”

—Heidi Roizen, American Venture Capitalist and Entrepreneur

Image from Unsplash by Kyle Brinker

Did you know that if you place a bunch of fleas in a jar with a glass lid they will eventually stop trying to jump out even if you remove the lid?

Glass ceilings — and ceilings in general — seem to be a fact of life where the world and even we, ourselves, place limits on how high and how far we can soar.

What do some of these limitations sound like when you hear them from family members, friends, colleagues and even your own inner voice?

In recent years, people have pursued their own personal and professional paths, cleared of many of these ceilings, letting new horizons and sunnier futures of their own creation occur.

EXERCISE:

Where in your worlds are you limited by glass ceilings?

How can you courageously break through these barriers to have a custom-made house, built just for you?