Tag Archives: Barry Demp Coaching

How can I begin anything new with all of my yesterday in me

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“How can I begin anything new with all of my yesterday in me?”

—Leonard Cohen, late Canadian singer-songwriter, poet, and novelist

Image from Unsplash by Jaakko Kemppainen

How easy is it for you to begin each day with a clean slate? How often do you feel that mornings are filled with an abundance of opportunities and possibilities?

Most of us tend to hold on and drag around yesterdays filled with our worries and fears, or perhaps pine for the “good old days” when life seemed much better.

Cohen’s quote asks us to put a period at the end of our days with a “what is done is done” perspective.  Without letting go of the past how can we free our hands and hearts to grasp for today and our tomorrows?

EXERCISE:

With Spring around the corner, how and what can you do to clear and organize your yesterdays to more enthusiastically step into each new day?

Beauty was not simply something to behold It was something one could do

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“Beauty was not simply something to behold; It was something one could do.”

—Toni Morrison, late American novelist

Image from Unsplash by Blake Wisz

My son-in-law Chris did something beautiful on a Friday night a few weeks ago. He made homemade pizza. Discussing his process of proofing special pizza flour for 48 hours and making his sauce with fresh garlic and basil made us all drool as we waited for its exit from the oven. He topped off his masterpiece with mozzarella and locatelli, which brought back memories of my mom from childhood. I devoured four pieces and had to restrain myself from another.

We all took delight in the joy Chris experienced as he created and presented his work of art with love. He now intends to begin baking homemade bread.

EXERCISE:

How much beauty do you experience each day? Where and how can you create more beauty in your world to please and delight yourself and those around you?

Check in with yourself. Schedule a ME-Ting

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Check in with yourself. Schedule a ME-Ting.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Jordan McQueen

How many meetings did you attend last week? How many are scheduled for this week? What percentage of them are you looking forward to, and serve an important purpose?

How much time do you carve out of your days for “Me Time”?  How often can you guarantee that you will have the time to work on your top priorities or simply relax and recharge after a day of attending other’s meetings?

EXERCISE:

Block out time on your schedule today for a ME-Ting with yourself to do whatever you want. Experiment with different amounts of time and different times of the day to see what works best. Try this exercise on both weekdays and weekends to both check in and check out when needed.

Friday Review: Innovation

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Friday Review: Innovation

How has innovation played out in the course of your life or career? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“Old ways won’t open new doors.”

 

 

 

 

“Getting an idea should be like sitting on a pin; it should make you jump up and do something.”

 

 

 

 

“Innovation is born from the interaction between constraint and vision.”

 

 

 

 

There is a vastness that quiets the soul, but sometimes we are so squarely in the midst of life’s forces that we can’t see what we’re a part of

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“There is a vastness that quiets the soul, but sometimes we are so squarely in the midst of life’s forces that we can’t see what we’re a part of.”

—Mark Nepo, Author of The Book of Awakening

Image from Unsplash by Sebastian Pichler

Wendy and I purchased our 3½ year-old grandson a junior planetarium as one of his holiday gifts. Weston loves anything to do with the planets, rocket ships, and learning new things.

Those first few weeks when his toy was a novelty, he often urged me into his room — complete with room darkening curtains — to swap out the numerous discs with multiple images like the old viewfinders from childhood.

Beyond the many beautiful images of the other planets, nebulae, and star fields, we always paused a bit longer when we saw the photo of the earth to see the big picture of where we all live.

EXERCISE:

Where and when do you take the time to zoom out far enough from your daily activities to see what you are part of? Try this zoom out technique and see if and how this wider view quiets your soul.

the earth is the very quintessence of the human condition

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“The earth is the very quintessence of the human condition.”

—Hanna Arendt, 20th Century political philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor

Image from Unsplash by Louis Reed

The latest annual edition of the Global Risk Report by the World Economic Forum, states that the majority of global leaders feel worried and concerned about the outlook of the world, and only 3.7% feel optimistic.

In the survey, nearly 1,000 experts and leaders across various disciplines, organizations, and geographies weighed in on the various Short (0-2 years), Medium (2-5 years) and Long-term impacts on our planet.

When it came to short term risks, respondents identified social risks including the erosion of “social cohesion” and “livelihood crisis” as the most immediate risks to the world.

EXERCISE:

Please review the study to become even more aware of the other societal, environmental, economic, technological, and geopolitical factors that are reflections of our human condition and the state of our beautiful and fragile world.

Consider the influence and power you have to impact these risks in your various communities.

“As our eyes grow accustomed to sight, they armor themselves against wonder.”

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“As our eyes grow accustomed to sight, they armor themselves against wonder.”

—Leonard Cohen, late Canadian singer, songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist

This is Ella!

My granddaughter Ella is now about four months old. We adore her sparkling personality and gorgeous eyes, and love watching her gaze at the world around her with delight and wonder.

She especially loves looking at people’s faces, ceiling fans, and various digital devices. The other day we caught her watching the Olympic games as if she was a figure skating judge.

As grown-ups, time and entrenched habits often dull the specialness of things around us. Our brains fill in the attention gaps to be efficient and save the energy of looking at things more closely. Perhaps this is why many people enjoy traveling to new places.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can you refocus on your world a bit more, like Ella? How would a fresh view on the seemingly ordinary aspects of life offer you many more wonders to discover?

Carry a compass and let it point the way.

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Carry a compass and let it point the way.

Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Aaron Burden

Which navigation app do you prefer — Google Maps or Waze?

When was the last time you used an actual (paper) map? When, if ever, have you used a compass? I’d have to go back over 50 years to my Boy Scout days!

Getting from here to there by car has never been easier. Since Google owns both apps and has a virtual monopoly on the navigation market, they probably do not care much about which platform you choose. They win either way.

What navigation resources do you use to point you to the true north of your life? What forces and magnetic powers do you summon to show you the way? How do you find your way around the detours, roadblocks, potholes, and winding roads to get where you want to go?

EXERCISE:

What are the compasses you use to guide your life? How do they work to help you find your way in both the bright and dark aspects of your days?

Friday Review: Coach-ability

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Friday Review: Coach-ability

How “Coach-Able” are you? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

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

 

 

 

“I will accept your influence, guidance, and direction if (and only if) I believe that you and I share similar goals.”

 

 

 

“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action toward your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.”

 

 

“An expert is someone who, over many years, manages to remain confident enough to keep trying and humble enough to keep learning.”

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“An expert is someone who, over many years, manages to remain confident enough to keep trying and humble enough to keep learning.”

—James Clear, Author of Atomic Habits

Image of Pablo Casals from britannica.com

When asked why he continued to practice the cello three hours a day at the age of 93, Pablo Casals answered: “I’m beginning to notice some improvement.”

My dad, who passed away last March at the age of 94, loved golf. He took up this pastime at the age of 69 and played three days a week in almost any weather. Although he was not what others would call an expert, you could find him on most days swinging a dinged-up yardstick and putting on his carpet during commercial breaks of the golf channel or a televised tournament.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional life are you still passionate about enhancing your expertise and mastery?  Where do you remain confident to keep trying and humble enough to keep learning?