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.”
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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?
Consider awakening to the lessons you may have missed by exploring Mark’s book for yourself.
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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.
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?
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Ever since I can remember I’ve been fascinated by how things work. I distinctly recall, as a child, taking apart a Baby Ben alarm clock to see what was inside that made it tick.
These days, I’m far more interested in what makes the people around me tick, to better discover how to improve my relationships, understand their motivations, and to help bring out their best through my coaching efforts.
Although there are multitudes of tools and assessments to help in this process, I’ve found the simple but often not easy work of collaborative conversations — where seeking to understand and be sincerely interested — works best.
How masterful are you in the art of dialogue and conversation? Where and with whom would greater skill and practice help you understand what make these people tick even better?
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What will you contemplate or savor during your next downtime?
Learn to press the pause buttons of life, to cherish and savor these quiet moments — reflect and contemplate your life.
Examine the richness and abundance all around you, and develop an attitude of profound gratitude for the wondrous miracles that surround us.
When we unplug and pause, new things begin.
What will you do to carve out more downtime in the days ahead?
How can you more fully experience pauses in your days to savor the richness and beauty of these special moments?
What intentions have you set for your day, your week, or your life? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Sit. Or stand. But never wobble.”
“Intent reveals desire. Action reveals commitment.”
“Setting your intentions is like drawing an arrow from the quiver of your heart.”
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How many meetings do you attend each day? How many of them are in person or over some form of technology?
How would you rate your experience of these events in terms of both productivity and enjoyment?
If you are like many of us the title of Patrick Lencioni’s classic book, Death by Meeting may sum up a good majority of your feelings.
Today more than ever companies are looking to attract, retain, and excite their team members, and the old ways of doing things by just offering competitive compensation and reasonable benefits won’t cut it in the long run.
How can and will you pursue a work environment with more of a celebratory and engaging culture?
Please don’t forget the cake!
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How do you feel when you are criticized?
How often is your immediate response to defend yourself or perhaps go on the offense and attack others?
Explore a few recent interactions in which you were criticized for something you did or didn’t do.
Dig deeper into the thoughts and emotions of that person to see if there was a hidden desire or veiled wish below their barbed message. What did they secretly want that was not communicated in an acceptable way?
How might you shift your perspective and translate the harshness of their words into simple requests that would have a higher probability of acceptance?
A few books that can help your relationship skills are Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott, Crucial Conversations, and Crucial Confrontations.
Please send an email to barry@dempcoaching.com or reply to this post with your email address and I will be pleased to send you a copy of my one page Communication Toolbox.
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Consider the following statement on a one-to-five scale in which one is absolutely not and five is definitely yes.
I have a clear view of where I am and where I am going in my life.
This statement is part of my discovery process to help determine a potential client’s readiness to move their lives forward with a supportive coaching relationship.
For optimal success, these relationships benefit significantly through the deep and thoughtful process of examining and wrestling with their limiting beliefs and habits. Through careful illumination and generous self-forgiveness, each individual will most likely realize far more of their fullest personal and professional potential.
What steps can and will you take to more fully examine your own demons to help your angels sing? Consider picking up a copy of the book Taming your Gremlins by Rick Carson as a way to open this door of deeper discovery.
To explore your own readiness for coaching, please consider filling out my free Coaching Readiness Assessment.
—Calm App Reflection
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Slow down and really take in the world around you. Bring all of your senses to high alert to notice everything anew.
Pretend that you have superpowers of immersion to experience new dimensions of being alive. Imagine having telescopic and microscopic vision as well as supersonic hearing, super tasting and super smelling capabilities, like certain animals that share our world.
How wonderful these new capabilities would be if we would only slow down and look deeper into the familiar.
Where are you currently racing through your life?
Where would slowing down and exploring your world from a more immersive perspective reveal new insights and wonders to enjoy?