Tag Archives: Barry Demp

“Everybody Matters.”

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“Everybody Matters.”

—Bob Chapman, founder of Truly Human Leadership

Where do you stand on the two words of today’s quote?

More specifically, where do you stand as it relates to the following communities:

  • Family
  • Neighborhood
  • Your organization or place of employment
  • Your city, state, country
  • The upcoming 2020 census
  • The world and all global citizens
  • The plants and animals that share our earth

As a boy, I attended Creighton Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of my fellow students was Kim Sledge of the singing group, Sister Sledge, who became pretty famous for their hit song, “We are Family.”

EXERCISE:

Where can and will an “everybody matters” family approach to your various communities improve your world? What difference could this make to improve our planet if we all treated each other this way?

Consider checking out Bob Chapman’s book, Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People like Family.

 

Friday Review of Posts on Effort

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FRIDAY REVIEW: EFFORT

Where do you put your strongest efforts in life? Here are a few effort-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the messages.

 

“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.”

 

 

 

“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.”

 

 

 

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.”

 

 

 

 

“A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.”

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“A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.”

—Aristophanes, 4th Century BC Greek Playwright

Image from India Today

Take a look at this list of famous foes:

  • Batman / The Joker
  • Superman / Lex Luthor
  • Professor X / Magneto
  • Spiderman / The Green Goblin
  • Harry Potter / Voldemort

In the business world, consider the following pairs:

  • Coke / Pepsi
  • Ford / GM
  • Thomas Edison / Nikola Tesla
  • Bill Gates / Steve Jobs
  • Marvel Comics / D.C.

What other famous adversarial pairs can you think of? What potential positive benefits have been brought forth due to the considerable challenges faced on the battlefield – both imaginary and real?

EXERCISE:

Who do you consider your foe? How and in what ways may they be providing you wise lessons you often overlook?

“The world is loud and crowded.”

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“The world is loud and crowded.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Teun Swagerman

Recently, I watched a Netflix program called “The Worlds Busiest Cities.” I was amazed by what it is like to live and work in these loud and crowded hubs of humanity.

Given the seemingly relentless pace and overall stresses experienced by many, I found myself saying that I could never live in places such as these.

I’ve often shared the adage, “I spent a week in New York one day” to describe my experience of one of the busiest cities in the United States.

Although many of us live in much smaller communities, our lives are considerably louder and more crowded than in the past, due to smart phones, social media, and our 24/7 society that seemingly never stops.

EXERCISE:

What sanity-enhancing strategies can you bring into your world to provide more wiggle room and lower the volume of life?

“How can I help more people?”

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“How can I help more people?”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Toa Hefitba

Research has shown that a critical component to a purposeful, happy life is helping others.

Consider how you currently help others in your personal and professional communities.

What contribution and difference have you made at this point in your life?

Each day, we allocate our time and energies. At some point we run out of gas and need a recharge. Beyond our own efforts to efficiently use these resources, how might you leverage yourself to make a ten-times or 100-times impact?

The Quotable Coach Blog and the book based on this series is one way I’ve chosen to assist people well beyond my geographic reach to better their lives.

You are welcome to explore the almost 2,000 posts written over the past 8 years, by checking out the drop-down category list when you scroll down the home page.

EXERCISE:

What leveraged activity can and will you pursue to help even more people in the years ahead? Feel free to reply to this post with some actions you intend to take.

“Not all things are to be discovered. Many are better concealed.”

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“Not all things are to be discovered. Many are better concealed.”

—Sophocles, 4th Century BC Greek Writer

Image from Unsplash by Mohamadreza Ashdari

Before you speak: T.H.I.N.K.

T: Is what you are about to say TRUE?
H: Is what you plan to say HELPFUL?
I: Will what you say IMPROVE the situation?
N: Is saying it NECESSARY?
K: Is it KIND?

EXERCISE:

How would your professional and personal relationships improve if you did more thinking before you spoke? Where would more silence and concealing your inner voice be the best approach to take with selected individuals? What other aspects of your life would be better off concealed?

Friday Review of posts on Dreams

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FRIDAY REVIEW: DREAMS

What do you dream or daydream about? Here are a few dream-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the messages.

 

“Nothing happens unless first a dream.”

 

 

 

 

“Dream big, but allow yourself the opportunity to start small and have your share of struggles in the beginning. The world’s greatest composers weren’t writing symphonies the day they first sat at the piano.”

 

 

“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.”

 

 

 

 

“Turn in the direction of the skid.”

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“Turn in the direction of the skid.”

—Driving School adage

Image from Unsplash by Meghan Schiereck

Having lived in Michigan over half my life, I’ve experienced my share of icy roads! Before front or four-wheel drive, traction control, and the latest in snow tire technology, today’s quote was the best advice and coaching to avoid or minimize accidents.

How do you try to control the many aspects of your life? How fast are you going these days? How many icy patches are you experiencing on your personal and professional roads through life?

It turns out the more we slam on the brakes and over-steer, the worse things become.

EXERCISE:

Where is it appropriate for you to fully embrace an icy patch or two in your world? How can you calmly turn into these skids to get back on the road to a better life?

“Do not plan for ventures before finishing what is at hand.”

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“Do not plan for ventures before finishing what is at hand.”

—Euripides, Ancient Greek Tragedian

Where are you getting ahead of yourself these days? Where might your impatience, a shiny object or the next interesting diversion cause you to take your eyes off the people, projects, or other priorities of the moment?

There is a wise saying that goes: “If you try to chase two rabbits, both will get away.” How many rabbits are you chasing in your professional and personal worlds? How many new ones come into view on what seems like a daily basis?

EXERCISE

Where would taking the “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” approach help you tackle a significant priority before you venture forth toward other matters?

“You should not decide until you have heard what both sides have to say.”

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“You should not decide until you have heard what both sides have to say.”

—Aristophanes, 4th Century BC Greek Playwright

Image from Unsplash by Ehimetalor Unuabono

Do you ever say — aloud or perhaps even more often to yourself — “My mind is made up” or “I know!”? How often do you get the impression that others in your personal or professional communities express similar thoughts?

If these scenarios sound familiar, you are probably dealing with what I call “Shortcut Listening.” This happens when an individual or group gathers just enough information to fill in the rest of the word puzzles based on their own opinions, experiences, and biases.

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom would taking the long road of listening help you and others make far better decisions at work and at home?