Tag Archives: Barry Demp

The plateaus of life are simply part of our journey

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The plateaus of life are simply part of our journey. Learn to love them and keep moving forward.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Rob Wingate

I recently watched the Netflix series on the Tour De France. I haven’t ridden a bike in years, and was surprised how this event captured my spirit of adventure and ongoing desire for excellence.

The twenty-one days over which this event is held is one of the greatest tests of grit and endurance I’ve ever seen.

The 170+ riders face grueling mountain climbs, bumpy cobblestone roads, and downhill runs where speeds of over 80 miles per hour have been clocked. Of course, there are plenty of flat parts where the peloton pushes forward at a pace that has the riders wiz by, cheering fans in a blur.

EXERCISE:

What races are your running these days?

How hard do you push yourself on difficult uphill climbs? How fast do you go when the grade of life is downhill?

What is your approach to the plateaus of your journey on your way to your own yellow jersey?

Friday Review: Self-Determination

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Friday Review: Self-Determination

How much of your current life has been self-determined? Here are a few related quotes you may have missed.

 

“I am the me I choose to be.”

 

 

 

 

“How are you tending to the emerging story of your life?”

 

 

 

 

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are an entire ocean in a drop.”

 

 

When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot’s hands

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“When you step on the brakes your life is in your foot’s hands.”

—George Carlin, American comedian, actor, author, and social critic

Where in your life are you going along for the ride?

Where in your personal or professional world are you accepting things as they are without voicing your opinion that is not in step with the status quo?

On what issues is it time to put your foot down and take a stand for what you value and believe?

EXERCISE:

Select an important topic in which you have been going along to get along.

How can and will you step on the brakes regarding this issue and take more of your life into your own hands?

“Learning and laughter work nicely together.”

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“Learning and laughter work nicely together.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Lucas Lenzi

We’ve all heard the phrase, Laughter is the best medicine. I’ve found that there is considerable support that humor and laughter enhance our ability to learn.

Cognitively, laughter stimulates the brain regions important for complex and abstract thinking, increases attention, improves memory, and increases conceptual understanding.

Even a few chuckles activate brain growth hormones and increase our reward centers via dopamine.

Emotionally, laughter provides a sense of empowerment and control, improves self-esteem, restores hope and boosts energy. It also reduces many stress-related conditions that often make learning difficult.

Psychologically, laughter improves respiration and mental functioning through increased levels of catecholamine.

It is no surprise that many highly successful and popular educators are blending a bit of stand-up comedy, engaging storytelling, and performing arts into their teaching styles.

EXERCISE:

Where and how can the inclusion of more humor support learning for you and others in you communities? My grandkids will tell you When you make things fun, stuff gets done.

247 Years Ago Today…

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247 Years Ago Today…

Image from Unsplash by Tom Dahl

I wonder if the founders of this country gave thought to how their vision might change over the decades and centuries. I wonder—if traveling into the future—they would recognize their ideals at work, or wonder themselves at the dramatic changes in every aspect of life since their time.

What does independence mean to you? What does freedom mean to you?

How have you benefited from the foresight of men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other leaders of this land?

Today, my family and I wish you all a happy and healthy Independence Day, and hope that before the BBQ, the beach, and/or the fireworks, you will take some time to consider what it means to YOU to be free to make choices for yourself.

What would you do with yourself if there were no problems to solve

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What would you do with yourself if there were no problems to solve? How often do we make up problems to give us something to do?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Jonathan Maybe

Imagine you are a business owner or executive working 80+ hours a week.

What if you are a homemaker or caregiver putting in just as many or more hours?

What would happen if you were given a golden ticket which suddenly takes all of the responsibilities and other burdens off your shoulders? What might you do with your own mini-sabbatical?

Consider the following activities and the problems you might create:

  • Planning and going on a two-week cruise or vacation
  • Setting up tee times and playing unlimited rounds of golf for a week
  • Planning and checking off 2 or 3 bucket list activities
  • Visiting family and friends in multiple states you haven’t seen in years
  • Make up a one- or two-week adventure of your own

EXERCISE:

How did it feel to contemplate those scenarios?

What would it be like to increase the problems of your choosing?

How important is problem-solving for you to feel engaged, purposeful and alive?

Friday Review: Mentoring

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Friday Review: Mentoring

Who do you consider a mentor? Who considers you a mentor? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”

 

 

 

 

“Life is amazing, and the teacher had best prepare himself to be a medium for that amazement.”

 

 

 

 

“Show them the doors that they didn’t know existed.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live as if you were living a second time

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“Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time.”

—Victor Frankl, late Jewish-Austrian holocaust survivor and psychiatrist

Image from Unsplash by Robert Ruggiero

For the weekend or occasional golfer, a mulligan is something many players covet.

It’s an opportunity, usually on both the front and back 9’s, to have a do-over on a whiff or missed hit that could sink a decent round. Even if it is never used by a player, they sure appreciate the fact that it’s there just in case.

We all experience many errant shots in life where things go out of bounds and miss their targets. These events often cascade into negative spirals of thinking, and we give up too soon.

EXERCISE:

Give yourself another chance to do better with your next shot. With this personal permission and practice, don’t be surprised if you start shooting some of the best scores of your life.

Adults need recess too

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“Adults need recess too.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Proxyclick Visitor Management System

On most weekday, I get to have recess with my friends between 2 and 3 p.m..

We all enjoy playing table tennis, which gives us a chance to kick back, catch up, and of course, compete.

In years past, I always considered play as an unnecessary indulgence and something you only do when all the work was done.

Sadly, for most of us, it never is.

This attitude has made me a pretty serious guy and a bit of a fuddy-duddy.  All work and no play definitely made me pretty dull and telling me to lighten up definitely didn’t work.
Thank goodness for the coaching I’ve received from my grandchildren over the years.  As a pop-pop with a bit of extra time, I have been able to ease off the gas pedal of work and see play as a critical part of a full and happy life.

EXERCISE:

How often do you take the time to play and have fun?

What activities feel like recess for you?

How can and will you make these pursuits a more integral part of your life?

“It’s break time for your problem-solving mind.”

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“It’s break time for your problem-solving mind.”

—Jeff Warren, author of The Head Trip: Adventures on the Wheel of Consciousness

Image from Amazon

When do you have the most focus and ability to concentrate in a typical day? What duration of time is optimal before you begin losing this edge? How often do you press on beyond this noticeable decline in effectiveness?

In much the same way our bodies need to rest, renew, and recharge from physical exertion, our minds need periodic breaks to do the same.

Reading is a good example. How long is it before you start rereading the same sentence or need to go back a paragraph or two to comprehend and grasp various types of material?

One strategy that can be helpful is to switch between physical and mental activities to give the other capacity a break. At times when you are using both a total break may be the solution you’re looking for.

EXERCISE:

Do a google search on various productivity hacks. The Pomodoro Technique and the 20-Minute Rule are two approaches for your consideration.