Tag Archives: Courage

“Show me someone who has done …”

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“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”

—Lou Holtz, retired American football player, coach, and active sportscaster

Photo from Flickr by twiga269

Photo from Flickr by twiga269

Think about the greatest accomplishments of your life. If you can, arrange them chronologically, from the achievements of your childhood to those of the present day. Which moments brought you the most joy and fulfillment?  Now consider the struggles and challenges you faced, and the effort it took to make your goals real.

In this quote, Holtz is giving us a bit of coaching to follow this practice as we tackle each of our days ahead.

EXERCISE:

What adverse conditions or situations are you facing at this moment? What is it worth to you to overcome these adversities in order to reach your most cherished professional or personal goals? How will you summon the personal courage and support of those around you to achieve your desires?

“Life is mostly froth and bubble…”

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“Life is mostly froth and bubble, two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, courage in your own.”

—Adam Lindsay Gordon, 19th century Australian poet, jockey and politician

Photo from Flickr by Ross Elliott

Photo from Flickr by Ross Elliott

We all know the phrase, “Don’t sweat the small stuff…” In today’s quote, Gordon equates the small stuff with “froth and bubble,” making clear that the small stuff has little or no substance.

But what about the important stuff – the things that require our full attention and commitment?

Gordon is clear in this: be there for others when they are in need, and summon the courage to live our lives to the fullest.

Exercise:

Examine your own life for areas of “froth and bubble,” and choose instead to strengthen the two foundation stones of kindness and courage.

“Do one thing each day that scares you.”

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“Do one thing each day that scares you.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt, longest-serving First Lady of the United States

Photo from Flickr by Nikki Collett

Photo from Flickr by Nikki Collett

I’m not a big fan of being scared. I don’t care for heights, roller coasters are not on my list of fun activities, and I’m unlikely to go to scary movies. Why are such activities so popular with many people?

Facing my fears gives me a booster shot of “Aliveness.”  When I examine the fears I held as I entered and pursued my career in coaching, these things happened:

  • I resigned from the stability of a Fortune 500 Company, without a salary to support myself, my wife, and my two young children.
  • I spent three months networking and reaching out to people I did not know, with no tangible results.
  • I gave many talks and speeches (public speaking is one of most people’s fears) to numerous groups to create awareness of my services.
  • I tapped into savings to secure an office instead of working from home to save money.

EXERCISE:

What one thing will you do today that scares you and will help you achieve an authentic goal and fulfill more of your highest potential?

Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway

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“Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.”

-John Wayne, American film actor, director, and producer

Photo from Flickr by Insomniacurredhere

Photo from Flickr by Insomniacurredhere

Perhaps no movie star epitomizes strength and courage more than John Wayne. Some of his most famous films, in a career that produced 142 pictures, were Stagecoach, Fort Apache, Sands of Iwo Jima, Rio Bravo, El Dorado, and True Grit.

EXERCISE

What one or two current issues or challenges are you facing that require you to summon the courage, saddle up, and do what needs to be done?

 

the risk to remain tight

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“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

– Anaïs Nin, author

SONY DSCImage from Flickr by Matt Brittaine.

Safety and security are strong values for many people. They represent part of our collective comfort zones that play an important part in who we are. Unfortunately, there is often a very limiting and sometimes painful consequence to this “better safe than sorry” approach to life.

Exercise:

If a flower misses the rain and sunshine by not blooming, what are you potentially missing by not summoning the courage to blossom into your full expression of yourself? What actions will you take today to blossom?

Please reply and let me know what happens.

“With brains, heart and courage, you can achieve anything you desire.”

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“With brains, heart and courage, you can achieve anything you desire.”

—Inspired by the Wizard of Oz

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Image from Flickr by twm1340

When I was a young boy, my family loved The Wizard of Oz. This movie, with its black and white to vivid color transition, amazed all of us with both the images and the compelling story.

If it’s one of your favorites too, you will recall Dorothy’s journey along with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion to reach the great and powerful Wizard of Oz.

Of course the story line also involves the Scarecrow discovering his brain, the Tin Man finding his heart, and the Lion embracing his courage.

Exercise:

What habits and practices can you develop and undertake in order to fully use your brain, heart and courage to fully achieve your greatest desires?

“Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.”

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“Courage does not always roar. Sometimes, courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.”

– Mary Anne Radmacher, writer and artist

I love to go to the movies. One of my favorite types are adventure movies – you know, the kind when the hero or heroine summons the courage to overcome seemingly overwhelming odds to reach their goal, get the girl, or achieve some other form of victory. We all love a good story.

Radmacher’s quote touches home for me in that most of us live much quieter, less adventurous lives, where we summon the courage daily to do our best to contribute and serve others at home and at work.

Exercise:

Consider how often, at the end of your day, you feel the satisfaction of knowing that you did what you could with what you had, where you were – knowing and hoping that you could do it again tomorrow.

Capture your thoughts and feelings in a journal or with others.

Forget to be Afraid

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“Become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid.”

–Lady Bird Johnson, Former First Lady of the USA

Image from Pinterest

My journey into the coaching profession is definitely an example of getting so wrapped up in something I almost forgot to be afraid.

At the ripe old age of 35, I threw caution to the wind and left a 12-year career with a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company to sign up for the job of “coach” with:

1. No salary (You ate what you killed!)
2. No benefits
3. No coaching clients
4. No general agreement about or awareness of the profession – it was truly in its infancy
5. A wife and two young children, plus a considerable mortgage
6. Modest savings, with about 6 months of living expenses

In spite of these factors, I found myself enthusiastic and excited to partner with people and help them achieve breakthroughs in their personal and professional life – just as Olympic athletes work with coaches to achieve their full potential.

Exercise:

What can you be so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid?

#14: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…”

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“…the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

– Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr

Serenity is not something I see much of these days. Life seems to be in constant overdrive.

If the world around is moving too fast and you can’t keep up, find the capacity within yourself to slow down, recover your energy, and reset your personal metronome.

Exercise:

Whatever we resist persists.

What can you do to accept and allow that which you cannot control? The weather and traffic come to mind.

Where can you tap into your intentions to change things that are changeable? Your health and fitness and personal relationships may fit into this category.

What other strategies of perspective can you use to gain the serenity you desire, and to find peace of mind when needed?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your email address in the sidebar to the right.

#2: “Do not follow where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

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– Ralph Waldo Emerson

We’re wired to doing what other people expect of us. We learn (from parents, teachers, and other influencers) that we should try to fit in and not stand out.

Yet many of us regret that we did not follow our own muse, passions and visions.

Ask yourself:

  • What inspires me?
  • What am I passionate about?
  • Where do I lose all my sense of time?
  • Where and when am I the happiest?
  • What are my unique abilities and talents?

Exercise:

How will you find the courage to chart your own life journey? Where will you go and what will you do?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your email address in the sidebar to the right.