Tag Archives: Demp Coaching

Happiness Lies in the Joy of Achievement

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“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”

—Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States

Image of a man surrounded by bubbles

Image from Unsplash by Brandon Morgan

If I could go back in time, and Roosevelt had asked me for coaching on this statement, I would have encouraged a bit of editing.

What if it instead read, “Happiness lies in the joy of creative effort and the thrill of achievement”?

I suggest that the time we spend in our creative efforts could comprise the bulk of our days, whereas the thrill of achievement is often more finite and short-lived.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can and will you use and apply your most creative and joyful efforts to realize the thrilling achievements and happiness you desire?

Life Gets Better When You Get Better

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“Your life only gets better when you get better.”

—Brian Tracy

Image of man with thermometer in his mouth

Image from Flickr by Bart

Personal and organizational development are multi-billion dollar industries. It is estimated that the coaching profession is somewhere near the three billion dollar mark.

What causes this trend to continue pointing upward?

Perhaps it is simply that we all desire better lives, and that bettering ourselves is the easiest way to influence and control our own destiny.

When we work on bettering ourselves, we give our lives direction and set forth goals to pursue and achieve. This “creative tension” literally pulls, or draws us, to the realization of a better future.

EXERCISE:

Where can you or are you actively working on yourself to realize the better life you desire? Consider discussing this question with a coach, mentor, or close friend who will hold your feet to the fire and increase your chances of success.

Watch What You Say Life Might be Listening

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“Watch what you say. Life might be listening.”

—Author Unknown

Image of a calculator and a balance sheet

Image from rentvine.com

Imagine you are given a special bank account when you are an infant, just learning to speak and understand language.

What you don’t know at the time is that the words you speak and hear have a form of value or credit to them. Some words contribute to your net worth, others drain and deplete your reserves. Some may even put you in debt, or a form of life bankruptcy.

Pay particular attention today to the words you speak and hear, personally and professionally. Notice how much value and wealth you create for yourself and others.

EXERCISE:

How can you fully listen and tune into the powerful and value-packed words of others? How can you more fully contribute to others by generously sharing only the richest and choicest thoughts?

Friday Review Self Improvement

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FRIDAY REVIEW: SELF IMPROVEMENT

How committed are you to self improvement? Here are a few self-improvement related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself.”

 

 

 

“Be there for others but never leave yourself behind.”

 

 

 

 

“Life’s strongest glue is being happy to be you!”

 

 

 

 

 

The Safe Route and the Best Route

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“In your life the safe route and the best route may not be the same route.”

—Author Unknown

What is your perspective or personal philosophy on these phrases?:

  • No risk no reward
  • The biggest risk is not taking any
  • Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all
  • Do one thing every day that scares you
  • Leap and the net will appear

EXERCISE:

Select the phrases that resonate the most for you and display them on a Post-it Note in a highly visible location in your personal or professional world.

What action will you take to put yourself on the best route to more fully realize your most important and meaningful life goals?

Feel free to reply to this post with the quotes you selected and the actions you plan to take.

Take My Advice I’m Not Using It

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“Take my advice. I’m not using it.”

—David J. Henderhand

Image of the TED logo

I am a big fan of TED Talks. I love great ideas, and as a coach, I find myself sharing them all the time. I recently saw Mel Robbins’ TEDx San Francisco talk from 2011, from which I had a “take away” – I’ll get to that in a minute. First, a few questions:

  • What percent of the advice you offer others is acted upon?
  • What percent of advice you offer to others do YOU act upon?

It is, after all, great advice. It makes perfect sense, and you’ve seen it work wonderfully for others!

Talk is indeed cheap, and Mel Robbin’s advice to all of us is that once the insight, idea, or words of wisdom pop into our minds, we must act upon them within five seconds to activate and reap the rewards they bring.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you use this five second “insight into action” strategy to use far more of the advice you offer to others?

How can you also coach and support others in your world to do the same?

How might you also apply this concept to the advice others offer you, and don’t happen to be using at the moment?

Don’t Push the River

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“Don’t Push the River: It Flows By Itself.”

—Barry Stevens, author of the book by the same title

image of the Three Gorges Dam

Image from Flickr by Pedro Vasquez Colmenares

The Three Gorges Dam, spanning the Yangtze River in China, is controversial domestically and abroad. It also happens to be the world’s largest power station in terms of its installed capacity of 22,500 megawatts.

Its purpose – besides generating electricity – was to increase the river’s shipping capacity, which reduces the potential for floods, and is a step toward reducing China’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The negative view of its acclaim is due to the displacement of over one million people, numerous ecological changes such as landslides, and the loss of cultural sites and landmarks.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways have you been pushing at your own life rivers, with less than desirable effects?

Where would going with the flow of things be the best decision at this point in your personal or professional life?

Be Discerning about your Learning

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“Be discerning about your learning.”

—Jenny Blake, author of Pivot: The only Move that Matters

Image of a man at a computer with a knife and fork in his hands

Image from One in a Billion

A while ago I attended a Detroit Tigers game at Comerica Park where, happily, the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 7-to-4, sweeping the series.

One of the best parts of going to the ballpark is the not-so-good-for-you-but-tasty food choices. Perhaps you are salivating already!

Recently, the owners of Comerica Park took the coaching of health-conscious fans and added a good variety of healthier choices to the menus of the Grab-and-Go carts and the Brushfire Grille.

Today’s quote is about the ingestion of information through a variety of resources, including all forms of media. Some of the media resources available today are considered “junk,” off limits, and perhaps even detrimental to our health and well-being.

EXERCISE:

How and in what way can you be far more discerning about your learning to ingest and digest only the highest quality choices and nuggets of wisdom that enhance your life?

Please consider sharing The Quotable Coach blog, or my book that contains 365 “nuggets of practical wisdom” with a friend, colleague, or family member.

Thank You!

Friday Review: FEAR

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FRIDAY REVIEW: FEAR

How often do you let fear stop you from achieving your goal? Here are a few fear-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.”

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

“Do one thing each day that scares you.”

 

 

 

 

By logic we prove by intuition we discover

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“It is by logic that we prove, but by intuition that we discover.”

—Henri Poncare, 19th Century French Mathematician

Yin/Yang symbol with "logic" & "intuition" on opposite sides

One of my favorite shows on Public Television is the NOVA series. I recently watched an episode called The Great Math Mystery, in which many universal principles are revealed and proven through the logic and precision of mathematics.

Many aspects of our world, such as the weather, our relationships, and most Geo-political aspects of society, do not fit into such a logical model.

EXERCISE:

In what ways can you further develop your intuitive capacities to make more new and exciting discoveries to improve your world?

Consider taking a look at the episode of Nova. You might delight in the brilliance and miraculous aspects of mathematics and how it explains how most things around us work.