“What is the cost of not doing what you say?”

“What is the cost of not doing what you say?”

—Author Unknown

What is your relationship to the character trait of integrity?

How do you relate to others who are more talk and less action?

To what degree can you be counted on in both good and challenging times?

What oaths, vows, promises, and other commitments have you made over the years in which your integrity was impeccable?

What has it cost you and those around you when your ratio of saying to doing exceeds the number one?

One place to look is in the area of trust and its impact on the important relationships in your life.

EXERCISE:

Please check out my Trust-o-Meter Assessment to explore potential ways you may wish to bolster your integrity and strengthen the trusting relationships you desire.

“If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you’re probably not hungry.”

“If you’re not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you’re probably not hungry.”

—Michael Pollan, Harvard University Professor

Image from Unsplash by Shelley Pauls

I eat an apple every morning as part of my breakfast routine. Honeycrisp and Jazz are two of my favorite varieties.

It is a bit strange to me that I rarely eat apples any other time of day. Perhaps because I am literally breaking my fast from my last meal or snack, 10-12 hours earlier.

What do you notice about you own hunger trends throughout your day?

What percent of your eating is generated by true hunger verses mindless or emotional eating?

EXERCISE:

Consider creating a hunger/food log to monitor your daily eating habits. What additional strategies can you use in addition to having a few tasty apples on hand to satisfy your optimal nutritional and hunger needs?

“The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.”

“The ideal man bears the accidents of life with dignity and grace, making the best of circumstances.”

—Aristotle, ancient Greek Philosopher

No one who has ever lived has led a completely charmed life in which everything went well, pushed along by a kind breeze.

On the surface of things, many people think that celebrities, great sports figures, accomplished business leaders, and even folks that share the highlights of their lives on social media have it made.

When you look even inches below the surface however, we all bear the scars of the numerous lumps and bumps life delivers.

EXERCISE:

How can you demonstrate and more fully appreciate the dignity and grace in yourself and others as you and those around you make the best of what life presents?

The next best thing to being clever

“The next best thing to being clever is being able to quote someone who is.”

—Mary Pettibone Poole, 20th Century Author of aphorisms

In some ways, we are all in the entertainment business. Personally or professionally, it is our intention to bring attention to our important thoughts and ideas.

Over the years of The Quotable Coach series, I’ve encouraged our readers to focus on being interested rather than interesting.

Let’s face it: Sometimes we just want others to be interested in what we have to say. Unfortunately, our thinking is not always as attention-worthy as we think it is.

If we are reasonably well read and informed, we can utilize the originality and clever thinking of others to break through and make the point we deem relevant and important.

EXERCISE:

Where can you share the wisdom and cleverness of others to have the influence and impact you desire?

Please give credit (where credit is due) to the various sources of such cleverness, and they may reciprocate by using a quote from you at some point!

The Quotable Coach reaches 100 Quotes

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