#19: “The greatest good you can do for another…”

“…is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.”

– Benjamin Disraeli

I am often asked to share my perspective on the fields of consulting, mentoring, and coaching as a way of supporting others in moving forward. In doing so, I like to distinguish an inside-out contribution from outside-in efforts.

Masterful coaching emphasizes that the majority of the answers and potential lie within the proverbial athlete/client. As we help them discover their own answers and potential, the lessons learned stick far better than any outside-in concept.

Exercise:

In the multiple roles you may play as a parent, friend, colleague, and business person, how can you reveal the riches in others?

Who in your life will do likewise, bringing out the best in you?

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.

#17: “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success…”

“…is knowing how to get along with people.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

What man or woman do you know who truly stood alone and had a successful life? Even the archetype of the rugged individual, John Galt in Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, seems to be missing the vital component of community and quality relationships.

Quality relationships at home, work, and in our communities are a vital catalyst in making things work.

Exercise:

What do you observe when people do not have the ability or the desire to get along with others? What specific relationships in your world need your best efforts to create the shared successes you desire?

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.

To the world, you may be one person

“To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”

—attributed to Brandi Snyder

Image of a parent and child

Photo by Daiga Ellaby on Unsplash

One of the greatest sources of life satisfaction for many of us is the desire to make a difference.

I’m not talking about leaving a monument to your success or an achievement noticed by many. I’m referring to the difference we make in the lives of others, by being parents, colleagues, mentors, and yes, coaches.

It seems that the more we give to others in these areas, the more we receive.

Exercise:

Who in your life means the world to you? Who are the people who have made this impact in your life?

Look for ways to be intentional about fostering such relationships, and other ways to show your gratitude for them.

We build too many walls and not enough bridges

“We build too many walls and not enough bridges.”

—Sir Isaac Newton, 17th Century English Astronomer

Image from Unsplash by Mark Basarab

Walls separate and protect. Bridges join and connect. What walls have you built around yourself, your family, or your organization to seemingly protect yourself? You may have found that they actually separate you from others, to the point of disconnection, loneliness, and seclusion.

We live best in community, and bridges help us come together to create more than we could manage on our own.

Exercise:

What are the bridges you need to build or repair?

What are the walls in your life that need to be removed or torn down? If you can’t tear them down completely, can you at least add a window or door?