Friday Review: Education
What are you doing to continue your education? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.”
Friday Review: Education
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Tag Archives: The Quotable Coach
“Effort only releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
“Effort only releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.”
—Napoleon Hill, 20th Century American self-help author
Image from Unsplash by Scott Graham
My son Dan is very smart. In school he always got top grades with very little effort. As his dad, I always encouraged him to apply himself fully to realize even more of his potential.
One morning during his freshman year in college I tried getting him up early for an exam he had that day. Unfortunately, he dismissed my unwanted coaching as nagging, indicating that he already had a solid “A”.
The following year he transferred from Oakland University to the University of Michigan where he was no longer the sharpest tool in the shed. Seemingly overnight “B’s” replaced “A’s” and his ego took quite a hit.
With this rude awakening he then applied himself with considerable resolve to receive what he said was the best “A” he ever earned.
EXERCISE:
What are some of the most rewarding moments of your life? How often do you notice the correlation between your tenacity to never give up and the sweet satisfaction of realizing more of your potential?
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, our world will know peace.”
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, our world will know peace.”
—attributed to Jimi Hendrix
Image from Unsplash by Patrick Fore
Today’s quote is often attributed to Jimi Hendrix although there is no documented evidence that he actually said it. Regardless of who actually said it, the internet and people around the world have spread its message far and wide.
These days, it’s easier than ever to examine events and people around the world. With 190 plus countries across the globe, we get to see the wide spectrum of customs, politics, ways of living, and how they compare and differ from our own.
Among the qualities people around the world crave most are peace and freedom.
Unfortunately, the considerable struggles we often see over power get in the way. Conflicts and the oppression of people causes considerable misery.
EXERCISE:
Where do you observe the love of power and the power of love in your various communities?
Where would less of the first and more of the second help brings greater peace into the world?
How can and will you contribute to these worthy efforts?
“Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.
“Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.”
—Spanish proverb
Image from Unsplash by Yuri Antonenko
When we first go about creating a new habit, we often find it difficult. The behaviors we hope to embody are fragile and are easily broken. Eating well, exercise, and even flossing can be fraught with all sorts of false starts and missteps.
When we try to break our bad habits, we also run into difficulties.
Impulse shopping, excessive media exposure, and various forms of overindulgence seek to grab us and hold us captive in their alluring grasps.
EXERCISE:
Create a list of your healthy and unhealthy habits.
Select one habit you wish to establish and one you intend to discard.
Consider reading or re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear or The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg to optimize your efforts and likelihood of success.
Honor and respect yourself
Honor and respect yourself. Stand tall and know that you deserve your place in this wonderful world.
—Calm App Reflection
Image from Unsplash by Tiago Felipe Ferreira
Who are the people you most admire and respect? Examine the members of your family, the people with whom you work, and members of your broader communities.
Did you happen to include yourself on this list? Why or why not?
What makes someone worthy of respect? What qualities do you honor in the people around you? To what extent do you exhibit these attributes?
EXERCISE:
In what ways are you already deserving of respect?
How can you stand even taller and step forward with greater courage and confidence to make an even bigger contribution?
Please take note of how your good example inspires others to do the same.
Friday Review: Distractions
Friday Review: Distractions
Are you easily distracted? Here are a few related quotes you may have missed.
“Unless you plan on eating it, please don’t bring your phone to our dinner table.”
“Distractions! Let them come. Let them be. Let them go.”
Wanting tells the lie that having will fill every void
“Wanting tells the lie that having will fill every void. It does not.”
—Stephen St. Amant, from a post on the wisdom of Jim Carrey
Image from Unsplash by Dayne Topkin
What do you want that you don’t already have?
This question is worth a deep dive, especially if you find yourself fundamentally dissatisfied with your life.
It’s easy to blame it on the media or the people with whom you associate — we are just trying to keep up with the Joneses!
It’s a lie that having more of what’s missing will suddenly quench your insatiable thirst.
It won’t.
Regardless of whether people seek fame, power, money, status, or just more stuff, the evidence from others who actually seem to have won their life lottery leave many still feeling empty.
EXERCISE:
In what ways do you buy into the lie of wanting?
How much of what you have wanted has already been realized?
Where might the pursuit of less be more satisfying and meaningful than always wanting what you don’t have?
It’s time to bet on wisdom
“It’s time to bet on wisdom. It’s metabolized experience.”
—Chip Conley, American hospitality entrepreneur, author, and speaker
Image from Unsplash by Ava Sol
I’ve been fascinated by the pursuit of mastery and wisdom most of my adult life.
For me, a day without learning something new and useful is a waste. Please note that I’ve used the word useful!
Many of us seem to ravenously pursue knowledge with the idea that “more is better.”
Watching the game show Jeopardy is a good example of how many folks see how they stack up to contestants with seemingly AI capabilities.
Unfortunately, knowledge and experience do not necessarily correlate to wisdom.
Just because you ingest and can regurgitate information does not guarantee that it was digested and used to strengthen your ability to guide yourself and others.
EXERCISE:
How are you metabolizing your life experiences to expand your bank of wisdom?
Where are you placing bets on your wisdom and the wisdom of others to hit more of the jackpots of life?
Never quit something with great long-term potential just because
“Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.”
—Seth Godin, American author and former dot com business executive
Image from Unsplash by Etienne Girardet
Timeouts work as well for adults as they do for kids.
How many times have you hit a wall on an important activity and simply given up?
Consider the idea that your current thinking is only short term and limited.
At these moments, we often stop looking beyond the stressors of our current reality to look over the horizons of our apparent barriers.
What’s called for in these times is a break-through.
To have a breakthrough in thinking and acting, it’s actually necessary to have barriers to break through.
EXERCISE:
How can you begin seeing barriers and stressors in your life as clues to uncover and overcome on your journey toward greater success?
How might you discover that the stressors and obstacles are the way?
Leave room for the universe to work its magic
Leave room for the universe to work its magic. Seek surprises in serendipity.
—Calm App Reflection
Image from Unsplash by Brooke Cagle
A couple of weeks ago we traveled about 90 miles from our home to the American Dream Mall outside New York City, with family and friends.
It happened to be my daughter’s birthday, and although I dislike crowds and shopping, I’d do anything for my daughter.
This mall rivals the Mall of America and contains dozens of attractions including an a Nickelodeon theme park, a DreamWorks waterpark, Legoland, a Sealife Aquarium, and an indoor Big Snow skiing facility.
Everything there was big, colorful and loud. It also happened to be a rainy Sunday which seemed to give everyone in the region the same idea.
EXERCISE:
How long has it been since you ventured out beyond your local world into the expanding universe?
How might doing so work its magic and surprise you in ways you never imagined?