Tag Archives: The Quotable Coach

There is just as much beauty visible to us

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“There is just as much beauty visible to us in the landscape as we are prepared to appreciate – not a grain more.”

—Henry David Thoreau, 19th Century American essayist, poet, and philosopher

Image of a zebra on the African tundra

Image from Unsplash by Ron Dauphin

We have all heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” For whatever reason, I and perhaps many of you simply glance at this phrase and give only a passing nod of acknowledgement.

In August, my wife Wendy and I took the trip of a lifetime to Africa, Iceland, and Ireland with two good friends. Three weeks and thousands of mouth-gaping experiences and photographs gave us a new and expanded appreciation of the beauty of our planet and its people.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you enhance your capacity to see and appreciate the beauty all around you by looking more deeply into your own communities – and of course, booking your next bucket list adventure?

The one thing I love most

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“Sometimes I think that the one thing I love most about being an adult is the right to buy candy whenever and wherever I want.”

—Ryan Gosling, Canadian Actor and Musician

Image of a bowl of Halloween candy

mage from Flickr by Sean Freese

 

Looking back to my childhood, Halloween was perhaps my favorite holiday. The process of selecting our costumes to be hand-made by mom, and the pillow cases we used to collect our booty, still brings a fond smile.

In those years, we went out early and stayed out pretty late, and it was common to head home to drop off a load of the sweet stuff and head back out for more. That night, and for a few short weeks after, we had the freedom to eat our fill and not hear “No!” too often.

This freedom to choose our actions was something I cherished and it has been a core value of mine ever since.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you experience even more of the sweetness of life by embracing and exercising the personal freedoms we sometimes take for granted?

A prosperity of kindness

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“As much as we need a prosperous economy, we also need a prosperity of kindness and decency.”

—Caroline Kennedy, American author, attorney, and diplomat

Image of a large church towering over a city

Image from Unsplash by Matthew Feeney

In ancient times, and even into the 1800s, the tallest buildings almost anywhere in the world were usually churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, or other spiritual centers.

In his book, The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell explains that making these buildings the tallest pointed to the society’s priorities and core values, which included fundamental human decency and kindness.

Today, the tallest buildings across the world are almost always business buildings, demonstrating the economic priorities of wealth and material achievement.

EXERCISE:

What does leading a prosperous life mean to you? How would infusing even more kindness and decency benefit you and your personal and professional communities?

Let the past be content with itself

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“Let the past be content with itself, for man needs forgetfulness as well as memory.”

—James Stephens, 20th Century Irish Novelist and Poet

My daughter shared an interesting observation in a recent conversation regarding the birth of our new grandson Weston. Although the experience of childbirth included the greatest pain she had ever experienced, the painful aspect of it was somehow fading, and only the wonderful moments remain.

EXERCISE:

Where would letting go of the past and a healthy dose of forgetfulness make the biggest difference in your life?

How can you also explore and enhance your memory-capturing abilities to also savor more of the moments of joy and delight?

Review of posts on Wisdom

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FRIDAY REVIEW: WISDOM

What are your sources of wisdom? Here are a few wisdom-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the messages.

 

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.”

 

 

 

 

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

 

 

 

 

“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.”

 

 

 

 

These are the things our souls metabolize

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“These are the things that our souls metabolize to be healthy: we need beauty, we need truth, and we need goodness.”

—John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market

Image of sunrise over a mountain, with today's quote
Did you know that the human body can go for more than three weeks without food? The maximum time we can go without water is about a week.

Protein, carbohydrates, and fats make up our food and nourish our bodies for optimal health.

Today’s quote suggests that feeding our souls requires beauty, truth, and goodness if we are to flourish and thrive.

EXERCISE:

What is it that you hunger for? What do your body and soul need most for optimal health? How would incorporating greater beauty, truth, and goodness in each day enrich and improve your life?

We learn by pushing ourselves

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“We learn by pushing ourselves and finding out what lies at the outer reaches of our abilities.”

—Josh Waitzkin, American chess prodigy and author

Image of a man doing a handstand on the beach

Image from Unsplash by JanFillem

Did you know that only about one in five people meet the total recommended amount of exercise?

Of particular relevance is renewed interest in strength and resistance training. The stretching and stresses on our muscles cause micro-tears in the tissue, which then actually heals and grows even stronger.

This growth and increase in muscle mass has the added benefit of increasing your metabolism by up to 15%. That helps with weight loss, or at least a reduction in body fat.

EXERCISE:

In what areas of interest would a few more cerebral push-ups help you stretch and grow beyond your current perceived abilities?

Intent reveals desire

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“Intent reveals desire. Action reveals commitment.”

—Steve Marboli, American Behavioral Scientist

Image of Intention + Action = Achievement meme

Intention plus action: they are a formidable pair. Together, they have been associated with extraordinary achievements that have moved the world. Take a look around at past, current, and some of the upcoming quantum leaps we are capable of, and try not to be amazed.

On the other hand, when these two qualities stand alone or are completely missing, progress seems to limp along, stop, or even regress.

EXERCISE:

Where would summoning your most desired intentions and most committed actions help you realize even more of what you wish to achieve in your personal and professional life?

documenting details of everyday life

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“Documenting little details of your everyday life becomes a celebration of who you are.”

—Carolyn V. Hamilton, American non-fiction author

Image of a drawer full of photographs

Image from Unsplash by Jon Tyson

Who doesn’t enjoy a party or other form of celebration? Think back to those you most enjoyed. You may have documented many of them with photographs, to capture and keep as highlights for years to come.

One example has been my daughter documenting the daily adventures of our new grandson, Weston, to the delight of everyone near and far.

What if we didn’t look to only those special events and highlights as worthy of documenting, and simply saw the miracle of being alive as more than worth celebrating?

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully celebrate who you are by being far more mindful and aware of the little details and daily miracles of life?

Friday Review of Posts on Decisions

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FRIDAY REVIEW: DECISIONS

What is your decision-making process? Here are a few decision-related posts you may have missed. Click each link to read the full message.

 

“When at a conflict between mind and heart, always follow your heart.”

 

 

 

“Is the juice worth squeezing?”

 

 

 

 

“Create each day anew.”