Tag Archives: The Quotable Coach

Some Cause Happiness

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“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”

—Oscar Wilde, 19th Century Irish Playwright and Poet

Image of two women smiling

Image from Flickr by Christopher Connell

Who would you want to be with if you were stuck in an elevator for an hour or longer?

What one person would you want to be with if you were stranded on a deserted island?

If someone calls you at home just as you head to bed for the night, who would you most want that caller to be?

EXERCISE:

Examine the qualities and characteristics of the people you identified. How does your happiness index improve by the thought of their company?

What work may be needed on your part to have others put you on their list of special people?

Kindness Review

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FRIDAY REVIEW: Kindness

How often do you act out of kindness? Here are a few kindness-related posts you may have missed. Click on the links to read the full message.

Image of mosaic Kindness sign

“Kindness causes us to learn, and to forget, many things.”

 

 

 

 

Image of bubbles

“Life is mostly froth and bubble, two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, courage in your own.”

 

 

 

Image of Herman Munster

“Even a monster backs off when one feeds it lovingly.”

 

 

 

 

The Art of Happiness

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“Happiness is not an accident, it’s an art. You don’t hope for happiness, you plan for happiness. You have to weave happiness like a tapestry.”

—Jim Rohn, American Motivational Author

Image of tapestry on a loom

Image from Flickr by monnibo

My wife Wendy is very creative. She heads several women’s groups focused on crafts, including many forms of needlework.

I admire the time and attention to detail these patient women put into their art, as they literally weave pieces of themselves into their work.

Imagine your life as a quilt, with a wide variety of fabrics that you have worn along your journey. Make sure to capture all of the stand-out, deeply felt memories that have brought you great happiness along the way.

EXERCISE:

Begin today adding more happy experiences to your existing quilt, or start planning what new and beautiful pieces of art you intend to create moving forward.

The Perfect Moment

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“Don’t wait for the perfect moment. Take the moment and make it perfect.”

—Author Unknown

meme about the perfect moment

Image from blogs.reading.ac.uk

In the past few months, I’ve read several blog posts on the topic of perfection and excellence, all focused on the debate between quantity and quality.

The real question is, how are you wired?

Do you go for perfection through extensive planning, strategizing, thinking, and rethinking?

Or do you jump in and get started making something that can be tweaked along the way?

Given many people’s desire to do it right the first time, some of us wait for the “perfect moment” to begin. Beginning, and the idea of doing many experiments from which we can learn seems to be the way things are headed. Albert Einstein said, “ How do I work? I grope.”

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you stop waiting for the “perfect” moment, and instead make more moments perfect?

Resolving Difficult Problems

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“A difficult problem at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.”

—John Steinbeck, American Novelist

Image of sleeping man

Image from Flickr by Or Reshef

A growing body of evidence demonstrates the ability of the unconscious mind to work on a problem that requires a creative solution. Similar results have been gleaned in studies on daydreaming, and its value in producing creative and more original ideas.

Turning inward mobilizes the right hemisphere of the brain. The sleeping or relaxed brain cuts out many distractions, which leads to greater capacity to solve problems.

EXERCISE:

How can you invest in a good night’s sleep, a power nap, or even a bit of daydreaming to more fully tap your creative problem-solving powers?

Museums are the custodians of epiphanies.

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“Museums are the custodians of epiphanies.”

—George Lois, American Art Director and Designer

Image of two people walking in the woods

Image from Flickr by Gavin Clarke

How many of your most creative ideas come when you are working diligently at your desk?

Venturing to new and varied places could help you uncover potential incubators of future insights and epiphanies.

Consider a few ideas for places to get out of your “box” and think differently:

  • Take a long shower
  • Take a walk in nature
  • Meditate
  • Practice rhythmic exercise such as Yoga
  • Take a long, scenic drive
  • Visit a museum

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you shift your perspective by shifting your physical position to enhance your creative capacities?

Feel free to reply to this post with your own epiphany-generating strategies.

Friday Review Inspiration

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Friday Review: Inspiration

What inspires you? Here are a few inspiration-related posts you may have missed. Click on the link to read the full message.

QC #976a

 

“Your greatness is measured by your horizons.”

 

 

 

 

QC #1120b

 

“It’s choice – not chance – that determines your destiny.”

 

 

 

QC #1120c

 

“Inspiration usually comes during work, not before it.”

 

 

 

 

how would you like

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“How would you like things to be different in your life?”

—Fran Peavey, Social Activist

Image of shapes with questions in them

Fran Peavey was a social activist who passed away in 2010. Through her travels across the globe, she developed a process she called “strategic questioning,” which is characterized by questioning with an open mind and a caring heart.

Using this open, curious, and often provocative but not judgmental style, she conducted thousands of interviews over the course of two decades. She believed that this approach put people at ease, lowered barriers, and helped them find common ground around shared concerns.

EXERCISE:

Take 3-5 minutes to ask and answer one of Fran’s favorite questions: “How would you like things to be different in your life?” Consider engaging others in your personal and professional communities in this inquiry, so you can help one another make changes.

Feel free to let me know what happens by replying to this post!

optimistic people

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“What would an optimistic, confident person do?”

—A. S. Jacobs

Image of smiling man with two thumbs in the air

Image from quotesgram.com

One of the distinct benefits of working with coaches, mentors, and advisors is that they give their clients access to outside, mostly objective perspectives on matters of great importance.

One frequently used tool is the open-ended question, which encourages the exploration of new dimensions of thinking.

At times, almost all of us lack the sunny, confident view on issues that are not turning out as we would like. Asking “What would an optimistic, confident person do?” can lift the dark clouds and pessimistic perspective that often creeps into our thoughts.

EXERCISE:

Select an important issue or matter that is bringing you down. Shine the light of greater optimism and confidence on it, to move you forward to a more desirable outcome.

Healthy Wealthy Wise

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“Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

—Benjamin Franklin, American Founding Father

Image of Dean Norris portraying Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin portrayed by Dean Norris, www.history.com

Ben Franklin was one of the wealthiest men of his time. He lived 84 years, which was unheard of in those days, and credited part of his longevity and success to his adherence to today’s quote.

The need for rest and recovery is an often overlooked aspect of health and well-being. It is a time in which our bodies magically heal and repair themselves. Lack of sleep and the associated stress it places on our bodies has been proven toxic.

Early risers clearly get a head start on their days. How many races would you likely win if you were able to determine the amount of “lead time” you needed? What could you learn through study, and what masterful, valuable skills could you develop and contribute to the world?

EXERCISE:

Consider going to bed and rising 30-60 minutes earlier for at least a week, and see what you discover about following Ben Franklin’s coaching.