“We have a tendency to want…”

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Barry

“We have a tendency to want the other person to be a finished product while we give ourselves the grace to evolve.”

-T.D. Jakes, Apostle/Bishop of The Potter’s House

Image from responsiveuniverse.me

How guilty are you of having a double standard regarding the people in your personal and professional worlds?

How often do you hold people to some form of ideal to which few ever match up? How often do you use this same standard of excellence as a measure of your own efforts, behaviors, and achievements?

EXERCISE:

If you are in the smallest way guilty of this double standard, examine the costs it may have in key relationships. What adjustment can you make in your perception and point of view to accept and embrace that we are all “works in progress”?

“Sometimes, you just have to…”

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Barry

“Sometimes, you just have to bow your head, say a prayer, and weather the storm.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Flickr by Melinda Swinford

In recent weeks, I’ve met a number of people experiencing significant challenges in their professional and personal worlds. They were knocked down and kept down by death, illness, accidents, and other major life events. For some, many of these things were happening at the same time.

Those who weather the storms the best all mentioned that it was their faith, family, and friends that made these disturbing and often tragic life events bearable.

EXERCISE:

Where can you seek for yourself—or offer to others—a level of support to more successfully weather the storms of life?

“Convert your Marketing Strategy…”

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Barry

“Convert your marketing strategy from a shotgun to a laser.”

—Author Unknown

Image from bigfishmedia.ca

Many marketing professionals would agree that if we try to be all things to all people, we almost always miss the mark and become nothing to no one.

Many year ago, when I worked in the pharmaceutical industry, we used an exercise called, “walk the patient across the doctor’s desk,” in order to position our medication in the minds of each physician.

The more specific we were in describing how our medications managed the patient’s symptoms, the clearer the physician was in its utility and application.

EXERCISE:

How can and will you focus your marketing and sales efforts to hit the bulls-eye and better support the customers you wish to serve?

“The first impression may be…”

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Barry

“The first impression may be the only impression.”

—Author Unknown

image from jimmycasas.blogspot.com

In our fast-paced world, we generate first impressions in a matter of seconds—sometimes nano-seconds.

What impression do people have of you through your appearance, your spoken words, and even your letters, emails, texts, or social media posts?

EXERCISE:

What efforts can you make today to assure that people get the very best impression of you? As today’s quote suggests, it may be the only one they have.

“Play the game where…”

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Barry

“Play the game where everyone wins something.”

—Author Unknown

Image from ericcheser.com

It is the norm for most sports and board games to result in winners and losers. A driving force for many is to beat, vanquish, and annihilate their competition.

A wide variety of collaborative pursuits in the game of life—including relationships, team projects, and business partnerships—do not need to go this route.

In fact, when we focus our efforts to realize win-win scenarios, the end results are often far better and significantly more satisfying.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you take more of a win-win approach in your personal and professional life? What would you be able to celebrate together if you did that more often?

“The Things You Say About Others…”

Posted on September 15, 2015 by Barry

“The things you say about others, also say a lot about you.”

—Mark Amend, American Poet

Image from 8tracks.com

We have all heard the phrase “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

As you observe your own behavior and that of others, how well do you think we are living by these words? What is your opinion of others who always seem to be putting others down, or sharing a critical, negative perspective, whether asked or not?

EXERCISE:

Examine the things you say about others, or better yet, ask others to share their objective observation about your behavior in this area. What does this say about you, and what modifications are needed to receive a far better appraisal?

“The answers you seek never…”

Posted on September 14, 2015 by Barry

“The answers you seek never come when the mind is busy. They come when the mind is still, when silence speaks loudest.”

—Author Unknown

Image from huffingtonpost.com

Most of us are familiar with the phrase “Silence is Golden.” Perhaps it is the value expressed in today’s quote that makes it so. It is virtually impossible to explore new ideas and inquire into new levels of thinking when our minds are going a million miles per hour.

EXERCISE:

Try blocking out five to ten minutes today for quiet reflection and personal inquiry. Consider choosing a topic or question worth pondering closely, and see what you discover.
Also consider making this a daily habit and explore the added value of capturing any insight you will likely have in a journal or notebook.

“Your best teacher…”

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Barry

“Your best teacher is your last mistake.”

—Ralph Nader, American political activist

Image from bentleymasterminds.com

I’d like to alter Nader’s quote by changing the word “mistake” to “experience.”

Perhaps one of the reasons the coaching profession has grown so rapidly over the last two decades is that it takes place on the field of our lives through experiential learning.

It is our own self-awareness and self-reflection regarding the experience of our mistakes, setbacks, progress, and victories that can be our most brilliant teachers.

EXERCISE:

Take five minutes at the end of the day today to examine what worked, what didn’t, and why. What did you learn? What new and different actions will you take based on these lessons?

“An arrow can only be shot…”

Posted on September 10, 2015 by Barry

“An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Flickr by SteFou!

How familiar are you with Newton’s Laws of Motion? I’ll spare you the physics lesson, and point directly to his Third Law, which states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

This means that for every force, there is another force that is equal in size, but opposite in direction, which adds to the impact of the full quote for today’s thought:

“An arrow can only be shot by pulling it backwards. So when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means that it’s going to launch you into something great. So just focus, and keep aiming.”

EXERCISE:

How will you embrace your personal and professional difficulties, knowing you have the capacity to launch your life in the direction of your goals and objectives?

“Don’t let anyone rent…”

Posted on September 9, 2015 by Barry

“Don’t let anyone rent a space in your head, unless they’re a good tenant.”

—Author Unknown

image from runningisfunny.com

Self-talk is a powerful thing.

It can inspire us to achieve greatness or stop us in our tracks and affect all aspects of our lives.

Where and when did you first notice your own internal monologues? Who in your past or present life is responsible for this programming?

EXERCISE:

What negative voices have taken residence in your head? How can you begin the eviction process, put up the “for rent” sign, and encourage a more supportive and empowering tenant?