“I remind myself every morning…”

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Barry

“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”

—Larry King, American television and radio host

Image from Flickr by Ky Olsen

Have you ever considered why we have two ears and only one mouth? Why not one of each? Perhaps some higher power—not just Larry King—knew that listening is twice as valuable as speaking.

EXERCISE:

Practice using open-ended questions, including the all-powerful “What Else?” This follow-up & layering technique will help you speak less and learn more, at home and in your workplace.

“The growth and development of people…”

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Barry

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”

-Harvey S. Firestone, American businessman, founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company

Image from freightdawg.com

Personal growth and development are among my top core values. Not so surprising is the fact that a very high percentage of people seeking the support of a coach share this commitment.

There is a magical power that reveals itself when we pursue our own personal growth, and support the growth of those around us.

What would be possible if each parent, teacher, and student would embrace and demonstrate these values?

EXERCISE:

How will you pursue your own development as a leader by supporting the growth and development of others today?

“Life doesn’t have to be…”

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Barry

“Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.”

—Author Unknown

QC #844

I recently finished reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. This book focuses on issues regarding aging, the state of affairs of healthcare, and the quality of life—or lack thereof— that often results.

We’ve all heard the statement “no one ever gets out of this life alive.” Gawande points out our ability and responsibility to make sure we make our journey workable and wonderful, despite the imperfections and challenges we face.

EXERCISE:

If you or those you care about are experiencing the imperfection of our healthcare system as it relates to our aging society, consider reading this book. Where can you support yourself and others in having as wonderful a life as possible?

“The world is full of…”

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Barry

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

—W.B. Yeats, Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature

Image from freger.weebly.com

Take a moment to examine your current ability to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell.

Did you know that:

A Silvertip Grizzly Bear can smell you from 18 miles away?
Jumping spiders can see four primary colors versus the three that humans see?
Some birds have an internal GPS that acts as a compass, to help them find their way home?
The bat uses echolocation to navigate and catch its supper?
Catfish have 10 times more taste buds than humans (100,000 versus 10,000)?

EXERCISE:

How can you capture more of the magic life has to offer by sharpening and focusing your senses? One way to develop these capacities is to focus on each sense separately, whenever possible.

“You can’t reach for anything…”

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Barry

“You can’t reach for anything new if your hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.”

—Zig Ziglar, American author, salesman, and motivational speaker

Image from bradbyers.com

Imagine you are learning to juggle, starting with three balls. Your initial efforts are awkward, but you quickly learn that you must release one ball in order to catch the next, then quickly toss that one, too. You just can’t hold on to anything for long without losing the momentum of the entire batch of balls.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life are you required to juggle people, priorities, and projects in order to have more of what you desire? In such cases, you must release some of them temporarily. What if your job here is to make sure you release those that represent yesterday’s junk so that you can have more of the quality balls in your life?

“The tiny seed knew…”

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Barry

“The tiny seed knew that in order to grow, it needed to be dropped in dirt, covered in darkness, and struggle to reach the light.”

—Author Unknown

Image from www.scottthor.com

Today’s quote builds on the one about the mighty oak that once was a nut that simply held its ground.

Here, along with persistence, we must often accept and manage the dark, dirty, and difficult aspects of life. Eventually, we emerge into the light of becoming all that we can be, which can appear a bit “nutty” to us, and to others, along the way.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can you more fully embrace the challenges and barriers that stand in the way of your sprouting and growing into a mighty oak of a person?

“Never put off for tomorrow…”

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Barry

“Never put off for tomorrow what you can cancel.”

—Darren Hardy, Publisher of Success Magazine

Image from diamondresortsmembers.com

Time management is perhaps the most universal issue facing the majority of clients seeking the support of a coach.

Who hasn’t read books and blogs, or attended at least a few workshops or seminars on time management?

The proverbial “to do list” has killed more trees, or now takes up a good deal of our hard drives, with no end in sight! Unfortunately, the more we add to these lists the “behinder” many of us feel.

EXERCISE:

Today is the day I’d like you to take out your red pens and scissors, or use your backspace and delete keys to literally cancel things from your list. This powerful act of saying “NO” once and for all to certain tasks will be challenging at first. This is due to our habit of dragging the weight of the world around. Select and cancel at least one task, meeting, or other commitment each day this week. Eventually you will get to the point where many items never make it to your list in the first place.

“Never let the fear…”

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Barry

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”

—Babe Ruth, American baseball player whose Major League career spanned 22 seasons

Photo from thegreedypinstripes.com

Perhaps no baseball player in history will ever achieve as much notoriety as Babe Ruth, who began his 22-year career 101 years ago, in 1914.

Among the many interesting facts about Babe was his unique method for keeping cool during hot summer games, wearing uniforms made of wool. His trick to provide relief for an inning or two was to chill cabbage leaves in ice, then put the frozen leaves under his cap!

Surprisingly, Ruth is ranked 113th on the all-time strikeout list, with 1,330 strikeouts. Compare that to Reggie Jackson, who had 2,597 strikeouts. Perhaps it was his quote and the cabbage that did the trick?

EXERCISE:

Where is the fear of striking out in your professional or personal life stopping you? Where do you most need to get up to the plate and swing away? What strategies will help you keep your cool in the process?

“Become the most positive…”

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Barry

“Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.”

—H. Jackson Brown, Jr. American author of Life’s Little Instruction Book

Positive psychology is the scientific study of human flourishing, and an applied approach to optimal functioning. It has been defined as the study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities, and organizations to thrive.

Although no single quote can capture the full impact and magnitude of this field of study, this one does point us in the direction of human qualities that can lead us to the better life we all desire.

EXERCISE:

Consider doing a Google search on the subject of “positive psychology” to learn more about many techniques and strategies to leading a fuller, more satisfying life.

If you have 20 minutes, check out Martin Seligman’s 2004 Ted Talk titled “The New Era of Positive Psychology.” Over 3 million people have viewed it to date.

To learn even more, consider Seligman’s books:
Learned Optimism (1991)
Authentic Happiness (2002)
Flourish (2012)

“Don’t quit your day dream”

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Barry

“Don’t quit your daydream.”

-Author Unknown

Image from Unspash by Icarus.jpeg

For many of us, the act of daydreaming is about longing to be somewhere else, doing something else. This often flies in the face of our day jobs—jobs that have become, for some, unfulfilling or even toxic.

When we daydream, there is a heightened sense of excitement, and a desire to live and work more consistently with our most authentic beliefs and desires.

In many ways, the coaching process encourages each individual to be true to themselves, giving them greater access to more of their personal power, gifts, and inherent talents. Who wouldn’t want far more of that?

EXERCISE:

What would be possible if you lived more consistently by the phrase, “Don’t quit your day dream” instead of “Don’t quit your day job”?

What specific actions can you take today to do just that?