“Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Barry

“Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”
-W. Somerset Maughman, British playwright, novelist and short story writer

Photo from Flickr by Natural Turn

If you, as a loyal reader of The Quotable Coach series ever visited my website or received an email from me, you will have noted a quote by Tuli Kupferberg: “When patterns are broken new worlds will emerge.”

A critical aspect of why the coaching process supports people in achieving new and better results is your willingness to break the patterns of behavior that have brought you to this point in your professional and personal life.

Included in these patterns are habits, rituals, and traditions that may limit your capacity to move forward toward a highly desired goal or objective.

EXERCISE:

Examine if, or to what extent, your current personal or professional traditions may be imprisoning and limiting your freedom to pursue your fullest potential.

“Less is the new More”

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Barry

“Less is the new more.”
-JP Chartier, Canadian Author

Image by The Write Concept, Inc.

The words “less” and “more” are among the most powerful terms used in a coaching discussion. When explored in depth, they have the power to transform your life.

You’re probably familiar with the metaphor of life being a jar that contains all our “stuff.”

Chartier’s quote suggests that we take a hard look into our jar and take the necessary steps to remove items that are no longer of optimal service to us.

When we do this, we experience the freedom and greater maneuverability this less-cramped space provides. Should we choose, we now have more room for the great stuff we desire.

EXERCISE:

Look into your own “life vessel” and create a list of things you would like to have less of in order to make room for the things you desire.

Feel free to reply to this post with your own less/more list, and share this intention with a friend, family member, or coach to support you in fulfilling this intention.

Failure is not Permanent

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Barry

“Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.”

—John Sinclair, American poet, writer, and political activist

Photo from Flickr by Tanisha Pina

When was the last time you skinned your knee, or cut yourself prepping a meal?

What was your immediate reaction (after the expletives)?

My guess is that you cleaned the wound, then allowed the healing process to begin. Do you recall how long it took to heal completely?

Unfortunately, many people experience failure as a wound that never heals, a wound that has the permanence of a tattoo, remaining for a lifetime.

EXERCISE:

How many failures do you wear, personally or professionally, as unwanted tattoos?

What change of perspective or other work is required for you to heal what you’ve believed was permanent?

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

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Barry

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

-Albert Camus, French Nobel Prize winning author, journalist, and philosopher

QC #636

Our society embraces youth, beauty, and vitality. These qualities coincide with spring and summer, where new growth begins and we bloom into our fullness.

As we age, we enter the autumn of our lives. I embrace the metaphor of leaves, in all their wondrous colors, being a second spring. With aging and life experience, we can discover new forms of inner beauty and wisdom.

Exercise:

How can you embrace every moment and every season of your life?

What beauty can you find in where you are and who you have become?

one likes foolish people

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Barry

“Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.”

– Elizabeth Gaskell, British Victorian-Era Novelist

Photo from Flickr by Patrick

I consider the Quotable Coach posts as serious business, nuggets of wisdom I hope impact your life.

This quote by Elizabeth Gaskell stopped me in my tracks, and caused me to take more detours to a lighter and jovial side of life. It’s caused me to strengthen my funny bone and avoid the osteoporosis of too much sitting on the mountain of wisdom.

EXERCISE

How can you embrace the foolishness and folly within yourself and others to strengthen your own funny bone, and live a more complete, fulfilling and happier life?

Please feel free to reply to this message, and share any insight you may have on this subject.

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

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Barry

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

– Madame Swetchine, 18th Century Russian Mystic & Writer

Photo from Flickr by Margaret Almon

What would happen if we lived in a much kinder world?

Today’s quote suggests first that we would learn more, perhaps due to the openness and receptivity kindness provides.

We would also forget many of life’s speed bumps because kindness has the capacity to help us forgive others and jettison the memories that hold us back.

EXERCISE

How can you intentionally and generously expand your level of kindness to those in your professional and personal worlds?

Notice what this effort helps you learn, and perhaps forget, through the process.

“It’s easy to get people’s attention; what counts is getting their interest.”

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Barry

“It’s easy to get people’s attention; what counts is getting their interest.”

-Philip Randolph, Civil Rights Activist

Photo from Flickr by Kathleen Donovan

If you haven’t been sleeping the past few years, you, too, have experienced an onslaught of technological, attention-and-interest grabbing resources, such as:

Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn
Mobile Apps
Skype, Facetime
YouTube, Video Games, Satellite or Cable TV
Blogs, email

Observe people in any mall, shopping center, or restaurant, and notice what percent are heads-down, looking at their smartphones.

What percentage of these attention-grabbing pursuits also engage people’s sincere interest and make some meaningful contributions?

EXERCISE

Given that the speed and amount of attention-grabbing choices will increase dramatically in the years ahead, what strategies have you found useful to sort through the abundance of options, to find and select the items that are of interest to you in your professional and personal lives?

Please reply to this post with your most helpful strategies.

“Those who are touched by an inspirational idea and allow it to take charge and dominate their thoughts find new vistas open to them.”

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Barry

“Those who are touched by an inspirational idea and allow it to take charge and dominate their thoughts find new vistas open to them.”
-Author Unknown

TQC-cover-welcome

I had an inspirational thought almost three years ago. The idea was to combine my love of coaching and making a difference in people’s lives with my love of provocative and engaging quotes that provide wisdom in small and easy to digest nuggets.

As I write this post, that idea has generated over 600 Quotable Coach posts (this is #632), gained a worldwide readership of over 1,200 daily subscribers, and a new book launched in the summer of 2014.

EXERCISE

What inspirational ideas can you pursue today to mobilize your efforts and have new vistas open up for you?

Consider joining me in paying forward the nuggets of wisdom you find most helpful in any of the following ways:

Share the free Quotable Coach blog with those you care about in your professional or personal life. Make sure to review the category list for those you find have the greatest impact.
Consider printing out and occasionally displaying highly relevant quotes, reflections, and exercises for others within your personal or professional communities to ponder.
Consider purchasing a paperback copy of The Quotable Coach for yourself, or perhaps as a gift to others for the coming holiday season. Some readers use it as a coffee table or dinner table conversation starter.

“The world truly does require your help.”

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Barry

“The world truly does require your help.”

—Whoopi Goldberg, Comedian and actor

Photo from Amazon.com

I have a vivid memory of my mom and my older sister Susie reading me a special book titled “We Help Mommy,” when I was about three or four years old. The gist of the book was that all family members, no matter how young or small, could do their part to improve the world around them—in my case, our home.

Some ways I could help were picking up my toys, raking leaves, washing the car with dad, setting the table, drying dishes, and of course, using that powerful torpedo-looking vacuum.

Although I now see that book as parental propaganda, I can still recall the feeling of satisfaction from a job well done, topped off with a hug or acknowledgement from my mom.

EXERCISE

Explore all the worlds in which you participate, from the small and intimate to the large and expansive.

What strengths, gifts, talents, or other contributions can you mobilize and generously offer today in your world that truly require your help?

“If you see the world in black and white, you’re missing important grey matter.”

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Barry

“If you see the world in black and white, you’re missing important grey matter.”

—Jack Fyock, PhD, Market Strategies International

photo from wonderfulengineering.com

When was the last time you had a conversation with a friend, colleague, or family member in which they responded to a statement with “I know”? Not the “I know” that is agreeing with the statement. This is the “I Know!” that indicates they have fundamentally stopped listening and have stuffed what you are saying into a pre-existing black/white category in their mind.

Ask those in your life how often you step into this “I Know” world — we all do this to help simplify our lives and navigate our world with greater ease. Alternatively, as Fyock suggests, we may be missing much of life by not using all of our grey matter to experience the many shades of grey an expansive and diverse life can offer.

EXERCISE

Imagine you were an artist who only had black and white paint to work with, and there was a rule forbidding you from mixing them together.

Now remove this limitation and paint away.

How can reducing your black and white “I Know” thinking expand your cerebral canvas to lead a more diverse and expansive life?