“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Barry

“Mistakes are the portals of discovery.”

-James Joyce, Irish Novelist and Poet

Photo from Flickr by Don McCullough

Many years ago I attended a presentation by Benjamin Zander, who, along with his wife, authored “The Art of Possibility”.

At the time, he was also the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, where he worked with and literally orchestrated the talents of some of the finest young musicians in the world.

His presentation was light, joyful, and even a bit zany. Of particular note was his suggestion that instead of trying to always do things perfectly, we allow and delight in the learning that can occur from making occasional mistakes.

He coaches his proteges and helps them joyfully discover and learn from the mistakes along their artful journey toward musical mastery.

EXERCISE:

How can you bring your own lighthearted and even playful fascination to the efforts and mistakes you make on a daily basis to expand your own portals of personal and professional discovery?

“Big shots are little shots who kept shooting.”

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Barry

“Big shots are little shots who kept shooting.”

– Christopher Morely, American Journalist, Novelist, Essayist and Poet

photo from Flickr by Simplistic.designs

What are your favorite examples of people who achieved great success through the power of persistence? Some of mine are Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, and of course, Michael Jordan.

What are some of your own personal stories where you stayed the course to achieve some important professional or personal victory?

Consider how you might break your “big shot” wins down into daily “small shot” behaviors you can easily practice on your journey of personal mastery. If this exercise is one you enjoy, both the journey and the results will reward you.

EXERCISE:

Consider picking up a copy of one or more of the following resources to enhance your resolve to keep shooting to realize your most deeply held desires:

Three Feet From Gold by Sharon Lechter & Greg Reid
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson & John David Mann
The Power of Persistence by Justin Sachs
The Dip by Seth Godin
Take the Stairs by Rory Vaden

Want your own copy of “The Quotable Coach”? Click on the image below.

“Be enthusiastic as a leader. You can’t light a fire with a wet match.”

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Barry

“Be enthusiastic as a leader. You can’t light a fire with a wet match.”

-Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Mark Tighe

Take a moment to generate a list of great leaders you have seen and been inspired by over the course of your life.

Fundamental to all of these individuals is the passion of their beliefs and convictions – the enthusiasm that helps them ignite the flames within themselves and those they lead.

EXERCISE:

Give yourself a rating from 1 (a wet match) to 10 (a blazing bonfire of passion) for both your professional and personal worlds.

What can you do today to find the fuel that sparks your passions and enthusiastically brightens up your world, and that of others?

“The Quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Barry

“The Quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves.”

– Ray Kroc, American businessman who made McDonald’s famous

Photo from Flickr by JFXie

Are you a leader or a follower? This is a bit of a trick question in that the answer is almost always a combination of both at different times and under different circumstances.

We are leaders when we speak of the future and inspire others through our words and actions.

We are followers, or in some cases co-leaders, when we share and act consistently with the vision and behaviors demonstrated by the people we admire and respect.

EXERCISE:

Examine the qualities, behaviors and overall standards set by those who inspire you to follow.

Map your own course toward a new level of leadership by setting, pursuing, and even exceeding your own standards or those of people you admire.

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Barry

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change.”

-Eckhart Tolle, Canadian Author and Spiritual Leader

Photo from Flickr by Miguelanger Guedez

Although we live in a world that is constantly changing, I would suggest that much of our internal worlds remain the same.

Examine your own attitudes and beliefs about the world around you and you will likely notice that most have remained relatively constant for years, and perhaps throughout your entire life.

Examination and internal exploration are key in enhancing our journey of self-awareness. This allows us to determine if and to what extent our long-standing beliefs and perspectives serve us optimally.

In the event they do not, this new awareness can act as an agent of change as Eckhart Tolle suggests.

EXERCISE:

What daily habits, rituals, behaviors, and practices can aid you in the development of your awareness muscles, that support positive change in your professional or personal life?

Here are some strategies to consider:

Journaling
Meditating
Prayer
Reflective walks in nature
Reflective forms of exercise, such as Yoga
Deep Breathing

Feel free to reply to this message to share your own self-awareness practices.

“Life’s strongest glue is being happy to be you!”

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Barry

“Life’s strongest glue is being happy to be you!”

-Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Sam-Catch

Have you ever heard someone say another person “has it all together”?

What exactly does this mean? If we look at attributes that could pertain to this statement, we might include the following:

Professional Success
Quality Relationships
Health
Good Looks
Intelligence / Wisdom

This quote points to self-acceptance as an important factor, providing the foundation and adhesive that helps us have a fulfilling life.

EXERCISE:

What are your strongest inner qualities that most support your having a full and happy life?

In what ways can you expand or enhance these attributes to further strengthen your life?

“Be there for others but never leave yourself behind.”

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Barry

“Be there for others but never leave yourself behind.”

-Author unknown

Photo from TopPilotTraining.com

Examine all the roles you currently hold in your personal and professional worlds. If you are like many people, you may have to use toes as well as your fingers to count everything.

In what percent of these roles are you serving and supporting others? If you find the number approaching 80, 90, or even 100 percent, consider how much energy you have at days end for the most important person in your life – YOU!

There is wisdom in the flight attendant pre-flight instruction:  Please put on your own oxygen mask before you assist others.

EXERCISE:

Take some time today to be a bit more “Self-ISH” (not selfish) by taking care of your own well-being and not leaving yourself behind, so that you can be your very best as you serve the people and organizations in your community.

“To strengthen the muscle of your heart the best exercise is lifting someone else’s spirit when you can.”

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Barry

“To strengthen the muscle of your heart the best exercise is lifting someone else’s spirit when you can.”

—Author unknown

Photo from Flickr by tiff_ku1

Did you know that your heart beats over 100,000 times in one day, and over 35 million times in a year? If you live an average lifetime, your heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.

Each beat of your heart has about the same force as giving a tennis ball a hard squeeze. This force circulates approximately 5.9 quarts of blood through your body, three times every minute.

Through this constant effort the heart pumps the equivalent of about one million barrels of blood during an average lifetime, which is enough to fill more than three super tankers.

EXERCISE:

How can you exercise your heart today by being a coach, mentor, or friend to others, and lift their spirits higher?

“You have to believe in yourself.”

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Barry

“You have to believe in yourself.”

– Sun Tzu, Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher

Photo from Flickr by Jennifer

I am writing this post on a Sunday – the day many people practice their faith by attending church or another religious institution.

Many faiths believe that God created man and at the same time gave us free will and the ability to create our own lives through our beliefs and actions.

Central to our ability to manifest our world, Sun Tzu might suggest through this quote that a deeply held faith and belief in ourselves is essential.

EXERCISE:

Take note of the areas in your life where you have the strongest belief and faith, and notice what results you have achieved.

How would an even greater belief in yourself make the biggest difference in your personal or professional life?

“Patience is the ballast of the soul, that will keep it from rolling and tumbling in the greatest storms.”

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Barry

“Patience is the ballast of the soul, that will keep it from rolling and tumbling in the greatest storms.”

– Charles Hopkins, Irish poet and dramatist

Photo from Flickr by Mary Harrsch

I went grocery shopping with my dad Sunday morning. The store was packed with shoppers. We chose the shortest checkout line, with the intention of making a quick exit. Our strategy was thwarted by the very nice lady ahead of us, who had about 50 small items in her cart, one of which required a price check that took what felt like a century to complete.

Fortunately, dad and I knew this experience was simply an exercise in patience. We took it in stride, smiled at one another, and were amused in watching others work through their issues with the delay.

EXERCISE:

Where would demonstrating greater patience help you sail through the big and little storms of your soul, to enhance your personal or professional life today?