Tag Archives: wisdom

“You have to believe in yourself.”

Posted on by

“You have to believe in yourself.”

– Sun Tzu, Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher

Photo from Flickr by Jennifer

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?

“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.”

Posted on by

“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.”

—Sir Francis Bacon, 15th Century English Philosopher

Image of an "ask questions" button

Image from killerinterventions

One crucial tool for most coaches, including myself, is the question. Below are some of my favorites:

  1. What results in life are essential for you to see yourself as a success?
  2. What qualities do you hope to expand or develop to be your best future self?
  3. What would you like people to say about you at the end of your life?
  4. What inspires you?
  5. What are you passionate about?

And of course… #6. What else?

Always ask “What else?” to help you layer into each question, to reach the full depth and rightness of your answers.

Exercise:

To reap the other half of wisdom, answer at least one of these questions today and others over the course of the coming week.

Share this exercise and your answers with those you care about in your personal and professional life.

Coach and support one another in living life each day consistently with your answers.

“A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.”

Posted on by

“A single conversation with a wise man is worth a month’s study of books.”

– Chinese Proverb

Wisdom has been defined as a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events, or situations resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgments, and actions in keeping with this understanding.

Wisdom embraces fundamental human principles, including the capacity to reason, the use of knowledge, and the ability to determine one’s path forward. The coaching process often ventures deeply into the realm of wisdom – for both the students and the coaches.

Coaching, like the reading of great books (which as you know, I highly recommend) results in the enhanced creativity, insight and collaboration that happens when two minds focus together on a single matter.

Exercise:

Create a short list of wise men and women that currently support or could support your personal mastery journey.

Select at least one individual in your world who would benefit from the contribution of your wisdom.

The Wise Man Questions

Posted on by

“The wise man questions himself; the fool, others.”

– Henri Arnold, cartoonist

question-mark

One of the greatest tools in a coach’s toolbox is the question. Answers to open-ended questions—those that begin with who, what, where, when, why and how—provide a level of depth and significance from well below the surface, often into new territories of awareness and insight.

I disagree with Henri Arnold’s statement that fools ask such questions of others: after all, I’d be calling all coaches fools! I do however believe that when coaches also ask these same questions of themselves, they often enhance their own development considerably. Arnold might say that a coach without their own internal or external coach is a fool.

Exercise:

Pay attention to the types of questions you and your colleagues, friends, and family members ask one another during the day. Which ones enhance your life journey, and propel you toward wisdom?

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

Posted on by

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

—Proverbs 12:15, The Bible

Image of a man listening with ear buds

Photo from Unsplash by Alex Blăjan

Have you ever had someone say, “I know” when you share something with them? Doesn’t that just drive you crazy?

Or, worse, how often do others interrupt you to fill in the remainder of what they were expecting you to say?

Both of these situations indicate that others are not listening – or that they’re simply far more interested in listening to their own favorite subject: themselves.

When we fully listen to others and truly consider their ideas, we expand our world view beyond our individual perspectives.

Exercise:

Where in your life can you develop greater wisdom, by listening more fully to others?

 

#89: “To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom.”

Posted on by

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher

What does it mean to live a good hour? It could mean:

  • Being fully present to each person and fully engaged in each experience.
  • Living in the moment, not dwelling on the past or daydreaming solely of the future.
  • Living a life of meaning and purpose beyond your own concerns.
  • Being generous and sharing your special gifts and resources with others.
  • Learning and growing in some way each day, and sharing your knowledge and life experiences with others.

Exercise:

What does living a good hour include for you?

What next step will you take to move toward greater wisdom?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower

Posted on by

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

—Albert Camus, 20th Century French Philosopher

Image of bright autumn leaves

Image from Unsplash be Val Vesa

Our society embraces youth, beauty, and vitality. These qualities seem to coincide with the 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?

#14: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…”

Posted on by

“…the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

– Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr

Serenity is not something I see much of these days. Life seems to be in constant overdrive.

If the world around is moving too fast and you can’t keep up, find the capacity within yourself to slow down, recover your energy, and reset your personal metronome.

Exercise:

Whatever we resist persists.

What can you do to accept and allow that which you cannot control? The weather and traffic come to mind.

Where can you tap into your intentions to change things that are changeable? Your health and fitness and personal relationships may fit into this category.

What other strategies of perspective can you use to gain the serenity you desire, and to find peace of mind when needed?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your email address in the sidebar to the right.