Category Archives: Uncategorized

Walking With the Trees

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“Today I have grown taller from walking with the trees.”

—Karle Wilson Baker, 20th Century American Poet

Image of people walking through the forest

Image from Flickr by Dickson Phua

In the plant world, trees are among the most remarkable living creatures. In addition to being some of the largest and oldest living things, they have the ability to defy gravity. They reach toward the sky to absorb the sun’s energy, using it to make their own food through the process of photosynthesis.

I believe today’s quote points us to those tall, stand-out people within our personal or professional communities. These are the individuals we most admire and see as leaders who inspire us to stretch for our own greatest heights.

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you grow and stand even taller by walking with and associating with others who are stretching skyward toward the canopy of life?

Friday Review Competition

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FRIDAY REVIEW: COMPETITION

How do you view and deal with competition? Here are a few competition-related posts you may have missed.

 

“If a man does his best, what else is there?”

 

 

 

 

“If you wish to be out front, act as if you were behind.”

 

 

 

 

 

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

 

 

 

 

The pause is as important as the note

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“The pause is as important as the note.”

—Truman Fisher, American Composer

Image from Flickr by Ben Rogers

Do you enjoy music? If so, what types of music do you prefer?

Prioritize this list from high to low based on your preferences:

Pop Hip-Hop Holiday Electronic
Swing Classical Rock Folk
Rap Reggae Disco Jazz
Blues Chamber Country Bluegrass
Alternative Show Tunes Baroque Dance

Although the instruments used in these various forms of music can be different, it is perhaps the pauses, or rests, as much as the notes that are played that give each genre its own special sound.

EXERCISE:

Consider your life as a form of personal symphony. Where would paying even more attention to the pauses, to resting between your life notes enhance the melodies in your world?

There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path

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“There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”

—The Matrix

Image of a stone maze by the ocean

Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash

How crystal clear is your life path?

How certain are you of your personal or professional priorities?

How often do you not only experience clarity in these areas, but also share your intentions with others in your world?

Give yourself a Grade – A, B, C or a score of 100%, 90%, 80% on down, on the “Walk Your Talk” scale. Make sure to be fair and objective in your assessment.

How pleased are you with your rating?

EXERCISE:

In what situations is it time, personally or professionally, to put on your working shoes – maybe even running shoes – to pursue the path destined for you? If you need a bit of support with this exercise, consider spending more time with people who always walk their talk and consistently travel their own life paths.

Friday Review: Generosity

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FRIDAY REVIEW: GENEROSITY

How generous are you? How has the generosity of others made a difference? Here are a few generosity-related posts you may have missed. Click the links to read the full message.

 

“To have what you want, don’t want it—give it.”

 

 

 

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

 

 

 

 

“One of the sanest, surest and most generous joys of life comes from being happy over the good fortune of others.”

 

 

 

Expect the Sting of Bees

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“In seeking honey, expect the sting of bees.”

—Saudi Arabian Proverb

Close-up image of a bee's stinger

Image from almanac.com

Who doesn’t want all the sweetness life has to offer?

Unfortunately, many are fueled by the media and seek short cuts or the path of least resistance. They expect a magic pill or believe a stroke of luck will provide their heart’s desire.

To say life just doesn’t work like that is an understatement. All we need do is dig the tiniest bit beneath the surface of virtually any sweet success to discover many a bee sting.

EXERCISE:

What sweet success are you striving for, personally or professionally, that is without question worth the stings of setbacks and potential failure?

What strategies could you employ to negate or become immune to such irritations and pains?

He can Compress the Most Words

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“He can compress the most words into the smallest ideas better than any man I ever met.”

—Abraham Lincoln, referring to a lawyer

Image saying "Effective Communication = big ideas expressed in small words"

How would you like to be the one talked about in today’s quote?

In a world in which efficient and effective communication is paramount to keeping up with or staying ahead of the pack, this characteristic won’t do.

One of my clients is an expert in the area of cyber-security. He has an amazing ability to communicate big and important ideas on this complex subject in simple, everyday language we can all understand. As you might guess, he has a line of people at his door, hoping he can help them navigate their cyber-security minefields.

EXERCISE:

What changes can and will you make in your communication efforts to pack the biggest ideas into the smallest word packages to better realize the levels of achievement and success you desire?

Happiness Lies in the Joy of Achievement

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“Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.”

—Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States

Image of a man surrounded by bubbles

Image from Unsplash by Brandon Morgan

If I could go back in time, and Roosevelt had asked me for coaching on this statement, I would have encouraged a bit of editing.

What if it instead read, “Happiness lies in the joy of creative effort and the thrill of achievement”?

I suggest that the time we spend in our creative efforts could comprise the bulk of our days, whereas the thrill of achievement is often more finite and short-lived.

EXERCISE:

Where and in what ways can and will you use and apply your most creative and joyful efforts to realize the thrilling achievements and happiness you desire?

Friday Review: Expectations

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FRIDAY REVIEW: EXPECTATIONS

What are your expectations for the various aspects of your life? Here are a few expectation-related posts you may have missed. Click the link to read the full message.

 

“As your consciousness expands, your level of expectation will grow. Keep asking yourself, am I selling myself short? Most of us are.”

 

 

 

“I would like to travel the world with you twice. Once, to see the world. Twice, to see the way you see the world.”

 

 

 

“Inspect what you expect.”

 

 

 

 

Being Frugal

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“Being frugal means having a high Joy-to-Stuff ratio.”

—Vicki Robin, in Your Money or Your Life

Joy-to-stuff ratio image

Image from WordPress

Over six years ago, I wrote my first post for the Quotable Coach series. The initial thought-provoking entries included this one from Art Buchwald:

“The Best Things in Life are not Things.”

For me, the best things are the people, the experiences, the learning moments, and yes, the journey, that makes my life rich.

Regarding “stuff,” though, I am a bit of a minimalist. I look for a high Joy-to-Stuff ratio, which I suppose makes me frugal.

I do, however, own a lot of books, which have brought me much pleasure and delight over the years. One caveat is that I buy more than 75% of my books at a steep discount on either amazon.com, or at half.com, which is my favorite site for slightly older books.

EXERCISE:

What things bring you the greatest joy? Which items in your life have the highest Joy-to-Stuff ratio? How might you pursue more happiness by being more frugal today?