Category Archives: Wisdom

As we grow older, real beauty travels from the face to the heart,

Posted on by

“As we grow older, real beauty travels from the face to the heart, appeal turns to charm, hurt to wisdom, and great moments to shared memories. The true beauty of life is not how happy you are now, but how happy others are because of you.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Logan Weaver

How old are you?

When was the last time you took a good look in the mirror?

How does your self-appraisal compare when you view yourself from the inside versus the outside?

Without question, entropy is having its way with all of us and many of us are grasping desperately for our younger days.

Today’s quote can be a wonderful way to re-frame our perspective on the aging process.

It helps us see what we’ve been given and gained with all the days gone by.

EXERCISE:

How can you more fully embrace the process of aging and look to the happiness you have fostered in the lives of others along the way?

When you are young, you have raw smarts

Posted on by

“When you are young, you have raw smarts; when you are old, you have wisdom.”

—Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard professor, PhD social scientist, bestselling author

Image from Unsplash by Jordan Whitt

I agree with today’s quote in most cases, especially for individuals with a growth mindset and a propensity toward lifelong learning.

The pursuit of knowledge and experience takes time.

Raw smarts and wisdom build at different rates.

Consider a heavy rain as it fills a puddle versus years of rain carving a river’s path.

EXERCISE:

How has your growth and development journey evolved over the years?

Where and how have you stepped beyond acquiring raw smarts to embracing the gift of wisdom?

How can you prioritize the accumulated wisdom

Posted on by

“How can you prioritize the accumulated wisdom of humanity over the impulses of the past 24 hours?”

David Perell, writer, podcaster, and writing instructor

Image from Unsplash by Igor Mike

How healthy is your diet? How about your mental diet? How much fast food and fast information have you consumed in the past 24 hours?

To get your daily fix, what percent of incoming sources included tweets, texts, email, podcasts, or other sources of media?

Where and how often do you also consume nutritious sources of wisdom? To what degree do each of these sources help you to lead a more productive and meaningful life?

EXERCISE:

How would applying more sources of wisdom to your daily efforts act as guiding lights to illuminate your life?

How can you incorporate note taking into your daily habits?

Posted on by

How can you incorporate note taking into your daily habits?

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Cathryn Lavery

When I consider the topic of note taking my initial thoughts go back to my school days. Listening intently to my teachers in grade school and my professors in college was paramount to getting the “A’s” I was seeking. Capturing what was said and giving it back to them seemed to be the secret recipe for success.

Following my formal schooling the extent of my note taking focused on grocery shopping and the occasional list of questions for doctor visits. Like many others, I felt my note taking days were over. There didn’t seem to be much need to remember a bunch of stuff that wasn’t going to be on the test.

These days, getting ahead and staying ahead is as important as ever. Capturing new ideas and valuable insights and keeping them to use now or in the future is essential to progress in our increasingly complex and fast-moving lives.

EXERCISE:

Purchase a small notebook or use a note-taking app on your phone to capture more of the nuggets of wisdom that cross your path each day. My friend Sam Horn uses a catchy quote “Ink it when You think It” that can help you remember to apply this important skill.

Please let me know how this practice helps you ace your actual life.

Discover the home in your head

Posted on by

Discover the home in your head. Make it a place of love, comfort, wisdom, peace and beauty.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Julian Hochgesang

Home Sweet Home is perhaps the most common phrase on door mats across America. It’s a hopeful saying we wish were true at all times but unfortunately, we often come up short of its aspirational message.

Physical clutter, challenging relationships, and even our inner demons sometime leave a bitter taste we prefer not to swallow.

Although external factors are not always in our control, much work can be done to clean up the home in our head.

Instead of getting out the vacuum, dust pans, and rags, how would greater love, wisdom, and a peaceful heart help you experience the comfort, beauty, and sweetness you desire?

EXERCISE:

What actions can and will you take today to bring more of these wonderful qualities into your life?

 Stop, jot, and share. Use the superpower of reflection

Posted on by

Stop, jot, and share. Use the superpower of reflection to cement the value of the information you take in.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Gardie Design & Social Media Marketing

What types of information are you taking in these days? What are your strategies to not have the most valuable information go in one ear and out the other?

Consider the concept of eating and digestion. How do you select the most healthy and appetizing items to consume?

How do you chew on these ideas and mix this mash with the saliva and digestive juices of your past experiences and existing wisdom?

How do you discern and absorb the best nutrients and discard any waste products not meant for you?

EXERCISE:

How would jotting in a notebook or journal aid in your reflective skills to squeeze out even more nuggets of wisdom from your information diet?

Wisdom is like the rain. Its source is limitless, but it comes down according to the season

Posted on by

“Wisdom is like the rain. Its source is limitless, but it comes down according to the season.”

—Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, 13th-century Persian poet

Image from Unsplash by Alejandro

When do you receive the most rain where you live?

Just as water is essential to life, Rumi suggests that wisdom is water for our spirits. Unfortunately, we do not always receive rain when we need it throughout the year.

What season of life are you in? Look back over the years to see how you have benefited from the wisdom of others and become the reservoir for members of your communities who thirst for its refreshing and renewing properties.

EXERCISE:

Where in your world are people experiencing a drought of wisdom and a thirst for growth?

How can we tap the aquifers and sprinkler systems that are often out of sight to soak and refresh our souls?

“But what difference does it make who spoke the words? They were uttered for the world.”

Posted on by

“But what difference does it make who spoke the words? They were uttered for the world.”

—Seneca, ancient Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist

Image from Unsplash by Shakti Rajpurohit

The Quotable Coach blog recently surpassed its 2500th post. The vast majority of the quotes that inspire these posts are not mine. They represent nuggets of wisdom offered to the world from many brilliant individuals, including Seneca. I do my best to offer the correct attribution whenever possible.

I admire and appreciate Seneca’s sincere words and generosity of spirit intending to support others without seeking credit.

When we interpret and share our views of these lessons and come up with some of our own, we too can release our own generous efforts to serve and support others.

EXERCISE:

Where and with whom do you pay forward words of wisdom from others in your communities? How does this deepen the value and impact these lessons have had on your life?

 

“Wisdom is a living stream, not an icon preserved in a museum

Posted on by

“Wisdom is a living stream, not an icon preserved in a museum. Only when we find the spring of wisdom in our own life can it flow to future generations.”

—Thich Nhat Hahn, Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk and peace activist

Image from Unsplash by Brett Jordan

For most of my life I’ve been a seeker of wisdom from many sources.

It is one of my daily practices that delights and fills my soul, especially when I can be a conduit for others that also wish to jump into this living stream.

For the past decade, I’ve included thought-provoking and motivational quotes as a significant component of my personal excellence journey.

These nuggets of wisdom really satisfy my appetite and passion for personal growth and development.

EXERCISE:

Where do you look to discover your own sources of wisdom? How are you paying forward some of your lessons learned to future generations?

Please consider sharing The Quotable Coach with others who may benefit.

My book, The Quotable Coach—Daily Nuggets of Practical Wisdom, might also make an appropriate gift for yourself or others this holiday season.

“Open your eyes to the beauty around you. Open your mind to the wonders of life. Open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself.”

Posted on by

“Open your eyes to the beauty around you. Open your mind to the wonders of life. Open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself.”

—Maya Angelou, late American poet, memoirist, civil rights activist

Only four presidents — John F. Kennedy in 1961, Bill Clinton in 1993 and 1997, Barack Obama in 2009 and 2013, and Joe Biden in 2021 — have included poets in their inaugurations. Maya Angelou was one of those six poets. I hope her nuggets of wisdom in today’s quote resonates for you.

EXERCISE:

Please take a look and explore the work of these six poets, and the messages for their time in history:

2021: Amanda Gorman, “The Hill We Climb”
2013: Richard Blanco, “One Today”
2009: Elizabeth Alexander, “Praise Song for the Day”
1997: Miller Williams, “Of History and Hope”
1993: Maya Angelou, “On the Pulse of Morning”
1961: Robert Frost, “The Gift Outright”