Category Archives: Wisdom

“Patience is the Companion of Wisdom.”

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“Patience is the Companion of Wisdom.”

—St. Augustine, early Christian Theologian

Photo from Flickr by Thomas Mues

Photo from Flickr by Thomas Mues

When was the last time you watched a great leader give an inspiring speech? If you are like me, you occasionally enjoy a provocative TED Talk. The TED tagline is “Ideas Worth Spreading.”

Over the years, I’ve seen that the best leaders and presenters talk a bit more slowly than most. They measure their words carefully, to achieve the impact they desire. As I listen to them, I find myself slowing down, and leaning in to hear every morsel of wisdom they present.

EXERCISE:

Where would greater patience, and slowing down your busy life help you contribute and capture the wisdom of the moment?

“Tradition is a guide and not a jailer.”

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

Photo from Flickr by Nikki Collett

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.

“In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.”

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“In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.”

-Walter Cronkite, anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years

Photo from Flicrk by NASAHQPhoto

Photo from Flickr by NASAHQPhoto

Perhaps no television news anchor has ever or will ever be respected and trusted as much as Walter Cronkite. Millions of people watched him each evening without fail, knowing his reports of the news would be objective, balanced, and trustworthy. As an inquisitive and thorough reporter, he knew there were always numerous views and perspectives on every topic, and successfully rooted out and communicated the truth — with candor and his unique brand of professionalism and humanity.

EXERCISE

How can you demonstrate your openness and receptivity to the many sides of the stories you hear professionally and personally, to do an even better job of seeking and discovering the truth you desire?

“You have to believe in yourself.”

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“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?

“Wisdom is learning to let go when you want to hang on. Courage is learning to hang on when you want to let go.”

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“Wisdom is learning to let go when you want to hang on. Courage is learning to hang on when you want to let go.”

– Mark Amend (attrib.)

498Image from Flickr by Martyn Wright.

The coaching process often involves a deep dive into both the inner wisdom and the courage of an individual. Amend’s quote points to two fundamental ways to develop each of these qualities in yourself and others.

Where are you or others being stubborn, closed-minded or even obstinate on an issue, where there is little or no likelihood of a good outcome?

Where are you involved in a difficult or challenging endeavor where summoning the courage to persist will, with sufficient tenacity and persistence, pay off in fulfilling some deeply held value or commitment?

Exercise:

Pick up a copy of Seth Godin’s little gem of a book The Dip. It will help you see opportunities in your life where you should quit and where you should stick.

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

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“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.”

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“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.

“One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything – and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”

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“One’s first step in wisdom is to question everything – and one’s last is to come to terms with everything.”

– Georg Christoph Lichtenberg, German scientist and satirist

When is the last time you spent at least an hour with a young child? Parents know all too well the litany of questions that can be generated. These little ones are sponges beginning their wisdom journeys, and can renew our own inspiration to be lifelong learners.

Often our questions far outnumber our answers, and it’s not unusual to be upset or even knocked off our games because of this imbalance. Coming to terms with life seems to come with maturity and leads to far greater wisdom – which can help us experience far greater contentment and peace.

Exercise:

What is the right balance of curiosity and acceptance of the world around you that will lead you to the personal wisdom you desire?

The Wise Man Questions

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“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?

“Though face and form alter with the years, I hold fast to the pearl of the mind.”

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“Though face and form alter with the years, I hold fast to the pearl of the mind.”

– Han-shan, Chinese poet

As a society, we put a high priority on what Han-shan calls “face and form”. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to see a “Where are they now?” segment on a talk show, where the guests were former highly attractive movie and TV stars.

What I noticed were considerable examples of plastic surgery, and heroic attempts to retain the “face and form” of their youth.

Fortunately, the interviewer focused the conversations around their personal growth and development, as well as their community efforts that went beyond the physical. In these discussions, it was clear that their minds were still beautiful pearls shimmering in the world beyond the surface.

Exercise:

How can you continue to hold fast and further develop your inner self and mind, and see the inevitable process of aging as simply adding a few wisdom lines here and there?