Tag Archives: Barry Demp

“Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.

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“Habits are first cobwebs, then cables.”

—Spanish proverb

Image from Unsplash by Yuri Antonenko

When we first go about creating a new habit, we often find it difficult. The behaviors we hope to embody are fragile and are easily broken. Eating well, exercise, and even flossing can be fraught with all sorts of false starts and missteps.

When we try to break our bad habits, we also run into difficulties.

Impulse shopping, excessive media exposure, and various forms of overindulgence seek to grab us and hold us captive in their alluring grasps.

EXERCISE:

Create a list of your healthy and unhealthy habits.

Select one habit you wish to establish and one you intend to discard.

Consider reading or re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear or The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg to optimize your efforts and likelihood of success.

Honor and respect yourself

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Honor and respect yourself. Stand tall and know that you deserve your place in this wonderful world.

—Calm App Reflection

Image from Unsplash by Tiago Felipe Ferreira

Who are the people you most admire and respect? Examine the members of your family, the people with whom you work, and members of your broader communities.

Did you happen to include yourself on this list? Why or why not?

What makes someone worthy of respect? What qualities do you honor in the people around you? To what extent do you exhibit these attributes?

EXERCISE:

In what ways are you already deserving of respect?

How can you stand even taller and step forward with greater courage and confidence to make an even bigger contribution?

Please take note of how your good example inspires others to do the same.

Friday Review: Distractions

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Friday Review: Distractions

Are you easily distracted? Here are a few related quotes you may have missed.

 

“When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart, and it is easy to miss.”

 

 

 

“Unless you plan on eating it, please don’t bring your phone to our dinner table.”

 

 

 

 

“Distractions! Let them come. Let them be. Let them go.”

 

 

 

Wanting tells the lie that having will fill every void

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“Wanting tells the lie that having will fill every void. It does not.”

—Stephen St. Amant, from a post on the wisdom of Jim Carrey

Image from Unsplash by Dayne Topkin

What do you want that you don’t already have?

This question is worth a deep dive, especially if you find yourself fundamentally dissatisfied with your life.

It’s easy to blame it on the media or the people with whom you associate — we are just trying to keep up with the Joneses!

It’s a lie that having more of what’s missing will suddenly quench your insatiable thirst.

It won’t.

Regardless of whether people seek fame, power, money, status, or just more stuff, the evidence from others who actually seem to have won their life lottery leave many still feeling empty.

EXERCISE:

In what ways do you buy into the lie of wanting?

How much of what you have wanted has already been realized?

Where might the pursuit of less be more satisfying and meaningful than always wanting what you don’t have?

 

It’s time to bet on wisdom

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“It’s time to bet on wisdom. It’s metabolized experience.”

—Chip Conley, American hospitality entrepreneur, author, and speaker

Image from Unsplash by Ava Sol

I’ve been fascinated by the pursuit of mastery and wisdom most of my adult life.

For me, a day without learning something new and useful is a waste. Please note that I’ve used the word useful!

Many of us seem to ravenously pursue knowledge with the idea that “more is better.”

Watching the game show Jeopardy is a good example of how many folks see how they stack up to contestants with seemingly AI capabilities.

Unfortunately, knowledge and experience do not necessarily correlate to wisdom.

Just because you ingest and can regurgitate information does not guarantee that it was digested and used to strengthen your ability to guide yourself and others.

EXERCISE:

How are you metabolizing your life experiences to expand your bank of wisdom?

Where are you placing bets on your wisdom and the wisdom of others to hit more of the jackpots of life?

Never quit something with great long-term potential just because

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“Never quit something with great long-term potential just because you can’t deal with the stress of the moment.”

—Seth Godin, American author and former dot com business executive

Image from Unsplash by Etienne Girardet

Timeouts work as well for adults as they do for kids.

How many times have you hit a wall on an important activity and simply given up?

Consider the idea that your current thinking is only short term and limited.

At these moments, we often stop looking beyond the stressors of our current reality to look over the horizons of our apparent barriers.

What’s called for in these times is a break-through.

To have a breakthrough in thinking and acting, it’s actually necessary to have barriers to break through.

EXERCISE:

How can you begin seeing barriers and stressors in your life as clues to uncover and overcome on your journey toward greater success?

How might you discover that the stressors and obstacles are the way?

Leave room for the universe to work its magic

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Leave room for the universe to work its magic. Seek surprises in serendipity.

—Calm App Reflection

 Image from Unsplash by Brooke Cagle

A couple of weeks ago we traveled about 90 miles from our home to the American Dream Mall outside New York City, with family and friends.

It happened to be my daughter’s birthday, and although I dislike crowds and shopping, I’d do anything for my daughter.

This mall rivals the Mall of America and contains dozens of attractions including an a Nickelodeon theme park, a DreamWorks waterpark, Legoland, a Sealife Aquarium, and an indoor Big Snow skiing facility.

Everything there was big, colorful and loud. It also happened to be a rainy Sunday which seemed to give everyone in the region the same idea.

EXERCISE:

How long has it been since you ventured out beyond your local world into the expanding universe?

How might doing so work its magic and surprise you in ways you never imagined?

FRIDAY REVIEW: DIFFERENCE

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FRIDAY REVIEW: DIFFERENCE

How do you make a difference in the lives of those around you? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.

 

“Give ‘em the Pickle.”

 

 

 

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

 

 

 

 

“You have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

 

 

“Show up for people in pain and don’t look away.”

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“Show up for people in pain and don’t look away.”

—Brene Brown, research professor at the University of Houston

Image from Unsplash by Susan Wilkinson

These past few years, I’ve seen more pain in my world and in the world at large than I can ever remember.

Today’s quote hit me hard in that I’ve probably been looking away more times than I’d like to admit.

This year I’ve seen family members and some very close friends get hit hard both physically and emotionally.

I’m finally getting the sobering message that pain is a significant part of life and an integral part of our journeys.

EXERCISE:

Who in your life is experiencing considerable pain?

Where would leaning in instead of looking away be the best medicine you could offer to help those in need of relief?

“Don’t give up on your dreams. Your ability to persist and stay the course is being tested. Keep at it!”

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“Don’t give up on your dreams. Your ability to persist and stay the course is being tested. Keep at it!”

—Author Unknown

Image from Unsplash by Bo Zhang

How much of the Paris Olympics did you see? With three rainy days during our recent Pocono vacation this year, we saw a bunch.

Something we noticed was the number of athletes who have the Olympic rings tattooed on various parts of their bodies.

Clearly, the Olympic experience is a memory they all wanted to capture and keep for the rest of their lives.

EXERCISE:

Where in your life do you dream of greatness?

How successful have your efforts been to date?

Where have you lost the fire and given up on your dreams?

How might the obstacles that are stopping you be just a test to challenge you to press on and stay the course?