“People are like tea bags…”

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Barry

“People are like tea bags. You find out how strong they are when you put them in hot water.”

—Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady of the United States of America

Photo from Flickr by Eric Jusino

Other than water, tea is the most popular drink in the world—so popular that its consumption is equal to that of coffee, soft drinks, and alcohol, combined!

Most of us have experienced pouring a cup of hot water over a bag or two, and watching it release its flavor within a few minutes. If you are a bit impatient, you may have even tried dunking the tea bag up and down to release its flavor even faster.

EXERCISE:

Consider the challenges, obstacles, and barriers you are facing today in either your personal or professional life. See them as hot water that brings out your greatest strengths, and your capacity for personal excellence.

How will you share your cup of life tea with others? How might you offer a little “hot water” to others, to help them discover their own inner strength?

“You are no bigger than…”

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Barry

“You are no bigger than the things that annoy you.”

—Jerry Bunden

Photo from addconsults.com

How big and expansive do you feel in your life at this moment?

How easy is it to breathe deeply and stand tall?

How much freedom, independence, self-expression, and self-determination is present in your personal and professional life?

During a typical coaching session, clients often reveal aspects of their current reality that annoy and upset them. When I observe them sharing their thoughts and feelings on these matters, they almost always demonstrate some form of physical constriction or limitation in stature and personal power.

It is not uncommon to have these people describe how much better they feel and actually look when they have worked through these matters in our coaching discussions.

EXERCISE:

Create a list of your top professional and personal annoyances. Examine their impact. How, through your own efforts or with the assistance of a friend, family member, mentor, or coach, could you gain greater freedom and effectiveness in these areas, to lead a more fulfilling life?

“It’s during bad times that you..”

Posted on April 6, 2015 by Barry

“It’s during bad times that you can tell if someone is any good.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Betsy Weber

Take a moment to examine your personal and professional relationships. How many truly good people can you list, based on the quote above?

It is pretty easy to be friends with people when times are good and little or few demands are placed on us. When the going gets tough, fewer people step up and step in to help.

These special few, appearing like angels sent from heaven to help us when we stumble, hold a “sacred” place in our hearts.

EXERCISE:

What can you do today to thank and fully acknowledge these extraordinary people? Take a moment to consider how many people in your world would place your name on their list.

The greatest challenge you face

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Barry

“The greatest challenge you face will probably not be the technical side of your job (your expertise), but rather interacting with other people.”

—Shirley Tayor, American author and Speaker

Photo from bolderlogic.com

Over the years I have had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of clients. Here in southeast Michigan a sizable percentage of our economy is somewhat dependent on the automotive industry.

A fairly common assignment is to support the growth and development of up-and-coming leaders and managers. These assignments almost always include a focus on the softer skill of interpersonal communication, so important to producing greater results within and outside the organization.

It is for this reason than many experts in the fields of talent management, organizational development, and executive coaching insist that EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is at least as important as IQ and technical expertise.

EXERCISE:

Assess yourself and those you work with regarding the technical and soft skills necessary to work optimally. Consider training and/or coaching to support yourself and others to maximize these important attributes.

Life is like a ten-speed bicycle…”

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Barry

“Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.”

—Charles Schulz, American cartoonist, creator of ‘Peanuts’

Photo from Flickr by Glory Cycles

Have you ever ridden a 10-speed bike? What did you experience as you proceeded through the gears? When you were in first gear, how easy was it to pedal? How fast could you go? As you moved through gears 2-5, what effort was required, and what speed was possible?

How often did you use gears beyond #5? How often did you exert the required effort, and how comfortable, exhilarated, or even terrified were you?

EXERCISE:

What gear are you in most often as you travel your personal and professional roads? Notice the terrain, including the twists and turns, the hills and valleys along the way.
What gears will be called for if you wish to climb higher mountains or reach your destination in record time?

If you haven’t tried it, consider attending a spinning class at the local gym, and be open to the instructor pushing you beyond your normal limits.

Our Greatest Glory

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Barry

“Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

Image from www.imdb.com

One of my favorite movies of all time is Rudy, in which the main character is a small and very feisty football player with a passion for the University of Notre Dame. Through dogged determination, persistence, and a tenacity rarely seen, he takes quite a beating by being a veritable practice dummy for the first team – and eventually rises to glory in the final hours.

Exercise:

What are your passions and commitments to which you give your all, no matter how often you fall?

What inspiring “Rudy” stories have you participated in or observed?

What stories are yet to be written, in which you will experience future glorious moments?

It isn’t the Mountain

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Barry

“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out. It’s the pebble in your shoe.”

– Muhammad Ali, boxer and philanthropist

Image from New York Post

We all sometimes sweat the small stuff. We often make mountains of molehills, magnifying issues of little or no importance into giant obstacles and barriers.

How can you keep the small things small, or even find a shrink ray to turn mountains into molehills?

How can you bring a greater perspective to the world around you, so you don’t major in the minors of life?

Exercise:

What issues are you blowing out of proportion right now?

What do you need to think and do in order to shrink these down to size?

grow with ease

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Barry

“Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.”

– J. Willard Marriott, entrepreneur and businessman

Image fro Flickr by Breezy Luik

I go to the gym in the morning to help stay fit. It cleans out my mental and physical cobwebs and gets my day off to an energized start.

A key component of my fitness journey is to push myself in areas of strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility. When we push the limits a bit beyond our comfort, we come back the next day stronger and more capable.

The personal growth and development efforts that make the biggest difference are the ones which test and challenge our “timber.”

Exercise

Where in your personal and professional life can you lean into the wind and find yourself better off through the process?

The tests of life are not meant to break you, but to make you

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Barry

“The tests of life are not meant to break you, but to make you.”

– Norman Vincent Peale

Image of a woman on a dock facing the ocean

Photo from Unsplash by Vlad Chernolyasov

When we engage in sports, we often test our strength, cardiovascular capabilities, and even our flexibility. When we do so, we grow and become fitter.

The way that the coaching process works is related to this: the idea of learning through experience. When we take on a challenge or pass a test, we become stronger and more capable.

Exercise:

What are the personal and professional obstacles and challenges that are facing you and asking you to be better, faster, stronger, smarter, and wiser?

What tests are you facing that will help “make” you?

Kites rise highest against the wind not with it

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Barry

“Kites rise highest against the wind, not with it.”

– Winston Churchill

Image from Unsplash by Bill Fairs

Life is stress. Life is adversity. Life has its challenges. Life has its potholes, its storms, even just its cloudy days.

As you take on these obstacles and challenges, how can you rise and find peace, smooth travels, and sunny days?

To find the grace and blessing life has to offer, we need to meet each day with our very best.

Exercise

What challenges, obstacles and barriers are you dealing with today? How will you rise to these challenges and let your life soar?