If You Are Irritated

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Barry

“If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”

-Rumi, 13th Century Persian Poet

Image from Flickr by Orbital Joe

When was the last time you visited a fine jewelry store? Imagine yourself in one, examining all the beautiful diamonds and gem stones.

I am sure that If you were to go back in time to when these stones were pulled form the earth, you wouldn’t recognize them. They would be dull, rough, and unremarkable. It takes considerable rubbing and skilled cutting to bring out their brilliance.

EXERCISE:

How and where can you examine and appreciate the daily rubs of life as experiences and resources to bring about your personal and professional brilliance?

You Can Change

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Barry

“You Can Change at Any Age.”

-Author Unknown

image from hundredjokes.blogspot.com

As many of you know, I work out at Lifetime Fitness most mornings. Of particular interest to me today were the number of seniors and super-seniors working up a sweat to continue their personal excellence journeys. Marvin, in his 80s, and Ann, in her 70s, are among the most inspiring examples.

Do you know anyone who believes and lives consistent with the phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”? Perhaps even you believe this to some extent.

EXERCISE:

How can you fully embrace change at any age, to live a richer, more rewarding life? What change could you make today to kick-start making change a life-long habit?

Something New

Posted on February 2, 2016 by Barry

“And suddenly you just know: It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”

—Meister Eckhart, 14th Century German Theologian

image from Linkedin.com

Happy New Year! I know I am a month late with that sentiment, but today’s quote gives me permission to tap into the special power this idea provides.

Examine how you experienced new beginnings in the past, and how you experience them today. Consider the following list, and feel free to add your own thoughts.

Visiting a new city or country
Trying a new food or restaurant
Starting a new job
Meeting new and interesting people
Learning something new
Shopping for new clothes, a new vehicle, a new home
Discovering new capabilities and talents within yourself

EXERCISE:

How and in what ways can you experience the magical power of beginning something new today?

A Better Way

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Barry

“There has got to be a better way.”

—Steve Jobs, late CEO of Apple, Inc.

Image from openculture.com

My wife and I recently saw the new Steve Jobs movie. Regardless of your views about him as a person, he sure did exemplify today’s quote, and the Apple mantra of “Think Different.”

Perhaps much of the controversy about his life and leadership style was about how he always pushed the limits of what was possible, which sometimes involved pushing many of those around him out of their comfort zones.

Throughout my coaching career, I have encouraged my clients each and every day to be prepared to break their current patterns if they want new worlds to emerge.

To do otherwise would be insane.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional world would embracing a “There has got to be a better way” philosophy actually make things better?

The Foolish Man

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Barry

“The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet.”

-James Oppenheim, American poet, novelist, and editor

QC #914

I am currently reading The Art of Happiness by the Dali Lama. His teaching indicates that the purpose of life is to be happy.

Foolishly, many people pursue their happiness through extrinsic factors. Although many of these pursuits can result in pleasurable moments, rarely do they produce enduring or sustainable happiness. Wise people, on the other hand, have learned over the years that intrinsic factors much closer to home are the source of a meaningful and more enduring form of happiness.

EXERCISE:

How can you increase your own personal happiness by embracing more factors that lie right under your feet, and far fewer in the distance?

Changing Us

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Barry

“Sometimes the things we can’t change end up changing us.”

—Author Unknown

Image from Flickr by Sebastien Wiertz

A topic that comes up fairly frequently in my coaching sessions these days is aging. As someone in the middle of the Baby Boom Generation, I see that most of my contemporaries are also experiencing the “grayification” of our society. We’re dealing with aging parents and our own health and fitness related issues.

Despite all of our best efforts to eat better, exercise more, and get much-needed rest to renew and recharge, we are heading toward an entropy of life, where things begin to break down and stop working optimally.

There happens to be a new form of coaching called “Eldering.” One of its tenets is to assist people in navigating these years with more grace, dignity, and life mastery.

EXERCISE:

How can you adjust, adapt, or change yourself in relationship to those issues and situations that are unchangeable, to more fully experience a life of greater happiness and fulfillment?

“Life has no remote…”

Posted on October 13, 2015 by Barry

“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.”

-Mark Cooper, author of Edelweiss Pirates, Operation Einstein

Image from Flickr by Keith Williamson

If you were to walk through your family room, den, entertainment area, basement, or home theater, collecting all your remote control devices, how many would you have?

In many ways, we have developed into a remote control society, frequently looking for the simplest and least effort necessary to change things for the better. It’s so easy to delete, fast forward, or hop over commercials to get to the sporting event, sitcom, or drama that interests us.

Our lives, however, usually play one show, entitled “Our Lives,” and we cannot click a button to change it easily.

EXERCISE:

Where in your personal or professional life is it time to get out of your chair and make the necessary changes you desire?

“Every success story…”

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Barry

“Every success story is a tale of constant adaptation, revision, and change.”

—Sir Richard Branson, KBE, founder of Virgin Group

Image from www.64ouncegames.com

We all know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Life in general, and our journey toward success, never really works that way.

To navigate our world we must, as Sir Branson suggests, adapt, revise, and change our approach moment to moment. This iterative process works very much like an internal GPS system, constantly informing us of where we are, and where we wish to go. It helps us plot the alternative routes we can take to progress toward our desired destination.

EXERCISE:

Where is it necessary to adapt, revise, or change your approach to tell a more successful tale in either your personal or professional life?

“The world is full of…”

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Barry

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

—W.B. Yeats, Irish poet and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature

Image from freger.weebly.com

Take a moment to examine your current ability to see, hear, feel, taste, and smell.

Did you know that:

A Silvertip Grizzly Bear can smell you from 18 miles away?
Jumping spiders can see four primary colors versus the three that humans see?
Some birds have an internal GPS that acts as a compass, to help them find their way home?
The bat uses echolocation to navigate and catch its supper?
Catfish have 10 times more taste buds than humans (100,000 versus 10,000)?

EXERCISE:

How can you capture more of the magic life has to offer by sharpening and focusing your senses? One way to develop these capacities is to focus on each sense separately, whenever possible.

“People change and forget…”

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Barry

“People change and forget to tell each other.”

—Lillian Hellman, American dramatist and Broadway screenwriter

Photo from onthejob.45things.com

Coaching as a profession has been around for over 20 years, and is estimated as a two billion (or more) dollar industry. Fundamental to the coaching process is the desire for both individuals and organizations to change for the better.

Rooted in this change process is the strong desire for a better future, and in particular, a high level of social support by friends, family, colleagues, and of course, coaches.

Open communication and clarity around this desire, along with some description of what behaviors are to be expected, are critical for optimal success.

EXERCISE:

Where are you currently trying to change something in either your professional or personal life? How can you communicate this intention to those around you to rally the social support necessary for this change to occur and be sustained?