“Ignorance killed the cat…”

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Barry

“Ignorance killed the cat; curiosity was framed!”

—C.J. Cherryh, Speculative Fiction Writer

Image from Flickr by jinterwas

Two highly correlated factors to success are life-long learning and, of course, hard work.

Examine the levels of success of people who have dropped out of school, or never cracked a book after graduating from college or university. Formal education is not the only course to pursue success. There is a wide array of true stories in which people who lacked a formal education became extremely successful. These individuals possessed a curious nature, and a desire to learn and grow in support of their passion or purpose.

EXERCISE:

Where could greater curiosity and expanding your learning efforts bring you and those around you a more satisfying and rewarding life?

“Excelling at any job is…”

Posted on July 23, 2015 by Barry

“Excelling at any job is about doing the things you weren’t asked to do.”

—Mary Egan – founder of Gathering Table and Former Senior VP at Starbucks

Photo from www.soccer-daily.net

What does it take these days to be extraordinary, exceptional, and remarkable? Notice how often you require events in your personal or professional world to meet those definitions in order to gain even a few moments of your valuable attention.

I recently saw a film titled “Dope,” which involved an ambitious, intelligent, and creative main character living in an undesirable Los Angeles neighborhood. He was pursuing his dream of attending Harvard, where straight “A’s” and top SAT/ACT scores are the bare minimum to even be considered.

The audience was taken on an amusing romp in which the character clearly demonstrated his capacity, creativity, and courage to do what was extraordinary, exceptional, and remarkable, and to excel and stand out.

EXERCISE:

How can you and the organization with which you associate foster an environment where people do the things they were not asked to do, to explore new levels of excellence?

“Never judge a book by its movie.”

Posted on July 16, 2015 by Barry

“Never judge a book by its movie.”

—Don DeLillo, American novelist

image from icezen.com

Reading a book takes effort. Watching a movie, not so much. More often than not, many if not most movies fall short of their books.

Tens or hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in movies based on books because the characters and stories amaze readers. It is in these stories and characters that our visions of these works of art are envisioned and portrayed by producers and directors. Unfortunately, even with brilliant actors and special effects, the images on screen rarely capture what our own creativity and imagination can create from the words of a masterful storyteller.

Books allow us to pace ourselves and literally savor each bit of dialogue or image painted, if we choose to do the work the writer intended. Phrases like “I couldn’t put it down,” or “page turner” are familiar to all of us who have been fortunate to get our hands on great books.

These works also tend to have a lasting impact in that their messages and images penetrate deeply, due to the active role the reader must play.

Perhaps a picture does not always paint 1,000 words, and the words found in books allow us to paint more masterful pictures in our hearts and minds.

EXERCISE

Consider reading the book upon which a current film has been made, either before or after attending a screening.

Determine which you enjoyed the most, or felt had the greatest impact.

“Broken Crayons Still Color.”

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Barry

“Broken Crayons Still Color.”

—Author Unknown

Photo from Flickr by Nicholas Noyes

I remember receiving, as a child, a brand new box of Crayola Crayons – one with 64 colors in a flip-top box with that super-special sharpening tool built into the back.

Once I began my work as a burgeoning artist, I noticed that my favorite crayons – the colors I was most drawn to – would quickly become shorter than the others. Sometimes they would break, due to my zealous artistic efforts.

Later, if I wanted to use my favorites, I had to search for the stubby remnants of years past in an old cigar box that once belonged to my grandfather, Papa Lu-Lu.

EXERCISE:

What are the metaphorical crayons you work with each day? How can your daily efforts and practices with these qualities and skills continue to help you generate a beautiful, colorful professional and personal life?

“Yesterday is but…”

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Barry

“Yesterday is but today’s memories, and tomorrow is today’s dream.”

— Khalil Gibran, 20th century Lebanese artist, poet, and writer

#687-01

The human mind is a wonderful thing. It can be a calculator when it is in analytic mode, and it can also venture into wondrous arenas of creativity and innovation. The mind also has the ability to travel back and forth in time, from the beginning of the universe to the end of time.

EXERCISE:

How can you tap into the wondrous power of your mind to learn from the past, enjoy the experiences of today, and venture into the possibilities of the future? Consider doing this exercise with others within your professional and personal communities to explore what will likely be an even more remarkable experience.

“Criticize by Creating.”

Posted on December 4, 2014 by Barry

“Criticize by Creating.”

— Michelangelo

Photo from Flickr by Nathan Rupert

We have all heard the phrase “if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Though we may not share our criticisms verbally, they are still heard loud and clear by our inner selves, and perhaps are observed by others through facial expressions and body language.

Michelangelo coaches us to mobilize our creativity to improve a situation rather than sitting in judgement of the situation. This simple idea is critical in the business world in that our leaders and managers are looking for optimistic, “can-do” people to forward their organizations, not negative “the-glass-is-half-empty” people who rain on other people’s parades.

EXERCISE:

How supportive or critical are your thoughts? Pay close attention today. Should you notice the dark side emerging more often than you desire, ask yourself what creative action you can take to move things in a better direction. Don’t be surprised if engaging your creativity gets you noticed by others and has others around you holding you in higher regard!

“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Barry

“A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.”

– Frank Capra, American Film Director

Photo from Flickr by Dania J

Do you have them? Hunches, that is.

Sometimes they are called intuition, instincts, gut feelings, or inklings.

For some reason, almost everyone has them, but they tend to be elusive in our ability to harvest them at will.

Over the last decade or two, the subject of creativity and non-linear thinking has gotten considerable attention, particularly in our ability to harness it to fuel the economic engines of business.

All you have to do is generate your own list of the most innovative and creative companies that have become mega stars and economic powerhouses.

EXERCISE:

How can you bolster your own capacity to tap into your own hunches to further develop your own creativity muscle to enhance your personal and professional worlds?

Two books I recommend on this subject are:
A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink
Blink by Malcom Gladwell

Feel free to reply to this message to share some of your own favorite hunch-expanding ideas and resources.

“Great minds like a think.”

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Barry

“Great minds like a think.”

– The Economist

Image from The Economist

Based on research from the Jenkins Group, one-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. 42% of college graduates never read another book after college, and 80% of families did not buy or read a book last year.

Great minds, like great bodies, need exercise. Reading and thinking about new ideas is like doing cerebral sit-ups, toning our cores to have those six-pack abs we desire.

Exercise:

How will you exercise your mental muscles in the coming days, weeks, and years ahead to avoid the atrophy of the mind?

Consider taking the “use it or lose it” mental fitness challenge in Episode 10 of Brain Games, from National Geographic.

#104: “Rules and models destroy genius and art.”

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Barry

– William Hazlitt, writer

Many historic thinkers have explored left-brain versus right-brain thinking. Modern-day thinkers often refer to the concept of linear or analytical thinking versus quantum or non-linear thought.

Whatever you call the two types, they are both highly useful and have their place in making the world work. As a business coach, I see many great examples where procedures and systems increase profits. Six Sigma, Kaizen and other quality initiatives are widely used in organizations today.

Yet when we overuse procedures to manage the abilities of people, we often diminish their ability to act, think and create.

Exercise:

Where do rules in your professional and personal life serve you well, and where do they limit your creativity and genius?

How will you find the right balance?

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#90: “Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.”

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Barry

– Edward de Bono, doctor and author

Years ago, I read A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. The premise of this book was based on the importance and value of right-brain/non-linear thinking. Pink pointed to some of the critical limiting factors related to left-brain or linear thinking: the value of this type of thinking has been decreased due to the advent of technology.

Exercise:

How much of your day do you spend on right-brain versus left-brain activities?

How can you break some of your established patterns and look at your world differently, to develop your creative mind?

Quotes are posted on The Quotable Coach a week after being sent out by email. To get the latest quotes straight to your inbox, pop your details in the sidebar to the right.