Tag Archives: growth

Growth and comfort seldom ride the same horse

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“Growth and comfort seldom ride the same horse.”

—Author Unknown

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Image from Flickr by Montgomery County Planning Commission

When I was a small boy, I went to a carnival where I had the opportunity to ride a pony.  The initial aspect of walking in a circle at a slow pace was enjoyable – however, I found that my bottom got a bit of a jolt when we worked our way up to a trot!

At the start of a new year, very few of us wish to kick things off at a walking pace. Our goals are far more ambitious – and we must gallop forward to reach them with urgency.

Today’s quote suggests that we be prepared for a rough and sometimes bumpy ride to reach our destination before the setting sun.

Exercise:

Identify between two and three primary goals you have for 2014 where you are fully prepared for the possibility of a rough ride.

Share these goals with a coach, mentor, colleague or family member who will support your efforts to reach your destination.

From the Inside

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“If an egg is broken by outside force, life ends. If broken by inside force, life begins. Great things always begin from inside.”

– Jim Kwik, learning expert

Image from Flickr by Nathan Unstead

Image from Flickr by Nathan Unstead

In many ways, the coaching process can be compared to helping individuals or organizations come out of their shells.

Just as a bird forces itself to emerge from its shell, the coaching process, with its powerful questions, taps into the power of people’s commitments to help them break free of the confines of their own limits.

Exercise:

Select one area of your life today where you plan to break out of your current constraints, to spread your wings and fly.

Press reply and let me know what happens.

“One can choose to go back toward safety, or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”

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“One can choose to go back toward safety, or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”

– Abraham Maslow, psychologist

What would you do today if you were laid off from your job unexpectedly? Most of us would be jolted from our experience of relative stability into full alert, maybe even panic.

On the other hand, what if each morning, you had a new job or career, where you got to lead and influence your day? What new results and difference could you make? It’s up to you to pursue safety or growth, courage or fear. Your choice!

Exercise:

As you go throughout your day, reflect on the following thoughts:

Faced with X, I usually do Y. Instead, I’m going to choose Z which will support my growth.

Consider writing me back and let me know what “Z”s you took.

#112: “One’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.”

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– Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr, doctor and writer

Yesterday I attended a barbeque with friends and family. My father, at age 85, attended, as did a little three-and-a-half year old boy named Luka. Luka enrolled my dad and others into playing baseball.

I actually got to see Luka’s mind and abilities expand over the hours – resulting in significant pleasure and joy for everyone there.

Exercise:

How have you embraced the pleasure and joy of learning for yourself, and expanded your world?

What ideas do you have to share with others, to expand their worlds too?

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.

#101: “Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or nation.”

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– Oscar Wilde, writer and poet

This quote seems a bit contrary to the idea of being happy with who you are and what you have, and living in the present. It does, however, point to a significant driving force for most of us – namely, the desire for growth and progress.

Exercise:

Where in your professional and personal life do you experience dissatisfaction or discontent? Which of these areas can be influenced and improved through your efforts?

Select one or two of these and make the needed changes to realize the progress you desire.

Find a coach or an accountability partner to help increase your chances of success.

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.

#42: “There is nothing noble in being superior to some other person…”

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“…The true nobility is in being superior to your previous self.”

– Hindu Proverb

We live in a competitive world. Just look at sports, politics, even war. We seem hell-bent on defeating others, even to the point of death.

Rarely is there any nobility in this. Is it noble to stand over your vanquished foe and think I’m better than you, I’m a winner, and you’re a loser?

This proverb suggests that there is honor in rising above our primary adversary, ourselves – to be smarter, stronger, more courageous, and more loving. The effort to rise above our previous, more limited, self is noble and no-one is made smaller through the process.

Exercise:

In what areas of your life are you committed to becoming superior to your previous self?

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.

#41: “If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher…”

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“…I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.”

– Confucius, Chinese philosopher

I have a passion for learning and personal growth. My personal antenna and receiver are often on high alert to the knowledge, wisdom and behavior of others.

One of my favorite questions to ask coaching clients is “how would you describe your best future self?” If they are unclear about the meaning of this question, I often suggest that they identify the qualities of the people they admire – such as integrity, courage, loyalty, and enthusiasm. They can also identify the qualities that they least admire – such as greed, dishonesty, arrogance, and pessimism.

Exercise:

Who are the people that can help you discover and develop your best future self? What are their qualities (good or bad)?

Where can you begin your future journey today?

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.

grow with ease

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“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

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?