Wisdom from Maya Angelou

Tis' the season for wisdom from famous people. Last week, we had ten lessons from Steve Jobs. This week, we feature eleven lessons from Maya Angelou, an American autobiographer and poet extraordinaire.
In April, Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday. Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. She talked about it as exciting and amusing, especially all the physical changes which seemed to be occurring day. The audience laughed so hard they cried as she talked about the different parts of her body which were sagging in a seeming race to her waist. She is a plain-spoken and honest woman, with much wisdom in her words. Consider these life lessons:

1. I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.
2. I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
3. I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.
4. I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as making a life.
5. I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.
6. I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back.
7. I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.
8. I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.
9. I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug or just a friendly pat on the back.
10. I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
11. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Coaching Inquiries: How do you make people feel? What would people learn about you by watching how you handle a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights? What would it take for you to start making a life? How could that be more wonderful and life-giving?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Lessons from Steve Jobs

One of my clients recently alerted me to an article titled "10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs." I encourage you to read the whole article. For this high-level summary, I give you the ten quotes from Steve Jobs, co-founder and CEO of Apple Computers, around which the article is written. Enjoy!

1. "Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."
2. "Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected."
3. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."
4. "You know, we don't grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved… I mean, we're constantly taking things. It's a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge."
5. "There's a phrase in Buddhism, 'Beginner's mind.' It's wonderful to have a beginner's mind."
6. "We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on."
7. "I'm the only person I know that's lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It's very character-building."
8. "I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates."
9. "We're here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?"
10. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Coaching Inquiries: Which of these lessons speak most powerfully to you and your situation? Of everyone who has ever lived, who would you like to spend the afternoon with? What questions would you ask? What truth would you contemplate? How can you follow your heart and intuition more fully?

We invite you to Contact Us using our Feedback Form if you are interested in learning more about LifeTrek Coaching or participating in our Evocative Coach Training Program.

Persistence Matters

Laser Provision: The military has a term for what happens when priorities and planning go awry: OBE -- Overtaken By Events. John Lennon put it this way: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." We all know that feeling and experience. It is universal because no one controls life. But we can control our response to life. Do we quit or do we persist? Do we give up or do we hang on? Although it doesn't help to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results, it also doesn't help to stop looking for alternative approaches and goals. With lots of engaging quotes from notable leaders, this Provision shows you how. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What kind of mindset do you take in life and work? Would you describe yourself as more or less resilient? What brings out your resilience? What enables you to hang in there until you discover new possibilities and new ways forward? Who can be your persistence partner in whatever challenges you are facing?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.

Priorities Matter

Laser Provision: What things do you spend most of your time on? If you are like most people, you spend most of your time reacting to crises, deadlines, and pressing problems. No one gets away from such matters completely, but great leaders learn both how to set priorities and how to organize and execute around priorities. By taking a proactive stance in life and work we are better able to generate vision, perspective, balance, discipline, and control. We have fewer crises because we plan ahead. If that sounds like the third habit of highly successful people, then you're on to me! I hope you enjoy the Provision. Read entire Provision...

Coaching Inquiries: What kinds of activities do you spend your time on? How much time gets spent in Quadrant 2 activities? What rituals could you develop to help you get in that Quadrant more frequently? How could you get started today? Who could you talk with to identify the possibilities?

To reply to this Provision, use our Feedback Form. To talk with us about coaching or consulting services for yourself or your organization, use our Contact for Coaching Form to arrange for a complimentary conversation.