Posts Tagged ‘Action’

All Too Well

Friday, October 21st, 2011

In the past two days, I have heard a couple of really gifted speakers address a large group of sales professionals. It is amazing how we can hear the same message over and over and still enjoy hearing it.

Sure there are some different approaches and styles of delivering the message and that is OK. But when you boil it all down, the things we must do to advance ourselves or make improvements of any kind are already in us. Still, we need these reminder messages because the truth is that we often don’t really need new messages but we would be wise to let our ears and our hearts be open to old messages.

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Where Knowledge Fails

Tuesday, September 20th, 2011

We esteem knowledge as a culture. Certainly there is a time to acquire more knowledge, particularly if you are in a season of learning a craft or going to school for a particular trade. There are many situations in which pursuing a higher understanding of something is a very positive thing.

Today, I wish to accentuate a negative one.

I have found it to be true in the lives of many of my clients (and in my own life) that just because I know something about a particular topic does not necessarily mean that I am acting upon that knowledge. In fact, knowledge can be the enemy.

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Peace in Opposites

Friday, September 9th, 2011

I love a good paradox. Two seemingly opposite concepts that are equally true. Perhaps the reason I like them is because they can make sense out of our world that seems to buy into extremes.

Today, I simply want to lay out a paradox for you to consider. You can choose to embrace it or ignore it.

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Just Change

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

I often shake my head in dismay when I hear a thought leader, author, or coach who claims that all we need to do to have success is to change. That’s all. Just change.

Change your mind. Change your habits. Change the way you think. As if there is such simplicity to it.

Even stranger, perhaps, is when people buy into it. They buy the book or the tape or attend the seminar that has such a simple and appealing message. If you could just change, the implication is that you could have overnight success, money, or whatever snake oil people are selling.

Here’s the trick: they are right. We absolutely need to change.

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Get Physical

Friday, August 19th, 2011

It’s like a recurring dream. I continue to coach people on the importance of staying fit and in shape. The strange thing is that the people I am coaching are almost always crystal clear on the concept, and yet still fail in the area of health.

We KNOW the benefits of staying healthy: better sleep, better thinking, better endurance, better decision making, better everything! How about less stress? Fewer illnesses? I could quote doctors and articles and research galore. But what a waste of time.

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Swings

Friday, August 12th, 2011

I find myself searching for the appropriate adjective to describe the professional scene these days for so many of my clients. “Volatile” just doesn’t cut it anymore. The extremes of the marketplace have many people reeling, and this may be the perfect time to practice high emotional intelligence.

We cannot deny that our emotions play a crucial role in our ability to take action. Thus, when times are precarious and unpredictable, we often allow our actions to swing high and low.

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