News
No new updates for this week.
Quote
“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”
-Robert Frost
My Thoughts
Oftentimes in life people seem to think that their problems are so big, or so unique to them, that they appear impossible to overcome. In many cases it can lead to people giving up there dreams. In some cases it can lead to depression, alcohol/drug abuse, etc.. Sometimes it can lead someone to choose to commit suicide.
Based on how you view your problems tends to determine the thoughts you receive related to solving the problem. Ex: This is too difficult, or I'll never be able to do this.
Another thing to look at is how you phrase the problem. Ex: I need to lose 30lbs, or I wish I could earn more money.
I recommend trying to put your problems into the form of a question (avoiding why questions).
For example:
Suppose I could solve this problem, what would I do?
Has someone else experienced this problem before? If so, what did they do?
I'd like to be more healthy, what are things I could do to accomplish this?
It would be great if I had more financial freedom, what could I do to move myself in that direction?
Then write down what thoughts come to you. Sometimes immediate solutions don't jump right out so spend some time thinking it over. I've also found that sometimes an answer will pop out when you are relaxed or your conscious mind is engaged in another activity (ex: taking a shower, watching a concert, etc..)
The other thing I encourage you to do is put your problem in perspective.
Is getting fired from your job the end of the world? It may seem like it at first, but do you still have a roof over your head? If the answer to that is yes then you are doing okay, if the answer is no, then do you have the potential to earn income? The answer to that question for the overwhelming majority of people is yes.
These are the strategies that I use when dealing with problems that seem overwhelming at first. I hope that they can provide some help to you as well.
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label questions. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Saved by a Fish
News
No new updates for this week.
Instead of sharing a quote and my thoughts this week, I'd like to share a story I read on Paulo Coelho's blog.
I encourage you to spend time reflecting on the meaning of this story.
Story
Nasrudin is walking past a cave when he sees a yogi, deep in meditation, and he asks the yogi what he is searching for. The yogi says:
‘I study the animals and have learned many lessons from them that can transform a man’s life.’
‘A fish once saved my life,’ Nasrudin replies. ‘If you teach me everything you know, I will tell you how it happened.’
The Yogi is astonished; only a holy man could be saved by a fish. And he decides to teach Nasrudin everything he knows.
When he has finished, he says to Nasrudin:
‘Now that I have taught you everything, I would be proud to know how a fish saved your life.’
‘Very simple,’ says Nasrudin, ‘I was almost dying of hunger when I caught it and, thanks to that fish, I had enough food for three days.’
No new updates for this week.
Instead of sharing a quote and my thoughts this week, I'd like to share a story I read on Paulo Coelho's blog.
I encourage you to spend time reflecting on the meaning of this story.
Story
Nasrudin is walking past a cave when he sees a yogi, deep in meditation, and he asks the yogi what he is searching for. The yogi says:
‘I study the animals and have learned many lessons from them that can transform a man’s life.’
‘A fish once saved my life,’ Nasrudin replies. ‘If you teach me everything you know, I will tell you how it happened.’
The Yogi is astonished; only a holy man could be saved by a fish. And he decides to teach Nasrudin everything he knows.
When he has finished, he says to Nasrudin:
‘Now that I have taught you everything, I would be proud to know how a fish saved your life.’
‘Very simple,’ says Nasrudin, ‘I was almost dying of hunger when I caught it and, thanks to that fish, I had enough food for three days.’
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Why We Are Here
News
No new updates for this week.
Instead of sharing a quote and my thoughts this week, I have decided to share this story with you.
Story
Why We Are Here
by Idries Shah
Walking one evening along a deserted road, Mulla Nasrudin saw a troop of horsemen coming towards him. His imagination started to work; he saw himself captured and sold as a slave, or impressed into the army.
Nasrudin bolted, climbed a wall into a graveyard, and lay down in an open tomb. Puzzled at his strange behaviour, the men - honest travelers - followed him. They found him stretched out, tense and quivering.
"What are you doing in that grave? We saw you run away. Can we help you?"
"Just because you can ask a question does not mean that there is a straightforward answer to it," said the Mulla, who now realized what had happened.
"It all depends on your viewpoint. If you must know, however: I am here because of you, and you are here because of me."
No new updates for this week.
Instead of sharing a quote and my thoughts this week, I have decided to share this story with you.
Story
Why We Are Here
by Idries Shah
Walking one evening along a deserted road, Mulla Nasrudin saw a troop of horsemen coming towards him. His imagination started to work; he saw himself captured and sold as a slave, or impressed into the army.
Nasrudin bolted, climbed a wall into a graveyard, and lay down in an open tomb. Puzzled at his strange behaviour, the men - honest travelers - followed him. They found him stretched out, tense and quivering.
"What are you doing in that grave? We saw you run away. Can we help you?"
"Just because you can ask a question does not mean that there is a straightforward answer to it," said the Mulla, who now realized what had happened.
"It all depends on your viewpoint. If you must know, however: I am here because of you, and you are here because of me."
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Introspection
News
No new updates for this week.
Quote
"No one can give you better advice than yourself."
-Cicero
My Thoughts
What should I do with my life? Should I break up with him/her? Should I date him/her? Should I quit my job? Should I move to a different place? And this list could go on and on.
These are the types of questions I hear in coaching quite often. My answer is always the same.
I don't know. As a coach it is not my role to tell you what I think you should do with your life. You probably have enough people giving you advice already. One huge step to growth is making your own decisions and then taking responsibility for them. The answers you seek are within. You need to be willing to explore yourself to find these answers and then take action on them.
Incidentally, this is why CEOs and senior executives (most of them anyway) get paid a lot more than the average employee. It's for the decisions they have to make on a daily basis. One client I worked with was a senior executive in a large conglomerate. He informed me that almost everyday he had to make decisions that could cost his company millions of dollars and affect the lives of 100's of employees, and he had to make those decisions quickly.
People often ask how did I end up leaving such a great job a few years ago. Wasn't the decision hard to make? If I hadn't had training as a coach I think it would have been more difficult. I set a deadline for two weeks after I first heard about this opportunity. I told myself on that day I would definitely give a yes or no answer. I ended up making the decision three days later.
Then I didn't change my mind.
As a coach, I ask questions. Questions that many people could ask themselves but either they never set the time aside to ask themselves and/or they don't know exactly what to ask. Sometimes they may not want to face the answers that come up. As a coach, I also hold people accountable for the actions they say they will take.
I encourage you to set some time aside for introspection. I recommend at least one hour per week. Ideally that one hour would be continuous, uninterrupted time. Write down whatever answers come to you.
Here are just a few questions I recommend in no particular order:
- What are different ways in which you could approach this issue?
- What is it that you want to achieve?
- Where do you see yourself a year from now?
- What obstacles are holding you back at the moment?
- What action can you take on this matter?
No new updates for this week.
Quote
"No one can give you better advice than yourself."
-Cicero
My Thoughts
What should I do with my life? Should I break up with him/her? Should I date him/her? Should I quit my job? Should I move to a different place? And this list could go on and on.
These are the types of questions I hear in coaching quite often. My answer is always the same.
I don't know. As a coach it is not my role to tell you what I think you should do with your life. You probably have enough people giving you advice already. One huge step to growth is making your own decisions and then taking responsibility for them. The answers you seek are within. You need to be willing to explore yourself to find these answers and then take action on them.
Incidentally, this is why CEOs and senior executives (most of them anyway) get paid a lot more than the average employee. It's for the decisions they have to make on a daily basis. One client I worked with was a senior executive in a large conglomerate. He informed me that almost everyday he had to make decisions that could cost his company millions of dollars and affect the lives of 100's of employees, and he had to make those decisions quickly.
People often ask how did I end up leaving such a great job a few years ago. Wasn't the decision hard to make? If I hadn't had training as a coach I think it would have been more difficult. I set a deadline for two weeks after I first heard about this opportunity. I told myself on that day I would definitely give a yes or no answer. I ended up making the decision three days later.
Then I didn't change my mind.
As a coach, I ask questions. Questions that many people could ask themselves but either they never set the time aside to ask themselves and/or they don't know exactly what to ask. Sometimes they may not want to face the answers that come up. As a coach, I also hold people accountable for the actions they say they will take.
I encourage you to set some time aside for introspection. I recommend at least one hour per week. Ideally that one hour would be continuous, uninterrupted time. Write down whatever answers come to you.
Here are just a few questions I recommend in no particular order:
- What are different ways in which you could approach this issue?
- What is it that you want to achieve?
- Where do you see yourself a year from now?
- What obstacles are holding you back at the moment?
- What action can you take on this matter?
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