Greetings!
Our actions are a function of our beliefs, habits, inclinations and ideas. How are they working for you?
|
Cirrhosis of the brain
You gotta be shedding me!
| Cirrhosis is normally thought of as a liver disease, marked by degeneration of cells, inflammation and fibrous thickening of cells leading to scarring - effectively, hardening of the liver. If you have had hepatitis or drink too much alcohol, you are at risk. Hepatic drinkers...good luck!
What about cirrhosis of the brain? Its a fake disease, at least in medical terms. I made up the term, so sue me. Brains are like like garages and closets - they accumulate stuff, some of it useful, some of it not so useful.
Brains are interesting organs - they take in and store everything, EVERYTHING, but do not determine between things that are true vs. things that are false or vividly imagined or ardently believed, regardless of the evidence. They just store everything without objective judgement - not terribly helpful sometimes. The more we think about something, the more real we make it, true or not.
Closets are full of clothes that no longer fit, stuff we bought on sale that seemed like a good idea at the time (think gold plaid sports coat, but it sure was cheap!) but now would not be caught dead wearing. Or old stuff that looked good in its time, but just not worn anymore, frayed around the edges, or a stain that the dry cleaner couldn't get out. Garages and basements are full of old stuff that we are hanging on to because, well, because we can, junky and useless as it is. Brains are full of ideas and beliefs that, maybe at one time were useful, even productive, but not so much anymore. And maybe some of that stuff was never real, useful or productive, stuff that is holding you back, taking up space, taking you off-track, crowding out the possibility of new ideas, new beliefs, new actions, new successes.
Not moving forward the way you want to? Why so? OK, lets call it what it is: fear, er, F.E.A.R.:
F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real
As with closets and garages, brains sometimes need cleaning out. Gotta shed some of those beliefs and behaviors, false evidence that is not real or functional, never was, that is holding you back. It's just baggage that is slowing down the trip. The brain baggage we are walking around with includes everything from beliefs and practices that maybe were, at one time, valid but which have now outlived their usefulness. The other part of that baggage is misinformation and misconceptions that we've accepted, come to believe, maybe even embraced without much thought or objective evaluation.
I like the book by my fellow coach and long-distance mentor Marshall Goldsmith - What Got You Here Won't Get You There . Its a fantastic book, all about shedding obsolete beliefs and ideas, finding new ones that are true, desirable, relevant and useful. Oftentimes in coaching, that is what we talk about - what's going on in your brain that is no longer valid, beliefs that are holding you back, ideas that are not grounded in reality, false evidence appearing real. The challenge is that, obsolete as these beliefs are, they're real, at least that to the degree that we believe something, we make it real. It depends upon what your definition of is is.
Today, take a moment and think about a place in your life where you are not progressing, something important to you, and evaluate the beliefs that got you to this place. Reassess their validity and make a conscious decision as to whether they are true or not. If they're true, keep them and develop some new action steps. If they're not true - SHED THEM!
Contact me to talk about what you need to work on, things that are no longer serving you, new possibilities. I look forward to working with you on it.
|
|
At the end of the week, it will be Friday, part 2 of 3.
In April, we started talking about Friday actions and proposed part 1. This month is part 2 - a new action that will end your week on a high note.
Make note of what you believe were your three greatest accomplishments over the past week. Embrace the sense of satisfaction and positive emotion associated with getting these important things done. Interrelate this habit with Habit #1 (see last month's newsletter (4/26/11) - was there anyone who contributed significantly to your three greatest achievements? Follow up and reach out to those people with a word of thanks. Contact me at Larry Hayes Partners and tell me how that went. I'll report back to you in next month's newsletter some success stories.
|
|
| Why should you have a coach?
The CEO of Google says so
| |
"Everybody requires a coach. Every famous athlete, every famous performer has someone who is their coach - someone who can ask 'Is that what you really mean?' and provide them perspective. The thing individuals are not necessarily proficient at is seeing themselves as others see them. A coach really, really helps." - Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google
As a very successful CEO, why would someone like Eric Schmidt claim that he requires a coach and thus, why would you? I see executives every day who make incredible strides forward toward their goals by using a professional coach. Their jobs are inspiring, and I am honored to be their partner to make those strides. But a number of you might still wonder what a coach could do for you personally and why you need to invest in a coach for yourself.
Over the next few newsletters, we'll list the top 10 reasons to have a coach. Our February newsletter included #1 and #2, March was #3 and #4. April was #5 and #6. (Doing the math here...) This month is #7 and #8.
7. Your coach supports you in becoming responsible for following through on your biggest priorities. When you are undertaking new behaviors, types of communicating or other changes to long-established habits, your coach is your partner to make your chosen new habits stick, and foreseeing and addressing obstacles to change.
8. Your coach provides disciplined self-reflection on what you do and where you are going. You have structured time to reflect and plan about the whole you - job, company, family, relationships, community, spirituality, your overall happiness and fulfillment, how well you're progressing toward your main goals - and what is truly going to permit you to grow as a leader and as a person.
Next month will be #9 and #10.
|
A notable quote...
"Let your thoughts be positive for they will become your words. Let your words be positive for they will become your actions. Let your actions become positive for they will become your values. Let your values be positive for they will become your destiny." ... Mohandas Gandhi, the Mahatma |
|
| Professor Cow's Foot rides again!
They laughed! They cried! It was better than CATS!
| In early May we sent an extra newsletter, entitled Professor Cow's Foot, in honor and recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week. I have 629 active readers of my newsletter; in a normal month I receive about 20-25 comments back. Professor Cow's Foot garnered a record 163 comments! Wow! It seems that we struck a chord. The feedback I read from my readers was overwhelming - oh, the teacher's they must have had! To a person, my feedbackers (is that a word?) regaled me with stories of the excellent teachers they had, math and language and history and music, oh my! But it didn't stop there - notwithstanding the academics, my readers told me about the life lessons they learned, the problems they solved, the support they received - all as a benefit of their teachers.
In these days of education budget cutting - remember your fantastic teachers and vote to keep them employed and well-paid! Without them, we are in big trouble as a community and as a nation.
OK, enough politics, but not too late to share stories. Email me with your recollections of super experiences with your teachers. I look forward to hearing from you.
|
|
Who We AreLarry Hayes Partners, LLC is a Coaching organization, working with private and corporate clients in the areas of Leadership Development and Business Development. We work with leadership teams, high potential talent, and sales people and teams to help them clearly define goals for growth and change, develop action plans, anticipate and work through obstacles, implement actions and measure results. Additionally we are available to do keynote presentations at meetings and conferences, and facilitate offsite meetings. If it is time for you or someone in your organization to work on new goals and change, contact us. Our first session is complimentary. You can see more on our website: Larry Hayes Partners
Sincerely,
Larry Hayes, CPC
Executive Coach and President
Larry Hayes Partners, LLC
 
|
|
|
|
