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June 10th, 2010
By Guest Blogger and iPEC Trainer, Alan Cohen
I was relaxing last Sunday morning and happened to catch a bit of the men’s final of the French Open. As a tennis fan, it was great to see one of the greats in Rafael Nadal back at the top of his game. (For your information in case you’re not a tennis fan, Nadal won his fifth French Open title, and his seventh Grand Slam overall.)
But more than it being great to see him back at the top, I got to thinking about him as an athlete and a person. Tennis is a game that requires unbelievable balance. So much of the game is getting your opponent out of position and off balance. In fact, if you ever take a little bit of time and watch the top players play, you’ll certainly be able to see what I mean. Players who are off-balance, trying to hit a shot, rarely succeed in their efforts.
There are so many features of a good, balanced shot in tennis. Just look at the photo of Nadal’s backhand. His feet provide the base for his shot. This is where every shot is made or lost. With feet in the wrong place, other parts of his body will have to make up for the un-balance.
Just like the legs provide the base, the same metaphor works in life. We get to choose where our feet are, what our base is like. A lot is written about work/life balance, and that’s all well and good, but the biggest key is simply understanding where you want your life to be. You have to understand what your base is and build from there.
In the last year, not only was Nadal battling injuries, but his family life was falling apart (his parents got a divorce). He struggled to find balance in his life and in his tournament schedule. But he’s back. He made a choice.
What about you? What choices are your facing that could help you find balance in your life?
Alan Cohen
Acts of Balance, Inc.
Executive Coaching and Public Relations Consulting
www.actsofbalance.com
Tags: Balance, change, coach training, motivation, success
Posted in Coaching and Coach Training
1 Comment »
February 15th, 2010
Today we celebrate Washington’s Birthday, also commonly known as Presidents Day. What a great day to recognize our first president, George Washington, and, while we are at it, recognize all those Chief Executives who came after him. While we may not always agree with some of their politics, they have often inspired and motivated us with their powerful words.
Here are a few great quotes from past presidents upon which to reflect.
George Washington: “A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends.”
Here Washington is speaking about integrity, knowing yourself and what you stand for, and then making decisions, presenting yourself, and acting upon those beliefs. Integrity is perhaps best demonstrated when the leader has become the message, and is not simply the messenger — meaning they truly “walk the walk.”
Abraham Lincoln: “Good things may come to those who wait, but only those things left behind by those who hustle.”
Great leaders know that progress cannot continue until decisions are made. They get clear on their decision making criteria, consciously walk through their decision making process, and know how to balance the need for more information with the opportunity that could be lost by delaying the decision.
Harry Truman… “The buck stops here.”
A lesson in responsibility: Leaders take responsibility for their own actions, and hold themselves accountable. They aren’t about finger-pointing, and they are clear about their role in every decision and issue. They “own” their part.
Ronald Reagan: “Trust but verify.”
A lesson in accountability: Accountability is not “looking over someone’s shoulder” because you don’t trust them. In ensuring that all’s been done according to plan, you can move forward to what’s next. If there’s trust, it means there’s no reason you can’t hold someone accountable, nor should they mind. They actually will view it as someone looking to support them in making sure they have followed through
with plan and purpose.
And remember, you don’t have to be a President to be a leader. A leader is the individual in an interaction who knowingly or unknowingly creates the greater influence on the other person. It’s not about whether you are a leader, it is about how well you lead! What kind of leader do you want to be?
Happy President’s Day!
Tags: become a coach, leadership, motivation, President's Day, workforce engagement
Posted in Current Affairs, Energy Leadership, Life Potentials
2 Comments »
April 20th, 2009
by Liz Fisch, VP of Academic Affairs
Spring is here – and it’s time for baseball. Though I have to admit that my favorite baseball games are those that my son plays in, I’m surrounded by die-hard Yankee fans at home and at work (and Bruce, who loves the Mets), and so, I follow Major League Baseball a bit and enjoy watching some games.
This year, I’ve been fascinated by Nick Swisher’s story. In a nutshell, for those of you who don’t know it, he was a 2002 first-round draft pick who came to the majors to play with the Oakland A’s in 2004 and then was traded to the White Sox. He had a pretty dismal year in 2008, and then came to the Yankees this year – and he is doing incredibly well.
So what happened in between last season and this one? Nick went home to his father’s house in West Virginia and got back to basics. He trained in a local gym, lifting weights and doing drills. He hit in a makeshift batting cage, and worked on regaining his swing.
Why? He made a choice. Look at some of the things he has to say:
“I got knocked down last year. You’ve got one of two choices: Get back up or you can stay down. I chose to get back up. I’ve been blessed to be put in such a wonderful situation to be over here, just to learn from these guys and to get that passion and flavor back into the game. I’m just really, really excited to be part of it.”
“That was really all the battle for me. Just believing in what I was doing.”
“I have my passion back. Somewhere along the line, I lost it.”
Making a choice to get back in the game (literally in this case) and believing in yourself and what you’re doing…what great lessons for the game of life from the game of baseball!
What game do you want to get back into? Is it time to put a spark back into your career/business? Your relationships? Your own enjoyment? What is it? It’s easy to lose that spark right now with stressful situations and seemingly difficult circumstances all around… but maybe this is the PERFECT opportunity to shed what’s not working for you and reinvest your time, energy, and effort into the areas of your life and work that have always meant so much to you.
I’m inspired by Nick – how about you?
To read more about Nick’s story, click here.
Tags: baseball, inspiration, motivation, Nick Swisher, personal achievement, self-improvement, Yankees
Posted in Coaching and Coach Training, Current Affairs, Uncategorized
39 Comments »
April 11th, 2009
by Michelle Kunz, Admissions/Career Coach and DC School Director
On a recent E-Factor call, iPEC founder Bruce D Schneider touched on a very timely topic for those of us who feel impacted by recent changes in the economy. He talked about how we define security.
Many of us have been taught to look outside of ourselves for security: find a great job, get into a great relationship, save a certain amount for retirement, get a great education, build this or that which will guarantee an outcome now or later. We feel secure when we have those “details” in place. As a result, when certain events change the details, our security can be shaken or even crumble.
Like any value, security is something we can choose to define for ourselves. We can choose to redefine what security means so that we become the source of our own security – instead of basing it on external details over which we have no control. When we are the CAUSE of our security, only we control whether we feel secure. When something else is at the CAUSE of our security, our security is reduced to an EFFECT of that cause.
As iPEC coaches, we have the unique opportunity to redefine security not only for ourselves, but also to support our clients in redefining what that means to them, whether that client is an organization or an individual. Once we help them reframe security such that they see themselves as the CAUSE rather than the EFFECT, they feel empowered, energized, and engaged. This is the shift our world is looking for right now.
Where are you putting your security in the hands of others? How can you reclaim that security and redefine it such that you are the cause? How will you feel when you have accomplished that?
To listen to the E-Factor show referenced in this post, “Overcoming the Fear of Recession,” click here.
Tags: cause and effect, coach, coach training, economy, life coach, motivation, new perspective, recession, security, values
Posted in Coaching and Coach Training, Current Affairs, Energy Leadership, Uncategorized
4 Comments »
October 16th, 2008
iPEC is a group of truly amazing people, and I’d like for you to get to know them better so that they can inspire you and enrich your life as they do mine. So there will be a “guest” writer on this blog from time to time. Today’s guest is Evie DiPiazza. You can read more about Evie, and all of the iPEC family, at http://www.ipeccoaching.com/about-coaching/about-life-coaching-team.html. - BDS
In Don Miguel Ruiz’ book, “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” he exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. The book is full of grace and simple truths that all of us might benefit from choosing to implement.
One of the Agreements, “Don’t Take Anything Personally,” is a practice I am choosing to embrace.
As I ponder the instances where I take things personally, the reaction, the energy and time wasted it costs me, I began to realize that other people’s choices have no place in my life. What others say or do is not because of me. What they say and do is a reflection of how they are responding to the universe. It is the reality they are creating and choosing to live. I don’t have to buy into their reality; I may choose to live my own life.
By choosing to become immune from the opinions, reactions and words of others, I stay grounded and moving forward.
How might choosing to not take anything personally support you today?
Evie
Tags: choice, coach, coaching, corporate coach training, life coach, motivation, power of choice, self-discipline, training
Posted in Books, Business Development, Coaching and Coach Training, Current Affairs, Energy Leadership, Law of Being, Life Potentials, Training Programs
3 Comments »
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