Personal Development :: Courageous Voices

How Many Mind Readers Do You Know?

by Edie Galley

March 25th, 2011

Today we have more ways than ever to communicate, but does that mean we are really communicating what we want?

The other day I got a text from a friend that I thought was cute but I didn’t quite understand it. When I responded letting them know I didn’t, their response was “oh it’s nothing”. That was the end of the conversation. Quite some time later we happened to speak on the phone and they told me, with obvious disappointment, they had wanted me to call them and thought I would get that from the text.

Really? Now, if they had texted, “hey can you give me a call?” I would have in a heartbeat and been excited about it. If for some reason I was busy I would have let them know when I could call. Instead, I didn’t know what they wanted; they felt let down and ultimately did not get what they really wanted.

NOW, I know I have been guilty of this very same thing, expecting someone to know what I want.

How about you have you ever thought..

Why did s/he hire them and not me, s/he knows I do that?
Why aren’t they doing business with me, they know I ……?
Why don’t they call, they know…..
Why didn’t my boss give me that assignment, they know….
Why didn’t my kid …., they know…

Do they know….Do they really know what you want or need or are you expecting them to read your mind?

Are you asking for what you really want?

Categories Beliefs, Coaching, Courage, Inspiration, Personal Development, Relationships

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Do You Have the Courage to “Strikeout”?

by Edie Galley

March 10th, 2011

You gotta be willing to strikeout if you want to hit home runs.

Have you ever seen someone doing something successfully and thought, I want to do that? How many people want to be Oprah?

But how many times do you give something a try only to hit a few strikes and decide it is not for you?
Or maybe you decide even before you try, you know it is not for you because (fill in the blank).

Have you ever asked Steven Spielberg or Tom Brady how many times they struck out? We often see the results and miss the process.

Fear of not being good enough, not doing or knowing the right thing, not (fill in the blank) keeps us from trying so many things in our lives.

What would you do if you knew striking out did not matter?

(Steven Spielberg applied to University of Southern California, School of Film three times and was not admitted. Tom Brady was a sixth round draft pick, the 199th player picked in the 2000 draft. Not exactly home run starts.)

Categories Coaching, Courage, Goals, Inspiration, Personal Development

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Quotes – Could They Be Holding You Back?

by Edie Galley

March 3rd, 2011

I love quotes. I save them, I use them in writing, I tweet them, post them on facebook, and send them to friends. A good quote can touch you deeply and inspire you.

At seminars I often see people voraciously writing them down as the speaker shares them. People devour them. Quotes allow people to live on forever, think of Martin Luther King or Aristotle. A good quote can enlighten, empower and motivate you.

Could a quote have the opposite effect? Could a quote disempower you and hold you back?

Two come to mind for me. One I blogged about before, “don’t get too big for your britches.” A new one recently came up that I heard many times growing up “girls are to be seen and not heard.”

A quote can become a belief which is a part of what makes them so powerful. Can you imagine how this quote, now a deeply held belief affected me?

How about you, do you have any quotes that have disempowered or held you back?

Categories Coaching, Courage, Inspiration, Personal Development, Success

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What Do You Think Would Happen If You Just Didn’t JUST?

by Edie Galley

February 16th, 2011

Imagine if you just didn’t say “just”. Could something so simple make a difference?

Yesterday, a colleague of mine, Carol, shared a story with me that was powerful and very helpful. When I thanked her, her response was, “Oh I am just passing on what I got from Joe.” You have probably used a response like this or heard it; it is a common response.

Consider what really happened. While attempting to credit the source, she didn’t receive the compliment; she devalued her efforts and the knowledge. Internally, her self-esteem also took a sub-conscious hit. Don’t get me wrong, crediting your source is admirable.

What if she said, “it is an honor to be able to share what I learned from Joe.”? That’s it; replace “I’m just” with “It is an honor”.

Now, the compliment is received, the efforts and the knowledge are valued and the source is still credited. Internally, her self-esteem grows.

So, what do you think would happen if you just didn’t say “Just”?

Categories Courage, Personal Development, Success

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One Degree…That Is All It Takes

by Edie Galley

September 8th, 2010

One Degree…That Is All It Takes

The difference that makes the difference? One degree that is all it takes.

One degree takes water from hot to boiling. Hot water can be useful, boiling water changed the world.

What appears to take unbelievable change or effort often does not. Losing weight, finding more clients, increasing your income, a better relationship, whatever your desire is, one degree of change can make all the difference in the world. It may look like it will take some Herculean effort but it is quite often the little changes that make the difference.

What one degree of change separates you from what you want?

Could it be an extra half hour of client calls, or exercise, or meditation? Or maybe one extra happy thought every morning, one less critical thought toward yourself, or one kind gesture toward a family member every day.

Imagine the possibilities…..How could one degree change your life?

Categories Coaching, Courage, Goals, Inspiration, Personal Development, Success

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