So… are you are teachable? I always thought I was but discovered through coaching that I really wasn’t. And… I’m still working on being teachable as I continue on my path in life.

Being teachable is the key component to growing and living a life filled with happiness and love. Actually the term teachable spirit is mentioned in the Bible. “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.” (Proverbs 9:9)

In an article I read recently, Sylvester Onyemalechi stated: everyone needs to be a teachable spirit to make progress. It takes wisdom to succeed. But, it takes a teachable spirit to gather wisdom.

When we were born, we had an incredible inner curiosity to learn and grow. From crawling to walking, talking, eating etc…. we absorbed all of life’s lessons our parents taught us.

We had an inner zest for life and were encouraged by our parents to experience new learning’s that crossed our paths. We may have shed a few tears not knowing what we did wrong when corrected by our parents when we tore into things or broke a few items while exploring our environments. I’m sure I had my fair share of spankings for getting into things I was not supposed to. Can you relate or remember those days?

To me, it’s this childlike yearning to learn that we seem to lose as we mature in life. That curiosity seems to fade for some of us. We hit a wall where we get comfortable with the knowledge we have learned and stop being teachable.

How often do you meet up with “know it alls” in your daily activities? I realize people will disagree with each other and that even you…the reader…may disagree with what I am writing about here. But hey…. that’s okay.

I’m talking about how people get ingrained in what they were taught within their families and when they marry they continue to follow the same behavior. To have a great relationship, one must take inventory of the feedback that is being given to them.

It can be a simple request of cleaning the dishes, loading the dishwasher correctly such as staking the plates in the proper direction so they clean better (the dishwasher was my teachable moment many years ago!).

With each teachable moment in our life, we gain the wisdom in knowing that we can each make small improvements along our path in life. It’s not about being right or wrong as I’ve learned from my very patient wife who points out new opportunities for me to learn from.

Is it always easy to hear suggestions…. well that depends on how we want to interpret the feedback. When we can take our emotion and ego out of the conversation, it can become crystal clear that someone is trying to help us learn something new.

Every new day is a chance to be teachable. Each day is a gift for the opportunity to learn, be, do or try something different to change our lives. Just as nature transforms daily, we can do the same.

• What will you do differently when your spouse, friend, co-worker, boss or family member tries to teach you something different?

• How will you react to their requests?

• Who will show up to answer their questions? Will it come from a place of anger, love, compassion, and curiosity?

• Will you be Teachable?

As always, thanks for taking the time to visit my page and spend some time here. I hope that some pieces of this blog resonated with you and if not, leave what does not. Please share this post with the people you care about.  Keep pedaling towards your dreams and make it a great life!!

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According to my Dictionary app, teamwork is a cooperative effort or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team or in the interests of a common cause.

Teamwork plays an important role in achieving goals and also gives us the support we need when faced with challenges.  Sometimes another member on the team has the skills that we may need to complete a project.

I have been part of teams that had a lot of internal fighting and egos contributed to delaying the desired results   Feelings were hurt and people gave up providing input for various reasons.

I’m not saying that everyone has to get along in the sand box.

In fact, it’s good to have differences so people will be more engaged by offering their opinions & solutions to find the best ideas to move a project forward.

Providing feedback and allowing everyone to get their point across without judgments takes practice and patience.  I’ve worked in environments where suggestions were encouraged but not seriously considered.

It can be frustrating when we feel that we don’t have a voice in our own work environment and life.

I find that collaborating with others allows me to see different perspectives in my projects.

Okay…..February arrived quickly or at least it did for me….so have you asked anyone to be a part of your team to help you reach your goals that you have set for the month or year?

Are you willing to listen and be coachable depending on feedback given to you?

I had the opportunity to assist a friend (Dawnery) with her goal of riding her first century (100 miles) on a bike.  She had ridden 70+ miles but never reached the coveted century mark that most cyclists shoot for.

The cool part is that we were riding a tandem (two person bike) and this created another challenge since she had never ridden a tandem before.

Dawnery and I were now a team and we needed to be on the same page as we made turns on the bike, synchronize our stopping and finding a comfortable pedal cadence for us.

Communication was going to be a key component in our success in reaching her goal.  Prior to getting on the tandem, we asked each other a few questions about our riding styles such as speed, distance, which leg do we put down when we make a stop, etc….

Dawnery had to completely trust me since I was in total control of the bike.  As the “Captain” of the bike, I am responsible for our safety and keeping the “Stoker” happy by avoiding bumps on the road and maintaining a comfortable speed and calling out any hazards.

Riding a tandem bike is not for everyone since it does take the skills of listening, trust, communication and cooperation between both riders.  It is a give and take process.

Do you ever find yourself not listening completely when someone is providing you feedback and you end up arguing your point of view?  Slowing down and taking the time to listen can make a huge difference.

Teamwork is a process and the great part of being on a team that works together tends to achieve greater things together.  Dawnery and I were willing to make changes that allowed us to tap into each other’s strengths while on the bike.

We needed to remain positive and support each other despite any challenges we encountered.

Due to our ability to work together, Dawnery completed her goal of riding a 100-miles.   The trust that we built during our training rides and the constant communication helped us work great together as a team.

The next time you are asked to be part of a team, what type of person will you show up as?

What will you do differently while working in a team?

Do you find that your ego gets the best of you when another person has a better idea?

Are you willing to really listen before you offer your opinion?

Thanks for stopping by!

Take what you can from this & implement it into your life and leave the rest.  If you have any comments, please share them with me.

Keep on pedaling!

René

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Before!

Did you make any resolutions for 2013?   If so, according to the University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology statistics you are part of the 45% of the population who usually make resolutions.

The percentage of people who are successful in achieving their resolutions is 8%.  So why do people create resolutions and not follow through or ultimately give up?

There are many reasons people give up and quite frankly the list of excuses could take up a lot of space on my blog, which I really don’t want to do.

The bottom line is that most people don’t set specific goals.

The past few years, I have chosen to write goals rather than have resolutions.  Creating yearly resolutions reminds me of a time in 1999 when I weighed 216 lbs with a 36 inch waist and well on my way to running out of room on my belt.

This was due to drinking lots of beer, eating bags of chips, greasy foods etc…. and parking my big self on the sofa watching football games every Sunday from noon till late evening.  I was quite comfortable with the thought of moving into a size 37.

Then reality hit me with ……the photo that changed my life!  While Tricia and I were in Galveston visiting friends, he took a picture of us that showed my stomach busting out over my pants.

I was mortified by how out of shape I had gotten.  I knew it was time to make a change so I decided to make a goal of working out beginning in 2000 to get in shape.

Losing weight is the number one resolution people make and don’t keep each year and I knew that I did not want to be one of those statistics.

I set a goal of working out three days a week and focused on changing my eating habits and….yes…reduce my beer consumption.  Yikes…and I really liked my beer!

After!

Within a few weeks the weight began to fall off and I began to feel better and see my body transform. The key to my success was setting specific goals and developing an action plan.

Seeing the positive results made me appreciate my body more and motivated me to continue to keep the commitment I had made to myself.

My body really began to transform when I took up cycling with the specific goal of completing the MS 150.  Most importantly, I discovered my passion so that fitness is not a chore but is now what fuels me.

I work on maintaining my weight between 175 -180 for my 6ft frame.  It has not always been easy but I continue to create new fitness goals each year, such as a core exercise regimen 3 times per week, and I keep them.

The key is in setting specific goals that are in line with my passion.

People are shocked when I tell them that I once was overweight.    The question I have for you is…….what will you do to create the life you want?

Please leave a comment or pass this onto a friend

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The Rhythm of Life:  Successfully Rolling with the Cycles of Life for more Health, Wealth and Happiness

I love spending time in nature and seeing the beauty that surrounds me while I’m either hiking or riding my mountain bike.   The brilliant fall colors are spectacular and the trails are now covered with a carpet of multicolored leaves.

The sound of leaves crunching underneath me fills the quiet space around me and reminds me of how nature speaks to us even if we walk/ride alone on the trails.

The challenge that I’ve been having is that I have not spent the time hiking in nature that I used to.  Hiking was one of my 2012 goals and I barely even scratched the surface on completing that goal.

I have not even been riding my road bike lately due to being sick the past few weeks.  It seems that the Universe is trying to tell me something……..you think?   I have this gut feeling that I need to spend more time writing blogs and working on my book.

And now…I injured my knee and I will have surgery on it soon.   Geeeezzz…what is up with that?  How often have you had signs show up in your life and you just ignored them?   Do you find that your rhythm of life could be out of balance when you don’t follow a new path that may be showing up in your life?

In life & business, we have a tendency to plow right through with our plans despite seeing or receiving feedback that change is needed.

I have felt this way all year by not following through with my hiking plans.  Hiking used to be a huge part of my life and  is how I connect with my creativity.  With all that we have going on in our lives, it is becoming more difficult to disconnect from it all.

I encourage my clients to take hikes, ride a bike, or spend time in meditation in order to slow the pace of their world down.  Unfortunately for me, I spent the entire year thinking about hiking but only followed through twice this year on making it happen.

I did ride my road bike a lot this year and connected with my inner creativity but I’ve had this other calling that a piece of me is missing.  It occurred to me that although I love riding bikes, I need to create a balance of being IN nature.  Like walking on the trails and experiencing the connection that I made with nature while in my youth.

As we begin to close out the year, what activities have you put aside in your life and business that has been tugging away at your shirttails to accomplish?  What has it cost you to not make the time to do what you are called to do?  What change can you make right now that will put you on the path again?  What will recharge your inner being and melt away the stress that we allow to creep into our daily activities?

It’s not too late.  Just making a simple change today…right now….can make a huge difference in your life and business.

Creating the space now can be invigorating and powerful.  Take the time to add a little more fun to your life.  If it is a business opportunity that you still have not started, then add it to your schedule and feel the freedom of just putting it into action.

The Rhythm of life is like the wheel of a bicycle.   Every spoke must be tensioned properly for the wheel to be balanced as it rolls along.  If a spoke is loose, then the wheel will roll lopsided.

Listen to the subtle signs that you hear/see in your life and keep the wheels of life turning freely for you.   

Thanks for reading and if you have any comments, please share them with me and get involved in the conversation.

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I participated in a 544-mile bike riding challenge that was held by Mapmyride during the three weeks of the Tour d France in July.  My goal was to ride 544 miles in 22 days or better.  It required me to log in my daily rides into the Mapmyride website to track my progress.  The cool part is that I could see everyone else’s results from all over the world.  I finished my mileage in 16 days and was excited to finish in the top 100.

After this accomplishment, I decided to share my story during a speech at my Toastmasters meeting.  Toastmasters is an organization that prepares you to organize a speech and to get comfortable speaking in front of groups. (See more info here: http://www.toastmasters.org)   During my speech, I shared the challenges I had riding 544 miles and how self-doubt kicked in during my daily rides.

After our meeting ended, several of us decided to grab a bite to eat at a local fast food restaurant.  I was third in line when Mike turned around and asked me….now…how many miles did you say you rode your bike?  I replied that it was 544 miles.  Mike smiled and said your ticket for your meal order is 544!  I was shocked at how this showed up for me.  Despite all the people that had eaten there before we arrived and for me to even be 3rd in line when we ordered, I got the exact number of my bike challenge and began to wonder what this meant for me.

It could mean nothing to some people, but I believe that it was a good sign for me to continue pressing forward and live outside my comfort zone.  I even kept the receipt of my order as a constant reminder that a greater presence is always looking over me as I travel towards my dreams and goals.

It takes one turn of the pedals to keep one in motion so despite some of the challenges that show up in your life……remember to keep an eye out for the little signs that shows up in your life.  If you ever find yourself wanting to quit……remember that you always have more than you think you have.

Thanks for joining me on this journey and keep on pedaling.

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I still had an issue with my saddle!  I found out that it did not fit me correctly so I was having significant soreness from the poor fit.  Off to the bike shop for a new saddle to hopefully keep me on track.  It felt much better but I still had lingering pain from the previous saddle.

I was so close to completing my goal but these issues began to sway me into thinking that I could just coast and finish my goal on July 22nd.  My mind started to negotiate a new deadline for myself despite wanting to finish in the top 100.

Do you find this ever happening to you……..that you move your goal date further out to accommodate doubts and fears?  Well…..we have to fight the urge to compromise when we find ourselves renegotiating our visions and goals.  We try to stay in our comfort zone and make the process easier.  Sure….it might be scary or even exhausting at times to keep moving forward but we learn so much about ourselves when we push through and keep moving.  I know I did.

On July 15th, I was so tired that I did not even want to get on the bike but I managed to get my body back on the bike to ride 58 miles to complete my challenge.  I was so excited when I received an email from Mapmyride congratulating me for my accomplishment and that I had finished in the top 100 competitors.  And I completed it in 16 days.  Wow!!…..how cool is that…..I said to myself without much fan fair.  It was my accomplishment and it brought me great joy in knowing what I had overcome to achieve it.

I found this challenge interesting as I had moments of doubt, fear, pain, exhaustion, and sleepless nights from my sore knee and overall not really knowing if I would make it in 22 days. When we embark on our goals in life, these same issue may arise for each of us.  A friend once told me” you have more than you think you have.”

This simple but yet powerful statement has always kept me going despite what my mind or body tells me.  We each have what it takes to reach our goals and to never giver up.  If you ever find yourself wanting to quit……remember that you always have more than your think you have.  There is no greater confidence builder than keeping a promise you made to yourself.  So often we let ourselves down in ways that we would never even think of doing to someone else and the consequences for our faith in ourselves can be devastating.  Start with keeping small promises to yourself and you’ll be amazed at how quickly your confidence will grow as you take on greater and greater challenges.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

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Once we put it out there for people to see, read or hear about our goals, we can get scared about what other people think about us.  We might be afraid someone will think it is a stupid idea, not a smart idea, or think we can’t handle it etc….

The cool thing about letting people know what you desire to accomplish is that people will want to help you once they have an idea of what you are tying to do.  Now…not everyone will be on your side and that’s when we have to decide if we want to listen to the naysayers and continue on our road to fulfilling our goal.

I have a lot of work to do on the bike in the next few days but I am determined to reach this goal as it fuels my passion of being on the bike.  I do believe the Life is like riding a Bicycle and that we all can ride at our own pace when working on our goals, projects, creating new friendships and living passionately.

Follow my progress at: http://www.mapmyride.com/challenges/challenge/59/

Keep pedaling towards your dreams and goals!
See you on the road!

René

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I’ve been told I am crazy but I really love getting the exercise and reaching a mile marker that I have set for myself.  We tend to be told by people that our dreams and goals can be crazy….but who cares….they’re your dreams so we have to keep moving forward despite the feedback.

You can track my progress at http://www.mapmyride.com/challenges/challenge/59/ and also see the results of other riders across the country participating in this cool event.  I am pumped to be riding this many miles and reaching my goal.

Come and join me on the bike sometime! Oh…and on the 1^st day of the contest, I rode 72.74 miles so I am so stoked that I got a good jump on my progress.  See you on the road.

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