Words of Wisdom from Read Me First by Lisa Stephenson
This is one of my all-time favourite books. It is packed with wisdom and relatable stories. Lisa is a natural storyteller and teacher, and her advice is practical and easy to apply. Below are some of my favourite quotes from the book, which I hope encourage you to read this book yourself.
1. Share your story
“This is important. If you want to progress your career, inspire change in others or seek out the
understanding of someone, give them the meaningful backstory of you. People connect most to how they feel when you are sharing, as opposed to what’s actually been said.”
2. Know your values
“If you think about any conflict that’s happening in your life, it’s probably the result of a conflict in values.”
3. Your values are what make you you
“Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.”
4. Successful people stand out
“Successful people do what others aren’t prepared to do.”
5. There’s a difference between motivation and commitment
“Motivation happens on the inside and for a moment. Commitment is what you do even when you don’t want to…Motivation is a feeling; commitment is a mindset.”
6. Make time for the important things
“The reality is that most high-performing people I have coached were never too busy for coaching; they were never too busy for things that mattered to them. Busy was not part of their vocabulary. It wasn’t something they talked about.”
7. Be aware of the words you use
“The word busy tells our brain to be stressed and on alert. Wipe the word from your vocabulary wherever possible.”
8. Ask the right questions
“Part of why my clients come to see me as a coach is because I ask them not simply ‘why?’ or ‘What happened?’ Rather, I ask ‘What else was/is possible?’ One of my favourites is when client say to me, ‘I don’t know what to do’, and I get to say, ‘Well, what would you do if you did know?’ Or I might ask, ‘What would a person you admire do?’”
9. Focus on your strengths
“The result of many training dollars is well developed weaknesses, and people painfully getting a bit better at what they’re not good at and don’t want to do. I say life’s short – concentrate on what you’re good at and what you enjoy because that’s way more fun! In individual and team coaching sessions, I always start with strengths.”
10. Reflect on your day
“If you want to move forward to greater success, each night write down what you did well that day (celebrate), what you could’ve done better (development) and what matters for you tomorrow (intention).”
11. Don’t settle
“Everywhere you look, you will see people who are settling. They have OK jobs and satisfactory lives. However, I’m here to say loud and clear: ‘Don’t do that!’ Don’t be the sheep following the flock. Don’t be the teddy bear, trying to please everyone. If you want to create something amazing in your life, you need to step in to YOUR potential.”
12. Learn from others
“So often I see people inspired by something they have seen someone else do, and then the moment passes without acting upon the inspiration. They get busy again and what went before is now forgotten. So that I don’t forget those incredible moments, every day I consciously look for what I can learn from others. Every single day I get ideas and new thinking from the people around me and from my environment. And I write them down, I meditate on them and I share what I’ve learnt with others.”
13. You’re not for everyone
“Don’t expect everyone to be happy about your newfound self-focus, attitudes, beliefs, behaviours and success. There are probably lots of people in your life who like you just the way you are, and making changes is uncomfortable for them. Be prepared to lose some people along the way.”
14. Start NOW!
“Monday is just a day of the week. You won’t magically have more information or education or motivation tomorrow. If you want awesome, be awesome and do what others won’t. And start doing it now!”
