Deb Sofield

album-art
00:00

Productivity

People will kill you

“People will kill you over time, and how they kill you is with tiny, harmless phrases like be realistic.” Dylan Moran I cannot begin to tell you how much I hate it when people give backhanded, up front or behind the back slights to one’s life dreams, hopes and ambitions. And, yes, I used the word hate because, like you, I heard these phrases from others as I wandered through my early work years. And, because it frustrated me so much, I made mental notes to stay away from those who would be so bold to say something so ridiculous […]

The world needs you to share your gifts

“The world needs you to share your gifts and go for your dreams. There aren’t enough people who have the courage to go for it.” Lewis Howes As your friend, I want to ask you a question, “Do you have courage?” I mean, really, do you have the courage to do the thing you keep talking about, wishing for or hoping one day will come true? I sincerely hope you do, and I celebrate your success if you are living the dream. That being said, I also know, by watching countless people run to the edge of success, look into […]

Mend the part of the world

“Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach.” ~ Clarissa Pinkola Estés I have the great fortune to be a TEDx speaker coach. And with every TEDx presenter, I am blessed to hear about topics I never knew about or even considered–that’s the beauty of TED (Technology, Education & Design) and TEDx. This year, one of the speakers gave a talk about how we all have implicit bias; whether we know it or not or whether we admit it to […]

Why We Lie

Honesty is such a lonely word, and to add insult to injury, exaggeration is the name of the game, and that is a lie. Oh, I know I said the word lie. I said it because, well, that is what it is when you don’t tell the truth about yourself. I know the word is harsh and it is tougher still to be called out on, but, quicker than you can hide your lie from those who know you, the damage you’ve done to yourself will cut you deeply and leave a lifelong scar for all to see. I want […]

I dwell in Possibility

Recently I saw a reference to a poem by Emily Dickenson called “I dwell in Possibility.” Like most things that take me by surprise, I have to admit, I did a double-take on the title. Then I thought, “I hope that I am a dweller in possibility; that I leave the door wide open to allow all possibilities that come my way to run wild without my interference so I may follow the path to whatever is waiting on the other side.” I am guessing that possibility is not a word that gives many people much comfort. We want surety […]

A man who wants to lead the orchestra

“A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.” ~ Max Lucado I have always loved this quote and I believe it, because I see so many people in leadership who spend a lot of time wanting to be “in the crowd” instead of leading the crowd. No doubt it is hard to turn our backs to the cheering crowd–it seems so fun to be in the middle of it all, but a man (or woman) who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd. Why? Because leadership is strengthened when […]

You Have Permission to Rest

Most every health official or wellness magazine suggests that we all need to slow down and rest, and yet most of us refuse until our bodies force us to stop and take care of ourselves. The million-dollar question is why don’t we take such good advice? And the ten-cent answer is that, for many, it seems selfish to stop and take care of ourselves when so much needs to be done in the world, our community and our own homes. Like most of my friends, I was under the weather this week. Not really sick and not really well. I […]

If you can’t change the people around you…

This has been a week of sadness and joy for me. Let me explain. Within a ten day period three people I knew died, one from unexplained causes, one from cancer and one from Alzheimer’s. Due to my travel schedule, I could only attend one of the funerals, but I know what I saw that day would have been the same at each service. Sitting in the packed church for the service, I was struck by the outpouring of love that left a 500-plus seat auditorium only with standing room for those who came to support the family and recall […]

The beginning of wisdom is knowing which question to ask

What is the question that you would like an answer to? Is it a question about your life, your family or your future? And is there someone who can answer those questions for you? I believe that deep inside, most of us pretty well know the answers to all of the questions that bubble up in our minds, and yet we choose not to speak those questions. We fear the answer we don’t like or want. We don’t want to admit that the answer maybe something we don’t want to happen in our lives. Ah, questions! We are all looking […]