OUR BLOG

They say you’re either part of the problem or you’re part of the solution. 

Not always true, of course, but it does offer us a lens through which to evaluate our thinking and behavior around any number of issues.  Are we helping or hurting?

Do we choose to complain or even make things worse … or do we open our hearts and think and act constructively … with compassion?

Turns out our new puppy is something of a life coach.

Now, he’s not a talkin’ dog, so all the coaching he does is by example.

Four things impress me about the way he approaches life.

I do my best to take on the same practices I recommend to my life coaching clients.  Do as I do seems to resonate with folks more than Do as I say.  Go figure.

One of those practices is a morning “meditation” of some sort where I might write my gratitude list or read something inspirational or uplifting.

Recently I was reading passages from a book … Recipes for a Sacred Life by Rivvy Neshama.

She relates a story told to her by her friend, Julia Dean.  It made me cry when I read it and it still grips me days later.

A beautiful soul has left us.  Thich Nhat Hanh was a Buddhist monk and a revered teacher.  I just learned of his passing at age 95 on January 22 of this year in the place of his birth … Hue, Vietnam.  He wouldn’t have referred to himself this way, but I like to think of him as the ultimate life coach, and so I was very drawn to him.

His wisdom, his kindness, his compassion, his calm appreciation of the world around him in every moment presents us all with a wonderful example of what it means to be truly mindful and connected to what really matters during our time here on earth.

“We incur suffering, but we create unhappiness.” ~Matthieu Ricard

Matthieu Ricard is often called the world’s happiest person.  Why?  Because they hooked him up to sensors monitoring brain activity and the happiness centers in his brain lit up like a fireworks display.

Does that prove he’s the world’s happiest person?  No. It tells you the media love a good headline. 

But it also tells ya the guy’s really happy and, indeed, he’s the happiest person the researchers have ever tested.

Why is knowing this significant?  Because if “the world’s happiest man” tells you something about happiness, he’s probably on to something, and it’s probably well worth listening to.

So, what gives with the quotation?

“Whoa!  Huh?  Where’d that come from?”

Let me explain.

I always get comments on our newsletters.  I love getting them.  Lets me know how the message resonated with people and keeps me in touch with folks.  I’ve gotten hundreds of wonderful, encouraging notes over the years.

In nearly 20 years of writing newsIetters, I can remember only one comment you’d call mildly negative and a couple others that politely questioned some aspect of what I’d said.  That’s it for the other side of the ledger.

In the last Life Lessons newsletter, I talked about decision fatigue and the things you can do to mitigate its negative effects.  Pretty neutral subject.

I got three nice responses, and then one that told me the message was “incredibly condescending.”  The person went on to criticize me personally, but you don’t need those details.

As a life coach and business coach, I often help people get unstuck in areas of their lives that aren’t working or aren’t working as well as they’d like them to.  And, as a coach, it’s critically important I walk the talk with respect to the advice I offer them.

Lately, I’ve noticed I haven’t been making decisions about some personal health issues as quickly and decisively as I normally would … and, at first, I couldn’t figure out why.

I needed to find some trusted health professionals to help me sort through some minor health issues I’ve been facing and just couldn’t seem to get started.  I was stuck in the swirl of things … not taking action.

So, what to do coach?

We’re just over a week away from Groundhog Day.  It’s a day that carries special significance to me, as my late husband and I were married on February 2nd.

Day after day has gone by since then, and that milestone event now seems like a couple of lifetimes ago.

Day after day goes by, like pages being turned in a book, and once that page is read, it makes way for the rest of the story, however it’s to unfold.  That’s just how life is.

I have what I think is a really good idea.

You know how people make resolutions and set goals for the New Year?  That’s all well and good, but how often is one of those goals or resolutions … Do more things I enjoy and make sure to have plenty of fun?

Not very often.  Usually, this exercise is all about implementing some kind of self-improvement regimen or drawing up some kind of achievement-oriented action plan.  Fun seldom enters into the equation.

Let me tell you about the first most important step you need to take as you’re starting your business … and every year thereafter. In nearly 20 years as a business coach, it’s the step I see most of my business owners wanting to skip!

But first, I want to tell you a quick story that illustrates why you don’t want to omit this step! Bear with me …