Life Coaching

What is a Coach?

A coach is a person who, in my language, cheers you on.  Who energizes you.  Who enlivens you and helps you recapture your personal power. 

A coach is someone who helps you grow and develop into all you can be.

Given the language of my book, a coach is someone who helps you create smoother sailing for yourself - Someone who helps you Stay the Course.

Rather than offer a gentle nudge, a coach is someone who helps you identify, and then overcome, those obstacles that come up for us in life.  That barrier - or barriers - to getting things done.  The inertia or fear or whatever else gets in the way of realizing our goals.

The trickster voice within us.  The voice that says we're not good enough.  Not smart enough.  Or _____.

Getting Started

Seven Steps to a Happier You

 1. Catch Yourself

Notice what's going on for you.  Notice what's going on in your body.  “Catch yourself” when you're thinking "I'm not good enough."  Or, when you're strutting around like a proud peacock.  “Catch yourself” thinking those kinds of thoughts and become aware of the kind of behavior you're exhibiting as a result of that kind of thinking.  In other words, notice what's going on for you both physically and emotionally.

2.  Catch Yourself Breathing

The importance of prana has been known for millenia; it doesn't need discussion here.  Try this: take a deep breath, fill your lungs with as much fresh air as possible, hold it for as long as is comfortable, and then release it.  During all of this, concentrate your mind on inhalation and exhalation.  Repeat for three more cycles.  This develops mindfulness, another important word. Then see how your physical and emotional bodies feel.

3.  Catch Yourself Looking

Examine how you look out at life.  How do you see situations, or people, in your life? Do those perceptual filters and/or lenses serve you or not?  In my book, I call these filters "Looking Glasses" and maintain that they play a major role in our life stories.  Take pains to identify these filters, particularly the ones that don't get you to where you want to be in life.  Then determine how you're going to avoid their influence - for example, by mindfully breathing for a short time before making an unhealthy decision.

4. Move Your Body

Make it a point, each day, to move your body.  Don't do yourself harm here, but make a special effort to move your physical body around: your neck and shoulders, your arms, your trunk, your mid-section, and your legs.  Move your body, and stretch yourself.  See if you can increase your heart rate, and get your blood moving around.  And in all of this, be safe.  Listen to your body; it will tell you what it needs.

5. Eat Consciously

You know the drill; eat well, because what you put into your body will affect the ways in which your body supports you - or doesn't support you.  Nothing else means very much if you don't have your health.  Mindfulness is important here as well.  If you want to lose weight, set reasonable and positive goals (rather than "I want to lose ___ pounds" concentrate on "I want to weigh ___ by such-and-such a date."

6.  Nurture Yourself

You know what's good for you, and what feeds your soul.  Take care of yourself.  Do nice things for yourself.  Regularly.  Buy yourself an ice cream cone.  Fly a kite on the beach.  Sit quietly and meditate for a while.  Find ways to feed yourself.  As they say in Spanish, "cuide numero uno."  You're worth it! Aren't you?

7. Catch Yourself: "Not Me!"

"Not me."  "I don't have to do any of this."  "I already know all this seven stuff anyway.  And besides, I'm too spiritually evolved to have to pay attention."  "Breathing? I'll just go back to breathing on automatic pilot - that's worked up until now."  "I know how I look out at life; I don't need any reminders, thank you."  And the rest of the "Not Me" tapes...  Catch yourself thinking those kinds of thoughts; they can easily blow you off course.

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Consider This:

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.

Acorns have a tough leathery shell and require a good deal of nurturing to mature into the oak tree that they are meant to be.

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A coach is someone who cheers you on toward realizing your telos in life - telos being a Greek word meaning "end, purpose, or ultimate aim."

So if you hire me as your coach, you can expect two things: my head, and my experience as a sounding board for charting a course toward your telos in life.

And, under the heading of "no free lunches in life,"I'll (gently) push you.  I'll challenge you to grow into all you can be.  I'll ask you to examine the Looking Glasses (see below) through which you look out at life.  And, periodically, I'll give you homework to do.

Sometimes I'll remind you of what Will Rogers once said: "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."

Three Models

I offer three models of coaching work:

The first

A standard telephone model. It's one-on-one, only via long-distance via the phone.  Except for special situations, these coaching sessions are available M-Fri ? Seven days/week? Before

The second?  It's a workshop, face to face in a group setting.  Details can be worked out in due course; let me know what your group wants and we'll discuss how to proceed.

The third is a mini-retreat.  It's one-on-one, and face-to-face.  Two and three-day models are available.  Expect a combination of homework, journaling, therapeutic massage, considering, listening, relaxing, and follow-up coaching.

What you can expect?  A more powerful, energetic, and centered person who achieves goals you set for yourself.  And, who by virtue of having achieved those goals, is a happier and more contented person.  Overall, it's an outcome that can be summarized in three words: "Get It Done."  If you sign up with me, expect to enter a "No Procrastination" zone.

It's also important to know that I LOVE to cheer people on, to see them shine, and to see them fulfilled.  There are few things in life that give me more pleasure than that.