Courage Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, Live the life you have imagined - Henry D. Thoreau Leadership Success Coaching
Jan 12 21
Choosing Your Next Coach or Therapist
I read an article that lit me up and I wanted to share with all of you!
We ‘humans’ require active practicing to understand our full body Yes’s and No’s while navigating our awareness paths. Odds are what works for me won’t work for you AND tapping into our TRUEST core (Innerself) opens up space and yummy A-has!
When searching for your life’s purpose consider listening your body’s intelligence. What do you FEEL from your whole body knowing? not what you “think” you should do. I can honestly say that my job as a life coach is is not “talk therapy” you can go to your best friend for this.
Recently, we’ve all shared in a global pandemic, a threatened US democracy and personal losses (e.g. job, homes, social life). As she mentions in the article, as I quote
There are several routes that you can take toward self-improvement
At one time I was very vested on what degrees and certifications I hung on my wall, long before the International Coaching Federation became the buzz. What this article lacks on is the coaches Individual education and what her definition of “rigorous standards” are. This is your homework. I would say a good life coach will guide you by listening deeply and offering exquisite questions designed towards whole healing. Ultimately, I agree that a life coach is someone who can support you no matter what’s going on in your world.
We do not live in a world of “either / or” so if you find yourself between white and black with no gray, you may want to get curious and wonder what else? or hire a partner to support you in living and designing your best life!
If you genuinely care about the goal, you’ll focus on the system – James Clear
Feb 26 19
Seasonal Depression
Sometimes Chocolate isn’t enough…
Be Exactly who you are and Be Loved
The sky is encapsulating, gray dreary clouds, the silence after a storm and a bad cold can create a depressing story. During the winter months locating energy, emotions or even an interest to live can surface and often does.
Socializing seems daunting, hiding feelings of sadness, staying safe, choosing to hibernate drowning out feelings with food, television or sleep seems easier. How do we accept sad? Be with depressed? …. and Love I’m afraid. This dark place often brings dense head fog and thoughts of suicide
Some may suggest a trip to the gym increasing serotine levels, the “happy hormone”. Others may swear by light therapy or antidepressants. I’ve personally tried them all and found what sometimes appears to be the hardest is actually often the remedy.
In my latest spell of depression I witnessed myself falling to old patterns seeking exogenous emotional comfort avoiding being afraid, crying and being utterly sad. Wouldn’t somebody just hold me, love me or better yet know of an instant gratification type device, pill or formula?
Einstein said it best “Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again expeting different results”
Resistance and Acceptance cannot coexist, so what holds us back from making a “new choice”? FEAR is paralyzing and New Choice is unfamiliar and requires immense amounts of courage. I compare it to a whole new operating system with multiple software updates.
Avoiding Danger is no safer in the long run that outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold. – Helen Keller
COURAGE is the ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief.
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. We often fall victim choosing to be paralyzed in Fear, but what if we could take one small action step in choosing to face. In the Hendricks work Facing is a part of F.A.C.T (Facing, Accepting, Choosing and Taking Action). FACT is a gateway to building blocks of courage.
Depression is Real
Depression is strength. Depression is noticing the constant emptiness weighing down inside of you. Those that experience depression experience a state that affects their everyday lives. This is facing suffering with dignity or faith.
Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore – Lord Chesterfield
I recommend and keep a journal getting what’s in our heads out. Below I’ve compiled a list of tools that I’ve found useful in bouts of Depression and I hope they will support you in your lives. There is no wrong or right, no external secret recipe, no pill to take it away. Follow your body intelligence with love and acceptance of what is happening and look inward kindly.
- Savoring Bubble Baths with Epson salt, essential oils or CBD
- Delicious Movies, Warm-Fuzzy Blanket Day
- Flavorful Hot Tea Moments throughout the day
- Support Group or Community
- Beating myself up with a soft feather
- Warmly Welcoming my emotions and all parts of me
- Loving gently and kindly what is
- Easeful Movement (exercise, fear melters, walking, etc.)
- Conscious Breathing
- Massage or massaging myself with fingertips or hands
- Phoning a good friend or being with myself as I would with a good friend
- Allowing myself to Feel Afraid
I invite you to post a resource or anything you’d be willing to share in the comments feed choosing enhancing our community while growing our Human Condition in LOVE.
Jul 5 18
Choosing Something Different
In my most recent days appreciating and riding the bliss of an Andre Bocelli concert POW! a major ULP. In that nano-second I immediately shifted into my reptilian or primal brain and “Choosing Something Different” was not possible in my primal brain.
We humans have three brains (Right Brain, Left Brain and Old Brain). The primal brain holds our autonomic nervous system and it’s job is all about survival of our physical being. It’s constantly assessing if there’s anything threatening us.
The mammalian brain handles emotions, feelings, behaviors, and the social aspects of life. All you can do to change these “controls” is to notice your environment and triggers when these particular behavior(s) happen. This is where hiring a coach will assist offering rapid, advanced learning. There’s now scientific proof that we can re-wire our brains.
The prefrontal cortex (conscious brain) handles writing, thinking, decision-making, and setting goals. You know, the stuff that makes us human! Our pre-frontal lobe is responsible for about 20% of our decisions.
Your next Question may be, “What’s an U.L.P”?
It’s the Upper Limits Problem coined by Gay Hendricks.
If you want to start “Choosing Something Different” start by reading “The Big Leap” which can be sampled or purchased here
The story that I’m sharing is about “Blaming versus Claiming” not the actual ULP and inviting you to “Choosing Something Different”.
After a glorious enlivening concert, I FELL…BAM! on the concrete floor outside. Immediately after standing up nearly shouting “I’m alright” leaping in to “blaming” these damn shoes I’m wearing (there too high)!!! followed by “oh! it’s my ankle- too unstable”!!! The next one sounded something like “I sprained my ankle as a child and it’s weak” Do any of these stories sound familiar?
Over the next two days I unconsciously suffered, felt angry and wanted to cry. I couldn’t put my finger on it and struggled to wrap my head around it, unconsciously committed to blame. My vision now becomming very limited and quite cramped, I decided to choose something different. I decided to use breathing with a somatic approach and immediately my body revealed physical pain. At that moment I began experiencing an overwhelming sharp pain from my hip and, on top of that my knee and ankle felt universally bruised. Choosing to claim my fall, feeling my body and expressing many tears.
“Claiming” that I was 100% responsible for falling allowed me to FEEL my body. I’d been skipping over my feelings trying to fix it in my head. Looking back, seems silly. Opening up to a different approach created spaciousness. I’m deeply appreciating this reminder from the Universe and I Re-committ to CLAIMING.
The awareness of an injury is the first step in creating change then “Choosing Something Different” #StopTheBlame
The injury may not always be physical, but the body intelligence is a great somatic place to start your investigation.
Cheers to healing injuries and being OK with conflict with yourself or others.
Blessings,
Gina
When we hear “Ground Zero” the mind vividly recalls the world center trade bombing of 1993, but “Ground Zero” began long before 911. The Napa, California Fires; The Puerto Rico and Texas Flooding and major world crisis can all fall under this same category. Learning Gratitude from Ground Zero.
“Ground Zero” in 1946 described atomic attacks in Japan; in 1977 becoming an act of non-violence. Ground Zero is described as the personal point of the most severe damage or destruction. Ground Zero brings us to places where we see how little is in our control
Become Ground Zero in this movement — David Orr
Hmmmm, I wonder why it requires a catastrophic event (the point of the most severe damage or destruction) to generate the surreal stillness that leads to community, love and healing?
In the absence of love and belonging, there is always suffering. Always — Brene Brown
My theory and personal experience is that we won’t escape hardship, disappointment and tragedies. It’s true that “Persistence is resistance”, so there’s no use trying to detour, bypass or avoid these necessary feelings and emotions sometimes judged as inappropriate, wrong or worse sub-human behavior. I’ve found gems through distress. Life’s Journey is not a perpetuating smile cruising alongside joy with uninterrupted happiness and sexual delights.
History does not need to teach us every lesson. Wisdom, Education and Maturation can open up delightful, easeful ways to cultivate, arouse and awaken our conscious listening ears and open mind loosening Ego’s grip prior to the Godsmack or “Surface Zero” We choose how long to stay in the meandering. We can choose succession, flow and adjust course.
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional. — haruki murakami
Human civilization is around 6,000 years. I see myself in every human. How long must “we” examine and research before we find our Ground Zero? This surreal, humbling corner that brings up full-on gratitude. Today, (this moment) I invite you to your personal “surface zero” in gratitudes, like indoor plumbing, flooring, appliances, walls, roofs and the almighty health.
The greatest Wealth is Health – Sarchar Leone
I pray for a world full of close community, connection and nuturing love bringing people up in humanizing versus the dehumanizing that strips human qualities’ away (i.e. racism, categorizing or verbal abuse). I believe each of us has our own unique connection to our God (purpose) and we are all shining our heart lights together creating magic in wonderment!
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” – Mark 12:30-31
It is a time to Brave the Wilderness as so eloquently written by Brene Brown. You can find more about her book on her blog
Be kind to one another, everbody has their own struggles, stay humble
Sep 18 17
Sweat the Small Stuff!
I came across an article this morning yet again saying, “Don’t sweat the small stuff” and this just feels like belly fire for me. I feel angst with raised shoulders and anger pouring through the keyboard saying, STOP! CHOOSE to sweat the small stuff especially in relationships (i.e. self, intimate, best friend, co-worker, etc.).
I’m a speaker and survivor of Scleroderma and all those (so called) “little” things piled up on an internal shelf until it broke and auto-immunity became my God smack!
Choosing NOT to speak has a price
The price increases when we aren’t listening… sometimes including your own health!
What previously happened when “something small happened”, internally I could “feel” yet almost immediately chose to overrode the body’s wisdom with this OLD saying “Don’t sweat the small stuff”.
Today, I strongly suggest and choose and address every bit of the small stuff; because in my experience it piles up! There is a way to be angry, sad, happy, despondent or irritated (etc.) with yourself or in relation to others without causing permanent damage to yourself or others by honoring and listening to yourself. The more you love your decisions, the less you need others to love them.
Ask yourself, How Do I forget about me? When Do I forget about me? AND the most important question is what am I willing to create something different instead? I want to share my visionary gifts and learn about your creative intuitive genius.
Check out Rory Sutherland’s Ted Talk and Sweat the Small Stuff
TEDSalon London 2010
Rory Sutherland
Another Great Little Book on Why “The Little Things” needs our attention by Andy Andrews
Are you ready to begin creating a life beyond your imagination?
You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection — Buddha
