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Articles from Keith Bray | Selfgrowth.com
- TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2010 from Keith BrayI am reminded by fellow coach Phil Evans of the following truth. The most common 'theme' that I introduce to new clients when working in the Life Coaching realm, is the critical importance of being true to oneself! It's just so darned easy to get into doing everything for everybody else, but ...
Views: 1389 - TAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY - by Submitted on Jul 09, 2010 from Keith BrayTAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY S...t happens; there is no doubt that this is true in my life and yours. We have no control over most things external to ourselves! What happens to us is not as important as how we respond. From my friends at Hazelton, a great way to look at things. Read and ...
Views: 1568 - THINK YOUR TOUGH? - by Submitted on May 05, 2010 from Keith BrayTHINK YOUR TOUGH? Real Tough People Show Feelings Alex Karras was a hard nosed football player. In his day, if you looked up “tough” in a dictionary you might have found his picture. Alex on “tough”: It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to ...
Views: 1402 - WALK.DON'T RUN. - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2010 from Keith BrayWALK. DON'T RUN Another reading reminded me of the title of one of those great old songs from my past- "Walk. Don’t Run". Who did that one? The Ventures I certainly remember when I finally accepted that my life needed major change, and found the courage to go out and get the help I needed to ...
Views: 1404(2 votes) - DO YOU ENGAGE IN VIOLENCE? - by Submitted on Mar 29, 2010 from Keith BrayDo you engage in violence? Time once again to give thought to points raised by my coaching mentor, Dr. Randin Brons, in his Idea Engineer. At first blush, this headline evoked an immediate “NO”. Violence is not something I’ve ever really engaged in. Then I reread the articles and quotes, and ...
Views: 1513(3 votes) - THE SECRET ABOUT SECRETS - by Submitted on Mar 26, 2010 from Keith BrayTHE SECRET ABOUT SECRETS "Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. ~ Paul Tournier ~ Paul Tournier is arguably the world’s most spiritual physician. A Swiss doctor, his practise has impacted people world wide. If a renowned person like Dr. Tournier appreciates the power of secrets; the ...
Views: 1455(3 votes) - AN APPROACH TO TODAY - by Submitted on Mar 16, 2010 from Keith BrayAN APPROACH TO TODAY Once again, along comes my coaching mentor Dr. Randin Brons with another Idea Engineer. Thought provoking. Couple this approach with the question you should ask each day about actions you are contemplating –“How important is it?”- and your days may become a pleasant dance ...
Views: 1379(2 votes) - HUMILITY:A TOUGH CONCEPT - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2010 from Keith BrayHUMILITY: TOUGH CONCEPT Every time I get a good reading focused around humility, it causes me to reflect back. I can remember back to the time when I was sure humility had something to do with humiliation, and gosh knows that my life style had caused enough of that. I was not openly boastful ...
Views: 1511 - SIMPLE SHARE on WHY - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2010 from Keith BraySIMPLE SHARE on WHY Why did I feel it necessary to get "help" and get a coach? My simple story. In 1994 I hit a wall. I was "sick and tired of being sick and tired" emotionally. While my self-employment was earning me a good living, many things around me were going unglued and I was turning ...
Views: 1326(2 votes) - Do YOU Have Personal Strength? - by Submitted on Feb 22, 2010 from Keith BrayHave YOU Got Personal Strength?(God Thing) I ask this question for a reason. I am very interested in hearing honest and open answers from other. I am particularly interested in hearing from those who can respond without giving away a particular religious bias. For many years I have known ...
Views: 1515(1 vote) - DO YOU KNOW YOU? - by Submitted on Feb 11, 2010 from Keith BrayDO YOU KNOW YOU? Once we understand ourselves, the rest of living falls in line. What a great line, and makes me ask the question- Do you know you? At first, the initial answer is likely “yes, of course I do”. Funny, way back when, I would have and did react the same way. The biggest ...
Views: 1511(3 votes) - AND WHO HEALS ME? - by Submitted on Jan 29, 2010 from Keith BrayAnd Who Heals Me? Over a year ago, I went on a journey to look at some real fuzzy philosophical questions. “Who Am I?”was dealt with years ago, but “What Is My Purpose?” remained vague. I went on a real journey to discover what it is about past employment that I loved and was good at, and what ...
Views: 1446(3 votes) - MORE on THAT FIRST STEP (forgivenes/living help) - by Submitted on Jan 21, 2010 from Keith BrayMORE-THAT FIRST STEP (forgiveness) As usual, my coaching mentor, Dr. Randin Brons has hit a very good topic with this week's Idea Engineer. Recently I did a blog on that first step that sparked very good response. Response indicates that it caused some thought, and I love to do that internally ...
Views: 1354(1 vote) - SIMPLE LOGIC - by Submitted on Jan 18, 2010 from Keith BraySIMPLE LOGIC (The God Thing) You must wait and listen for the sound of the genuine that is within you. When you hear it, that will be your voice and the Voice of God. - Howard Thurman, American author, civil rights leader, and theologian (1899-1981) One of the great things with what I ...
Views: 1258(2 votes) - NO GAIN WITHOUT PAIN? - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2010 from Keith BrayNO GAIN WITHOUT PAIN Man, those words flowed from the lips of my old football coach Mr. Fleming many years ago. I still remember them well. Back then, you knew exactly when the pain would end (right after practice) and after playing a while, you got smart and learned you in deed could make ...
Views: 1867(2 votes) - WANT A USEFUL LIFE? - by Submitted on Jan 04, 2010 from Keith BrayWant A Useful Life? Well, here I sit well into a new year. Over this period, I love to take time to reflect back, look at journals that go back many years, and appreciate the journey that has unfolded and what was the underlying motivation to take the journey I continue on. To the headline ...
Views: 1472(2 votes) - DISCOVERING YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE (questions to ask) - by Submitted on Dec 21, 2009 from Keith BrayDISCOVERING YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE Questions To Ask Often I’m asked what it is a coach does. The simple answer is to help others discover what is important for them to accomplish, set goals and then guide them to getting it done. Often people either directly or indirectly tell me they have hit ...
Views: 2057(3 votes) - LYING TO FEEL ACCEPTED - by Submitted on Dec 15, 2009 from Keith BrayLYING TO FEEL ACCEPTED I blog frequently for several reasons. I have “journalled” or blogged for years as a part of my life recovery. Simply, it lets me get things that are on the inside to the outside. I was taught that this was healthy behaviour and guess what? It helps. Honest sharing is ...
Views: 2886(6 votes) - LET BYGONES BE BYGONES - by Submitted on Nov 12, 2009 from Keith BrayHow to Let Bygones Be Bygones In working with others, I coach clients and sponsees to find tools and answers to issues that prevent them from having the abundant life they want. Things that prevent us from living the life we want and can live are common. Living in the past and collecting new ...
Views: 3444(2 votes) - NOVEMBER 11 - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2009 from Keith BrayNOVEMBER 11 May I Never Forget/Gratitude Thankfully, November 11 is an annual day that is celebrated. I wonder if I would so clearly remember to be grateful without the reminder. I am truly grateful that I did not have to live through or fight in any global wars over my lifetime, and I pray ...
Views: 1247(2 votes) - WILL THEY FIND OUT? (Or do they already know?) - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2009 from Keith BrayWILL THEY FIND OUT? (Or do they know?) I sit here today a relatively content man. That is the result of a journey to change that I found the courage to start some 15 years ago. Today, the constant worry about will they find out or even worse, do they already know is gone. What a ...
Views: 1246(4 votes) - SPITITUAL GROWTH - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2009 from Keith BraySPIRITUAL GROWTH (a part of life recovery) An addiction driven bottom as evidenced by the dramatic decay to my closest personal relationships caused me to seek a dramatic change in the way I lived. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired and was empty inside. There are questions on my web ...
Views: 1463(1 vote) - HOLISTIC HEALTH/BALANCE - by Submitted on Oct 13, 2009 from Keith BrayHOLISTIC HEALTH/BALANCE “Health is wholeness and balance, an inner resilience that allows you to meet the demands of living without being overwhelmed.” — Andrew Weil, MD Health is wholeness, and health is multi-faceted. When major areas of health are addressed, balance results. With an MD ...
Views: 1500(1 vote) - TIME to BLOSSOM - by Submitted on Oct 06, 2009 from Keith BrayTime to blossom "The voice of our original self is often muffled, overwhelmed, even strangled, by the voices of other people's expectations." -- Julie Cameron Ah, the expectations of others. They had a huge (negative) impact on my life, how about yours? I lived many years feeling that I had ...
Views: 1271(2 votes) - GET REAL (with expectations) - by Submitted on Oct 05, 2009 from Keith BrayGET REAL (with expectations) Another one of those readings that struck a chord, and reminded me of universal truths in life and recovering an abundant life! I am a very avid golfer; some have even accused me of being addicted to the sport. Funny, what I really like about golf is the ...
Views: 778(3 votes) - MAKING A TOUGH DECISION - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2009 from Keith BrayMAKING A TOUGH DECISION No apologies to anyone. I believe that the "12 Steps" are a great model for good mental hygiene for EVERY HUMAN BEING. Have people had success dealing with a myriad of addictions using the steps? You bet they have. 12 step programmes have played a role in millions of ...
Views: 1545(1 vote) - WE ARE "CREATED SELVES" - by Submitted on Sep 16, 2009 from Keith BrayWE ARE “CREATED SELVES” Shakespeare said it, “This above all; to thine own self be true”. In a journey of life recovery, a transformation to a new and more abundant life, had not one of our real problems been true to our selves and selfishly so? For me the answer to this was yes; but I know ...
Views: 1180 - APPLES and TREES - by Submitted on Sep 08, 2009 from Keith BrayAPPLES and TREES We often hear that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Did that ever come home to roost this week. I received a phone call from my adult son late yesterday afternoon. In this economy, he has gone through a rough patch with employment even with an MBA and Chef ...
Views: 1328 - MASSIVE INSECURITY - by Submitted on Sep 03, 2009 from Keith BrayMASSIVE INSECURITY I just read an article by a writer named Lisa Kogan on this topic. It was a great reminder that massive insecurity is an affliction suffered by a huge cross section of the entire population. We with addictions think it is unique to us. I have believed for years that while ...
Views: 1936(3 votes) - Out of Balance? - by Submitted on Aug 25, 2009 from Keith BrayDick Cavett was quoted as saying "It is a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear" and Oscar Wilde said "To love ones self is the beginning of a lifelong romance”. Emerson said "Where there is no vision, people perish". I hit a point in my life where balance became a real ...
Views: 1311(1 vote) - How Do You Work with Anger While in Recovery? - by Submitted on Aug 17, 2009 from Keith Bray"Character isn't inherited. One builds it daily by the way one thinks and acts, thought by thought, action by action. If one lets fear or hate or anger take possession of the mind, they become self-forged chains." -- Helen Douglas How do you feel about anger, in yourself and in others? How do ...
Views: 1424(1 vote) - I Have a Reason to Be PO'ed - by Submitted on Aug 06, 2009 from Keith BrayIt is true for all of us, there are times when S..T happens. It is how we respond to it that counts. I love to play golf. The golf course is such a window on life and an insight into the people who play the game. Spend four hours plus with a seemingly intelligent and balanced human being, let ...
Views: 1293(1 vote) - EGO RUNNING WILD! - by Submitted on Jul 31, 2009 from Keith BrayEGO RUNNING WILD! Thought to Ponder . . .The ego seeks the destination; the soul seeks the journey What a deadly conflict I had going on for so many years, my ego searching for the destination and my forgotten soul seeking a journey! It made it hard to live in this skin of mine; seeking and ...
Views: 2057(1 vote) - Please like me? - by Submitted on Jul 28, 2009 from Keith BrayPLEASE LIKE ME? I don’t know how many years I went through life deep down just wanting people to like me. Can you relate? As a kid, I had friends, but never felt that I was anyone’s “best friend”. I longed to be the person who got that first phone call or had people knocking at my door on ...
Views: 1267(4 votes) - CHOICE-Cleaned Up, Locked Up, Covered Up or Broken Up - by Submitted on Jul 24, 2009 from Keith BrayCHOICE-CLEANED (sobered) UP, LOCKED UP, COVERED UP or Broken Up I don't know when I first heard this, but since I have chosen a process of life recovery and the coaching profession, the truth of this "choice" has become very real. I hope that those of you who have taken the time to read this ...
Views: 2008(1 vote) - WHERE TO FIND SERENITY - by Submitted on Jul 23, 2009 from Keith BrayWHERE TO FIND SERENITY I'm sitting here on a rainy Thursday morning, at peace with the world. I was to have played in a golf tournament this morning, and was quite looking forward to it. In days a decade and a half ago, having the event canceled by rain would have ticked me off and disrupted ...
Views: 1437(1 vote) - In Praise of Differences! - by Submitted on Jul 21, 2009 from Keith BrayMy Life Coaching mentor, Dr. Randin Brons, Has once again hit a chord with this week Idea Generator. Celebrate differences. "Souls don't have races or sexes or religions. They are beyond artificial divisions." -- Brian Weiss Intolerance of differences always exists in people who don't know ...
Views: 1243(1 vote) - More on the God Thing... - by Submitted on Jul 17, 2009 from Keith BrayI am not, today, a religious person, but to move from a low start point to a life I love today, I had to understand what god is to me. It is safe to say, at my lowest hour, I was spiritually bankrupt. I was the centre of my own universe and I tried to control all within it. For a long period it ...
Views: 1140(1 vote) - Family Relationships - by Submitted on Jul 14, 2009 from Keith BrayHow many of us have been negatively effected by bad family relationships- past or current? There is no required school for parenting, and we don't choose our families. In my own case, family relationships had a huge impact on the negative feelings I had toward myself; and these started way ...
Views: 1658(2 votes) - Do You Believe in Yourself? - by Submitted on Jul 13, 2009 from Keith BrayDo you believe in yourself? "We cannot rise higher than our thought of ourselves." -- Orison Swett Marden Each week I receive an idea generator from my coaching mentor, Dr. Randin Brons. Seldom does Randin send something that does not provoke thought within me and usually it takes me back ...
Views: 910(2 votes) - Playing Life Forward - by Submitted on Jul 06, 2009 from Keith BrayPlaying Life Forward (and loving you). Life moves forward whether we want it to or not. It never plays in reverse. The past is past. Over. Finished. Our job is to move with the flow of the present. We are propelled by what went before, but we do not try to swim against the current of our ...
Views: 1259(2 votes) - GOALS and SELF-ESTEEM - by Submitted on Jul 02, 2009 from Keith BrayGoals and Self-Esteem In my own funny way, I have always had goals. For a long period of time, my self-esteem was low. Safe to say, I was not a fan of me from the inside out. The process of "life recovery", as I have experienced, is a process that is from the inside out. To quote an old ...
Views: 2165(3 votes) - AN EXPECTATION/PROMISE - by Submitted on Jun 30, 2009 from Keith BrayAN EXPECTATION/PROMISE You have decided to work hard on rebuilding a life that you are happy with. You understand the process ahead of you and realise that it will require commitment and hard work. You have set some goals. It is time to act, but you have normal fear about making big changes. ...
Views: 1482(2 votes) - CHANGE? - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2009 from Keith BrayCHANGE THROUGH COACHING What I said never changed anybody; what they understood did. --Paul. P. To often in my role as a life coach, potential sponsor or mentor, I run across people who think I can change them. Craziness as the above quote states. The only person I can change is I, and ...
Views: 848(2 votes) - Family Relationships - by Submitted on Jun 24, 2009 from Keith BrayGot this great reading today from Hazelden, and boy did it hit home! I only wish that I had “got it” as it relates to my mother by the time I was 35. Man, she, and a few select other very close to me, knew exactly what buttons to push. I’ve learned that it was I who allowed them to be pushed, ...
Views: 1137(1 vote) - Personal Growth - by Submitted on Jun 23, 2009 from Keith BrayPersonal Power "We are no longer puppets being manipulated by outside powerful forces; we become the powerful force ourselves." -- Leo Buscagli In making dramatic change in our life, is there really not just one thing we are seeking? Personal Power? Ther came a time in my life that I realised I ...
Views: 861(1 vote) - A SPIRITUAL LIFESTYLE - by Submitted on Jun 18, 2009 from Keith BrayA Spiritual (not religious) Lifestyle Thought to Ponder . . .True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess. As I made a decision to do something about my life as it was back in 1994, early on I had the GOD thing thrown at me. Like most, I had attended Sunday school as a kid and at ...
Views: 1628(1 vote) - HAD NO CHOICE! - by Submitted on Jun 17, 2009 from Keith BrayHAD NO CHOICE! When I was being made as a person and if I had been able to pick my attributes, I would not have chosen addictions and the effects of addictions, to be part of my life. That being said, addictions and abuse did impact on my life. This not very unique. About 10% of the ...
Views: 880(1 vote) - I Saw the Enemy - by Submitted on Jun 15, 2009 from Keith BrayAlways interesting to see what thoughts run through my head as I try to shut down my conscious thinking and spend quiet time in the morning. About fifteen years ago I sat in a treatment centre, Homewood, in Guelph, Ontario. I had been alcohol and drug free for about 3 months, and this did allow ...
Views: 1542(1 vote) - Taking Action-Ouch! - by Submitted on Jun 12, 2009 from Keith BrayThought to Ponder . . .Never mistake motion for action. I read the book, sat on the sidelines at dances, talked the talk but didn’t get off my duff to actually dance. I dreamed I was mister dancing king, I fantasized what it would feel like, but when it came time to dance, reality was much ...
Views: 758(1 vote)