Loading the searchable article library…
Browse published articles attributed to Keith Bray, with full-archive search.
Hard to believe, what we consider summer is over. School is back in, traffic is back to insane, and they days are definitely getting shorter. Seeing September 2 pop up in my calendar is shocking. There are so many things I had said to myself I would do over the summer, and of course, a lot of ...
-flashback to my 20’s, it’s not me today I went to a concert over the weekend to see Credence Clearwater Revival, or what’s left of the group. The music was great, it really was good old rock and roll, but the feelings were funny! There was a lot of gray hair in the crowd, ...
What a good weekend, but a great reminder that kids are for the young, and I don’t get smarter about some things with age. It was great to spend the time at my youngest daughters and in the company of a terrific son-in-law. All three of the grand kids were there, the oldest finishing off a ...
Do You Understand Coaching and The Benefits To You? - A review for me too, and why I know it’s my life purpose. Man, life has been busy and with the different holidays, a little confused over the last few weeks. Days go by, and I wonder where time goes, and sometimes I am guilty of losing ...
Here in Canada, we are starting our Thanksgiving weekend. While timing is great to get a long weekend, the name thanksgiving means so much more to me than three days were the work world shuts down; it brings gratitude to the forefront! Around me the trees are changing color. The reds in some of ...
It has been a crazy Thursday from very early in the morning, and tomorrow will be more insane. We call it “Grampy Day”, my annual venture into the world of fun with my two oldest grand kids sans parents or other adults. Golf, fishing and whatever else my little heroes want. ...
And 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 ...
Well, we are coming to the end of the first good weather (supposedly) long weekend of the year. For my American friends, we celebrate “Victoria Day” the weekend ahead of Memorial Day, a tie to our British roots. I feel for those with cottages and those who are campers. If people were ...
GRATITUDE-HOW QUICK I CAN FORGET The last few days I have a wonderful opportunity to spend time at a golf club I belong to. Late yesterday we played a “fun” competition where the winners enjoyed a great steak dinner and those who finished second had beans. Nice beans, with franks, ...
15 years ago my personal, internal life hit a wall. Exte ally things looked OK, internally they were horrible. I was at a bottom spiritually and emotionally, self-esteem was gone, and those I cared the most about in my personal life were pulling away. I had lost sight of goal setting, had lost ...
Another weekend over, and some very good reminders and perspectives. I was very fortunate to get three golf games in on three days, and to have a chance to do something nice for my dear old mother. Friday we had a good buddy down from Peterborough. He is a great athlete, about my age, and has ...
Posted October 31st, 2008 by Keithnn * A NEW EARTHn * ADDICTIONn * Certifiedn * CREATIVE THEORYn * DREAMSn * EGOn * Life Coachn * www.hopeserenity.cann MORE ON EGO! While I haven't jou alled about it in a while, ego, the duality and things Eckhart Tolle has written ...
When I started on the journey to recover a life that was happy, joyous and free, and life filled with hope and serenity, I quickly learned the power of “WE”. While addictions were active in my life at the time, they were not the problem that stopped me from achieving the life I ...
For a long time I thought I was on a run of bad luck! My wife had left me, friends were pulling away, and nothing seemed to come together at work, not to mentio I never won the lottery or even a lucky draw? Ever had that feeling?? Just plain bad luck. It’s funny after I decided to seek ...
It’s taken me a long time to learn, and I was reminded again in working with a client today, I have the right to be wrong. Oft times, upon reflection, I am wrong. New behaviors dictate that when I know I am wrong, I promptly admit it, and make amends when needed. I’ve also learned ...
It was a very interesting day yesterday. A day where I had a wonderful opportunity to lunch with a psychiatrist associate, then golf with a business coach I have known for years, but never had the opportunity to spend one on one time with. Upon reflection this morning, and looking at what has ...
Reality Check Last night, in talking with a fellow who I work with as a guide and mentor, I was faced with a reality check. It was a reminder, and a mini-awakening. Seated in the room with me was a friend of long standing, a doctor, who through abuse of substance and things that can go with it, ...
Can You Confess? And Why? One day this week, I had a response to a blog about being honest with yourself in taking a personal inventory. It was great to get a response; it’s nice to know someone actually reads what I write. The response was about being a former Catholic and the real ...
One of the beauties of a long weekend is that I usually get to catch up on some reading, and the read in combination with quiet time, leads to some new thinking. To summarize something I just read, it stated, if you profess a love of a higher power in your life, and carry resentments with you, ...
Do It Because You Like The EFFECT?? I get some great stuff from friends who are in recovery from one thing or another, or just recovering from people and the past. The Following hit me right between the eyes. Can you relate? "Men and women drink (drug, overeat, cut, use sex, gamble, ...
ARE YOU LIVING IN TODAY? There is real joy in working with others. They, in part, keep me totally focus in the day. I help my clients to identify their dreams and make them a reality. By the journey they take is taken a day at a time. Again, the words of others ring true. “Living or ...
A Thought: Limited expectations yield only limited results. Our thoughts determine our actions, and when our thoughts are negative, our successes are few. What we hold in our mind is certain to be reflected in the day's activities. And we are capable of fueling our thoughts positively, if we ...
I've started to realize that waiting is an art, that waiting achieves things. Waiting can be very, very powerful. Time is a valuable thing. If you can wait two years, you can sometimes achieve something that you could not achieve today, however hard you worked, however much money you threw up in ...
While reflecting on the early part of my life, seeing and understanding what happened, and looking at how things played out, it is apparent the people pleasing, the need to make others happy, has played a large role in my life. I see the remnants of this behaviour, learned at a young age, still ...
I have been jou aling, and posting my journal as a blog for some time. Why? I am a member of a group of coaches who can be found at Big Life.ws, and have been part of a share group about blogging. I am trying to put into practice what others are telling me about blogging. I look for the input ...
Remembrance DaynI awoke this morning well before first light. November 11 is a special day in my heart. A day to remember times and people past, and remember with gratitude. I have been fortunate to live in a time in history were I have not been needed to serve in active military service. My ...
Over the first couple of weeks of the New Year, I have reviewed the 12 Steps as part of trudging the road to happy destiny, looking after my own mental hygiene, sharing to help and putting together an E-Book. I love to keep those steps simple. A lesso I had to learn early in my journey, and ...
Do you love yourself? What a great question and I thank Express Coaching and their Idea Generator for sending. It is probably the first questio I drill to with the clients I take on, and one each of us must regularly ask ourselves! "At the heart of personality is the need to feel a sense of ...
I get a chance to go to some very interesting meetings with some very bright people. All should understand you meet very bright people in recovery programs; they were smart enough to do something about their living problems. Today a person stated that during his “dark” days, he has ...
This week, I think I’ve gone through the most impactful and emotional occurrence of my recovery journey. I have watched death several times as people start, and then leave the journey to a better life. Addictions are a terrible disease. They kill. So does the impact of poor mental ...
Last night, we went and saw the new Indiana Jones movie. I remember the original very well, the special effects were incredible and the story had me at the edge of my seat. I loved it. While the flick I saw last night had great special effects and some spectacular location shoots, I found it ...
Having Fun Yet? Recently, life has been full of challenges that a larger than the norm. When issues are directly related to blood family, they can be more stressful than most issues. Money gets in there too. On a frequent basis, I ask myself, “Are We Having Fun Yet?” I began the ...
I’m a real Canadian, and as such, a hockey fan. Wayne Gretzky is a hero. I was coaching a client this morning who shared a great statement he ascribed to “The Great One”. “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” How true is that? What do we miss ...
Gratitude-A Reminder Last night I was a t a meeting, and old timers were welcomed. A couple of people glanced my way, and I guess it a fitting title in that fellowship. I should be grateful. I was there again, and free from addictions. Over the last period of time, we have had some major ...
One of the most important things in my life is family, yet sometimes I wonder why. As I start a new week, the thought of family and relationships is foremost in my mind. Funny, I’m reminded, you can pick your friends, and you can’t pick your family. In these thoughts, I must remember ...
I go crazy when I do nothing for extended periods of time. It can wear very thin. Very often, life is just the opposite, I do not have the time to just do nothing, and nothing can be therapeutic. Can you relate? Back in the “old” days being hyper active all the time, meetings, ...
I awoke this morning to a brilliant blue sky, and an awareness that something subtle had changed. I have a funeral to attend today. I attend meetings on a fairly regular basis. I am a creature of habit, and have been sitting in the same area of the meeting for years. I look around the room and ...
Is Personal Change Possible? Success? - a Couple of great questions that I have come The last day and a half has been hectic but interest! Coaching is all about asking questions, and having the client find answers with. Yesterday I was asked if it were possible for people to make significant ...
Posted November 5th, 2008 by Keithn • A NEW EARTHn • Creative Theory of Recoveryn • Keith Bray. Life Coach Awakening To Purposen Last night I watched the world change. As I was going to sleep, US voters showed courage to change; they made a decisio I did not think I'd see in my ...
I’m very fortunate, the things I’m involved in and the new life I’ve been given allow me to be positive about life most of the time. I also have a sense of realism. I have had the good fortune to see tremendous growth in the lives of others on a frequent basis and in nearly ...
The Journey-Building Self-Esteem My life is not perfect. I make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes, I stumble and fall. I am a work in progress. And when I remember that simple fact, I am better for the experience. It's easy to start on a path of change and get so busy doing what we need to do that ...
Ready For More Steps/Footprints? I can get off track with the best of them! I was rolling along on a step review which I like to do annually, and ensuring the “footprints” I use in my practice are in sync with what must happen to live a quality life. Life got in the way. In the ...
In a search to get a life I wanted, I began a journey. There were a number of things out of whack when the journey started. My wife had moved to an apartment leaving me in the home with our late teen kids, the kids kept their distance, the dog kept his also, my company was under performing, ...
DON’T LOOK NOW! YOU MAY BE WINNING Frequently we read or are told how to tell when we need to look for help and the things to look for to notice when we are going backward. In my own experience, we do not often have an inventory list to check against when we are achieving. On a cloudy ...
We need to listen to one another. --Chaim Poto How basic is this statement. How often do I forget it? It is a good reminder to me. How often do I get so caught up in my own world I hear what you’re saying without hearing? Can others relate? Listening is an important skill to cultivate. We ...
I constantly talk about coaching. Yes, this is in part because it is what I am professionally. But more importantly, it is because what coaching is and what it can bring to a clients life is not clearly understood. To those in self-help programs, coaching IS NOT sponsorship. The essence of ...
“The reality is that changes are coming . . .They must come. You must share in bringing them. --John Hersey Change. It's scary. It's hard. It's needed. Sometimes it feels good; other times it feels bad. But one thing is for sure: it keeps on happening. Just when our life seems settled, ...
When I got up Wednesday morning, I had a choice to make. I choose to make it a good day. There is enough craziness going on in this world, the talk of economic collapse, and gosh help us, elections on both sides of the border. Here in Canada, as far as leadership goes, I don’t find any ...
There is a daily blog that I love done by a fellow named Patrick who resides in Michigan. It can be found under “Spiritual River” and is one of the best feeds I’ve been exposed to on the net! I am hoping Patrick and I find a way to work together, I love a lot of his ...
A weekend is in process, and I pray that my golf game gets better. It’s a wonderful journey when the worst thing you have to worry about is your golf game. Friday, I played the worst round I’ve played in years, and didn’t even mutter a curse word. I may be getting too mellow! I ...