Life Coach and Life Coaching Articles

Perfectionists have impossibly high standards. And impossibly high standards make things impossible, setting up a never ending cycle of procrastination, overwhelm and discouragement. With finances, it usually starts with some “expert” advice. For instance, financial experts say that we should save 20-40% of our income. They will tell us how much to budget for a clothing allowance. They’ll give us a surefire way to pay off our debt. Now, these are all great goals. They look great on paper, and they work well for some people.

Have you, along with the other several million people, been watching Oprah? Not the show – the woman? Something has happened to Oprah in the last few years. She has gotten bigger – not her body, but her spirit. And along with her incredible spirit, she has truly embraced her social responsibility as a woman with considerable power to shape modern culture. I used to think Oprah was merely remarkable, now I find her remarkable and inspirational!nnI want to take a cl

Some universal truths I have learned in my own process of life recovery and in working with hundreds of others. "Family" is an issue I hear about almost everyday, and deal with directly on many occasions in my own life. As today is a statutory holiday here in Ontario-"Family Day",- it is a very ...

As I was listening to an audio speech by Chris Weidner I became aware of a problem. Sometimes we feel that we've beat a subject to death. As leaders we feel we've stated the need, the change, the information to everyone and everywhere. Because we've stated the intention over and over again we ...

I meet people all the time who don’t really understand virtual learning, and are therefore wary of signing up for anything that is presented in this way. What a shame; there is so much expertise out there that you can access once you become familiar with this increasingly popular method of supplying information. Don’t let that wariness keep you from easily participating in events that can transform your life. It’s a dream-come-true for busy people who yearn for information to make their lives better and easier, but who don’t have time to seek out and attend the live events.

I received this question from a client… “I was in bed thinking about my 5-year-old and the problems he is having with interpersonal relationships at school and a little bit with his nanny. He seems to talk back and he can be a tyrant. Also he is not quite a big follower of authority. I know sometimes he says to me you don’t think I am smart, so obviously this is in his mind.

What is the impact of your presence? Your personal presence has everything to do with what the world presents back to you – with how people respond to you. And it has everything to do with you how you think and feel about yourself. My whippet, Ollie is one of my greatest teachers. She has taught me much over the years. One of the lessons I have learned from Ollie is about the Power of Presence. Ollie has a powerful presence. At the same time she is gentle and playful, even

Businesses these days are in a unique position in which there are four generations in the workplace. First, there are those who have been working for years and who, in better economic times, would be close to retiring. Then there are the Baby Boomers who are approaching retirement and, in many cases, caring for aging parents and working with their adult children to pay off student loans. There are also the Gen-Xers (30-somethings, mostly) and members of Generation Y. Each of these generations is going to be impacted by the economic recession.

The stress response in our bodies might be thought of, from one point of view, as the result of a combat between two opposing parts of the nervous system. The sympathetic division, triggered in response to a perceived threat, is responsible for the increased heart rate, higher blood pressure, faster breathing and general inner turmoil of the stress response. Its opposite, the parasympathetic division, triggers a lower heart rate, improved digestion, muscular relaxation, and a sense of serenity.

Here’s the scenario. Through the course of a day you just can’t get into it. You labour through the day. You get a bit of stuff done but the feeling you have as you come towards the end of it is that life sucks a little bit. You are not all doom and gloom but you do feel pretty average, pretty overwhelmed and pretty much like you had a very uninspiring and unproductive day. Before you fall asleep, you just hope that tomorrow is going to be better. In fact, not just better, but bucket-loads better. And then tomorrow comes and…

What makes you happiest, giving a gift that is received with excitement and real emotion or receiving a gift with excitement and real emotion? I find that a tough question because both make me happy. During this season, the most popular gift giving and receiving time of the year, I must say ...

Are you letting others blow out your flame? How can you keep it lit. Here are some tips. Last month I poured my heart out to anyone who would listen, saying how important it is that I don’t let my candle burn out (last month's article below). The candle I’m referring to is my life force – the energy that sustains me, that IS me. No matter how much I care, no one and nothing is worth getting upset over. The many responses I received showed that the message was well received, and that my readers learned from the example.

If you are a mom, more than likely you know the feeling of having a full schedule. Rushing around, taking a kid to soccer, another to dance class, rush to pick up the dry cleaning and then running home to get cookies baked for the youngest child’s snack day. As moms we have full schedules, ...

As the New Year approaches, have you thought about your career goals? What worked to years ago in planning and managing your career will not work for your career development in the 21st Century. Managing your career in the 21st Century requires preparation, career goal planning and career ...

Executives are normal people and they need coaching too. The leaders in each organization who have proven over time that they can do a lot for the company can get bogged down. Those ideas that seemed so revolutionary before can become a thing of the past. The truth is that anyone can reach a point in their lives where they might have stagnated and they need a boost to get them back up. And like anyone else, executives need someone there to help them get back on track – that someone is a coach.r

Write here. Write now. nnnnThe art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. - Mary Heaton VorsennnA few years ago I met Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling. In fact we spent an afternoon together, talking about books. She has read mine, you know! Allow me to turn back the pages.... nnnI have always enjoyed reading our sons a bedtime story and although they are old enough now to read their own books there are still occasions when I read s

Network and networking are wonder words; seemingly having the capacity to solve almost any problem, whether they are personal or professional, if the practice is properly nurtured and maintained. Networking plays a vital role in the success of any business. No matter neither how great your business is nor your business sense; people need to know that you exist. Starting and growing a successful business requires strong networking skills. The literal meaning of word ‘network’

The Power and Authority of choice was given to man directly by God. According to Genesis 2:16: "Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for if you eat of it you will surely die." We know all ...

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." - Anonymous Quite a statement, isn’t it? However, I have to say that I don’t totally agree with it. I don’t think we have to completely get rid of the life we have planned. I believe ...

While we might think of fun as something for kids, it's also fundamental for adults. Fun is great for its own sake, for generating happy hormones and for helping heal earlier hurts. Fun & laughter are also excellent for boosting motivation, raising determination & improving health for today and the future. So, it's time to get serious about fun! DOES YOUR LIFE SPARKLE LIKE SUNLIGHT ON THE WAVES, OR ARE YOU PLUMBING THE DEPTHS? Get a pen and paper and note down how many times you say "I don't know" or "No" to these questions:

(Last week I discussed the reasons for taking a risk, and the preparation for doing so. This week’s article continues with planned steps to gain the most from taking the risk, while minimizing the stress.) General George Patton once said,“Take calculated risks; that is quite different from being rash.”

There was a time when an online degree was met with total skepticism, the same way people looked down on those who had home based businesses. Things have changed and Americans have woken up to the fact that time is the most precious commodity. Very soon our T.V and CPU will morph into a single ...

With the current economic climate, more and more people are hearing the news and finding themselves conce ed that they could be faced with job loss. On one hand, these individuals who are afraid of losing their jobs are looking for career tips that will help them to become invaluable in the ...

As a business owner you have all kinds of ideas about what products and services you want to offer to your clients. If you’re like me, you probably think about it a lot. The question is, do your clients really want what you are offering? Are you meeting their needs and helping them with the ...

So You Want the “Big Life”? Getting it through coaching Written by Gary Glasscock and Keith Bray Whether it is in life, sports, fitness, career, relationships, health, or executive performance, more and more people are turning to personal coaches to help them achieve goals they set ...

If life was a multiple choice test, would you always pick the same answer? “Let’s see, it’s choice B. Guess I’ll go with that all the way.” At least in a real multiple choice test, you can see all choices – usually four – laid out and you may even ponder them before you mark your choice. In real life, we frequently act as if we see only one choice, even if we’re surrounded with more than four choices. Habit and stress conspire to make us believe there’s only once choice open to us – and we’d better take it right away, without pausing too much to think.

It’s no secret that effective headlines are a crucial part of successful marketing. The big question is, how do you create effective headlines that command attention. Today, more than ever, attracting the interest of prospective clients is extremely difficult. Imagine you’ve written a great ...

How can your prospects know if they want what your business offers? How can they know if what you have, is what they need? A great way to let them find out is to offer a sample, a taster, of your products or services. You can do this by sharing your expertise, letting them experience what ...

What’s stopping you from doing the things you know you want to do in your business? Not enough time and a lack of focus can be obstacles to taking action. But take a closer look and see if these are the real issues. Is it possible that you really do know what you need to do but that fear is ...

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live in a fairy tale? I think that’s something most of us dream about, the fairy tale romance, prince charming sweeping us of our feet. It gives us hope to think that through the drudgery of completing our every day chores there can be a happy ending.nnI think most of us are caught up in cross roads between what they want and what they have, unfortunately the reality seems to be outweighed by the bad things that fairytales

Four little letters, but an emotion that plays havoc on so many of us. Have you ever really sat and thought about how much “Fear” has impacted your life. For those who have experienced going through “The Creative Theory of Life Recovery”, they are always surprised to ...

2008 the year that I will…. Make some positive life changes Form some new habits Finish reading that self help book I bought 20 years ago What changes can you make to your life? What new habits would you like to form? What do you need to let go? You have incredible untapped potential inside ...

With the new year now three weeks old, how many of us experienced an all too brief period of time at the turn of the year where we felt optimistic about the year ahead, set ourselves new goals and challenges, and told ourselves that this time next year we’d be millionaires? I’m sure ...

Weight Loss: As a person who's been a weight watcher most of my adult life, I know first hand that weight control can seem difficult and unattainable. But, the good news is, with a little common sense and a realignment of your mental perspective, it's not impossible to achieve. As a matter of ...

I hear it over and over again: “I can’t network. I’m an introvert.” “I don’t know what to say.” “I don’t want to brag.” A lot of people don’t like networking, but the bulk of them seem to be introverts. I’m an introvert, too, and I’m also an entrepreneur, having to teach myself along the way how to reach out and build that body of interested people who support and buy what I do. To make it even harder, I retired in Califo ia, moved back to Minneapolis, waited a few years, and then found I wanted to start a business in a city where I had no business contacts and only one friend (a nun).

A common idea in personal development circles is that “what you focus on expands.” For instance, if you’re feeling sad, focusing your attention on your sadness will only make you sadder. Instead, you need to distract yourself from your sadness by visualizing rainbows, playing with your cat, or doing something else to take your mind off what you’re feeling.

Did you ever hear that phrase - “Get out of your own way?” A lot of people blame other people for their failures when in reality we are typically the biggest obstacle to our own achievement. When I learned how to life coach other people I ultimately learned the difference between a personality that is “meddling and controlling” and a one that encourages others to truly find their highest potential in life in a detached and loving manner. I used to become someone that found e

The other day I was reading a blog post from a mom who had just returned home from a relaxing vacation. She felt refreshed and refueled for about one week. She was telling her readers that she needed a break, but felt guilty because she just had a vacation break. In her words, this mom ...

I’m sitting in row 20 seat E. That’s the middle seat at the back of the plane. This morning, not knowing what seat my assistant had booked me for this trip I wrote in my intentions, rather spontaneously, “I am so thankful to the universe for providing me with first class seats on the way up and back to Seattle this week… or something better!”

At some point, your teenager is going to want to start dating. This will happen whether you want it to or not. Keeping your teen locked up from the concept of dating is not going to make for a healthy relationship between you. It’s important that you work through the teen dating scene with ...

An excerpt from Talitha Cumi; Mothers and Daughters Arise! At the age of fourteen, I made up in my mind that I would never do drugs, never become a whore, nor would I loose my mind and I would be a success. Why did I make such an affirmation? Well, a very significant occurrence happened at ...

As Leo Tolstoy put it in Anna Karenina, "Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." What about other family traits? Are families who are flexible all flexible in the same way? And are rigid families each set in their own ways? Today, families are being shaken up in record numbers as financial turmoil hits home. With all the job-related uncertainties facing them, families must be able to make changes in order to adjust to the current economi

The Drunk Monkey (your mind) is a survival machine. It’s job is to protect you from possible destruction. Therefore, it is totally addicted to the news. The news organizations have realized that sensationalized news hooks their viewers Drunk Monkeys. The news has no commitment to truth. It has a commitment to making money which means “selling advertising”. The more viewers the news organizations have, the more money these companies make. Clearly, there is a natural pull towards the sensational verses the truth.

What's new? Nothing? How wonderful! I am so pleased to announce, that blissfully, wonderfully, nothing is new! I have nothing to report. Everything is status quo. PHEW! I recently came out of a 6 month whirlwind. It began with the first of 3 infestations of lice, in October. I won't ...

Why are Time Management Tips important? If done effectively they should give you more unscheduled time. Time to relax, reflect and reconnect with friends, family and your authentic self. Please make a list of what it is that you do each day. Write down everything. When you get up in the ...

When you first break up, you'll find yourself having all sorts of thoughts and emotions. This is a dangerous time for you! And... it's a time you shouldn't be making decisions about your relationship and how to get back your ex! It might seem strange that I'm telling you now isn't the time to ...

I woke up on January 1st, 2009 at 7:15AM. The alarm clock went off and I thought about hitting the snooze. A voice deep within roared with a boom and said, "What are you committed to?" I had made a choice to start the new year not with a party, but a good nights sleep. I choose to wake ...I woke up on January 1st, 2009 at 7:15AM. The alarm clock went off and I thought about hitting the snooze. A voice deep within roared with a boom and said, "What are you committed to?"

The Relationship betwee Work and Self Work\werk : an opportunity for discovering and shaping; the place where the self meets the world. You know, regardless of what business we are in, what projects we are working on or what interests we have in the world – we are all in the business of relationship building. In business we are always cultivating relationships with employees, with prospective clients, with colleagues. In our personal lives the place of relationship is often

Didn’t know what the Presidential candidates stood for? With all the rhetoric– and misrepresentations and omissions of fact that you’ve heard from both candidates, it’s tough to tell what their real beliefs are. Not to mention the fact that the press/media being accused, and then admitting to ...

Are you stressed out? Or just a little stressed? Or do you shine when others complain they can’t take it anymore? Is there really good stress and harmful stress? And if you feel you’re at breaking point, how can you re-balance yourself to feel good again? Today, I’d like to share with you my take on stress and how to best to stay balanced. WHAT IS STRESS? Mmm… if stress makes some people crumble and others shine, what is stress? How can it be both a stimulus for shining and