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A Life Coach? What's that?

9/21/2015

Upon receiving my Life Coach Certification, I was extremely excited as it had been a goal, dream and vision of mine for most of my adult life. The curriculum was extensive and the assignments tough, and I had done it. YAY! As many super proud graduates I couldn’t wait to tell anyone and everyone of my new role, my soul profession so to speak. “I am A Life Coach!” I would beam, and usually the response was either “That’s great! Everybody needs a Life Coach!” or “You’re what? What’s a Life Coach?” So I put this together, along with some other common questions I have encountered for anyone wondering what this “Life Coaching thing” is all about and why it’s quickly becoming the number one “counseling” of choice for so many.

Everyone has a vision of what their ideal life looks like. Maybe you've always dreamed of being a successful entrepreneur, artist, or corporate executive. Or maybe, like so many you are just stressed, overwhelmed and unfulfilled. It seems like life is passing you by and you are not one step closer to your vision, your ideal life. Enter the Life Coach. Just like the coaches who push athletes to greatness in sports or vocal coaches who launch their students into the perfect aria, life coaches push their clients to find success and satisfaction with their jobs and their lives by focusing on, and develop their clients’ strengths and abilities.

There are many reasons people have chosen to work with a Life Coach and some examples might be:

Needing some guidance on moving forward in life/career
Wanting to learn how to utilize personal strengths and talents
Unsure what to do about a major life decision
Searching to perfect a work-life balance
Experiencing a lot of stress
Feeling unfulfilled
Wanting to achieve big goals
Looking to be happier

Is a Life Coach a “Shrink”? No, a Life Coach is not a psychiatrist. A Life Coach is a consultant, motivational speaker, part therapist and part friend and they have the ability to view things from the outside shedding new light on difficult situations. Many times they can be a sounding board through tough decisions and can provide their clients new insights, new motivation and accountability while assisting them to move forward into the life they envision by providing the tools necessary to make it happen. Life Coaches focus on the present and the future with their clients.

Does it work? A loud and profound YES! Life Coaching has become so very popular as more and more people are turning to coaches every day. Coaching works for several reasons including:

•           Synergy between the life coach and client creates momentum and enthusiasm.

•           Better goals are set - ones that naturally motivate the client.

•           The client develops new skills which lead to greater successes.

•           Structure and support - more is accomplished with fewer struggles and less effort.

•           A Life Coach is an objective, positive supporter.

These are just a few benefits of working with a Life Coach. Simply stated people that are stuck in a rut can become clearer about reaching new goals, and those who are already successful may achieve even more. The bottom line is that by working with a coach, people set better goals and reach them faster than trying to reach them by themselves.

I have friends, do I need a coach? There are many people that have to a friend or family member to go to when it comes to certain life circumstances such as making big decisions or overcoming problems. But these friends may not always have the best answers or may not be truly objective about a situation to give decent advice. This is one reason life coaching has become so sought after. Coaching helps people see their life from a different, third party perspective and gives them the confidence to move forward launching them towards success.

Oh, one more thing. The success of coaching really depends on people finding the right Life Coach for them. An effective coach for one person may not be a good match for another. Personal chemistry and rapport are more than important, they are vital. To find a good match, it's best to speak directly with your potential coach first so you may want to look for a coach who offers a sample session before you commit. You'll want to be sure you feel comfortable enough with your coach to develop the deep trust so necessary for successful coaching.

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My Husband Got the IVY...

9/19/2015

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For the first time ever, my husband Jesse was plagued by a massive case of poison ivy this summer. Being that we are from Nevada, and luckily poison ivy does not grow in the desert, he had never had the pleasure of the experience and boy was it a horrendous few weeks for him. From the mutated blisters that took over a quarter of his body, to being kept up all night with pain and scratching, the cortisone shots that felt like lead entering his body, and the all over yuk feeling he had, suffice it to say this will hopefully be his first and last case ever as he has boycotted yardwork for the rest of our lives, and I certainly don’t blame him. Jesse is back to pretty much normal now, not a trace of the reaction on him. If there is such a thing as poison ivy P.T.S.D., I am pretty sure he has it as every itch gets him a little nervous, but for the most part I think he’s ok.

While Jesse was in agony with his affliction, I too was itching. No, this wasn’t a case of sympathy scratch - my itch was incessantly deeper and no amount of calamine could mask it. I was itching for a change; I was itching for something different. I was itching to break free of my daily routine of wake up, down the caffeine forty, play in traffic (for what always seemed like an eternity), go to work, come home exhausted, set the alarm just to do it again for all my foreseeable tomorrows.

What did I do with the itch that wouldn’t quit? I scratched it. I scratched it and it felt good. It felt selfish, it felt scary, it felt crazy, but it felt good. I took the proverbial leap of faith and handed my boss my resignation. “I am going solo I told her, it is time to follow my bliss, live my passion. I am going to change the world!” I was sure she thought I had lost my mind, but with a hug, she wished me well on my new adventure.

Now, not every itch should be scratched, and I do not recommend abruptly leaving your job, but for me, being fortunate enough, combined with great timing, and an amazing supportive family, I am for the first time in a very long time living my dreams, vision, and passion. I look forward to my work days now because my passion and my work have finally become one. Will I be successful? Of course I will because I am a firm believer that if you live your passion, the money will follow.

With every life changing event whether by choice or by chance even under the best of circumstances there are moments of absolute panic, stress, and maybe even a little shock as a new life before you unfolds. I have had all of those moments and more and I offer you some tips to help you on your journey if you find yourself with the “Itch”.

Have a plan. Having a plan is key. For me I knew for quite some time what I would do and how I would do it when the day came. No plan? No problem, now’s your chance. Take a moment and honestly answer this question. What, if money were no object would I be doing for my life’s work? Got your answer? Good, now build on it.
Stick to your schedule. We are creatures of habit. If your work days have had you getting up at 5am every day, keep it going and maintain the same days “off”. Fill your work hours with meaningful activities that bring you closer to your goals. Staying on the same schedule helps as you make the transition by keeping your “work mode” brain in focus and you will be less likely to fall into the lazies.
Share your vision. Get excited, get other people excited with and for you. Tell your friends, share your excitement with your family. Share your dream with everyone you meet and you will be building your own personal cheering section! The combined positive energy will help you maintain momentum and a positive attitude during this time.
Read, write and ‘rithmetic. Read motivational books that apply to your vision, Take notes, write down thoughts, ideas, and ramblings or whatever. Do the math and figure out how your passion + vision = income. When you can see your goals in writing you will be more apt to realizing them.
F.E.A.R Forget Everything And Run or Face Everything and Rise? As the adage says “Rome wasn’t built in a day” You may and probably will have those dire “fear of failure” moments. It’s ok! But that is all they are, just moments. The fact that there is fear is a good thing because it means what you are doing something that is meaningful to you. We don’t have fear for things we don’t care about. So let those feelings just come and go and trust yourself enough to forge ahead with your plan.

So, if like me you have decided your itch is much more than skin deep, and have already taken or thinking of taking your own leap of faith, I hope this article will help you as you make way towards your new fulfilling life!

Yes, my husband sure had the Ivy, yet I was the one with the Itch!

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September 18th, 2015

9/18/2015

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A Life Coach? What's that?

My Husband Got the IVY...

September 18th, 2015

Genia Silva

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