Coach Andrea

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right? You take one step forward and two steps back?  Even during those times when everything feels out of control, you can choose to be in control of one thing – your attitude.  Read this week’s Tip by Chris Widener with thoughts about choosing your attitude.

Quote of the Week

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

Your Attitude – You Choose!

By Chris Widener

There are lots of things in this life that we don’t get to choose. On the other hand, there are lots of thing in this life that we do get to choose. Our attitude is one of the things that we get to choose. Nobody else lives inside our brain. Nobody else controls what or how we think. It is up to us, moment by moment, to choose what our attitude is. It is up to us to determine how we will look at and perceive the world around us. It is up to us to decide how we will react to our world around us.

My advice? Choose a positive, optimistic attitude! Here are some thought on choosing your attitude.

We cannot choose our circumstances. For the most part, this is true. We cannot control if someone around us gets ill. We cannot control how another person will treat us. We cannot control the global economy. We cannot control the direction our society as a whole will go. For some, this may seem scary. For me, it is freeing. I don’t have to control my circumstances. Running the whole world would be a big responsibility. It is good to know that I am not in charge of, or in control of all of my circumstances. This dose of reality frees you to focus in on what you can control – your attitude.

We can choose our attitudes. That’s right. We get to choose what our attitudes are. Here is the definition of attitude: “The feeling or opinion about something or someone, or a way of behaving that follows from this.” We choose how we feel about others and situations. We choose our opinion about people and situations. We choose the way we will behave in relation to other people and circumstances. We choose it. It doesn’t have to be bad. It doesn’t have to be anything but what we want it to be. We have the option.

The choice of a right attitude will significantly determine new circumstances. Choosing to have the right attitude will change the world around you. This isn’t any sort of magic; it is just how the world works. Now, don’t get me wrong. It won’t cure everything and turn your world into a virtual Shangri-La, but it will significantly improve the world you live in. For example, let’s say that every day you go into work and you gripe about life and work from the moment you get there until the moment you leave. Will others want to be around you? Will others ask your opinion? Will others like you? Will others ask you to join them for lunch? Probably not! But what if you come to work every day and you are the positive optimist of the crowd? Will everybody love you? No, but significantly more people will than if you are the office pessimist! Your choice of attitude will determine what kind of circumstances you get!

Ultimately, it is our choice on what we have as an attitude. Nobody else can force you to have a bad attitude. Nobody else can force you to have a good attitude. It is simply a choice you make.

Where are you with your attitude? Do you have a good one? Why not sit down and give it some serious thought? Then, no matter where you find yourself, decide to take your attitude to the next level! If you have a really bad attitude, decide to take it up a couple of levels!

Your attitude. Your choice. Choose wisely.

Chris Widener is the President of Chris Widener International. www.ChrisWidener.com Chris can be reached at Chris@MadeForSuccess.com

Your Call To Action

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Over my office desk is a bulletin board.  Until Sunday, when I did a little decluttering, it was overflowing with quotes, ideas, recommendations, and lists.  You get the picture.  While cleaning, I found the quote, “Start to evaluate the images coming in and if they aren’t going to send you toward your dreams, reject them, because they control your results.”  This is a great lead into this week’s Tip by Michael Neill about the impact of our thoughts.

Quote of the Week

“Change your thoughts and you change your world.”

The Problem with Courage

By Michael Neill

Last week I was speaking with a very successful new client when he asked me to share any insights I had into what might still be holding him back in his life. After a few moments of reflection, I told him that he was one of the bravest and most courageous men I had ever met – and while that was unquestionably a virtue in some areas, it was likely to be holding him back in others.

When he asked me what I meant, I shared the story of a conversation I had several years ago with a comedian (I’ll call him “Bob”) who was about to play his first 1000+ seat venue after years of dingy bars and nightclubs.  Bob phoned me for some intensive confidence coaching in the days leading up to the event, suggesting that we speak daily and if possible in the minutes before he went on stage for his “really big gig.”

I offered to save him some time by pointing out that he had been doing three shows a night for years without any special confidence coaching, and that the critical variable here was not the size of the audience but rather the size of his thought.

I asked him “If you didn’t think it was a ‘really big gig’, would you still need extra confidence to do it?”

Within about five minutes of further conversation, he realized that but for his thinking, he was going to be doing exactly what he’d been doing for years – stepping up to the microphone and telling jokes. In fact, it was because he already did that so well that he’d been invited to do the “really big gig” in the first place.

We arranged for him to call me if he felt the need, but I didn’t hear from him again until after the show, which went extremely well and wound up being the first of many.

After sharing this story, I pointed out to my client that the problem with courage is that when you find yourself faced with a seemingly frightening and overwhelming task, you’re inclined to plow blindly forward and take it on anyways, relying on your courage to win the battle or overcome the obstacle.

Now, if you never question your perception of the world and assume that things really are the way you see them, that sounds like a good thing.  But one of the insights many people have when they look more deeply into the nature of thought is the startlingly arbitrary nature of what we see as frightening and overwhelming.  

Personally, I can speak effortlessly in front of thousands of people and have been brought to tears in the face of a spreadsheet (despite the fact that it was filled with proof of the profitability of my company). And over the years, I’ve coached people who were carrying around debilitating fears of everything from jello to spiders and from running out of breath mints to running out of money.

So someone with less courage but a deeper understanding of the nature of thought might be inclined to take a step back from their fear and overwhelm and open up to some fresh new thinking about their situation. They might discover that there were less battles to be fought than they had originally anticipated and recognize that you don’t have to put on a suit of armor to walk into an arena filled with allies.

When your thoughts start looking a little bit less real, the stress and fear and overwhelm those thoughts produce lessens. And when you take a fresh look at your life, you invariably see that things are not as bad as they looked at first glance. Even on those rare occasions when they are, the clarity of your perspective grants you the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, the courage (yes, courage) to change the things you can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

One last story. I was sharing this understanding with a student who was concerned that it might lead them to become insensitive to the pain and suffering of others. “After all,” the student said with great sincerity, “if I think that their suffering is just a result of their thinking, I might not be so inclined to help them. I don’t know about you,” the student continued, “but if I come across someone with a broken leg I’m going to set the bone before I start speaking to them about the nature of thought.”

“So would I,” I responded.  “But since I began to understand that our feelings come from our thinking and not our circumstances, I’ve noticed that a lot less people have broken legs than I originally thought.”

Copyright 2012 Michael Neill, author of Supercoach: 10 Secrets to Transform Anyone’s Life.  All rights reserved – Read more tips at www.Supercoach.com.

Coaching Call To Action

This week really listen to and become aware of your thoughts.  Are they helping you move forward or are they holding you back?  Do you need to open yourself to some new thinking?  What steps will you take to change the thoughts that don’t serve you?

What’s New?

New Service (Tip Tidbits) Gets Rave Reviews

Two weeks ago we started sharing related articles on the prior week’s coaching Tip topic on Facebook and Twitter.  They appear on the four business days (Monday through Thursday)  after the Tip.  Thank you so much for your great feedback!  Follow me on Facebook and Twitter so you don’t miss out!  Click the icons on the left sidebar near the top of this page.

Thursday, October 18, 2012 – 9 am to noon EDT
Pounce on a Project III

We’re entering the last quarter of 2012. Have you set up your top three priorities for Q4?  Want to get a jump start on them?  Come to Pounce on a Project III – - 2012.

Join me on Thursday, October 18th, from 9:00 a.m. to noon Eastern. We will join as a group by phone and declare what you want to accomplish: working on your marketing plan for Q4, writing the white paper you promised to get done in October, or cleaning out your space so you can get to your projects.

During the morning, the group will gather by phone a few times to check progress and get any support needed to finish with a bang. At noon, the group will celebrate their accomplishments. Who says projects have to be boring and tedious? Bring your lightness and fun and join us for energy and focus.

To sign up or learn more, call or e-mail me by noon on Wednesday, October 17th. Feel free to share this with friends and co-workers, the more the merrier. (Cost of the program is only the cost of long distance phone calls.)

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

I admit it, change is not easy for me.  I like my routines and I like knowing what to expect.  On the other hand, surprises are fun, and thinking about different topics and doing new things can be exhilarating.  Perhaps I just need to reframe my thinking about what change means.  This week’s Tip by Jeffrey Gitomer poses ways to consider thinking about change.

Quote of the Week

“Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”

Different Ways to Look at Change

By Jeffrey Gitomer

• Change is eliminating.
• Change is terminating.
• Change is hiding or avoiding truth.
• Change is disappointing.
• Change is scary.
• Change is morale busting

• Change is refinement.
• Change is growth.
• Change is movement.
• Change is acquiring.
• Change is upgrading.
• Change is opportunity (Gitomer, 2011, p. 152-153).

From:  Gitomer, J (2011).  Jeffrey Gitomer’s little book of leadership: the 12.5 strengths of responsible, reliable, remarkable leaders that create results, rewards and resilience.  Hoboken, NJ: Wiley and Sons

Reprinted with permission from the OSU Leadership Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, (614) 292-3114, http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

Coaching Call To Action

Do you tend to look at change from the dark side or the bright side?  This week take a few minutes to think about how change has worked in your favor recently.  What has change allowed you to accomplish?

What’s New?

Thursday, August 16, 2012 – 9 am to noon EDT
The Return of Pounce on a Project

I’m inspired by all of the steps my clients have been taking this year!  I know I have to spend some time decluttering my office.  I’m going to do some prep work by creating a vision of what I want the room to look like.  During Pounce, I will start the hands on work.  What project would you like to get on top of and accomplish this month? Come to Pounce on a Project I – - 2012.

Join Coach Andrea on Thursday, August 16th, from 9:00 a.m. to noon Eastern. We will join as a group by phone and declare what you want to accomplish: marketing calls to hit your numbers, adding a shopping cart to your website, or cleaning your office so you can find the goals you created in January.

During the morning, the group will gather by phone a few times to check progress and get any support needed to finish with a bang. At noon, the group will celebrate their accomplishments. Who says projects have to be boring and tedious? Bring your lightness and fun and join us for the energization.

To sign up or learn more, call or e-mail me by noon on Wednesday, August 15th. Feel free to share this with friends and co-workers, the more the merrier. (Cost of the program is only the cost of long distance phone calls.)

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Being all work and no play is no fun. When I’m not working I like to read books, hike with my two dogs, or work out at the gym.  What do you like to do when you aren’t working? Please reply to this email and let me know!

By taking care of yourself, you have a better outlook. After a hard workout at the gym, I feel confident and competent as evidenced by the way I hold myself and speak.  This week’s Tip highlights the difference between passive and confident language. Which do you use?

Quote of the Week

“The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others.”

~ Hasidic Saying

Are Your Words Undermining Your Influence?

By Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch

Have you ever spoken up in a meeting and said the following:

• “I think that I have a solution.”
• “I believe that this is going to be a problem.”
• “I’m not certain that this will work, but I would like to make a suggestion.”
• “I’m sorry, but I feel like I need to bring up this point.”

If so, you are guilty of using passive language.  The use of passive language communicates to others that you are not 100 percent confident about what you are saying. And without realizing it, passive language can severely limit your influence.

As a leader, it is imperative that you eliminate your use of passive language so that others can hear your confidence in your opinion and you can adequately showcase the value that you bring to the table.

Remove the passive language and just say what you mean:

• “I have a solution.”
• “This is going to be a problem.”
• “I have a suggestion.”
• “I need to bring up this point.”

If you have confidence in yourself and your capabilities, you must communicate with confidence, too.  When you communicate directly, you have a greater ability to truly influence outcomes and inspire others.

This article was provided courtesy of Lead Star – a premiere leadership development firm. You can learn more about leadership by visiting their website at www.leadstar.us

Coaching Call To Action

Where are you on the passivity/confidence scale with your language?  What will you do this week that will move your score up one notch?  When you are at this new place, what will people observe about you that’s different?

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

The topic of “managing my reaction” to events comes up with many of my coaching clients. I liked Alan Zimmerman’s article this week because he provides a formula for determining what your reaction will be.  You can make a difference!

Quote of the Week

“One must fight for a life of action, not reaction.”

~ Rita Mae Brown

Avoid Rejection By Changing Your Reaction

By Dr. Alan Zimmerman

Roger Miller said, “Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet.” He’s so right.

Have you ever noticed that two people can experience the same thing on a sales call, like getting a simple “no,” but react in totally different ways? I sure have. And that reaction makes all the difference in the world.

Getting “no’s” and resistance on calls is inevitable, IF you are actually placing calls. The “rejection” part is totally optional.

In my seminars, I teach a simple formula. It says E + R = O or Event plus Reaction equals Outcome. You can’t change, prevent, or delete many of the “Events” that happen on calls, or in life, but you do have control over your “Reaction.”

And that’s critical. Your reaction will give you the “Outcome” of celebration or desperation.

So what determines your “Reaction?”

There are three elements. The first element is BELIEF. If you have the right beliefs, and if you believe in the right things, you’ll be on the road to a life of celebration.

Unfortunately, some people just don’t get it. They believe in the wrong things. Just look at people’s bumper strips, and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Last week I saw a well dressed person driving an expensive car with a bumper strip that read, “Life is a bitch, then you die.” How sad!

Contrast that to a person who uses the power of BELIEF. Even though that person might have a challenging life, he or she continues to experience joy and peace of mind.

Perhaps the best example I ever came across was a saying scratched on the wall of a basement in Germany. It was found after World War II, placed there by some unknown Jew who was hiding from the Nazis. He wrote:

“I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I do not feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent.”

He or she was living a life of celebration when most people would have thought it impossible to do so. It was a matter of BELIEF.

The second element is FOCUS. What do you choose to focus on? There’s always some good in a bad situation, and there’s always some bad in a good situation. After all, we’re living on earth, not in heaven.

An old ditty says it this way:

“As you go through life, brother, Whatever be your goal, Keep your eye upon the doughnut, And not upon the hole!”

I’m sure you know some sales reps who focus on the hole, and I’m sure those are the same people who live a life of desperation.

It’s like one person I knew who was sent to a seminar by her company. The trip was paid by the employer; the hotel was very nice, and the training was excellent. But this person’s only comment about the entire experience was the fact that the chairs in the training room were uncomfortable. I’m sure they were. But her focus on the uncomfortable chairs kept her from celebrating the rest of the trip.

By contrast, Dr. Marion Stottlemire at the Kansas University Public Management Center says,

“One of the greatest causes of stress in the modern world is unhappiness with our work or our work situation. You CANNOT AFFORD TO BE UNHAPPY ON THE JOB. It is killing you.”

To make his point, Dr. Stottlemire related the following story. He recently met a friend that he hadn’t seen for a long time. Of course, he asked him how he was, and his friend said he was happy and healthy.

As they talked, Dr. Stottlemire learned that his friend had been passed over for a promotion. In fact a subordinate had gotten the job. So he asked his friend how he was dealing with it. He replied, “Well for a while I was quite bitter. Then I realized that I was making myself miserable. I decided that I had always liked this job, and I was just going to keep doing it and make the most of it.” The friend had decided to focus on the doughnut and not the hole.

So the second element that determines your life of celebration or desperation is your FOCUS. Or as one person said, it’s better to grow through your experiences than simply go through them. There’s a lesson in every experience, and if you focus on that, you’ll be in much better shape.

The third determining element is VISION. Whereas as focus deals with what you see in the present, vision deals with what you see in the future. Those who live lives of desperation only see doom and gloom in the future.

While England or Great Britain was arguably one of the best countries in the world and was running the largest empire in the world, there were many prophets of doom. In 1801, Wilberforce said he dared not have any children because the future was too unsettled.

In 1806, William Penn said,
“There is scarcely anything around us but ruin and despair.”

In 1848,
Lord Shaftsbury said, “Nothing can save the British Empire from ship wreck.”

In 1849, Benjamin Disraeli said,
“In industry, commerce, and agriculture there is no hope.”

In 1852, the Duke of Wellington said,
“I thank God that I shall be spared from seeing the consummation of ruin that is settling in around us.”

They did not have a positive or promising vision.

You need a positive VISION of the future if you’re going to live a life of celebration. Tom Layton makes that clear. At 101 years of age, he has won several medals at the Senior Olympics, and he’s a man of great joy. When asked for his secret, he said, “I don’t look at my life as behind me.”

Now that might sound like an odd thing for a person to say who is 101 years old. But Tom has a very different definition of “old.” He says, “Old is when your memories exceed your dreams.”

It’s obvious that Tom still has a lot of dreams. He has a VISION for the future. What about you?

As published in Art Sobczak’s Smart Calling newsletter and from Dr. Alan Zimmerman’s Internet newsletter, the ‘Tuesday Tip.’ For your own personal, free subscription to the ‘Tuesday Tip,’ go to http://www.DrZimmerman.com

Coaching Call To Action

BELIEF, FOCUS, and VISION will give you a life of celebration instead of desperation. I challenge you to work on your FOCUS.

To be specific, select 10 specific events that occur in your life over the next week. For every one of those events, look for the good in each of those events. It may take a little work to find those positive elements, but the more you practice these FOCUS skills, the better you’ll feel and the better you’ll do.

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!  This song came to mind when I read this week’s Tip by Sal Monastero.  If you love what you do and want to inspire your people, show your positive feelings.

Quote of the Week

“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.”

~ Georg Wilhelm

Love What You Do

By Sal Monastero

The most successful leaders are people who are passionate about their sports, businesses, family lives, or whatever it is that they are doing. Try to imagine an unenthusiastic sports coach.  Try to imagine a non-passionate politician.  Try to picture how boring an opera singer without passion would be.  Many leaders want to appear neutral to their employees so that they are seen as unbiased and not company parrots, so to speak. These leaders think that by being neutral, they will be seen as unbiased and out for the interest of the employees.  Rather, they are seen as people who don’t care enough about what they do to be enthusiastic. You have to start first with loving what you do.  If you love what you do and believe you are good at it, you won’t have a problem in communicating positively to those you lead (Monastero, 2010, p. 87).

From:  Monastero, S. (2010).  Winning at leadership: how to become an effective leader.  Bloomington, IN:  IUNIVERSE, Inc.

Reprinted with permission from the OSU Leadership Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, (614) 292-3114, http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu/

Coaching Call To Action

Are you the type of leader who habitually holds back on showing your enthusiasm?  This week let it rip!  Bring the passion you feel about your work to your conversations, meetings and presentations.  Let it shine in your eyes.  Be engaged and engaging!

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

I particularly enjoyed this week’s Tip by Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch due to its honesty – some days you just don’t feel like a leader.  They provide their recommendations for “damage control” on those days.

Quote of the Week

“Focus on remedies, not faults.”

~ Jack Nicklaus

Not in the Leadership Mood? Here’s what to do.

By Angie Morgan and Courtney Lynch

While everyone loves leadership concepts and practices, it’s fair to say that there are days when you wake up and you’re not “feeling it.” You know those days … those days when it’s going to be pretty tricky to influence outcomes and inspire others because your attitude, frankly, stinks.

If there’s one thing we know about humans it’s that we are inconsistent.  However, don’t let one bad day damage the leadership reputation you are working so hard to develop.  Here’s what you need to do:

• Don’t deny it – call it what it is. Be accountable to how you feel and why you feel that way.  A bad attitude is a pink flag that is getting redder by the minute.  Really try to figure out what the heck is going on and how you can solve it.
• Minimize your impact on others. Don’t walk around the office with your head down, telling everyone that “it’s just one of those days.”  On the flip side, don’t feel that you can counteract your mood by insincerely spraying sunshine and false enthusiasm everywhere.
• Focus on what you can control. When you are down and low, it is easy to hurl blame on external circumstances and people.  Blame doesn’t solve problems.  Your accountability solves problems.  When you figure out what you can control, you put yourself in the position of ownership … a few steps closer to attitude adjustment.
• Hit the reset button. Go home and before you go to bed identify a few things that you can do differently the next day to do better and be better.  Action is always a great anecdote for a poor attitude.

This article was provided courtesy of Lead Star – a premiere leadership development firm. You can learn more about leadership by visiting their website at www.leadstar.us

Coaching Call To Action

Firstly, may you not need this Tip.  Secondly, for insurance purposes, you may want to prepare for a day when your leadership mood is slipping.  What will your actions be on the day you’re not feeling like the leader you are?

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

This week’s Tip by Nancy Solomon is a reminder to continue to step into your greatness.  You are here in this life to be you! Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!

Quote of the Week

“Greatness is not in where we stand, but in what direction we are moving. We must sail sometimes with the wind, and sometimes against it – but sail we must. And not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

You Were Born to Be Brilliant

By Nancy D. Solomon

Embedded deep within our souls, in the very fiber of our DNA, is our blueprint for greatness.  Each one of us has our own unrivaled brand of genius, irrespective of the fact that we may repeatedly forget that.  It is as exclusive to us as our thighs, and as quirky as our personalities.  Denying our brilliance doesn’t make it any duller, ignoring it breeds nothing worth mentioning and avoiding it brings unnecessary pain, misery, and suffering.

We came into our lives to get something done, something unique to us.  Our impact can only be accomplished by us. There is no job sharing.  Nor is there a do-over or makeup class.  This is it.  We are the keeper of our message.

You will never know the magnitude of the possibilities of your impact unless you show up in life (Solomon, p. 11-12).

From:  Solomon, N. D., (2010).  Impact!: what every woman needs to know to go from invisible to invincible.  Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Reprinted with permission from the OSU Leadership Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, (614) 292-3114, http://leadershipcenter.osu.edu

Coaching Call To Action

Where are you wanting to show up more in your life?  Where can you shine your brilliance?

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

Like Natalie Manor, this week’s Tip author, I, too, have had people come to me who don’t know how to be “successful.” They are working with someone else’s definition of success and when you do this it isn’t inspiring. Our work is to help people create their own definition of success – one that has you jump out of bed in the morning, enthusiastic about going for it! Read further to see that success can be anything you want it to be.

Quote of the Week

“The truth is that all of us attain the greatest success and happiness possible in this life whenever we use our native capacities to their greatest extent.”

~ Dr. Smiley Blanton

Success is Supposed to Be Fun and Rewarding

By Natalie Manor

I find so many of my clients who are angry at the idea of success.  They do not feel they can attain it nor do they want to try. For them “success” takes too much effort, time, and sacrifice. I have heard many of them say, “I don’t have the talent anyway.” Actually, success is the daily deeds we do in order to live our lives. One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Ralph Waldo Emerson, said of success:

“What is Success?

To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived;

This is to have succeeded.”

Success is not complicated. If you think about it, you are already very successful in many respects. Find out what success means to you and do it.

Natalie R. Manor, CEO is an author, business consultant, speaker and executive coach. Her company, Natalie Manor & Associates, is the ultimate resource for business leaders, executives, owners and managers who want to master their life and their business by Getting Clear, Getting Confident and Being Effective faster than ever before. You can register for her free bi-weekly articles at: http://www.nataliemanor.com/newsletter/subscribe.html

Coaching Call To Action

This week, take on Natalie’s challenge and find out what success means to you in all areas of your life. Where are you going for it and where are you stuck?  Congratulations for the areas where you are making progress.  In those areas where you aren’t, what’s one step you can take to get unstuck?

No Comments »

Coach Andrea’s Intro

I burst out laughing when I read this article from Simon Tyler as the power had just come back to my home office after being out for 24 hours thanks to Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene. I woke up on Monday morning thinking and planning about how I was going to get my work done when there was no electricity. When will I move appointments to, where can I charge my cell phone, what time does the library open so that I can I charge and use my laptop? How long will my cell phone battery last if I make back to back calls? When will the electric company fix the power? Should I call someone? On the way home from an hour at the library, I noticed the traffic lights were working again. I crossed my fingers – hoping, hoping, hoping that the power would be on when I got home and IT WAS! Almost exactly 24 hours after it went off. There was nothing I could do to bring the electricity back any faster.  I had to allow things to work out in that department. And they did! Thank you NStar and anyone else who had a hand in bringing back my electricity.

Quote of the Week

” Do not run away; let go. Do not seek, for it will come when least expected.”

~ Bruce Lee

Allow Things To Work Out

By Simon Tyler

They do. When it appears they don’t or haven’t yet, it’s simply that we haven’t given them enough time.

I have been caught in the middle of ‘arrgghh’ moments when situations are irritatingly not sorted, giving rise to all types of unhelpful emotions and responses. Often in client coaching dialogues this is the focus of our conversation, to move to the positive, focused, and powerful state of allowing rather than effort laden, having to make things happen.

For a number of my clients at the moment their world seems to be serving up many examples of this, and as the volume increases, often without realizing it, the emotional response and general state of mind slips down and into a fog.

Hold on to the truth that these situations ARE working out, and, crucially, without you needing to get in the middle and do the sorting.

Allow things to be, well… simple.

Simon Tyler is one of the world’s leading business coaches. His work simplifies the lives of business leaders and owners. He is an incisive consultant, inspirational writer, provocative public speaker and master facilitator. To learn more about Simon, visit http://simontyler.com.

Coaching Call To Action

This week I invite you to shift what may have become an ingrained attitude. Dedicate this week to charting incidents, simply allowing them to be what and wherever they are at that moment, and discover evidence of ‘things working out’ (particularly without your control or active input). Curb your impulse to wade in, relax and let it be.

No Comments »