Don’t let anything stop you from going after your dream!

21. February, 2012Quote of the DayNo comments

Take Time to Lift Someone Up Today

20. February, 2012Quote of the DayNo comments

Are you acting out?

20. February, 2012Coaching, Tips & TricksNo comments

I was watching an episode of Dick Van Dyke. In that episode a friend who was a hypnotist was over entertaining guests in the living room.  The main character, Rob was in the kitchen and could hear the conversation.  The hypnotist attempted to hypnotize one of the guests but it didn’t take, yet in the kitchen, Rob was hypnotized without knowing.  The trick was when the phone would ring, Rob would become incredibly drunk until the phone rang again and wouldn’t remember it.

The next day, while in a very important meeting the phone rings, he is drunk. His behavior is outrageous and very funny. One of the men in his office is offended.  Being that Rob is a comedy writer for a variety show, the other man loves it, thinking it’s an act.  The phone rings again and he is fine, not understanding why people are laughing at him.

This got me thinking, how are you acting out in your life without thinking? This example of Rob is extreme, but it shows how we can unconsciously act out and not understand the way it affects others.

When beginning your personal growth work or work with a life coach, you have the opportunity to look at how you show up in the world. You will see what works for you and what doesn’t. We can get so busy in our lives and do things without thinking.

We need to think about how our actions affect others. Know how what you say will land on someone else. I have seen too many people take others emotionally hostage. Just because something is not working out for you doesn’t mean you have the right to dump that on someone else. Pay attention to what your intention is before you act. Is it selfish or in the best interest of others?

The Truth About Habits

20. January, 2012Coaching, Tips & TricksNo comments

Lets talk about habits. Many of us have habits that we are not even aware of that hold us back or help us play small. Some habits we know we have and yet we are reluctant to do the work to stop them. Know that all of your habits serve you in some way, even the bad ones do.

A habit can not just be broken and taken away. A habit must be replaced with another behavior. It has to be done intentionally. If you are serious about your self improvement, it is time to see what habits are running you.

The first thing to do is to do a social experiment with yourself. Grab a journal and a pen and keep it with you for the next few days. Notice how you behave in different situations and what your emotional responses are to these events. When you walk into a room do you slink to the corner or do you walk right up to others and introduce yourself? How does that serve you and what are you feeling when you walk into that room?

As a professional life coach I am always looking for habits my clients may have that they don’t see themselves. When I point out a habit I ask that they spend the next week just noticing when they do that behavior and how they feel when they do it. This will give us some clues to work with. I remind them to use no judgement, this is not about being wrong or bad. It is just about noticing.

You can not change a habit if you are not aware of it. So notice it, no judgement. How and why do you do this? What would work better for you? Now replace the old habit with the new way of being. It will take practice, so be patient and kind with yourself. Soon enough the new way of being will become a new healthy habit. We can not change what we do not see.