Questions? Listen and the answers will come

As a life coach and entrepreneur, I always have my ears open to hearing what women's biggest challenges are. And, for some reason, I have found that when I have a question that I don't have an answer for, I stay with the question. By staying with the question I mean that I keep that question in my head. It always seems that the answers begin to show up all around me and various times. And, when I take the time to notice and gather the answers...the question seems to be answered.

My latest question that I have been sitting with is, "Are women looking for more direction in their lives? Is that what I can really help them with?" Today, as I was at my gym for my workout, a women approached me and asked if I had some hair styling product. As I reached into my bag for it, she made a comment that it was one thing to go to work with wet hair, another to go with it unstyled. This lead to me asking her what she did. As we spoke briefly, she commented that someone had just said to her last night, "Why do you stay at this job?" She let me know that she felt stuck. That while the job was unfulfilling in many ways, it had it's perks; flexibility, part-time, etc. Yet, she said, the fear of not knowing what else she would do, keeps her there. As she walked away, she said, I'll be calling you...I need to find some direction and get unstuck!

Only moments later, as I walked through the locker room, I overheard a conversation. One women was expressing her frustration that she didn't know where she belonged and was searching for "What she would be when she grew up." I turned and thought...wow, that's exactly what I do. As she disappeared into the gym, I was again reminded of my own question. "Are women looking for direction?"

I remember going through my own searching for what I'd be when I grew up. I recalled staying with that question..and I found life coaching and my calling and passion. Again, I'm reminded that when we stay with the questions the answers will show themselves.

Today I am inspired to stand up and say that I am a life coach that helps women find a compelling direction, balance and focus in their lives. I help women set sail towards their clear vision of what they want!

Have a burning question? Relax and listen...the answers will show themselves. Trust it.

The Dash - Make it Meaningful

Sometimes I find that it hard to put into words how I am feeling or thinking. That's when I have to default to others. I love this short movie and it's message. Take a minute to watch it.

http://thedashmovie.com



I strive to make my dash as meaningful and productive as I can. Being the best person I can be and living my life to the fullest.

Limiting Beliefs

We all have them. Beliefs we hold about ourselves. Some of them are what we call, Limiting Beliefs. We label them limiting because these beliefs limit what we think or believe we can do. For example, I enjoy training for sprint triathlons. Until recently I always thought of myself as a 3-4 mile runner. I never really ran more than four miles at a time. This belief about myself limited me from seeing myself as a person who could run say 8 miles. Believing that I could not run more than 4 miles and that I was a "4 mile" runner...did not allow me to be an "8 mile" runner.

So, how do you stop a limiting belief? The first step is simply awareness. Limiting beliefs can become part of our unconscious belief system...and we simply just go with it. Becoming aware that a belief is limiting you...is key. Bring it out into the open. With awareness comes possibilities, new understanding and new choices.

Take a look at your beliefs about yourself. What's possible if you were to break them open? What's possible if you didn't buy into it? How might you change your limiting belief into a more empowering belief?

Today, I ran 9.5 miles. I no longer see myself as a "3 miler". I've broke open that limiting belief and now imagine what's possible. Perhaps a marathon one day. (Something I never would have even thought about being that "3 miler".) What's possible for you?

Why Would You Need a Coach?

I often hear the comment, you need a life coach, in a way that indicates "you have a problem." I find myself saying, I'm not a therapist, I'm not here to solve your problem. In order to make more clear just why someone would WANT or NEED a coach I'd like to address that very question. "Why would you want or need a coach?"

Many people are self-directed and self-managaing. They take intuitive, they know what they want and they have strategies and discipline to go after it. Yet, these very people are often the first to line up for a coach. They know that a coach can see things that they can not. Every great baseball coach has other coaches on his staff...because he can't see everything. We as individuals can't see past our own beliefs and assumptions. Thus, a second pair of eyes is better than one!

For the people that are not self-directed and self-managing coaching is a powerful resource. Coaching allows the individual to get clear as to where they are in life (like it or not), where they want to be (or perhaps figure out where they want to be) and then create a plan to get there. Coaching for these people offers guidance, support and accountability. Accountability is sometimes the biggest benefit. Where else in your life do you have someone holding you to what you say you want? Figuring out who you are and where you want to be is an empowering experience. One that a life coach will enable you to discover.

A third party that benefits from life coaching is the person that feels run by life. Coaching helps individuals learning to take back their life and be the driver instead of the passenger! Discovering our strengths, changing perspectives and realizing we can create what we want is the power of coaching.

I'm sure anyone who reads this would relate to some part of the descriptions above. Coaching is not about me having the right answers...rather it's about me asking you the right questions.

As a coaching friend of mine says, "Therapists use couches...coaches use stairs."

Coaching is about moving forward and creating.

Hope this helps.