Who's never been much for dabbling ~

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

If You Want to Sing Out

Here are some simple lyrics from the Cat Stevens' song "If You Want to Sing Out"
They ring true to me  -
Let's be clear:

If you want to sing out, sing out
And if you want to be free, be free
'cause there's a million things to be
You know that there are

And if you want to live high, live high

And if you want to live low, live low
'cause there's a million ways to go
You know that there are
 

You can do what you want
The opportunity's on
And if you can find a new way
You can do it today
You can make it all true
And you can make it undo
You see 
Its easy 
You only need to know
 

If you want to say yes, say yes
And if you want to say no, say no
'cause there's a million ways to go

You know that there are.

You know that there are.

http://www.facebook.com/CoachWSolutions





Saturday, August 25, 2012

You've Got to Play the Wind

I wrote a blog for a while called Be One with the Chaos.  I don't advocate asking for it, but to deny that it exists or wish that it doesn't cross your path is a sure path to failure.

When I was a young softball coach, I can remember hitting ball after ball to my outfielders on the windiest of days.  I'd aim for left field and it would drift to right; fly after fly.  It was frustrating and tiring, sometimes funny and cartoonish, but I kept hitting them anyway.  We could have packed it in and I've seen plenty of teams do just that, but if there are 20-mile an hour gusts at our Monday practice, couldn't it do the same on our Friday game?  Our outfield was ready for that.

I heard the coach for unarguably the best swimmer ever, Michael Phelps, say he made Michael late to meets on purpose. If some random chaos slowed his arrival to a competition, Michael could still get in the pool and swim his best.  He also made him swim hundreds of laps with his goggles fogged up.  That's the edge that great coaching can provide - preparing for chaos and swimming on to victory despite its' arrival.

"Adversity, injustice, bad hops and rotten calls, even good breaks and lucky bounces all comprise the ground over which the campaign must be waged."  Steven Pressfield from the WAR of ART

What is your "campaign"?  Are you prepared to play the wind, go on stage, take the field, the court, go  into court, or to the most important meeting of your life regardless of what gets thrown at you?

Identify your gusts of wind.
Name them.
Write down the terrible referees.
Embrace them!  Prepare for identified chaos (and expect some you didn't know existed.)

"Oh thank you for being assigned to this crucial, stressful day!
. . . because I'm prepared to play in the wind, with the blind ref, with my shoes untied."

Coaching matters.   http://www.facebook.com/CoachWSolutions



Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Bad habit? Change It.

Do you have a little annoying habit you want to get rid of?
How about a BIG one that's really blocking your chance of a great life?

Pick something small to prove to yourself you can do it.
Better yet - choose something BIG and go for it! 

Either way the key is to start tomorrow - no excuses.

Get up 30 minutes earlier and create a plan for the day that will include what you WANT to do, what action will replace the bad habit.  Be specific.  Write down your plan or tell someone else or both.

At the end of the day, honor your effort, no matter if it felt easy, hard or you were only somewhat successful.  Commit to get up tomorrow and go for it again.  Don't forget to appreciate your efforts and success at the end of the day.  This will help your resolve the next morning.

Every habit was born from repeated actions.  They can ALL be undone!
Be brave and give yourself a great new habit starting right away.


Monday, August 20, 2012

Free Book for You

Today's post is a free book offer for you.  Sign up on the right for Coach W posts by email and I'll send you:

THE DNA of SUCCESS STORIES
How to Maximize Success in Your Life
by Jack Zufelt

This book is a series of 20 stories featuring Brian Tracy, author of over 40 books and Jack Canfield, the co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.  Each story has a different author who come from a variety of backgrounds and careers. 

The final chapter of the book is mine - titled "Embrace the Journey." 

Once you have signed up for email posts from my blog, I will send you an email so you can send me your mailing address.  Your information will not be collected by an agency and nothing else will be sent to your home from me other than than the book.  This is just a thank you gift for checking out my blog.

Of course, if you prefer to sign up without receiving the book, that's ok too. 

Glad you're here - coachwsolutions@gmail.com






Saturday, August 18, 2012

When It's Worth Being Stubborn

I used to describe myself as"tenacious" and "persistent".  I'd say, "what you call stubborn, I call tenacious" and I'd usually smile (inferring a wink . . . which is usually received as a smirk).  Then I read Do the Work by Steven Pressfield and had to agree with his assertion that "stubborn is less lofty than tenacity" - that resonated with me. Who needs "lofty" when what the circumstance dictates is a good dose of stubbornness?

I have always known that others consider me stubborn and some of those would add "to a fault", but I've decided to own my stubbornness - it's mine, so here I go: I'M STUBBORN and PROUD OF IT!  Why?  Because I'm confident that I'm stubborn when it matters . . . to me

What matters to YOU?  What are you passionate enough to get stubborn about, dig-your-heels-in, don't-let-go to your core about?  I'm not advocating control freak (my way or the highway) or ignorance is bliss stubborn - I'm talking about those beliefs that are worth fighting for, the ones you've examined and feel deep down in the core of your being.

What must you be stubborn about?  Not lofty tenacious or pesky persistent, but down right "damn, she's stubborn!"  When you recognize the issue that you must resist with all your skills and passion (hint: this usually feel like a kick to the gut), then Pressfield suggests, "We sink our junkyard-dog teeth into resistance's ass and not let go, no matter how hard he kicks."

Now that's not lofty, but I'm for it!  Warning: this is NOT for the meek.
 We'll discuss finesse and grace on another post (wink).

 i coach those insisting on an amazing life: coachwsolutions@gmail.com

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Your Voice

Is your voice a roar or a whisper?
Of reason or fancy?
We all have a unique, authentic song -
irregardless of talent,
or judgment
or grace.

How do you recognize your voice?
When it resonates within,
expands your chest -
for a deep breath of "yes, that's me"

coachwsolutions@gmail.com





Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Self Reliance

Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson has been re-released by Seth Godin's Domino Project: Do You Zoom.

This version includes quotes relative to points made by Emerson as well as his original text. Here are a few excerpts:

Emerson:
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion;
it is easy in solitude to live after our own;
but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with sweetness the independence of solitude."

"Do your work and I shall know you.
Do your work and you shall reinforce yourself."

and a contribution in the same chapter by Pamela Slim:

"We look for ourselves in many places -
meditation retreats, personality assessments, Twitter rankings.
But the best place to find the reason why we were put on earth is in a private moment immersed in our craft.  In that sacred instant, we see without a reasonable doubt that we were made to create and contribute."

I coach to empower - we all deserve to be exactly who they are, do exactly what was meant for us, feel alive and make a difference on our journey.  Coaches are guides for others to uncover their truth.  It's a calling I've known for a long time.

Thanks for pausing here today.  I hope you'll consider leaving a comment or send me an email:
coachwsolutions@gmail.com

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Welcome

Welcome to friends and those I don't yet know -
For my birthday, I'm giving myself a new blog focusing on my passion for personal and group coaching.  I've been a lifelong learner, teacher, leader, competitor and musician.  I love working with youth and adults who aspire to their best self even if they are not quite sure what that will be ~

Today I leave you with this thought . . . BE YOU, LOVE YOU, SHARE YOU!