mindset COACHING

Personal growth work is a lot like gardening.

I used this metaphor recently and
I think it pretty much sums it up perfectly.

Because when we dare to explore our own psyche
and our own limiting beliefs
and those, and frankly getting old, stories
we make about about ourselves, others and ’stuff’ that happens
we are not just making things better in our own heads
but we are doing work of the soul.

The ego – well at least mine for sure – likes quick fixes.
A magical coaching session that makes it all better.

The kind of conversations that leave you feeling
hopeful,
inspired,
motivated
and clear.
All in just one hour or less, please.

The ego is thrilled with such instant
and drive-thru feeling results.

But not all growing can be done in one conversation.

Sometimes shifts and healing and change happens over time.
This is the gardening of the soul.
It is patient, excited in fact to be digging so deep.

Today I had one of those such conversations with my friend, a coach.
Who illuminated a block I could not see for myself.

I wished for a quick fix
and instead got a homework assignment
that is going to take a while to make it a practice.

*sigh*

My ego is grumpy about this.
It wanted the quick feel-good of our usual conversations.

My soul, on the other hand, is delighted.

So faced with grumpy
or being delighted
I am choosing to go with the celebration
of my soul
and just do the work.

May you find yourself delighting in
your own beautiful gardening too.

Or at least choosing to surrender to the process
and trust that you will see those new shoots pop up. :)

To harvesting the fruits of your labour,
Beth

Every month I take a week off.
And it is usually the last week of the month.

No coaching.
No clients.
As few appointments as possible in my calendar.

And do you know what I do with all this free time?
Re-evaluate, re-assess and re-charge my batteries.

I work on my business.
I take care of paperwork.
I write.
I take long walks with my dogs along the river.
I book “exceptional self care” type dates with myself.
I do absolutely nothing.
I go for long lunches.
I take courses.
I do something with the courses I have taken.
I read.

I do whatever I feel would serve me, my life or my business best.

And at the end of every week, I feel renewed.
Refreshed.
Ready to wildly serve again.

As Martha Stewart would say
“It’s a good thing”

So I invite you to take some time – like a week. :-)
And then tell me how it served you!

To being “off” so you can be “on” again,
Beth

It’s Earth day…step outside!

Not just to run out to your car.
Not just to grab your mail.
But a true pause.

See how present you can be for one whole minute.
Be in the now of the smells and the sounds of the earth.

And wherever you are,
may you feel gratitude
for whatever space
you stand in today.

Breathe it in.

You’re done!
Now go be inspiring
this world needs people like you on purpose.

ps

moving on to serious cross country action,
followed by muddy, snowy mountain biking,
insane speed highway road biking,
running through half the city
and ending some four to five hours later
by paddling like crazy across one cold and windy lake.

And for what?

As one tired looking team after another crossed the finish line
the question that is most often asked by non-participants is:
“why on earth on these people doing this?”

Because they like pain?
Or for what is under the pain?

Because pain is a great teacher.

Whether you sign up for your own pain program
or whether somebody else signed up up for some
pain always teaches.

What you are made of.
How resourceful you are.
What you can do different next time.
What kind of mindset you have.
How much responsibility you are willing to take.
And heaps of other useful aha’s.

In other words,
pain is personal growth training.

The question to ask is not
“how come I am in pain?”
but rather
“how can I use it?“.

This question is not for just you athlete’s out there
who spend your weekends givin’ er all you got
but for the rest of us non-athlete’s too
who experience painful “workouts”of our own.

To insights under the pain,
b

Ps
If the ski to sea sounded fun to you…
http://www.ski2sea.ca/Home/tabid/81/Default.aspx