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Positivity

As a coach, one often feels alone and isolated. I have been in this field longer than most, since 1990. I did not call it coaching then, the term had not yet been coined as it applied to personal and professional development.

The isolation comes from working by yourself. Don’t get me wrong – I love what I do and why I do it. I see the rewards everyday when I witness the shifts occurring in my clients and I seeing them moving forward with their lives. The aloneness is more one of lack of collegiality.

Recently however I found the Montreal coaches network and, for the second time this past Friday, I attended the morning breakfast. There I met others, who like myself, are coaches, each with their own speciality and unique approach. What truly inspired me is that the group is there to collaborate and support one another – there is no competition.

In addition to finding this community, each month features a guest speaker. This month Kurt Shuster from Vancouver spoke in regard to Positive Psychology.

What is Positive Psychology – the study of human flourishing, the science of happiness. Positive Psychology, as I learned, is the science that validates what I do, that coaching clients through the Law of Attraction and helping them shift to a positive versus negative world view can be proven empirically to change a person’s life.

Now I always knew that yet somehow when someone says to me that they can prove that what I do makes a difference, it makes my work seem more legitimate. Perhaps that is the old scientifically based physiotherapist who resides in my body.

As an example, Kurt talked about the research on approach versus avoidance goals. An approach goal would state something like, I want to be on time for all my meetings, where as an avoidance goal would state, I don’t want to be late. The approach goal students who participated in this study were, as you can imagine, more successful

This idea is also fundamental to the Law Of Attraction which states that you must be clear on what you want rather than stating what you don’t what. Whatever you give your focus to will manifest. It matters.

Next Kurt presented the four pillars of Well-Being: positive emotions, character, engagement and meaning, and positive relationships. While we did not have time to discuss all of these in detail, you can see that the relationship between the pillars and how you choose to live in the world. In the end, it always come back to you and I. We are responsible for our own happiness and it is within our power to be happy or not. Happiness is not based on some magic bullet that lies outside of us.

An additional piece of research regarding Character, Strengths and Virtues (Christopher Peterson et al)  examined the qualities that are associated with a strong sense of well-being. The research found that, across cultures, the five strengths associated with Well-Being are hope, gratitude, curiosity, zest, and the capacity to love and be loved. In addition, their research showed that the 2 strengths associated with work satisfaction are hope and zest (passion, excitement and energy).

You can take the VIA strengths assessment to evaluate your strengths at www.viacharacter.org and visit the science of coaching blog at www.blog.noomii.com if all of this interests you.

This is only a brief summary of Kurt’s lecture – there was much more. I share it with you as I felt uplifted by the presentation, connected with a community of coaches, and validated for the work I choose to do. It is clear that each of us needs support, whether you are the coach or the coachee, and that support, if well chosen, lifts our spirits and helps us in taking on the world in a positive way.

Life is Good - Maintain an attitude of gratitude!

Have an attitude of gratitude and see how this influences your life.

Until next time…

Betty

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Am I a Twitter Twit?

I just tried to sign up for twitter. It assumed it would be easy yes and I want to use this social media tool intentionally. So before Christmas I signed up for a ‘Spiritual Twitter”‘ program with a colleague of mine. I just didn’t get around to doing the course through the holidays so today I decided was the day. My username and password had expired. Okay I thought, I’ll just go in and sign up anyway. First, I was told my password was weak. Second the roadSIGNS Coach was taken – really? Third I could not read the gobbly goop on the bottom of the screen, then I was kicked out as the “website expired”. Okay, I have to ask myself, am I really that much of a twit, do I really need to tweet, is this really an important social networking tool or is all that happened simply a roadSIGN for DON”T BOTHER!’ Anyone got any suggestions. I heard the other day that by the end of 2010 Twitter would have no relevance – maybe I should follow the advice of the unknown ‘they’ and just leave it alone.

Okay, that is my carp for today! I am sure I can spend my time on much more significant things including finishing the proposal I am writing and completing the new 2010 coaching offerings.

My intentions for this year:
1) To live in the abundance of each day and be grateful for all that is

Reminds me to Seize everyday with extraordinary gratitude!

2) To stay centered in my own authenticity and build my life and business from this place

Yep - This looks authentic to me!

3) To expand roadSIGNS, ME FIRST and the Tigh Shee Healing Center

2010 is time to dream and vision all that we want to manifest!

4) To be in perfect health

Great SIGN form California - Keep Me Healthy

Watch for your SIGNS – Until Next Time

Betty

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It’s a New Year!

Around about mid day on December 31st, I began considering what was up for me as 2010 approached. It was then that I realized that we were not just entering a new year, but also a new decade. It seemed like more than a page turning – more like an entire chapter.

Of course 2010 is also a big one for me personally – it is the year I will turn 60. (I am in denial about this hence the reason for putting it right out there. How could I possibly be on the brink of turning 60?)

We welcomed in the New Year by stepping outside just before the hands of the clocked ticked past midnight. It was a full moon, and a blue moon (the second full moon of the month and a rarity). The air was cool but not cold, just below freezing, charged with energy and brilliance, snow softly falling.

The cloud cover was not heavy enough to obliterate the full moon and as we looked skyward we could see it’s silhouette. It had the appearance of being blue.

With my face pointed up I could feel the snow flakes landing on my cheeks, like a hundred tiny kisses, teasing me and enticing me – it’s a brand new year! Four of us began to walk the labyrinth, slowly, taking in the snow diamonds that sparkled around us, being present within ourselves and intentionally considering what we want the next year/decade to bring to us and how we are called to serve.

It was one of those magical moments, like the scene from I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas when they open the large doors at the end of the movie and everyone realizes it is snowing outside.

Sandy, Betty and Joan in the Labyrinth

 We returned to the warmth of our living room to rejoin the others and raise a glass. As is our tradition we turned on Time from Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, and turned the volume up high listening to the clocks and clanging of the song’s opening. 

Here we are three days later and I am still filled with excitement and expectation. I have a sense of the great ‘what if…” as well. And in this I wish each of you a spectacular New Year where your dreams come true and your vision manifests.

Until next time,

Betty