As the year draws to a close I am reminded of the wonderful journey to South America I shared with a good friend of mine five winters ago. It was enriching to get a taste of different customs and celebrations over the holiday season on our journey. An experience that stands out in my memory is our stay in the Chilean desert in San Pedro de Atacama and a powerful ritual [...]
As the holiday season approaches, I am reminded of these four wise words: Sometimes less is more. An endearing memory from a summer vacation a few years ago comes to mind. A friend had invited me to join her for a week in her family’s cabin on Savary Island. Close to her family’s cabin lives an elderly couple who invites the beach community for tea and cookies every afternoon at 4pm. [...]
We easily get trapped in comparing ourselves to other people. Either we see them above or below ourselves. When we engage in this type of comparison, we often don’t realize that we are comparing our feelings, thoughts and beliefs, essentially our inside with the outward appearance of another person. You will never be able to see yourself from the outside. Neither will you be able to experience the other person from [...]
Picture a Halloween Party; people are dressed in all kinds of costumes ranging from gory zombies to hilarious clowns to beautiful elves. Only one of the guests wears jeans and t-shirt. His ordinary attire actually stands out in the midst of all the elaborate costumes. Taking a closer look, you discover that his t-shirt has a big smiley face on the chest and reads Mr. Positive. Various quotes are printed all [...]
The old saying “ignorance is bliss” stems from a poem by Thomas Gray and suggests that if you are happiest being ignorant, then just stay ignorant. Remove the prick in your shoe and enjoy a sense of relief and peace of mind. I beg to differ. There is a lot of pain and effort involved in ignoring information that might challenge our habits and behaviours. If you have ever [...]
Relaxation is such an essential ingredient for our health and well-being that I like to refer to it as vitamin R. Our body, mind and spirit need rest and relaxation every day to absorb all the other nutrients, release toxins and help our body and mind let go of stress. We need vitamin R to digest everything we learn and achieve throughout the day. When we forget to relax in the [...]
When you learn how to delegate effectively, it frees up time and energy to focus on what you do best and enjoy most. When I think about how to delegate effectively, I immediately think of Gloria, the treasurer of our community choir. Before concerts she sends out an e-mail asking for volunteers for specific tasks such as greeting people at the door and putting up chairs before the concert. [...]
The idealization of succeeding independently inherent to North American culture creates a major barrier for many people to reach out and ask for support through life coaching. Often when someone inquires about my life coaching services, the first thing s/he says is: “I know, I should be able to figure this out on my own.” […]
While sipping one of my favourite smoothies, I noticed just how much smoothies and life coaching have in common… One of my favourite summer treats is to blend an abundance of berries and vegetables from the garden into a delicious smoothie. Recently, while sipping one of my favourite smoothies, I noticed just how much smoothies and life coaching have in common. Here are some of the common qualities I [...]
Create success on your terms with life coaching. Success as defined by Webster is: “the attainment of wealth, favour or eminence.” Success on your own terms can be something entirely different. Here’s how a few of my life coaching clients define success: “Feeling confident about my decisions. Finding time for the things I love and letting go of things that don’t matter. Having confidence [...]
