“More from less” – a familiar paradox that very few truly trust and rarely practice. Oh, we might say we value it, but our personal behaviors and routines belie us: stressed, exhausted, lethargic and maybe resentful. As one reads the summary article from The Week’s A Better Way To Work, you probably won’t be surprised by the data that history has shown to be true in creative fields from music to math, hard sciences to psychology…Yet in our American culture from education to government to the marketplace, our job descriptions call for a 40 hour plus work week, requiring being in an office at continuously prescribed time frames. Sure, we have days we work from home and flex-hours, but the fact remains we predominantly believe, even demand from ourselves and our organizations “more from more.” So how can we step out of this paradox of productivity? [Read more…]
What is Transformational Coaching?
Our motto at LifeSource Coaches is ‘transformation from the inside out’. As life and leadership coaches, transformation is what Dave and I are all about. Many people ask me, ‘so what is transformational coaching…really?’ Our friends at GAP Community have put together an entertaining and informative short video explaining transformational coaching. [Read more…]
Why it Takes 7 Positives to Reverse 1 Negative
In our rapid-change culture, whether your in a entrepreneurial venture or established niche, it can be very challenging as leaders to separate our organization’s fragile net worth and the cultural stress from our own self-worth and significance. As leaders, our fear or frustrations can often produce stress and negative emotions that in turn stimulate negative conversations within ourselves and with those we lead or serve. The result is communication, conflict resolution, collaboration and creativity are often stifled, just the opposite of what’s needed for growth and success. So what chemically happens within leaders and followers when leadership conversations turn negative? [Read more…]
Fresh Perspective for a First Quarter Reflection
As we closed out 2016 and looked forward to 2017, many evaluated the year with questions such as: “was the glass half empty or half full this year?” The answer to that question depended on your perspective! And your perspective determined what goals and resolutions you did or didn’t set for the New Year. As we near the end of the first quarter of 2017, it’s time to reflect and evaluate our progress, and more importantly reevaluate our perspective again. [Read more…]
On Faith: Enjoying the Free Fall
I’ve jumped off this cliff with both feet.
Is this what “faith” is?
I’m in a free fall.
Panic sets in.
Will there be a “splat” at the end of this journey? [Read more…]
Real Change: How Does it Happen?
So many times, my head knows what is true… but my heart doesn’t quite get the message. It’s been said, “The longest journey that a man must take is the 18 inches from his head to his heart.” I see it most around 3 am, when I wake up and can’t seem to turn off my brain. I start to worry… a low level anxiety begins to seep into my night.
It has only been in the last few years that this began to change.
How did that happen? [Read more…]
Learning to Back Float
I talked with a client once who’d been dealing with some depression. Though she was a mature believer, she found herself struggling in her relationship with God. She felt like she’d been placed in a pool, a rather large pool, in the deep end. Maybe, just maybe, she’d even asked God to put her there.
She’d been a pretty good swimmer in the toddler pool. She was actually one of the more accomplished swimmers there. But now, in this season, in the ‘big’ pool of life, she was flailing. Her times with God were forced and strained. Rather than coming away refreshed, she found herself exhausted every time. She was fighting depression and condemnation. She ‘should’ know how to do this swimming thing, but it had been a struggle to just keep her head up and not drown. [Read more…]
Are You Busy or Just Stuck?
I don’t know about you, but I find that I keep pretty busy with life. Somehow “stuff” fills up whatever amount of time I have. I just can’t seem to find time for the things I know I “should” be doing.
As I started to examine this—noticing what I had time for and what I continued to put off, a pattern emerged. The things I put off were the things that were in areas outside my comfort zone. I got really honest, and realized there was some (ok, more than just “some”) fear around those areas. My “busy-ness” was a way of avoiding the things I didn’t want to do. [Read more…]
When Making a Difference Seems Impossible
“These things that are impossible with people are possible with God” – Jesus
A successful young leader was talking to Jesus, seeking to move from being merely success-driven to a life of eternal significance. But what he heard from Jesus seemed difficult, seemingly impossible and he walked away sad. Ever find yourself feeling that way – something in your life seems impossible – that there’s got to be more to life than just success?
[Read more…]
Why You Should Choose a Word of the Year
So there’s a lot of talk about picking a word-of-the-year this time of year. Why all the fuss? Why throw out the tradition of New Year’s resolutions? It’s all the same- right?
When You Want Real Change
Well, no. There is a big difference between the two. With Resolutions, we often have long lists of what we will do–Lose weight, eat right, get organized. Although our intentions are good— our good intentions don’t create lasting change. As a matter of fact, by mid January 50% of our resolutions are already history. Statistically, 92% of our resolutions fail. 92%! This can create a cycle of discouragement and defeat that is not helpful in achieving sustainable change. Here are a few reasons why you might want to join us on the word-of-the-year club this year: