Category Archives: Life Coach
What inspires you to be great? I love asking people this question. Some people think of world leaders like Nelson Mandela or even JFK. Others think of Astronauts, test pilots, or famous race car drivers like Danica Patrick. Still other people think of famous business leaders like Steve Jobs and Jack Welch or top athletes like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. And then there are celebrities like Angelina Jolie or Russell Crowe.
In December of 2006, I unhooked from a relatively conventional life in the “Burbs,” put my business on the phone, hopped in my convertible with my girlfriend and Labradoodle, headed south to Pensacola and then West to Santa Fe. The most challenging part of my journey was at the beginning when I was flooded with the anxiety that is often associated with massive change. The second hardest part was when Tuck (my Labor-doodle) and I headed on to Santa Fe alone. Again, I was faced with substantial change, accompanied by doubt and sadness. We lived and traveled out west for nearly two years. I can boast that I have a dog that has swam in the Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, as well as rivers and lakes in Colorado and New Mexico! I can also say that his master has faced significant change many times in his life.
I am a huge believer in taking a proactive approach to life, everywhere! I remember listening to Jimmy Johnson, the former super-bowl winning coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the 90’s, talk about another team running up the score on the loser. His perspective, which may seem a little harsh, was that the loosing team had no business complaining, instead they should get better so that running up the score never happens to them again. The essence of this perspective is to never ever blame another but to take total responsibility for your life and the outcomes in it. From a Spiritual perspective, everything in our reality is created by each of us, though not necessarily consciously.
A client in his late forties came to see me because he was having marital difficulties. On the surface it appeared that his wife is a demanding person who rarely appreciated him. His chief complaint was that she didn’t want to have consistent sex with him and that she wanted him to make more money. As we got to the heart of the matter over time, he began to share how truly unsafe he felt in their marriage. In his perception, reaching out to her and expressing himself invited criticism in return. He often felt punished and attacked. Instead of communicating, he gradually began to ignore her and avoid intimacy. Does this sound familiar?
An investment banker came to see me because he was tired and feeling depleted. For many years, he had been working long hours, traveling well over a hundred days a year, and rarely ever felt appreciated. In fact, the only thing he looked forward to at work was his bonus, which gratified him only briefly now. You may not be an investment banker but this story may still sound familiar. Many of us are working long hours and feel under-appreciated. Some of us don’t feel appreciated at all. I am also coaching an elementary school teacher who feels this way. He doesn’t have the hours a banker does, and yet he still works pretty hard. He too is often tired, frustrated and fatigued without the compensation to look forward too.






