How a personal life coach can help you
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Got job blues, life blues, feeling overwhelmed or stuck in a rut? What you need is a personal coach…..
Gail Davies* was about to hit 50. The London-based executive at an international design company had a job she liked, a boss she abhorred, a marriage she was questioning, a body she was too busy to give any thought to, family and friends she was neglecting — and every so often she had the urge to ditch everything, move back to South Africa and write detective novels.
Davies wanted to make some changes. She just wasn’t clear about what changes, or where to find the time to sit back and take stock. The looming of the big Five-Zero nudged her into action. “I knew I needed to make a commitment and I wanted to be accountable. I didn’t want to wake up one day and have regrets,” she says.
Personal coaching - a worthwhile birthday gift
She decided to give herself, as a birthday gift, six months of personal coaching. “I knew six months was a short window but it felt manageable — and it truly was worthwhile,” she says.
Davies hired a coach who was living on a different continent. “I had met her and felt I could work with her. As the coaching was by phone, with e-mail contact between sessions, where she lived didn’t matter.
“We started with two two-hour sessions where we talked about my responses, or lack of them, to a thought-provoking questionnaire she sent me. We did some visualizations and I set some intentions. All this put a spotlight on my life — where it was working and where it was in atrophy. And then, the shifts began.”
Personal coaching can be done by phone
Coaching by phone was super-convenient, says Davies. “We’d spend 45 minutes to an hour on the phone together three times a month. I’d call her with something from my week that was on my mind and she got me digging, seeing what old habits were keeping me stuck — that sort of thing.
Release your true, inner self
“It was sometimes hard work, and a lot of what came up surprised me. For example, I had no idea I had this deep-rooted belief that a woman should be at home taking care of her husband. It explained a lot of my ambiguity about the relationship, and my guilt, and it sort of released me.”
By the end of the six months, she was engaged in an active job search. “I’d realized my values and those of my boss were at polar extremes and I simply did not want to work with him.
“I’d also decided that I wasn’t going to divorce my husband, so we may as well work on improving our relationship.
Personal coaching can get you in touch with yourself again
“I’d started having regular massages, wearing perfume, buying fun clothes — it sounds superficial, but I realized I’d lost touch with my sexual side and that wasn’t OK.”
Among other things she’d also adjusted her schedule to have every second Friday off, “and realized that seeing I could not commit to writing 10 minutes of morning pages, I’d better start looking beyond writing for a creative escape. And while I might still move back to South Africa one day, I’m also looking at the south of France as a retirement option.”
When Dierdre Baines* hired a coach, it was at the suggestion of the psychiatrist she’d been seeing for depression. “She said done as much as she could and what I needed was a life coach to help me make changes in the places I was stuck.”
Baines looked online for a coach she thought she might resonate with, e-mailed some personal information by way of introduction, and as they lived in the same city, they met for coffee to see if there was a connection.
At the time, she says, “I was a bored housewife. I was a good mom, but I didn’t find being a mom fulfilling. I wanted to do something meaningful in the world but lacked confidence and didn’t know where to start.”
Because they lived in driving distance, the initial “discovery session,” which lasted about four hours, was done at Baines’ home.
"I felt like I’d bought the equipment I needed to scale a mountain".
“I was exhausted by the end,” she says. “But it felt good, like I’d bought the equipment I needed to scale a mountain and had hired the guide who’d get me to the top. My husband loved the coaching because it made me happier and consequently, I liked him better. I also got involved in some really meaningful creative interests.”
“I have an amazing job,” says Leigh Luskin*, who is the director of a nonprofit low-cost housing organization. “The thing is, I’m the youngest person here and had started feeling intimidated. I’d arrived confident and knew I was competent. That’s why I got the job. But I was losing my confidence, second-guessing myself all the time, and had begun to dread going to work."
“Those were the main reasons I started working with a coach. Of course, the different parts of my life, being interconnected, all came into the coaching.”
After about six months, Luskin says, she had worked through her confidence issues and had established a good relationship with her board. “I was expressing myself clearly, felt on top of things and funding money was flowing in. The coaching also woke me up to the fact that it was time to think about having children so my husband and I made some plans around that.”
Coaching Notes
Coaches usually work within niche areas, chosen with experience and interest in mind. Thus a coach with a strong business background is a good bet if you’re planning to start a business.
You get coaches who specialize in transitions, personal empowerment, coaching people with ADD, coaching creatives and so forth. A priority in choosing is that you feel an affinity and a sense of trust.
Ten things a personal coach can do for you:
• Help you liberate yourself from where you’re stuck in old agendas and other people’s expectations.
• Help you explore career options that resonate with your strengths and interests — and get you there.
• Help you see and move beyond limiting beliefs that are keeping you trapped.
• Help you plan and launch your own business.
• Help you transition and redirect your life in response to passages such as empty nest, marriage, divorce or retirement.
• Help you “walk your talk,” that is, move from what you don’t like and don’t want (easy to spot, easy to keep complaining) to what you do want (something many of us find more difficult to identify).
• Help you establish new patterns. For example, you choose relationships that don’t work. Or you say you want a relationship, but it never happens. What’s that about?
• Help you live well each day. You hear people say, “When I have a new job, life will be good” or “When I find the right man, life will be good.” What about making it good right now?
• Help you identify and work with the voices of the naysayers, gremlins, prophets of doom, and your limiting beliefs — different names for the same thing.
• Help you live a life that’s as good as it gets!
*For privacy, these three names have been changed.
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by http://www.footprintsfilmworks.com
This is a F O U R Page FF News brief bulletin so the footprints team suggests that you be nice and relaxed when viewing this bulletin. This is an Exclusive Interview with Arabian President Mr. Hosni Mohammed Mubarak.
Mr. Hosni Mubarak is President of Egypt since 1981 and like previous presidents interviewed on footprints has always stood with his country, his people, his fellow international leaders and his family. Mr. Mubarak is the leader of Egypt's ruling Party the National Democratic Party. Mr. Mubarak has been elected President of Egypt four times and has been serving the community of Egypt for more than thirty years. Mr. Mubarak has succeeded his former rival President Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat since 1981 due to Sadat being assassinated by Islamic fundamentalists thought to be with links to Egypt's rival political party The Muslim Brotherhood. Mr. Mubarak currently resides in Africa's busiest city, Cairo, with a population of just under eight million.
The country of Egypt is approximately the size of South Africa with a population of over fifty million Arabians.
The founding myths of Egypt stretch across 5000 years from ancient myths of Pharaohs, Mummy's, Pyramids and African Art.
Although Egypt has long survived as one of the wealthiest African Countries, the country is plagued by international terrorists, money hungry sultans, Egyptian warlords and it is thought to be one of the illuminati hubs in the world.
Many community leaders and Egyptians wrote to the footprints team expressing their interest in our newly formed business and ethics. Many complained to us that the interview with Barack Obama was slap dash and that we should interview him again due to the overwhelming response. When the footprints team visited the footprints second wonder of the world which is Egypt we were surprised Mr. Barack Hussein Obama was also in Egypt delivering speeches in Cairo, Alexandria, The Nile Delta and the The Valley of the Kings.
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The Footprints Filmworks Foundation-http://www.footprintsfilmworks.com
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FF News: The Presidential Box-Page 2
In the month of May the community of Egypt celebrates tourists from all walks of life including business leaders, financial gurus, community citizens and media personalities all in a bid for the annual "Billion Dollar Roundtable"
Just like how The Mighty Nile nourishes the soils for the Egyptians to nourish their crops, The Billion Dollar Roundtable invented in 1992 by various world organizations including The United Nations, The World Health Organization, The World Aids Foundation and The World Wildlife Association, The Billion Dollar Roundtable aims at restoring peace, humanity. civil rights and human rights.
The Billion Dollar Roundtable held this year in Egypt attracted more than 50 000 tourists all in a bid to promote the strength of their countries. Organizers of this years event were left in a ho ha with more than fifty percent of the people attending choosing to express their views via their translators. Among the people who were invited included Warren Buffet, Mark Shuttleworth, Patricia De Lille, Omar Abdulla, Hosni Mubarak, Barack Obama, FW De Klerk and Aishwarya Rai. Guests were asked to be patient for the media as the weekend was set to be one of the biggest in Africa.
--Footprints Filmworks Advert--
Although, The Billion Dollar Roundtable is a meeting held in the second month of every May, this year there were special "Bollywood Superstars" attending as well, to create a lighter note, through the gathering. The "Bollywood Superstars" including Shar Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Big B, and Lara Dutta provided the foreign guests with music and dance that took the toll off the world economic crisis away, just for a moment.
Whilst Egypt has been known to be one of the wealthiest countries in Africa, in recent times the country faces problems of increased challenges of viruses, deadly weapons of mass destruction, oil ship dumping's and in a recent broadcast on BBC Osama bin Laden delivered a videotape that his next target is Egypt to run his notorious Al Queda Network.
Egypt has long been known as one of the most beautiful countries in Africa from mountain dew tops to giant pyramids providing tourists with an opportunity to mingle with society, explore life on a grander picture, sit on a camel and enjoying famous Nile river boat rides.
Whlist I was visiting the community of Cairo during the first day of the three day billion dollar roundtable I felt i n s p i r e d to meet new tourists, take a few lessons from the holy quraan, learn what was the meaning of pharaohs and OH YEAH I bumped into an Arabian who taught me how to do dancing.
On the first day, which was the Friday, the guests were treated to a five course meal and desserts. Mr. Barack Obama and Warren Buffet discussed that although the United States is in deficient of more than 787 billion dollars, stimulus packages and promises were still being kept by key officials in the military. It has been said that military spending and medical spending by the government should drop by 20 percent by 2015.
Mr Warren Buffet who is rated the richest man in the World according to FF News May 2009 was a bit grumpy with Obama as he felt that Barack Obama should stop spending time overseas and actually look at the United States from within its own border states.
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The Footprints Filmworks Foundation-http://www.footprintsfilmworks.com
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FF News: The Presidential Box-Page 3
Saturday Morning- I was awaken by the "City of Minarets" calls from Allah. The Azaan which is a prayer calling to muslims to perform their prayers, called out the name of Allah to perform their prayers. I felt excited that this weekend was once in a lifetime.
As the Billion Dollar Roundatable weekend had just started guests from abroad came into Egypt to express their views and opinions as well. In one of the debates held Mr. FW De Klerk said that he would expect the rand to be R5 to one to the United States Dollar by 2015. He also elaborated to other African countries for rand strength and rand as the basic currency in Africa. Mr. FW De Klerk who also chatted to other guests including Omar Abdulla and Mark Shuttleworth, emphasized the importance of exports from South Africa to Egypt with interests in mining, oil exploration, hydro dynamics and solar power.
Mr. Mark Shuttleworth was one of the first South Africans to travel into space and managers The Mark Shuttleworth Foundation. Mr. Omar Abdulla is Managing Director for The Footprints Filmworks Foundation and billion dollar Angel Investor.
During the luncheon, I was spoiled by roast chicken, Arabian curries, pasta and cocktails. I felt inspired to walk up to Mr. Shar Rukh Khan, as I am one of his craziest fans. I was too shy to even say hello, but I figured he should be performing in one of the intervals that follow.
--Todays Times Advert--
That Saturday afternoon around The Billion Dollar Roundtable was a bit boring as "old leaders" had their say on stage, which made me a bit drowsy to catch a nap. What I do remember from the afternoon was the mention of old Egyptian leaders including Ahmed Urabi, Mohammed Ali, Gamal Nasser, and Golda Meir.
Saturday Evening in Egypt in like a night in New York or Paris. The community never sleeps. That Saturday evening I figured I rather stay indoors and watch local television in my hotel. I am sorry to say, but I think Egypt has one of the worst media in the world. I would think that a muslim community would have something decent on, but it seems the great news is probably back in South Africa.
f----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Footprints Filmworks Foundation-http://www.footprintsfilmworks.com
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FF News: The Presidential Box-Page 4
That Sunday was probably one of the busiest days in my life as I pushed and pressed through Cairo's noisy traffic to get to the AL AZAR HOTEL in Cairo, where the Billion Dollar Roundtable meeting was being held. I was told that 9:am sharp was the time the discussions would be on. In the lobby, of the hotel, I noticed Mr. Mubarak freshening up in the Men's Room, I figured this is one president I would love to get to know better.
Mr. Mubarak is quite an elderly man who walks slowly and breathes heavily. He was wearing a traditional Arabian dress and smelt like he needed some rose water to freshen up. It was only 8:00 so I figured I do have one hour to chat to him before we go back into our meetings.
Mr. Mubarak and I had Egyptian tea and discussed issues not of Egyptian culture, but of South African culture. I remember, he said, don't ask me questions, Ill ask the questions.
Mr. Hosni Mubarak has perhaps lost his strength and force when he first become president. What he whispered to me about the oil price reaching $20 per barrel by 2015, perhaps changed by opinion of how Arabians think. He laughed and joked with me telling me secrets about the Arabian community that perhaps were too limited for my thinking.
So, It was 9.am and as the third and final day of The Billion Dollar Roundtable it was time for European and Asian leaders to voice their thoughts. Current Managing Director of Coca Co cola Mr. Muktar Kent expressed great concern in the increasing prices of water in Asian Markets and European Unions. He said that WATER as one of the fundamental agents of civilization should be restored and well protected. He added that we would need to borrow water from the Saudi Wells and Egyptian Dams if the purifying of water does not become a priority amongst nations.
--Footprints Chrome Advert--
Across the spectrum of Managing Directors attending the meeting, Mr. Omar Abdulla of Footprints Filmworks elaborated the importance of entrepreneurs who strive to be the best in the fields.
"If every entrepreneur were to put their hearts and passions into leading their businesses with awesome customer service, constant rebranding and distribution, investing into new projects of under $500,000.00 and reinvestment into old business, the economies of world markets would reclaim stability. The current stock exchanges are way too volatile to trade when markets are constantly changing. As my father says, Invest in yourself, that way you empower others around you." Abdulla concluded.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Footprints Filmworks Foundation-http://www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Our pleasure - will pass message on to her. - Ed.
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