Business Career, Executive, Life Coaching Article Mechanisms of the Mind (Achieving Success)

Suppose that the human mind is nothing more than a bio-computer and that the function of this computer is to get its owner exactly what he says he wants.. The computer mind takes what you say very literally. So, if you say you cannot do something, the mind interprets that as a command and makes sure you cannot do it. If you say you are confused and don't know what you want, the mind makes sure you have that experience.

That is why the harder we try to change, the very things we want to change persist stronger than ever. Think about it. How many times in a day do we give our minds negative commands? We say things such as "this is hard for me," or we complain that we don't have something we want in our lives. When the mind hears us making these declarations, it hears it as a command, not as a wish it wasn't so. If this is the way our computer minds work then we have to find a way to give it commands that get us what we want. Positive affirmations are a way to do exactly that. There was a time in my life when I used to complain that I knew how to make lots of money, but I could not hold onto it - that I would manage to find a way to make it disappear and thus never seemed to have any reserves. Guess what kept happening? Finally this way of life and "my story" about it became untenable, not to mention scary. With the help of a coach, I began to use affirmations such as "I am a competent manager of my money and make good investments." Or, "I know how to educate myself and take actions that will result in building reserves." I would write these affirmations daily, look at myself in the mirror and repeat them every day until I started to really hear them and believe them.
Tip! © Life Coaching Institute (Aust). If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article.

I soon started to read books about money and shifted my beliefs about money. I joined DA (Debtor's Anonymous - a 12 step support program) where I learned how to create a Spending Plan and more importantly, how to follow it. By using affirmations I was able to create a life that I love to live and the financial reserves that allows me to take care of myself in the present and in the future. I now live in a state of abundance, not scarcity.
Tip! This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person.

"Be careful what you ask for, you may get it," simply means that you must be careful about your language when you are giving commands to your mind. To be perfectly clear, phrase your affirmations following the Top Ten Tips below. To those of you who are skeptical about the theory, I know it seems strange at first, I ask you to consider the possibility that this version of how things work may actually result in the outcomes you always wanted. Some of you may want to talk with a coach to help you clarify what it is you really want and how to phrase your affirmations. It does take some practice. After all, you will be changing a lifetime of functioning one way, what I call "hard wired programming," and behavioral patterns. Experiment! I would love to hear about your results.
Tip! [ii] Deborah Munson, 'The Life Coaching Craze and the Church,' http://www.assistnews.

Ruth Zanes has been a Business, Career and Personal Success Coach since 1985. Her broad range of experience prior to coaching includes consultant, business ownership and corporate executive for some of the world's largest corporations. Contact Ruth at: http://www.unlimitedresourcesinc.com

Life Coaching for Success and Fulfilment

We live in a world of rapid change and uncertainty. Nothing is as it was even ten years ago. This means there is major pressure on all of us to change, everything is speeded up; we have to learn fast or risk being left behind. All areas of life are affected. Relationships lack commitment, health can no longer be taken for granted, financial security can disappear over night. Careers are insecure, global security is challenged and stress is at an all time high. We have more choices in life than ever before. So how do we find stability and manage choice in this fast changing world?

I believe each and every one of us is here for a Divine Purpose. The Creator has a divine plan for your life. A tiny drop of water may seem lost in the vastness of the ocean, but it still has an essential role. We can forget our Divine Purpose in the midst of the changes and challenges life presents, but we still have a divine role to play in the theatre of life. ‘The Creator has given you great potential what are you doing with yours?' this is a question I often ask myself and my clients.

Life Coaching is a powerful means of organising your life and reaching your potential. A rapidly growing world requires new solutions. Life Coaching can help you re-connect with your Divine Purpose and assist you in making choices that bring stability, success and fulfilment to your life. Often we say we have priorities yet we don't know what they are and therefore can't stick to them.

During an initial consultation I learned that Paul's priorities were spirituality and family. Using Life Coaching skills we quickly found out that although spiritual life and family were most important, more time and energy were in fact spent away from his family working in a stressful job that he no longer found satisfying. The stress of course came home with Paul, making him not a very nice person to be around. Paul often arrived home after his children were in bed and was so tired himself he simply ate his meal and fell asleep in the chair. I introduced Life Coaching strategies to help Paul turn his life around. It meant taking risks and asking Paul to trust in his Divine Purpose. We spend time working on a life plan and Paul developed the courage to leave his job and move forward with his life. Two weeks after leaving work, Paul landed a dream job closer to home. He recommitted to his family and spiritual life and is now much happier, more fulfilled and a better husband and father.
Tip! It started out as a simple idea - show the undoubted link between something as thoroughly modern as life coaching - and the wisdom of the ancient sages. After all - so many of the best coaching quotes are from hundreds or even thousands of years back.

Coaching recognises that success is different for each person and addresses the balance of career, family and friends, home, finance, spirituality and health, without health how we can we fully enjoy life.

Coaching was once the domain of athletes, sportspeople and high-powered executives. Coaching skills have always been used for getting people to the top. Now coaching has come off the field and out of the boardroom. It is available in the homes of all people wanting to win in life. Coaching is a relationship between two people, a Coach and Client; both are 100% committed to the clients' success. Sessions take place mostly by telephone and email, so no one has to leave home. Life Coaching offers a holistic approach to fulfilment and success in all areas of life. Coaching has been described as "A powerful relationship for people making important changes in their lives."
Tip! When you react you give your power away. Life coaching is about assisting you to break this pattern.

In my Coaching practise I work mostly with professionals who are undergoing difficult life changes and want solutions and results quickly. I work to Reduce Stress and Maximise Success.

Five steps for Reducing Stress and Maximising Success:

1. Alone Time - create time each day to connect with the sacred, even if it's only for a few minutes. Have quiet time in nature, meditation or prayer. This relaxes your mind, refuels your body and helps clarify and focus your thinking. Also schedule at least one retreat a year to re-charge and take charge of your life.

2. Purpose - have a vision for your life. Where do you see yourself in 10yrs, 5yrs, 1yr, from now? Begin to clarify your vision. How does your perfect life look? Dare to Dream. What steps can you take to make your dreams reality?

3. Planning - if you are not planning for success you are planning to fail. Plan with the precision of a child who knows exactly when to ask and how many times a request must be repeated in-order to achieve success. Don't let fear steal your dreams.
Tip! But for Life Coaching to remain viable in the left brained financial word, we as coaches must form some standard ourselves along with education materials and group marketing of what our profession is. For when most people hear of Life Coaching, they shrug their shoulders.

4. Action - Don't waste energy waiting until all your excuses dry up. Take action now and make the REST of your Life the BEST of your life.

5. Support - Identify what support you need. Get your team together and your dream will come together. Avoid unnecessary struggle by getting support from family, friends and expert help from a Professional Coach or Business Mentor.

Every day we wake and take breath is a Divine Blessing. Life is a precious gift and you are alive for a Divine Purpose. When you take time to connect with the unchanging essence of life, an inner stability develops. And when you live on purpose the decisions you make bring success, fulfilment peace and harmony.

Caroline Shola Arewa Motivational Speaker, Life Coach, Author. For information about Coaching Sessions and Retreats please email Shola Arewa shola@creatingease.com

Caroline Shola Arewa Creating EASE is an energy-based approach to work-life balance. We work with individuals and organisations on achieving more Success and less stress in our ‘I need it yesterday' world. Shola is a Health and Success Coach, Motivational Speaker and Author.

Visit our website http://www.creatingease.com and sign up for your free 7-day e-course on Creating EASE and excellence in your work and personal life. Working with you to achieve Success without Stress.

New Developments Make Christian Life Coaching "The" Career Choice for Work-At-Home Professionals

I have watched for a couple years now, as my wife's career has really taken off and I must admit, I am impressed. At the age of 55, having had so many life experiences, it just made me sit up and take notice that something huge is happening. In addition to this, I have seen her income quadruple over the past year.

My wife, Leelo-Dianne Bush is a Christian Life Coach. She is also founder and president of PCCCA (Professional Christian Counseling & Coaching Academy). Her work involves helping individuals reach their goals, improve their lives and relationships and overcome obstacles that held them back. She does her work 95% over the phone from her office in our home. Working by phone, she tells me is far more time-efficient and removes geographic barriers. And coaching is all about efficiency and action-driven results, right?

Life Coaching as a profession dates back a mere 30 or so years. While people have been mentoring and coaching others to success for thousands of years, in our fast paced, affluent world, people have stress and time-management problems. Some people just want more out of life. They are willing to invest in themselves to get their life and/or career on track.

Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends. And let's face it, about 80% of Americans consider themselves to be Christians. Enter Christian Coaching.
Tip! This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person.

Christian Coaching is Christ-centered, biblically sound and applies these as well as practical strategies to achieve balance in our lives, give back to our community and live in the abundance that the bible teaches us to live in. Poverty simply isn't biblical. How much can we bless others when we have nothing? And we are called to be a blessing and reach the world for Christ. In doing so, we need to give others a reason to want what we have. When we have peace, joy, financial security and great relationships, it is a great testimony to the world.

When people know we are Christians, they watch us more closely. They want to see whether we walk our talk. They want to know that we have integrity. It all works together to enhance the Christian community and our image. In my opinion, being a Christian is a whole lot more than just saying we are Christian. It defines a faith and a lifestyle.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

I have had a life-long passion for helping others. I am the kind of person who is always called on when something needs change or improvement. Seeing how my wife is able to help others, coach them to success, train new Christian Coaches and reap in countless blessings has opened my eyes to this new profession. So I made the decision to become a Certified Christian Life Coach myself. When I have my certification completed, my wife and I will form a joint practice where she will continue what she does and I will become a Christian Life Coach for men. My specialty will likely be helping men achieve balance in their lives so they don't go through mid-life crises and helping men transition to new careers or retirement.

If you have considered working from home or want to fulfill your calling by helping others either in a solo practice or within your church community, visit the website for Professional Christian Counseling & Coaching Academy at www.pccca.org.

If you want more information on whether this is the right career choice for you, PCCCA has a new ebook entitled "How To Start A Christian Coaching Practice" offered at their website at http://pccca.org/My_Homepage_Files/Page10.html. This ebook at $3.00, shows you the ins and outs of this profession and how to get started so you know what you are getting into before you invest a considerable amount in your training.
Tip! The initial step into finding the appropriate life coach center or institute is to look into available life coaching programs and courses that are designed to meet your educational needs. Remember too, that you should always ask the school counselor or course provider questions regarding specific programs that are tailored to what you are seeking.

Evan Bush resides in Cape Coral, Florida with his wife and daughter. To contact Evan, email him at bushbenning@aol.com.

What's Wrong with Life Coaching?

As a Life Coach I quickly identified most individuals wanted to achieve a particular goal or ambition and tried it themselves without success, and unfortunatley were still reluctant to get any help. So, I started 'A Life Coaching' a company which provides individuals with the tools, skills and processes to Life Coach themselves. (Free sample multi media below.)

All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed. I guess it's the best of both worlds!.

So how do we do it. We train individuals through CD based multimedia and some reading material, then the client completes a set of worksheets working through the goal from start through to successful completion. Not too difficult and individuals love the education they can use in their lives over and over again..

This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person. Best way to demonstrate is to check out this free PC multi media sample, please keep you speakers on and click here:

http://www.alifecoaching.com/servicesselfcoach.htm

Hope you enjoy the free lesson. Hope this information will help you achieve your goals and ambitions...

Cheers

Life Coach Leo

A Life Coaching http://www.alifecoaching.com

The Value of Coaching to Support Your Business and Your Life

In our daily lives as well as in our businesses, we typically operate from the perspective of doing the best we know how to do in dealing with life's challenges and opportunities. If we knew what it would take to be more effective in our relationships, more productive in our activities or more successful in reaching our goals, we would surely alter our behavior to correspond with these insights. The only access we ordinarily have to impact our lives comes from the areas of "what we know" and "what we don't know." In our efforts to achieve more, we usually resort to increasing what we do know by learning to do things a little better, a little different or we simply do more of a behavior that produced a certain result for us in the past. This behavior can predictably result in small, incremental increases in our ability to impact our business and our world. Likewise, by educating ourselves in the arena of "what we don't know," this knowledge then becomes part of what we now do know. As an example, if you are computer illiterate and you apply yourself to learn how to adeptly operate a computer, you will have successfully taken something that you do not know and converted it into what you now know. More than 95% of our efforts are spent in these two arenas - what we know and what we don't know. However, our most extraordinary growth comes from outside the arena of what we know or don't know. This composes the vast variety of ideas that we are blind to, not knowing that they even exist. It's in this arena of "what we don't know we don't know" that breakthrough or ah-ha experiences occur.

So how do you gain access to this fertile territory if you don't even know that it exists? The answer lies in recruiting the help of a coach who can support you to explore this rich domain that is outside of your customary way of viewing the world and acting upon its challenges. Your coaches should be individuals who themselves possess the key principles that make them powerful in the particular arena they offer coaching. A coach may be powerful in some arenas but not necessarily in others. The same person who is qualified to coach you in business matters may be totally unqualified to coach you in the area of relationships or spiritual matters. True coaches do not give advice or lend their opinions. They are value based, not ego based. They do not manipulate or exploit to carry out their own agenda. They are totally nonjudgmental. They are not the same as counselors or therapists. They do not try to protect, control or rescue those they are coaching. They instead listen for where one may be experiencing challenges or may be missing some key element that, if put into place, would impact a desired result. Coaches support us in seeing something that we may not be aware of by listening both to what we say and to what we leave out. They have empathy for the person being coached but are not emotionally attached to an outcome. They serve to champion people to have their lives work optimally. They do this by asking questions, exploring possibilities, making requests and, at times, confronting issues that may need to be examined. Skilled coaching is a fine art and a highly valuable service.
Tip! Depending on the school or individual training program, Coaching Certification for Natural Healing can be attained in a matter of a few hours or up to a year and a half. Employment possibilities for coaches include counseling business leaders, assisting in increasing personal career achievements, and personal life coaching.

For a coaching relationship to be possible, there must exist an open willingness on the part of the person being coached to undergo the process. Of course, total confidentiality must exist to allow for the freedom necessary to explore any and all areas that may need to be explored. The absence of judging and advice creates the opening needed to fully examine any possibility.

Coaching is typically undertaken in any of six major areas of life: business/career, health, wealth, relationships, spirituality/personal development or recreation/passions. A good coach will clarify if his or her coaching client is open to explore any or all of these areas or if the coaching relationship is agreed to be limited to any one or more areas. True coaches are value-based and interact with honor and respect while, at the same time, they are not reluctant to call someone on their "stuff" out of a solid commitment to champion the person's excellence and best interests.

Successful coaches:

· Listen for what may be missing to accomplish a result or honor a person's values.
Tip! Because there are no universal standards for the life coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that they are developed by the coach independently of any training they might receive.

· Lead by example and champion others to step into leadership.

· Are committed to their client's excellence and, at the same time, not attached to his or her responses.

· Are grounded in value-based personal development principles.

· Hold those they coach as totally capable and competent while looking for what might be missing for them to fully experience their magnificence.

· Source the person coached to be their best and live with passion while playing full out to accomplish their goals.

· Never make the person coached small or dependent.

· Champion the person coached to be the best they can be with the goal of ultimate invisibility for themselves as a coach. The coach's ego must not be a factor in the relationship.

· Have permission to tell the truth and not step over uncomfortable topics or situations in order to avoid discomfort or look good.
Tip! There are two options to successful implement the entire process of reflection and change, one being to undertake the task alone. The most efficient way is to follow the process and steps in the ‘A Life Coaching' Self Life Coaching guide as per link details above.

· Create a safe atmosphere that allows for the client to be vulnerable and open to possibilities.

· Support their coaching clients in an accountability structure, ensuring that they follow through on what they say they will do.

· Support the free flow of ideas and conversations for possibilities through idea streaming.

It is helpful for any coaching relationship to begin by developing clarity with respect to the client's overall vision. This vision should include every aspect of the person's life and business. From this wide-ranging perspective, it is then possible to develop a plan to accomplish any goals. These goals would themselves comprise a component of the big picture by fulfilling or working toward one aspect of the vision's realization.

A productive coaching relationship can focus on either a life or business project. In the realm of business or network marketing, a coaching relationship is often best undertaken within the context of a project or action plan that is grounded in time. By focusing on producing specific and measurable results, a coach can support a client to best work through any business stops or life challenges en route to the accomplishment of one's goals. A coach can also assist in gaining clarity on all conditions of satisfaction that may be important to a project's fulfillment. Such conditions might include those non-measurable items that would need to take place for a project to be considered a success. These might include developing stronger relationships with family members, spending quality time with children, devoting a minimum amount of time daily to meeting one's own needs, taking a well deserved vacation, etc.
Tip! Because life coaching is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States, with adequate training, students who join this expanding business industry will gain practical skills, knowledge and experience to help guide and empower themselves and their clients. The important framework of any life coaching educational program includes teaching students how to develop their own goals, how to formulate a successful business strategy and how to build reputations.

Many people mistakenly assume that they can be successful in business without being successful in other areas of their lives. Our businesses are an important component of our lives, but only one such component. If there is an imbalance in any of the six prominent areas of our lives, any business accomplishment will be somehow incomplete. For this reason, a good coach will support a client to adapt a whole-thinking perspective in which mastery of all areas of life is the ultimate goal. For this reason, personal development is an essential component of any business coaching relationship. As one undertakes the personal improvement process, increased business productivity will surely result.
Tip! © Life Coaching Institute (Aust). If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article.

Just as an Olympic athlete in pursuit of a gold medal would not think of undertaking such an accomplishment without the support of a coach, most people would likewise benefit from a coaching relationship. Coaching can add fun and excitement to every aspect of your life as you take on the challenge of reinventing yourself and your business, always in search of excellence. And of course, one of the major benefits of an ongoing coaching relationship is that you will develop the coaching skills yourself that will be necessary for you to impact the lives of others, who will likewise look to you for coaching. If you are in business and do not yet have a coach who is committed to championing your success, I strongly encourage you to look into how such a relationship might support your goals and move your business and life forward with velocity.
Tip! This has also helped to keep the cost of Life Coaching down to a level affordable by every average person.

10Dr. Joe Rubino is North America's Success Coach. He is an internationally acclaimed trainer, author, personal effectiveness coach and the co-founder of The Center For Personal Reinvention, http://www.CenterForPersonalReinvention.com. He has been published in more than 100 leading magazines and publications and is the author of 10 best selling books available in 19 languages worldwide. Joe is the cofounder of "Conversations For Success", a 3-day course in personal and productivity development. For infomation on his books, courses and coaching programs, email drjrubino@email.com or visit http://www.cprsuccess.com.

What is Life Coaching?

An recent article in Money Magazine said that "A coach may be the guardian angel you need to rev up your career." In fact, if you pick up any major newspaper or magazine, you are bound to come across a glowing article on coaching. It is one of the fastest growing careers, with an estimated 20,000 coaches in the United States. Because coaching is a relatively new profession, there are many people calling themselves "coaches"---unfortunately not all of whom are fully qualified. You should know that there is no required professional certification process, although it is coming in the near future.

When hiring a coach, it is essential that you know and trust your coach, as they are helping you craft your most important project---your life! The wonderful thing about coaching is that most coaches offer a complimentary sample session. This gives you the opportunity to see their style and find out if there is a match. To choose the best coach for you, ask them questions about their background, training, and any certifications. Most people simply choose someone based on the chemistry they feel after the session, so feel free to trust your instincts. In the 21st century, coaching is no longer a luxury, but a necessity! All human beings have a natural instinct to grow and learn, and due to the increased interest in self-improvement, more people than ever want the extra support that a coach provides.

If you are in business for yourself, a coach is an integral part of your "success team." Your coach is invested in your success and provides insight, structure, and encouragement for increased effectiveness and fast improvements. He serves as your partner, champion and cheerleader for your success and fulfillment. She works with you to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Coaching is based on learning, reflecting, and taking action. It is an interdependent relationship, with the coach playing many roles such as that of listener, questioner, challenger, resource provider, and idea generator.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

Top 7 Reasons to Hire a Coach

Are you tired of struggling? Are you working harder but not smarter? Then perhaps it is time for a change. Coaches are "change specialists." They bring a new and objective perspective to your challenges and stumbling blocks. They work with you to come up with creative solutions and exciting new directions.

A coach is professionally trained in human development and/or business processes, who forms powerful, insightful, and transformational relationships with his or her client. Through a process of discovery, life visioning, goal-setting, and strategizing, your coach partners with you to realize extraordinary results that could rarely be achieved alone.

1. You want to close the gap (more quickly and easily) between where you now and where you want to be in the future.

2. You have big dreams that scare you---and secretly would really like to live them out.

3. You want control over your own destiny.

4. You want assistance with staying on track---setting goals, managing your time/resources, and living in alignment with your values.

5. You've got great potential, but want help tapping into your intuition and personal power.

6. You want to be more successful---making more money or having more free time.

7. You want to explode your business and see amazing results fast!

Professional athletes and business executives stay at the top of their game with the help of a coach/mentor. For most of us, extra support can make all the difference in the world. Having a coach gives you the vehicle for accelerated accomplishment towards your goals. In this challenging world it is easy to get off track with what is most important to you. A coach keeps you focused, on purpose, and works with you to redefine goals and dreams. People dedicated to self-improvement work with different coaches throughout their lifetime and experience a higher level of living as a result. Depending on your need or challenge, you can find career coaches, relationship coaches, performance coaches, business coaches, executive coaches, prosperity coaches, communication coaches, etc.
Tip! During an initial consultation I learned that Paul's priorities were spirituality and family. Using Life Coaching skills we quickly found out that although spiritual life and family were most important, more time and energy were in fact spent away from his family working in a stressful job that he no longer found satisfying.

***Just ask yourself: what life area would I like to change, improve or transform?

Coaching is an enlightening and empowering experience, and working with a professional coach can transform your life. There are a number of online resources to help you find just the right person. Visit www.locateacoach.com, www.coachvillereferral.com www.247coaching.com and www.coachfederation.org.

Michelle L. Casto, M.Ed. is a whole life coach, speaker, and author. She has written three self-help books and a dozen workbooks on life empowerment topics. Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching. She helps people come up with bright ideas for their life and empowers them to freely shine their bright light to the world.

Michelle can personally work with you to build and brand your business.

Contact her for a complimentary coaching session: coach@brightlightcoach.com

Visit virtually: http://www.getsmartseries.com or http://www.brightlightcoach.com

Sign up for her free monthly ezine, Get Smart! Live Smart by sending an email to: Getsmarter-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Mid Life Crisis, Life Transitions, & Ontological Coaching

Recently I have been watching a TV show called Blowout. It is a reality show about a hair designer, Jonathan Antin who struggles to get his Beverly Hills salon up and running. Not only do the Hollywood stars visit his shop but also many other women come in for makeovers with the hope that they too will look like the rich and famous. In fact, when their makeovers are finished they really do look more glamorous than when they walked in. Actually, the TV is filled with shows like these including the famous Extreme Makeover and Dr. 90214, which depicts Beverly Hill's plastic surgeons reshaping and changing the appearances of women of all ages. In these shows the women, in particular, discuss how they feel stuck in a midlife crisis or are anxious about a life transition.

When I am at the fitness center I observe women and men of all ages and sizes feverishly working out. Personally, I think it is tremendous that women are working to create a new persona for themselves. It would be simple to conclude that these women are just focusing on their outward appearances. I do not know if this is the case or not. My hope would be that women are just as concerned with their mental and spiritual health as well as their physical appearance. I believe many are doing just that, but what about those who are not? What about those women who sense a lack of direction or purpose in life, which can be associated with a mid life crisis? What about those women who are dealing with a life transition and are anxious about their abilities to handle it or just feeling overwhelmed by life itself? Often there is a stigma attached to seeing a psychologist, entering into therapy or counseling or seeking guidance from a religious institution. Certainly if one is severely depressed, suffering from addictions or other mental and spiritual disorders then counseling or therapy is indeed appropriate. But what about a healthy person who does just feel stuck, lacking a direction in life, or overwhelmed, is there a place for them to turn? The answer to that may lie in being coached. Ontological Coaching, in particular, is not about transforming one's personality. It begins with the premise that the person is healthy and their self is intact. Ontological Coaching is about opening up new horizons of learning, which in turn expands how you observe future possibilities and opportunities. In essence, this is how you view your very being or soul.

How is Ontological Coaching different from other forms of coaching? The answer lies in its expanded view of language. The desire to alter outcomes or improve an individual's performance is a central goal in traditional as well as ontological coaching. The difference is found in the process. In traditional coaching one typically observes an action, the results of that action is assessed, a determination is made as to what is missing, the actions are then modified, the modified actions are taken, and then the cycle is repeated. This approach does tend to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the known actions. However, the assessment is only concerned with the known actions or possibilities that the client sees as reality. I believe when someone is suffering, perhaps in the throes of a mid life crisis or a life transition it is because their self or the ability of the self to observe future possibilities or opportunities is limited or narrow in scope. In Ontological Coaching a new element is added to the process. This critical piece is the language of the observer. Suffering is a linguistic or social phenomenon as opposed to pain, which is a biological phenomenon.
Tip! Although life coaching started in the secular community, most coaches have a spiritual orientation they bring to coaching. Christians, because our faith involves living and promoting an abundant Christian walk, cannot in good conscience coach others to achieve selfish ends.

It is well known that our results have a great deal to do with our actions or lack of actions. What is less clear is that our actions themselves have to do with the observer that we are or the way we "see things". We tend to think we observe reality as it is but what we really are observing is reality as we observe it. Each individual has his or her own way of observing and thus each has his or her own interpretation of reality. What this means is if we constrain ourselves to our own observations then we are limiting the sphere of future possibilities to what we deem as reality. We become caught in the drift of life. When we reach intersections, such as a mid life crisis or life transition, we are blocked by our own transparent actions or habits. We then become trapped or stuck in our own interpretations. What we deem capable of producing as future action becomes limited. As you can see there is nothing necessarily psychologically wrong, our self or being is intact, it is just limited by our language, which includes our power of observation and the development of future possibilities through speaking and listening.
Tip! Simon Clarke has over 15 years of experience as a writer, entrepreneur and business specialist. He is also the founder and Director of the Life Coaching Institute and the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors: both industry leading training providers in Australia and overseas.

Why then does this make ontological coaching more effective than traditional coaching, especially in the long run? The answer lies in the ability to expand the coachee's interpretations and therefore their future possibilities and opportunities. Ontologically we claim that the observer or the self of each individual is comprised of three elements, our language, our emotions and moods, and our physical presence (both biological and postural). By working within the sphere of these three elements and, in particular, expanding the domain of our language the ontological coach can shift the observer and the self of his coachee. The result is not just goals that are more effective and efficient, but ones that are expanded to contain new possibilities and opportunities never thought possible by the individual.

Robert Wummer of http://IntersectionsCoaching.com is an ontological coach who specializes in life's transitional times and the intersection (or collision) of an individual's personal and professional goals. His work is extremely effective in the development of integral leadership practices.

Life On The Receiving End Of Coaching

What is it like to be on the receiving end of mentoring to improve your performance in pocket billiards and at the same time, participate in life changing coaching?

You are the reason for all of the things you are going through. Once you accept that, you are then ready to make the changes that will take you to the next level and far beyond.

Many billiards players find themselves blocked from moving to the next level. They seem to stay in the same place year after year. Do you find yourself at one of these stagnation points? I recently took part in the Monk 101 Four Points To Power program and found it was

· Professionally personalized programs for success · Structure to keep me focused, on track, clear, accountable and successful · Support to sharpen skills, clarity and awareness · Direction on material and technology to support top quality growth · Opportunity to hone critical thinking skills, analyze situations and co-create strategies to effectively deal with them on the table and off.

It did not require face-to-face meetings, it did not rely upon judgment of my performance before beginning the program and it did not require an exorbitant investment of time and money. Working with The Monk I learned many things about myself and was able to make some positive changes. I now find I can:

· Accept Criticism--If given with respect, offered in private, critique could change your game.

· Submit To Correction--You know you did wrong and you are sorry, but until you are shown how to correct the problem, it is subject repetition.

· Learn By Following--Learning can be defined as the act, process, or experience of gaining knowledge or skills. But you only gain understanding when you follow someone's example.

· Get Yourself Free--Learn to deal with the bad habits you keep dragging around. Be accountable to your master.

· Gain Consistency--Make Your game more reliable and uniform in a variety of circumstances and varying degrees of distraction.

· Increase Confidence--Learn the Four Strokes of Pool, how to shoot them and how to use them to win. · Win More Games--When you can get your attitude in line with your skills, you will find more often then not you will be in the winners' circle.

· Gain Recognition--"From our perceptions we turn in our performance. If with faulty perceptions we act, we think, and we perform, calamity comes upon us. If from right perceptions we act, we think, we perform, success is ours."

· Improve Your Life--The Enlightenment Stage is the goal of true champions. Those who reach this level are truly free from the ruling forces of the senses and can live life to the fullest. You won't know the true meaning of your life until you connect to that which gave you meaning.
Tip! The initial step into finding the appropriate life coach center or institute is to look into available life coaching programs and courses that are designed to meet your educational needs. Remember too, that you should always ask the school counselor or course provider questions regarding specific programs that are tailored to what you are seeking.

Truly, if you can become one with the nine precepts outlined above, we can change our world. The Monk 101 Four Points to Power program is your chance to change the mind set that holds you back in this great game. Our perceptions build our mindset. From our mindset we act, think and perform.

The true value of this program goes far beyond the mere acquisition of knowledge; you can do that with a book. The Monk 101 Four Points To Power is designed to help you reach the stage of true enlightenment, and real understanding.

Even in pocket billiards, you can't sink a shot with knowledge, you'll never gain good position if your shot is based on what you know -- understanding gives you great power, both on the table and off.
Tip! But if Life Coaching is to grow and sustain as a bonafied profession, some standards need to be created. Albeit, not governmental, but along some manner of guild system.

>---------------------------------<

Reg Hardy, The Monk's Apprentice, writes mostly on billiards topics, primarily for http://www.billiardscrossing.com Where Good Players Get Better .. His Billiards Crossing website features over 170 billiards resources. A 7-day Trial Membership is $4.95.

"Get a handle on your mental game at http://www,billiardsmindmender.com

Truth About Life Coaching School Accreditation

With life coaching becoming "the" career choice in this millennium, many of you are seeking the right choice for training and certification. Hopefully this article will answer some of your questions.

There are many fine life coach schools, academies and institutes. Some are accredited and some not. Should the school's accreditation make a difference to you? In my opinion, no.

Because there are no universal standards for the life coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that they are developed by the coach independently of any training they might receive.

What makes the issue of accreditation particularly confusing is marketing. Accreditation is being used as a marketing tool in some cases, not as a barometer of their success. Many coaching schools are accredited only because a group of colleagues got together and decided to form a group and accredit their associates' schools. How do you know whether this is the case for a school you are interested in? You really don't know and generally can't find out.

Many schools use accreditation as a marketing ploy to draw you in and charge exhorbitant rates. If you just want to spend more money, go ahead. Price really has little to do with the effectiveness of the materials. Mid-range schools generally work harder to please students and offer as good or better training in many cases, because students get more one-on-one time with instructors. How important is a school's accreditation? Let's put it into realistic perspective. What is most important to a prospective coaching client is, can this coach help me? Most clients look to see whether a coach has had formal coach training, but not into the background of the school. And the truth is, clients don't care whether the school you attended, is accredited. It just doesn't come up. Clients will decide to use your services if they like you, feel a connection, and experience benefits from their sample session with you. That's pretty much it.

Peer Resources (http://www.peer.ca/coachingschools.html), recognized world leader in coach training resources states "accreditation" in the coaching field at present has a number of troubling aspects, including its lack of wide-spread acceptance, conflicts of interests between reviewers and some rated schools, minimal reporting of results, and questionable or vague criteria. While accreditation typically means the school has been reviewed by an external source, it does not necessarily mean that "non-accredited schools" provide less value or poorer quality programs."

Since coaching is a distinct and relatively new profession, and no universal standards exist, many new schools have come into existence. To build a fence around the training opportunities and the income derived from it, some schools formed organizations to accredit only their schools of choice and make it nearly impossible for a newer school to become accredited. They will mandate applicant schools to show evidence of ten or more years of professional success, before they even consider them for accreditation. Then, they apply personal biases for accrediting schools, so unless a school fits within their philosophies, they aren't eligible or will not be approved.
Tip! The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments.

So how does the potential coaching student make a sound choice? Here are some ways:

Read student testimonials

Verify the school's philosophies allign with yours

Contact the school and see if they are prompt with replies to your questions

Look for a school in your desired niche - Here is an example:

Let's say you are a Christian and prefer training that agrees with your faith. It will be important to select a Christian (bible-based) certification course. Admittedly this niche offers a few options for training. Some are accredited and some not. But this should not matter, because there is no governing body to decide whose course is best. The Christian schools who show accreditation from established secular accrediting bodies, are actually less likely to have substantive biblical content, because secular groups frequently subscribe to new age philosophies and may influence course content and materials.
Tip! I live my life from appointment to appointment, I do life coaching for a Youth Work organization called Youth Vision. I could quite easily fit 4 or even 5 appointments into a day…at a push.

Through my research and contact with various institutions, there was only one Christian coaching school which impressed me. That is the Professional Christian Counseling and Coaching Academy. (www.pccca.org). PCCCA offers training and certification for Christian Life Coaches and Christian Counselors.

I found they stand on their principles of faith, maintain the integrity of their programs and consistently strive for excellence. What is more, they offer one-to-one training with practicing coaches, serving as coach training instructors. Any coaching school's success relies on what they bring to the table with their skills, integrity, response-time, reasonable fees and knowledge. Add that to superb training and you have an unbeatable combination. While PCCCA has Christian School Accreditation, they do not have secular coaching school accreditation.

I recommend that potential students not be persuaded by gimicky advertising, high fees and accreditation. Look for the best school for you. Period.

The author, Emery Hilton-Goode is a freelance writer specializing in entrepreneurial strategies and career training. You may contact the author at diamonglo@aol.com

What in the World is Life Coaching?

In my speaking engagements I have often compared coaching today to psychotherapy in the 1920s. The level of public understanding of coaching, outside of people in a certain socio-demographic category, is still in its infancy. We are all so saturated with the language of psychoanalysis - it's difficult to read a book or watch a movie that isn't premised on this shared language - that we probably don't consider there was once a time when practitioners were asked: "Now, you do what, exactly?"

"And I would tell you my dream because it would reveal what?"

"So there's this free association thing, which apparently still costs something, and I give you the first thing that comes to mind because there are these subconscious drives I have?"
Tip! [ii] Deborah Munson, 'The Life Coaching Craze and the Church,' http://www.assistnews.

To the not-yet-initiated, coaching can sound like this. What is it and why would I want to do it?

Coaching, whether for career or business, existential questions or relationships, begins with alignment. Coaches get you, your actions and thoughts, and your very lifestyle aligned with who you say you are, or want to be.

That is, we will get the way you live, think, act, and work integrated with the core values and goals you say you have. If you don't know what your ultimate values and goals are, then that's coachable too.

It's not by magic that coaches help clients achieve their goals. From the practical and action-oriented to the great questions, coaches draw from the best of management consulting, best business practices, motivational and cognitive psychology, sports performance, ethics and spirituality, the Socratic dialogue and philosophy.

Most fundamentally, coaches help clients get out of their own way.

COACHING BRIEFLY DEFINED

Here is one definition of coaching, per the International Coach Federation:

"Professional Coaching is a professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual or team that supports the achievement of extraordinary results, based on goals set by the individual or team. Through the process of coaching, individuals focus on the skills and actions needed to successfully produce their personally relevant results."
Tip! All of the sudden the barriers for individuals came tumbling down, now Life Coaching become aligned with human nature and everyone is happy to learn how to succeed and apply the principles themselves. But, with one major advantage, a Life Coach is still there for the individual if one is needed.

"The individual or team chooses the focus of conversation, while the coach listens and contributes observations and questions as well as concepts and principles which can assist in generating possibilities and identifying actions. . . . Coaching accelerates the individual's or team's progress by providing greater focus and awareness of possibilities leading to more effective choices. . . . . [R]esults are a matter of the individual's or team's intentions, choices and actions, supported by the coach's efforts and application of coaching skills, approaches and methods."

If your definition of a coach is borrowed from high school or college athletics, where the athlete is beneath the coach and can even be dismissed by him, then the term "coaching" may be a bit misleading to you. A personal or executive coach is more like the coach of a pro track star or tennis player: in these professional relationships, the coach and the client are two co-equals and partners, and it's actually the client who decides how long the coach stays on the team.

THE PROCESS

A coach begins, from a place of generosity of will and spirit, by getting to know you as a person and formally identifying your goals and values, using a variety of in-house or standardized assessments. Then the coach looks at the gap between where you are and where you want to be.
Tip! During an initial consultation I learned that Paul's priorities were spirituality and family. Using Life Coaching skills we quickly found out that although spiritual life and family were most important, more time and energy were in fact spent away from his family working in a stressful job that he no longer found satisfying.

A coach will then work with you to close that gap by eradicating your self-limiting thinking, reducing your stress and enhancing your efficiency, and getting you to stretch and try new things and ways of being. A coach will help you implement strategies to reach your goals, tactical steps to carry out your strategy, and day to day accountability to keep you focused on the tactics, the strategy, the goal -- all while explicitly remaining true to your values.

Coaching is at its root about expanding your awareness and making you accountable to yourself. Coaches expand clients' awareness about themselves and then help them to be accountable to what they have learned. It can be a sophisticated form of teaching, mentoring, and partnering in an enterprise with a single focus: your personal, professional, and even spiritual development. Coaches show you ways to find clarity, guide you to awareness of your true situations (including how you get in your own way), and show you how to take action based on what you know.

To be coached, then, is to get experienced, committed, and insightful help in (1) finding clarity about subjects big and small, (2) deepening your understanding about what holds you back, and, crucially, (3) being guided toward acting on your knowledge to make desired and lasting change in your life.
Tip! Perhaps the best endorsement of the effectiveness of life coaching comes from those who have experienced it firsthand. Successful writer and now life coach herself, Marlee Huber of Washington State remarks, 'I cannot adequately express the joy that I am feeling as I move forward in my mission.

WHO GETS COACHED?

Coaching clients are clear that they want something -- virtually anything -- sooner and with more certainty of getting it than they could manage alone. It could be learning, career advancement, satisfaction, higher performance, better relationships, or quality of life. Clients are not attempting, through coaching, to address emotional pain or psychological disorders. This is one of the key differences between coaching and counseling. See more at http://www.ferocecoaching.com/coaching-and-counseling.html.

Coachable clients are functioning well and able to take action in the direction of their goals. Coaches look to the present and the future; they discuss the past primarily in order to clarify where the client is today. Critically, coaching need not resolve issues of the past in order to move forward.

THE RELATIONSHIP, IN A NUTSHELL

The coaching relationship is the key to its success. Coach and client are partners. Mutual appreciation and respect are not just a by-product of the time they spend together but the engine of coaching's success. A rarity in relationships, coach and client are collaborators in a joint enterprise: the client. At my coaching firm, our philosophy is that clients already have many of the answers within them, and to the extent that's the case, it's the coach's job to draw them out.
Tip! It started out as a simple idea - show the undoubted link between something as thoroughly modern as life coaching - and the wisdom of the ancient sages. After all - so many of the best coaching quotes are from hundreds or even thousands of years back.

Coaches don't often hold themselves out as expert or authority on subject matter so much as on process. The client and her coach jointly choose the topics of their work together, the format, and the outcomes the client desires. Coaches are for the emotionally mature. Those who imagine that a coach can turn their lives around are not yet coachable under most coaches' ethics. A coach is someone you retain only when you are ready. To take with you that next, elusive step.
Tip! You can review more on Life Coaching options and other very useful information on the ‘A Life Coaching' website, visit www.alifecoaching.

FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS, NOT SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE

There is rarely such a thing as a "type" or "field" of coaching, wherein life coaches could be considered somehow different from relationship coaches.

The reason there is usually no difference between, say, life or personal coaching on the one hand and executive

coaching on the other, is that these titles describe only the client, not the coaching itself. That is, the words describe the buyer of the services and perhaps even how that client perceives himself.

But the techniques and methods of coaching are very similar, because all coaching comes down to the process of guiding human beings through the discovery of their full humanity, their insight, and greater accountability to themselves. Even if you are an executive who wants "executive" coaching, you know there is no such thing as skills, attitudes, and behaviors that are used in, and useful in, only the boardroom or office. You are on a mission to enhance your effective personhood, not your, shall we say, executiveness.
Tip! Traditional therapy and Life Coaching can complement each other. However, if a therapist is using coaching techniques, it is best if the client knows that a coaching technique is being applied.

What is the consequence of coaching being the same no matter who the client is? Well, it means that subject matter expertise is often irrelevant. To be a career coach, it may help to have some knowledge of career resources, of course. The same is true for specialty aspects of business coaching, entrepreneurship coaching, or leadership coaching. But in general, you should opt for a coach with superb coaching skills and chemistry over a coach with subject matter expertise.

Cameron Powell, a writer and coach, is also a professional ally and strategic partner who, as a life coach, when his clients most need it, will kick their butts into action now and then. To learn more about how he gets people unstuck and moving forward in their lives and careers as a Life Coach, visit his site.

Coaching: How to Have a Mentor for Your Life

My business card says I'm a marriage and family therapist. That doesn't very adequately describe what I do.

For example, spend more than 30 seconds with a new person and the inevitable "what do you do for a living?" question arises. I usually get one of three reactions:

1) "Oh, that's nice", and then they walk away. (I'm really not that scary.)

2) "So are you analyzing me right now?" (As if that's all I do in my spare time.)

3) "Oh, let me tell you about my husband/wife/kids/etc." (Makes me want to tell people I'm a plumber!).

Many folks just don't really know what goes on in counseling. What notions they do have come from TV and movies with some boring at best and weird at worst shrink talking strange sounding psycho-babble.

Good therapy is really not at all like Woody Allen whining and complaining while laying on a couch week after week forever. In fact, the only person who ever lies on my couch is me, if I'm really tired between sessions.
Tip! When you react you give your power away. Life coaching is about assisting you to break this pattern.

In my humble opinion, the two best portrayals of therapists/counseling are Judd Hirsch in the 1980 Robert Redford movie "Ordinary People", and Robin Williams in the recent award winning "Good Will Hunting" (minus the choking scene, of course!).

What these two movies have in common is they show the counselor doing what I believe good therapy is really all about: coaching!

That's right, coaching.

All I really do is to meet a person where they are, ask them where they want to be, and design tools and solutions to get them there. Most of the time, when things go really well, we end up moving even further than they thought they could.

That's just one of the many valuable things that good counseling/coaching has to offer. Here's a few more that clients have shared with me:
Tip! In Life Coaching, the focus is on the present and the future. Coaching clients may have already experienced therapy and will therefore expect the same type of experience.

•Someone's undivided attention for at least an hour. That's a very rare thing in our fast paced instant culture.

•New perspectives other than your own.

•Tools and solutions designed for your particular struggle or challenge.

•A "coach" whose job it is to help you do well in life. Even Michael Jordan had a coach.

•Someone to actually listen to you. In his book "The Lost Art of Listening", Michael Nichols says "Few motives in human experience are as powerful as the yearning to be understood. Being listened to means that we are taken seriously, that our ideas and feelings are known and, ultimately, that what we have to say matters."

•Someone to help you get "unstuck." So many times, we get stuck in doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. A good counselor/coach can show you many other options for getting what you want in life. Remember, "if you keep doing what you have always done, you'll keep on getting what you have always gotten."

•Someone to "check-in with" as you face the various challenges of life. After we have solved the current crisis that brought then in, many of the folks that I counsel/coach don't do the traditional "same time next week" for the rest of their lives bit. We begin to taper off to every other week, every third week, and so on. Some people have monthly check-in appointments, others check-in 3-4 times a year.

•As Scott Peck says in the opening sentence of The Road Less Traveled: "Life is hard." There is nothing wrong with asking for some coaching along the way. Even if you have been "doing it wrong", there's really nothing wrong with being wrong. The only wrong thing is to keep on being wrong once you have realized you are wrong. Right?
Tip! The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments.

So if even Michael Jordan, one of the greatest athletes we will ever see, needed a coach, why not you as well. Who's your coach? Will this be the year you give your self the present of a little "life coaching?"

Visit SecretsofGreatRelationships.com for tips and tools for creating and growing a great relationship. You can also subscribe to our f*r*e*e 10 day e-program on how to enrich your relationship today, from relationship coach and expert Jeff Herring.

Life Coaching Defined

Five years ago I had never heard of the term ‘life coach', let alone think that I would one day be one. However, life coaching is spreading very quickly in the UK. Type ‘life coach' into any internet search engine and you will find an almost bewildering amount of directories and websites all offering coaching services.

So, what is it?

Imagine your life as a journey. Sometimes along the way there are places you want to get to, but the path seems complicated and there are many distractions and false turnings. You lose your map. You perhaps have tried to get to this place before, but you never made it - something got in the way or it was too difficult.

Perhaps you are stuck in one place, resigned to being where you don't really want to be, but the thought of trying again to get out of it is far too scary. Perhaps you have even forgotten that there was ever another place you wanted to reach, but you have a continual, sneaking feeling that there is something else out there beyond the boundary that could be so much better.

In life these metaphors stand for being in a dead-end or boring job, but feeling unable to move forwards to something else. Or it could be that a relationship has become stale. Or perhaps you just feel that you are not living the life that expresses you, or are unsure who that person is anyway.

Going back to our travel metaphor, you can think of the life coach as a kind of travel guide. This person knows there is a world beyond the boundary and can help you discover it for yourself. He or she knows the nature of the obstacles that are in your way but knows that it is possible to overcome them, and how. This travel guide can help the traveller to draw up a map, with landmarks and destinations along the way that will be part of the journey and assure the traveller that they are on the right track. The guide will stay with the traveller, keeping their focus on the way ahead and reminding them of their final destination when they get distracted or disheartened. The guide will encourage them when they get discouraged and urge them on when they lose heart.
Tip! Simon Clarke has over 15 years of experience as a writer, entrepreneur and business specialist. He is also the founder and Director of the Life Coaching Institute and the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors: both industry leading training providers in Australia and overseas.

In other words, the life coach helps you get from where you are now to where you want to be - and often will help you to find out where it is you want to be! The life coach does not tell you what to do, but uses techniques to draw answers from you so that you can make the choices that are right for you. This makes it completely different to counselling (which works on the past) or advice (which is usually someone telling you what you ‘should' do).

I like to call it ‘getting in touch with your passion'. We are all passionate about something (though some of us may have forgotten what it is, or not found it yet) - and I believe that when people are doing or living the thing they are passionate about, they are truly living in their full self-expression of who they are and why they are here.
Tip! But if Life Coaching is to grow and sustain as a bonafied profession, some standards need to be created. Albeit, not governmental, but along some manner of guild system.

Ros is a career and confidence life coach in Northamptonshire. She is very passionate about helping people 'find themselves' and to live lives that are fulfilling and joyful. This includes finding the right career... after all, we spend a lot of time at our jobs, so we might as well be happy doing them! She works from the belief that anything is possible and that we all create our own lives, based on what we believe about ourselves. These beliefs can be changed to create something more positive.

The Hidden Effects of Childhood Maltreatment and How Life Coaching Can Help

Violence against women is one of the primary health problems facing adults today. Many people are not aware that childhood maltreatment is a powerful risk factor for health problems in adulthood. Its victims can suffer lifelong health effects.

Maltreatment is best viewed as a risk factor for a wide range of subsequent health problems. Were you neglected, sexually abused, or physically abused as a child? An important step is to face the truth about how you suffered as a child. Health effects have to be assessed within a developmental perspective. There are several avenues by which abuse can affect health.

The first avenue is physiological. Traumatic events can alter the brain and body. The human system of self defense becomes disorganized and overwhelmed. Traumatic events produce profound changes in physiological arousal. The nervous system becomes sensitized and comes to anticipate trauma. There can be dental, vision or hearing problems. An adult can suffer from headaches, backaches, chest pain, pelvic pain, chronic pain and fatigue.

A second way that abuse that affect health is behavioral. Adult survivors may engage in harmful actions or behaviors and become very self destructive. Some behavioral examples are self-injury, shame, suicide attempts, eating disorders, high risk sexual activity, compulsive spending and gambling and substance misuse. These behaviors may be used to numb feelings so the pain can be coped with. These high risk behaviors can impact health.

A third avenue is cognitive - child abuse is associated with distorted beliefs and perceptions about one's self and one's behaviors. These negative beliefs can undermine health and lead to low self-esteem, self blame and feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. It may be common for adults to have perceptions of helplessness, chronic danger and consequent hyper-vigilance. An adult may become shamed-based and feel they are worthless, unacceptable and bad. This vicious cycle can drive a victim inside a private world of suffering, loss of power, re-victimization and deep self doubt. Beliefs can certainly impact health. Interpersonal difficulties is another avenue. Adults survivors can have difficulties in their adult relationships. Examples include difficulties in trusting others, inability to set boundaries, avoidance of intimacy and close relationships and sexual difficulties. These difficulties can result in social isolation, marital disruptions and divorce. Past maltreatment or victimization can set up an adult victim for relationship failures. This can lead to poor health outcomes.

Finally, the fifth avenue can be in the area of emotional difficulties. An adult victim can have anxiety, fear, terror, and sadness. They may adopt a position of surrendering to life and feel they are abandoned to their fate. They may develop antisocial behaviors that isolate them in relating to others. An adult may suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which can significantly impact daily life. Another result could be depression and that disorder can have a devastating affect on health.

A history of childhood victimization and maltreatment can have a significant impact on adult health. It can be associated with a range of difficulties in adulthood.

Developing healthier coping skills is a major focus of personal coaching with an adult who has this history. Coaching can assist an adult in managing stress more effectively. Personal coaching can help an adult to learn to nurture and care for themselves. There is alot of power in self care. You deserve to live a most joyful and healthy life and personal coaching can assist you on your path to extreme self care and wellness.

Debra Tullis, MSW, LCSW, BCD is a life coach and a clinical therapist. She has a Master's Degree in Social Work and worked in the social service field for the last 24 years. She is Board Certified in Clinical Social Work and is working toward a certification in life coaching. She is the owner of Coaching for the Good Life and is a member of the International Coach Federation, Coachville, and the International Association of Coaches. To learn more about Debra's services email her at lifeisgood2@sbcglobal.net or visit her website at http://www.coachingforthegoodlife.com

Developing a Marketing Mindset in Life Coaching: Part Two

In the first part of this article we discussed the distinction between an Influencing Paradigm, and a Service Paradigm, to marketing your coaching business. We discussed how marketing your business is both ethically valid and commercially crucial, and how marketing is a critical process in achieving your coaching objective of having a positive impact on the lives of others.

To quickly surmise, we explained that people with an Influencing Paradigm mindset perceive marketing to be ‘leading' and ‘salesy.' They come from the paradigm that by marketing you are proactively influencing someone in their decisions. Or specifically that you may make someone do something they would not otherwise do.

People from the Service Paradigm school of thought accept that prospects are people that have identified for themselves their need to invoke change. And they've identified that a coach will assist them make that change. They recognise that the prospect has made the intellectual link between their needs and how they want those needs to be fulfilled.

To be a successful coach, or in fact successful in any business, it's critical that you embrace a Service Paradigm mindset toward your marketing.

In this article we're going to further explore exactly how you can develop a Service Paradigm marketing mindset.

Before we can begin to discuss how you can develop your Service Paradigm mindset, let's look at some of the characteristics. Coaches with a Service Paradigm recognise that to assist clients meet their objectives, they need to:

- Recognise that everyone in business is in the business of marketing. Without clients they'll have no one to deliver their services too and hence no one to assist. - Actively promote their services through compelling advertising that clearly describes what they can offer clients.

- Ethically promote their services with vigilance.

- Recognise the cycle of life of their prospects and regularly promote their services for as long as prospects allow.

- Understand that hey are often in a superior position of knowledge to ascertain what their client needs to assist them attain their goals.

- Be empathic to the needs of clients and actively offer solutions to them through various products and services.

- Value their client's intellect and decision making ability.

- Not pre-empt their client's wants and hence limit the range and scope of products and services they offer them.

- Always acts as an ethical adviser.

As a coach, to outwit your competitors you must create a niche; and to build a successful business you must attain a Service Paradigm marketing mindset.

To develop your Service Paradigm marketing mindset:

1. Be determined to succeed. You need to be absolutely determined that you're going to succeed. If you just want to succeed, but you're not willing to go the extra mile, you'll get swept aside by those that are more determined. If you are truly determined, you'll be confident and this confidence will automatically show in your business and be transparent to prospective clients, peers and the general public. Prospective clients will want to be associated with you, and clients will want to continue their involvement.

2. Persevere. Coaches with a marketing mindset embrace challenges as part of life and part of business. If you perceive challenges as impassable barriers you'll never develop a marketing mindset. It's crucial you accept you're going to confront hurdles as part of business. How you perceive these hurdles, as opportunities or barriers, will drastically influence your level of success. Perseverance is a key ingredient in developing a marketing mindset.
Tip! The worst thing about that time in my life was that I didn't know what I wanted. It was only later as I formalised and worked through the Ten Steps, which is a life coaching process I teach that I realised that we always know what we wantonly sometimes our dreams get buried beneath a mountain of hurt feelings and disappointments.

3. Remain positive. Literally nothing destroys a marketing mindset more than a negative attitude. A marketing mindset is a ‘can do' attitude. Faced with the same challenge, the coach with a positive ‘can do' marketing mindset will find a way; the coach with a defeatist attitude will submit and fail.

4. Set Goals. As a coach this is something you should know a lot about. Set yourself specific, achievable, stretch goals.

5. Plan a strategy. Establish a specific plan of action to attain your goals. Identify what resources you'll need and the possible challenges you may confront.

6. Implement your plan. This is the most difficult part. Implementation of your plan. Modify it where required, change your goals as others are attained, modify your plan if flaws are perceived, but always continue implementing. Non-action is the precursor of business failure. If you continue to implement, your business will always sustain forward momentum. If you have momentum, your direction (goals and plans) can always be adjusted.

7. Keep marketing. Your success or failure hinges on your marketing. Always maintain your marketing mindset. Always be focussed on marketing. It's a common trap to get caught up in the day to day ‘operation' of your business and put marketing aside. This is a recipe for disaster. How effectively you market will be the most influential determinant on the success (or otherwise) of your business. Marketing is not difficult or confusing, but it does require significant ongoing diligence and attention. The moment you lose focus on marketing your business is the moment your business performance will suffer.
Tip! There are two options to successful implement the entire process of reflection and change, one being to undertake the task alone. The most efficient way is to follow the process and steps in the ‘A Life Coaching' Self Life Coaching guide as per link details above.

Life Coaching Institute is Australia's leading coach training organisation. Learn more about LCI coach training programs and receive a FREE GIFT at http://www.lcia.com.au/lz