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"When we go through the experiences that are part of our everyday
lives, often there are times of joy in between the lessons. But
sometimes it seems htere are a lot more rocks in our way than
soft grass to walk on. There are always things underfoot, things
to make us trip or stumble. * * * * * This newsletter is sent to you by Life Matters Coaching. Copyright © 2007, Benita Stafford-Smith and Life Matters Coaching. All rights reserved. Nothing in this newsletter may be reproduced or published without the written permission of the individual author and/or copyright owner. |
The Coach Approach, February 2007 Week One: Love of Self February, the month of Love. Valentine’s Day, a day for lovers! This month we will explore love. We begin with the concept of self love, yes, loving yourself. Unfortunately most of us look for love outside of ourselves, from our partners, family and friends. We first must look for love inside ourselves. It all begins with us. If we do not love ourselves we will not be able to accept love from others. Many times we will not recognize love from others and often we will mistrust others. After all if I don’t think I’m worthy of love, there must be something wrong if you love me. You must want something! Have you ever had these thoughts? Worthy of note here, loving yourself does not mean being egotistical, it is actually quite the opposite. Those who are confident and love themselves are often very humble. No need to brag or try to make yourself better than someone else. You are perfectly fine! So how do you love yourself: These four simple steps will lead you to discover self-love! Next week Extreme Self Care. * * * * * Week Two: Care of Self As a graduate of CoachU, one of the programs I have to offer my clients is the Extreme Self Care program. Here is an introduction to this program: Living in today’s world places many demands on your body, mind, heart and spirit. The purpose of this program is to guide you as you focus on yourself in order to strengthen your balance, wellness and quality of life. The key word in the program title is Extreme. Everyone has their own way of working this program, so please adapt it to meet your needs. The Extreme Self Care Program™ consists of 100 items which,
when completed, will likely result in emotional and physical
balance for you. The ten areas of the Program are:
• If my job, business or profession is harming me and I can’t seem to make it completely stress free, I have quit, sold it or am changing professions. • I have made a list of the 10 promises that I have made to others that are causing me stress, even if it’s stress that I can handle. • I have revoked all 10 of these promises and have worked something out. • I have identified the three primary sources (people, roles, expectations of others) of my current stress. • I have completely eliminated these three items. • I have cut out most volunteer activities, unless they directly support all of my life. • I have a house cleaner. • Someone else runs my errands. • All bills, paper and administrative tasks have been outsourced and are electronically handled and/or I have an assistant who handles everything administratively, automatically. • Any legal, tax or financial clouds or problems have been completely resolved. Keep working this self care section until you have mastered it!! * * * * * Week Three: Sharing Your Gifts “Happiness comes through doors you didn’t even
know you left open.” Now that you’ve discovered how to love yourself and care for yourself, you are ready to share your gifts. This is an exciting adventure! How do you share your gifts? What is the venue? This is unique for everyone. Here are a few examples: If you have a love of words and language - try writing. If you have a love of oral communication - try public speaking. If you have a love of nature – try painting or photography. If you have a love of travel – try guiding. If you have a love of helping others – try volunteering
at a youth centre, a seniors complex. If you have a love of sports – try coaching one of
your local community sports teams. Your invitation this week is to come up with a list of ten ways you could share your gifts. * * * * * Week Four: The Greatest Gift of All –Service "We make a living by what we get. But we make a life
by what we give." We end our look at love this month with some thoughts of being of service, the greatest gift of all. It always amazes me how simple this is and how rewarding. When I am being of service to others I always feel incredibly loved and connected. Service – what does it mean? Is there a standard? Many people think being of service means you have to be a Mother Teresa. I encourage you to re-craft your thoughts on this. Being of service can be very simple; opening the door for someone with an armful of parcels or smiling at the grumpy person standing in line with you. I was on a flight returning to Winnipeg from Florida. We were getting off the plane. A young couple with a baby and a toddler, stopped in front of me to re-arrange their load. They had all the necessary gear—diaper bags, baby seats, etc. I stopped and offered to help them. The man looked at his wife, with a huge smile on his face, and said, “See I told you they were friendly in Canada.” They declined my assistance but both had huge smiles on their faces. I felt so good. I have often been blessed with receiving service from others, making my day brighter. Your invitation this week is to find ways to be of service to others. This is a sure way experience love in its purest form. |
