DoWhat!?
Support & Inspiration for Taking the Road Less
Traveled
Reading Time: 3 Minutes
In this issue:
- Where's Your Butt?
- What's Your Theme?
- Theme Building Workshop
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Spring in the Washington DC metro area is gorgeous – my
favorite time of the year – but somehow it has a way of sprinting
right past me. One day I'm shivering in the wind and, before I know
it, I’m sweltering in a humid 90 degrees. In particularly busy years
I’ve been stuck mentally “waiting for spring” only to suddenly find
myself half-way into August!
We don’t want to zone-out in life! This month we explore
ways to stay present in our lives, even during the most
hectic times. May these ideas help you notice every flower and bug
along your road less traveled.
Warmly,
Laura
Where's Your Butt?
In coaching we sometimes talk about our lives being in
process. That is, our lives are constantly flowing forward
over and around the highs and lows of our everyday experience, like
a river. As humans we often try to minimize those ups and downs: We
plan for the future, we dwell on the past, and thus avoid
experiencing the emotion at this present moment. As a result we
dampen our aliveness and sort of zone out. Is it any wonder that we
suddenly “wake up” to realize minutes, even days or weeks, have
passed us by?
Have you ever had the experience of driving a car only to
find yourself suddenly at your destination? Where have you been? Not
present, that’s for sure! But really, what does it mean to be
present in your life?
It’s quite challenging to focus all your attention on this
moment. Try it: As you are reading these words, slow down.
Experience the action of reading one word at a time. What sounds do
you hear in the room around you? How comfortable are you? How are
you breathing? Recognize that you are alive. Right now. In this
moment.
What was that like for you?
Ok! Here's another experiment. Go ahead and laugh - - but
try this anyway. It may give you a whole new way to be in the
moment:
As your go through your day, ask yourself: Where’s my butt?
On a chair? Against a wall? Walking past the consignment shop on
Main Street? Crazy as it sounds; it is very difficult not to
be present when you're trying to figure out where your rump is!
Welcome to the here and now :-)
What's Your Theme?
You’ve tried rump-awareness (see above) and have
probably heard all kinds of advice for becoming present in the
moment – breathing, mindfulness, meditation, and so forth. Now
broaden the concept: how can you stay present and focused on a
project in your life? Select a theme.
Personally I have two concurrent themes: 1) my theme for my
business this year is “fun and inspired action” and 2) my theme for
my 6-month coaching certification program is “fierce
courage.”
My themes serve as filters. Each month, I review my business
goals through the lens of my theme and prioritize those that will be
the most fun and give me and my clients the most inspiration.
Brainstorming projects to undertake, I look for those that best
match my theme. My theme gives me a sense of exploration when
choosing new opportunities: last week alone, I was on a radio show
and was a guest lecturer at the University of Maryland. These are
experiences I wouldn’t have imagined for myself in the past, but
they came my way, fit the criteria and were so FUN!
The theme of fierce courage comes into play when I am
coaching clients. It's like a dare -- reminding me to push myself
beyond comfort and to take risks with my skills. Sometimes I fail
spectacularly, and other times I am wildly successful. Either way,
the client gets more from the coaching than if I had played it safe.
They move further toward their goals, and so do I.
A client of mine has a theme for the month of May in regard
to his job search: Action! Driven by action he’s got some
aggressive goals for landing interviews. In every step he takes he
asks himself, does this forward my action toward my goals? You
should see the guy – he’s on fire!
I want you to be on fire too!
What is your theme? Write me and let me know!
Need Inspiration for Theme Building? Check out the Inspiration section on my website. I have
recently added more resources to help you thrive.
