Feeling Loved: Being Seen and Heard
In coaching, as in life, being a good listener is essential. When someone is seen and heard, they feel loved. Deep listening improves your relationships, empathy, understanding, and ability to creatively solve problems and conflicts. It is important to make time to reflect and listen to yourself as well. You can increase your self-awareness, self-compassion, […]
Leading In Chaos
In April, I had an amazing opportunity to facilitate 5 mini, 1-hour workshops during a 3-day professional development meeting for the leaders of a national organization. Each leader took a strength identifying assessment, and we took a dive into how each participant’s strengths enhanced their qualities of an impactful leader. We built skills in self-awareness, emotional, […]
Real Life, Real Hard Conversations
One of the gifts of practicing coaching skills in my daily life is the ability to stay engaged when I enter a spontaneous highly triggering conversation. Sometimes, of course, I choose to walk away. Other times, it feels important to make the space to cultivate the relationship and remember everyone counts. This situation took all […]
Empowered Citizenship
The past 9 years in October, I have been invited to facilitate an all-morning presentation on Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence for Powerful Leaders at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Every year a diverse group of about 40 participants from all sectors of society enroll in this Policy Fellows program. It is […]
Rising Feminine Power
In my part of the world, May is the month Mother Earth begins to sprout new life and we celebrate Mother’s Day. What are you birthing this month? Creating life is one expression of the feminine. What are other powerful characteristics, traits, and qualities of feminine energy? During April I spent time with various people […]
Fierce Compassion: You Were Made for These Times
I am digging deep inside these days to live with compassion. There are many experiencing suffering, including myself. ‘Being with’ in compassion can comfort and soothe this sense of distress. Deep listening is a practice I find particularly supportive. Being heard can reduce anxiety and stress. Knowing a person (or the inner worried concern in […]
Empowering Courageous Conversations
I have found myself more often lately in conversations with clients, students, friends, and family who are in fear and feeling ‘controlled’ by popular (often false) narratives. I lean in. I listen more deeply. I ask challenging questions inviting them into a discussion that is based on critical thinking about facts/opinions and their own reflection. […]
Exploring Ego: How is it like my tongue?
I have encountered various points of view about the human ego, my least favorite is that it is ‘bad and wrong’. Some beliefs state the ego needs dissolving and needs to ‘die’ to be an ‘enlightened’ human being. After multiple conversations with clients about the optimal function and relationship of the ego in our multidimensional […]
Who are you “othering?”
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay I am paying attention to how gosh darn often I find my thoughts judging “those people” who are bad and wrong. “They” do not share my perspective, “they” are irrelevant, “they” are a threat. Maybe you know “those other people” too. Othering occurs when I view or treat a person or group […]
You are the Light: What are you illuminating?
Did you catch a glimpse or see pictures of the bright light appearing in the sky when Jupiter and Saturn aligned near December 21st? I have enjoyed star gazing my entire life. I feel a visceral connection to starlight and the vast cosmos. Scientists tell us stars give off photons, elementary particles of light, and […]