6 results for tag: Coaching
Want To Get Great At Something? Get A Coach!
We all need an excellent coach. I have had many amazing coaching and mentoring experiences in my life. When I was younger, the coaches were primarily with my involvement with sports. Some of my sports coaches were great at bringing out the best in me and others. Other coaches did not have the right acumen for this role and impeded the growth and development of players, including myself. Being good at something does not make you an excellent coach. And, as Atul Gawande explains in detail, excelling at something does not mean you have reached your potential. Why not be the best you can be?
When I began my journey as a social worker and counselor, my supervisors became interested in me and improved my skill set. They simultaneously pushed me beyond my perceived limitations while supporting my work. Many coaches ASSUME that you either have to push somebody hard or take their hand and gently guide them. A good coach seamlessly and instinctively knows when and how to apply each strategy. A good coach knows your strengths and obstacles to success and is willing to manage the resistance that the ego will place in the way as a hindrance. Generally speaking, the ego is the greatest obstacle to sustained growth and development. The ego may express itself as overconfidence or lack of confidence. They both are an imbalance of humility.
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... It’s Never Too Late To Be Amazing
Never too late.
At age 23, Tina Fey was working at a YMCA.
At age 23, Oprah was fired from her first reporting job.
At age 24, Stephen King was working as a janitor and living in a trailer.
At age 27, Vincent Van Gogh failed as a missionary and decided to go to art school.
At age 28, J.K. Rowling was a suicidal single parent living on welfare.
At age 28, Wayne Coyne (from The Flaming Lips) was a fry cook.
At age 30, Harrison Ford was a carpenter.
At age 30, Martha Stewart was a stockbroker.
At age 37, Ang Lee was a stay-at-home-dad working odd jobs.
Julia Child released her first cookbook at age 39, and got her own cooking show at age ...
The Difference Between Being Present and Self-Absorbed
It is easy to be confused about the difference between being present and self-absorbed. Current New Age, pop psychology and self-help literature make them appear to be the same. This is far from the truth. In my experience both personal and professional, there are several differences between being present and self-absorbed. The two that feel most significant are; 1) being present creates a spirit and mindset of service to others and 2) when we are present, we are aware of our inner experiences on many levels AND what is happening around us. When we are self-absorbed, the rest of the world takes a backseat to our own experiences and our own needs/wants/preferences.
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... Drop Dead Gorgeous Syndrome – Curse, Blessing or Both?
As a teenager, I was convinced every "pretty girl" had the perfect life. All they had to do was smile. I was not an attractive teen and felt cheated by life. Little did I know about this thing called the Drop Dead Gorgeous Syndrome. The drop-dead gorgeous syndrome is when a super-attractive woman loses herself and becomes addicted to and enslaved by her physical appearance. Her identity depends on what we think of how she looks at any given time, not her achievements, intelligence, character, talents, or sense of Self. I will not lie; I hated drop-dead gorgeous girls when I was younger. It is an embarrassing admission but real. I was jealous and felt like I had no chance to ever be with one of the "pretty girls," and this made me feel less masculine. Fortunately, I do not think this way today. The following experience is based on an actual event that happened many years ago. I have altered some facts to hide the identity of the woman involved out of respect for her and her privacy....
