Heart Health

At LifeTrek Coaching International we talk a lot about our hearts. We talk about eating a "heart-healthy diet," "exercising leadership with backbone and heart," and "attending to what your own heart is saying." We've even talked about Bob's struggles with his own congenital heart valve defect. Being as our hearts are at the center of our lives, it's seemingly unavoidable to discuss them every now and then.

The feature story in National Geographic Magazing in February was an informative article on the topic of heart disease. The article looks at this epidemic and how science is looking for better ways to mend broken hearts across the globe:

"Cheeseburgers, smoking, stress, the rise of the couch potato: These are the usual suspects on the list of risk factors for heart disease, a malady reaching global epidemic proportions. Now discoveries about genetic triggers may help us spot trouble before it starts. "

As you read, however, don't forget that prevention is cheaper than rehabilitation. For more information on keeping your heart healthy, read the LifeTrek series on Optimal Wellness, starting with Provision #471: Nutrition 401.

Nutrition 401

A recent article in The New York Times Magazine by Michael Pollan (author of The Omnivore's Dilemma), titled Unhappy Meals touched base on many of the nutritional aspects found in the Optimal Wellness Prototype. Pollan stated:

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. That, more or less, is the short answer to the supposedly incredibly complicated and confusing question of what we humans should eat in order to be maximally healthy. I hate to give away the game right here at the beginning of a long essay, and I confess that I'm tempted to complicate matters in the interest of keeping things going for a few thousand more words. I'll try to resist but will go ahead and add a couple more details to flesh out the advice. Like: A little meat won't kill you, though it's better approached as a side dish than as a main. And you're better off eating whole fresh foods than processed food products. That's what I mean by the recommendation to eat 'food.' Once, food was all you could eat, but today there are lots of other edible foodlike substances in the supermarket. These novel products of food science often come in packages festooned with health claims, which brings me to a related rule of thumb: if you're concerned about your health, you should probably avoid food products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a good indication that it's not really food, and food is what you want to eat."

For more information on nutrition, read through the LifeTrek series "Optimal Wellness -- What Goes In," starting with Provision #471: Nutrition 401.

S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Unlike Dilbert's co-worker, are you remembering to make S.M.A.R.T. goals? Don't forget to create goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely.

For more information on S.M.A.R.T. goals, read through Provision # 496: S.M.A.R.T. Goals.

Provision #469: Moment by Moment

So many moments, so little time! For the past twelve weeks, my colleagues and I at LifeTrek Coaching International have been writing about the kinds of moments that coaches look for, pray for, hope for, and work for as we engage with clients. We could probably keep going with even more moments, but it's time to bring this series to a close. Want to read a quick summary of the twelve powerful moments we identified? This Provision will give you what you want, and a little bit more. Enjoy!

Provision #468: Destiny Moments

At its deepest and most profound level, coaching assists people to realize their destiny. It's not just about solving obvious problems or changing bad habits. Coaching is about finding and aligning life with your higher purpose. We assume, on good authority, that our clients are alive and that they have a contribution to make to the healing of the planet. The challenge is to get into the flow of such life-affirming ways. If the daily grind has your destiny hidden from view, then read on. The spirit of this Provision may breathe life into your spirit.

Provision #467: Fan Club Moments

The old adage, "It's not what you know, but who you know that counts," speaks to the importance of relationships. They can make or break us in life and work. Unfortunately, that adage makes relationships sound manipulative and political. Authentic relationships are anything but. True fans stand behind us with energy, creativity, resources, and support. They enable us to come into our own and fulfill our destiny. Do you have fans like that? If not, you won't want to miss this Provision. It describes a process for making your fan club grow.

Provision #466: Gold Medal Moments

Gold medal moments are exhilarating moments of great triumph and drama. But they often come on the heels of persistent effort across small, incremental steps. To hang in there through the days of chipping away at our dream, we need both conviction in our ability to make it happen and joy in the process of getting to where we want to go. That's as true in organizations as in our personal lives. By staying positive, we'll find the conviction and joy we need to mount the pyramid of success. Read on to find out how.

Provision #465: Flow Moments

Contrary to popular impressions, flow is not going with the path of least resistance. Flow is being totally engaged with an activity that challenges us to use every ounce of our creativity, skill, and awareness. It neither provokes anxiety (too much challenge, too little skill) nor boredom (too little challenge, too much skill). It rather calls out the best we have to offer in life and work. If you would like to have more flow moments, then read on. This Provision can assist you to make it so.

Provision #456: Extraordinary Moments

Today we start a new series of LifeTrek Provisions, focused on the extraordinary moments that bring people to and emanate from coaching. Over the next twelve weeks, the LifeTrek Coaching staff will explore the types of moments that we live and breathe for when it comes to coaching. From the peak of passion and purpose to the depth of heartache and despair, coaches stay with people in order to increase both the frequency and the quality of their extraordinary moments. By the time this series finishes up, you'll be in a better position to coach yourself on the trek of life.

Provision #457: Celebration Moments

Having just completed our series on Appreciative Inquiry, this Provision almost wrote itself. Although coaches wear many hats and perform many functions, none is perhaps more important than finding things to celebrate with our clients. Large or small, past, present, or future, internal or external, on-target or tangential, deliberate or accidental, physical, psychological, or social -- there is no end to the things we can celebrate. And, sometimes, that's all a person needs to take the next step forward.

Provision #458: Mucked Up Moments

Among runners, DNF is perhaps the most dreaded of acronyms: Did Not Finish. Last Saturday I ran but did not finish the Bull Run Run, a 50-mile race in northern Virginia. Instead of leaving me devastated, however, the miserable conditions left me with a new acronym for DNF: Discovered New Frameworks. They were, in fact, the frameworks we coaches use all the time when we deal with clients who are facing their own mucked up moments in life and work. If you feel stuck between a rock and hard place, read on. This Provision is for you.

Provision #459: Laughter Moments

Laughter is a healing balm. In the best of times, laughter keeps us humble and fresh. In the worst of times, laughter gives us energy and hope. In all times, laughter serves as both a lubricant and a glue: it lowers the friction of the daily grind and it makes connections between people. Understanding these dynamics, coaches use humor to forward our client's attitude, actions, and ambitions. Perhaps, after reading our stories, you can learn how to better make laughter work for you.

Provision #460: Breakthrough Moments

When was the last time that you had a breakthrough? If it's been a while, perhaps it's time to find and work with coach. Coaches are especially helpful when it comes to transformational change because breakthroughs are so highly charged. They often involve giving things up and taking things on that are very different than where and who we are today. Changing your position and identity in life is not easy; coaches can give you the courage and the perspective to do it right. Sometimes, they are the key to whether or not you do it at all.

Provision #461: Tear Jerk Moments

Coaching is not all sweetness and light. We are not just nice people to talk with. We are also powerful people who hold open a space in which you can be real with yourself, your values, your relationships, and your dreams. When that happens, it's not uncommon for tears to flow. When we get beyond SMART goals and strategic plans, we often discover the truth about ourselves in moving and emotional ways. Such encounters are neither to be avoided nor taken lightly. They are the stuff that coaches work with to motivate and move clients forward in life.

Provision #462: Blink Moments

There's much to be said for figuring things out the hard way. It can certainly generate a great sense of satisfaction. But there are times when we see everything clearly, in an instant, based upon our feelings, patterns, hunches, habits, impulses, and environments. Do we trust and even cultivate those times of rapid cognition? We do if we have worked with a masterful coach for any period of time. If you're looking for the light bulb to go off, then perhaps you're working too hard. Perhaps, after reading this Provision, you'll be ready to blink.

Provision #463: Remember When Moments

As coaches, we love to connect people with stories of power and grace. We do that through the questions we ask and the spaces we create. Too often those stories are buried under the rubble of discouragement, busyness, and hurt. But in the presence of one who believes in their existence, we can dig them out and use them as a foundation for future success. Remembering when we were at our best enables us to be our best, and that can make all the difference in the world.

Provision #464: Spring Cleaning Moments

Can you identify with how good it feels to clean up a mess that has been hanging around for far too long? Boundless energy and creativity often result. Unfortunately, messes have a way of coming back. That's why coaches work with clients to develop systems for success. We want people to get cleaned up and to stay cleaned up. Working with the environment is one way to do that. But cleaning up clutter on all levels, both internal and external, must be attended to if we hope to optimize performance and reach our potential. If you have problems with clutter, read on. This Provision may make you smile.

Lost Dutchman Marathon

I am running the Lost Dutchman Marathon near Phoenix, AZ on Sunday, February 19, 2006. I am on the mend from injury recovery, so finishing without injury is my only goal. For info on the race, visit: Lost Dutchman Marathon. Thanks!

Audio Provisions Now On Line

After several months of dawdling, I have finally started to record and post the lead article of Provisions as MP3 files. We are now working on the RSS distribution channels. You can check them out now at www.LifeTrekCoaching.com/mp3. Enjoy! And let us know what you think.

Julia Butterfly Hill & Luna

Speaking of great, transformative reads (see An Auqatic Epiphany), I recently attended the Fourth Annual CoachVille Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana where I had the privilege of hearing Julia Butterfly Hill, an activist who spent 2 years sitting in a giant sequoia (named Luna) as part of her own spiritual journey and the spiritual journey of our planet. To learn more about her experience you can visit her blog at
http://www.circleoflifefoundation.org/blog/julia/.

An Aquatic Epiphany

An astute reader of LifeTrek Provisions, and fan of our Wellness Pathways, pointed out a link to the story of one man, Christopher Swain, whose journey to organic foods included a toxic 165-day swim in the Columbia River. It is a great and transformative read. You'll find it at: http://www.alternet.org/story/21908.

Belongings vs. Belonging

Jeremy Rifkin wrote a fascinating column in the Sunday Outlook section of the Washington Post (Click). It talked about the differences between the rugged, materialistic individualism of the American Dream (where wealth = abundant belongings) and the transnational, socialistic interconnectedness of the European Dream (where wealth = abundant belonging). It also talked about which dream seems more suited to the march of modernity. This was a fascinating backdrop against which to view today's election. Time will tell as to how this plays in the USA.

Passion Poem

I appreciated this note from one of our readers. Don't we all want to live?

Wow!! I just read your "Passion" poem Click and it fits my life to a T!! Eight years ago, my husband, who I loved more than life itself, walked out and disappeared, never to look back. Needless to say, I was devastated. I am disabled, had just given birth to a special needs child with many, many problems, and suffered my own serious health problems requiring emergency surgery. I felt life was being very cruel to me at the time.

I finally realized these were God's trials for my life to teach me endurance, strength, courage, patience, and a stronger faith. Two years ago, I woke up one morning, hearing the birds singing outside my window, and said, "I WANT TO LIVE!!"; This poem is exactly how I feel. I'm ready to move forward with my life, and possibly engage in another relationship, although I will be more selective in choosing a partner than I was in the past. Thank you for such an inspirational outlook on life!!

Mentioning the Unmentionable

Today, one of my running buddies mentioned the unmentionable. After our easy 6-mile Sunday-morning recovery run, Kym said she was voting for Kerry and didn't see how anyone could vote for Bush. This, in a gang of rabid Bush supporters! Either she was blissfully naive or incredibly courageous. Some supported her right to vote for anyone, "even if she was wrong." Others got right down to the issues. I proferred my support for Kerry and thanked her for raising the question. Not sure the rest of the group felt blessed by the interruption of real life in our otherwise apolitical junkets.

What Are Kids For?

Just interviewed a client in Ireland who noted that we have kids not only to raise them and leave a legacy; we have kids to raise ourselves to new levels of sensitivity, balance, and maturity. An interesting twist that I will reflect upon more in a future Provision.