Non-violence

Here at LifeTrek Coaching, a passion of ours is passing along the teachings of non-violence, particularly non-violent communication. Since 2006, we've been inspired by the works of Marshall Rosenberg of The Center for Non-Violent Communication. According to Rosenberg, non-violent communication:

"helps connect us with what is alive in ourselves and in others moment-to-moment, with what we or others could do to make life more wonderful, and with an awareness of what gets in the way of natural giving and receiving."

We have begun incorporating the teachings of non-violent communication into our work as coaches and hope to inspire you to begin communicating in a non-violent manner.

The April issue of Ode Magazine helped bring the concept of non-violence to the 21st century in an article titled, "Give Non-violence a Chance." In this article, Mark Kurlansky examines the power of non-violence through an historical context. Kurlansky concludes the article by asking the reader:

"But what if we lived in a world that had no word for war other than non-peace? It would not necessarily be a world without war, but it would be a world that regarded war as an aberrant and insignificant activity. What kind of world would that be?"

For more information on how you can work with a LifeTrek coach to incorporate non-violence and non-violent communication into your life, contact LifeTrek Founder and President, Bob Tschannen-Moran at Coach@LifeTrekCoaching.com.

The NY Times

The NY Times has really kept us on our toes the past few weeks.

On April 15, 2007, the lead article for the NY Times Magazine was by Thomas Friedman, author of "The World is Flat." In his article titled, "The Power of Green," Friedman evaluates the idea of how the US can regain it's international stature by becoming a green nation. Friedman states:

"In the world of idea, to name something is to own it. If you can name an issue, you can own the issue. One thing that always struck me about the term "green" was the degree to which, for so many years, it was defined by its opponents-- by the people who wanted to disparge it. And they defined it as "liberal," "tree-hugging," "sissy," "girlie-man," "unpatriotic, "vaguely French." Well, I want to rename "green." I want to rename it geostrategic, geoeconomic, capitalistic and patriotic. I want to do that because I think that living, working, designing, manufacturing and projecting America in a green way can be the basis of a new unifying political movement for the 21st century."

In addition to his article, Friedman also explains his unique perspective in a brief video.

On April 22, 2007, Earth Day, Michael Pollan once again shared his thoughts on food in America. In his article titled, "You Are What You Grow," Pollan examines why highly-processed foods cost less than fresh foods. Pollan states:

"Compared with a bunch of carrots, a package of Twinkies, to take one iconic processed foodlike substance as an example, is a highly complicated, high-tech piece of manufacture, involving no fewer than 39 ingredients, many themselves elaborately manufactured, as well as the packaging and a hefty marketing budget. So how can the supermarket possibly sell a pair of these synthetic cream-filled pseudocakes for less than a bunch of roots?"

A different article on the 22nd highlighted the use of eco-friendly cleaning products by NY Socialites. The article, titled "Eco-Socialites Make Cleaning Green a Priority," highlighted how eco-friendly products are slowly becoming trendy:

"Trend sensitives as finely attuned to a cause as they are to the charms of Hermes paddock boots, Ms. Barnett's guests seemed to share her conviction that in this day of fervent eco-consciousness, one can never be too green."

For more information on healthy eating habits, check out the Life Trek Wellness Provision series beginning with Provision #471: Nutrition 401.

Remembering to Laugh

To accentuate today's Provision, we have included a link to the audio file of the speech Nikki Giovanni gave during the Virginia Tech convocation on Tuesday, April 17th. Listen along as Giovanni encourages the Virginia Tech community to remain united as one and to have the courage to laugh again.

March Recap

It's been nearly a month since our last posting and we've come across a fair amount of intriguing articles during that time. The following is our brief synthesis of the articles that made us think this month:

Time Magazine debuted a cover story on the issue of organic vs. local produce on March 2nd.
NPR examined the release of a new "heart health" study on March 28th.
The NY Times looked at the issue of "being too busy" on March 31st.
At the end of the month, Ode Magazine did a piece on the "world's happiest man."

Healthy Eating

As we've stated before, here at LifeTrek we're big fans of Michael Pollan's work, The Omnivore's Dilemma. We referred to Pollan's work when we created our Marvelous Menus, when we talked about Planetary Predicaments, and also when we discussed Trojan Foods. The Omnivore's Dilemma has been a catalyst for the way we think about healthy eating here at LifeTrek.

To better highlight some of the key points in this book, view Pollan's interview on the Amazon.com program "Amazon Fishbowl with Bill Maher". In this interview, Pollan highlights why Americans' health is sufferring due to how they eat.

For more information from LifeTrek about healthy eating, read the Optimal Wellness series starting with Provision #471: Nutrition 401. Also of interest, the Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise series (1), starting with Provision #284: Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise.

Happiness

At LifeTrek Coaching International, our motto is "Celebrate the best for exceptional results." We work with you to "celebrate the best to bring out the best in individuals, schools, congregations, companies, and organizations." We also "enable people and organizations to move forward quickly and successfully in the directions of their dreams."

At the root of this work, is helping you to find and tap into your own happiness. We've talked about making well-made choices that "contribute to both (your) happiness and the happiness of the world," creating fan club moments by "help(ing) others to feel heard and (by) show(ing) true interest in their happiness and success," as well as balancing saying 'yes' and 'no' in order to "create an enduring Work/Life balance, greater performance, and happiness" amongst other aspects of happiness. As a whole, happiness plays a large role in the work we do.

Recently, NPR added a new essay to their This I Believe series that focused on the power of happiness. This I Believe is a "national media project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values and beliefs that guide their daily lives." This new essay was written and read by Wayne Coyne, a singer in the band The Flaming Lips. In his essay, Coyne states "Happiness is not a situation to be longed for or a convergence of lucky happenstance. Through the power of our own minds, we can help ourselves. This I believe."

Listen to Coyne's essay and tell us what happiness means to you. Where do you find happiness? How do you share happiness with others? Can we create our own happiness? What role does happiness play in your life?

For more information on bringing happiness into your life, start with LifeTrek Provision #152: Am I Happy?

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.