Waterfall Coaching Newsletter - October 2005
Welcome back! Here is the next edition of my email newsletter, due out every 2-3
months, and I am grateful to all of you who signed up for it recently and are willing
to invite me into your lives. The last few months, since I launched my website and
my brochure and began actively promoting my Personal Coaching business, have been
quite a whirlwind time! I've met many interesting people at networking events, have
presented at several groups, and am eagerly following up on contacts. It's a challenge
to keep up with all the books in my library ( Amazon.com is crazy about me!), but I'm
gradually reading through them and am finding "new" ways to tackle familiar issues, in
my life and for my clients. Since change is the one constant we can expect in life, it's
fortunate there are so many resources/signposts to encourage and comfort us.
I am sending you this email newsletter as a way to keep-in-touch and stay focused so
I hope you enjoy it. Let me hear your feedback (glowingly complimentary or otherwise)
via email (see below), and thanks for your support!
"With a little help from my friends" (apologies to the Beatles and Joe Cocker)
One of my favorite things about being a Personal Coach is the privilege of being on the
journey with my clients; as I encounter new ways to help them, I often apply those ideas
to my life, too. Coaches typically receive Coaching from exposure to powerful guides in
our lives and are committed to exploring hidden areas within, that could benefit from
some scrutiny; before I recommend any book/article/website to a client, I navigate it
first, so I'm clear about its value, which in turn gives me an opportunity to grow! It's a
gift I get from Coaching so I want to share one of those gifts with you today.
During my Coach training course, this question was passed to me as an idea for
clients to use in considering their heroes/sheroes over the years: If you could choose
3 Amazing Advisors, living or not, to guide you through this time in your life, who
would they be, and how would they help? What a provocative question to ponder…
it reminds me that I'm never alone on this path, that inside me are the solutions I'm
seeking, if I just remember to access them! Recently, during a wonderful weekend
workshop I attended called "Create Your Future Now" with Marcia Wieder, I was urged
to examine my Limiting Beliefs about myself (yes, we all have them!) and to create a
new, Self-supporting Belief for my future - this is it: "Everything I need I have and can
create" - sounds like a plan to me! It rings true for me, like the metaphor of the Waterfall
filling up and spilling over…I love synchronicity! So, here I go………
Amazing Advisor #1: Gloria Steinem, Feminist/Author/Woman of the World - early in
the 1970's, I subscribed to Ms. Magazine, which Gloria founded, and I started thinking
about what-it-means-to-be-a-woman in our culture. I read all the authors then, who had
inspired/were inspired by her, the stories of failure and triumph from Suffrage to Equal
Pay for Equal Work, and I have been honored to shake Gloria's hand on a few occasions.
At a dinner in the mid-'80's, Gloria challenged the audience to do one thing, one small
"Outrageous Act and Everyday Rebellion" as often as we could, to forward the progress
of women and men, "to honor our experience, through speaking it", by acts of Social
Justice. Through Gloria, I can connect with Susan B. Anthony, Maya Angelou, Molly
Ivins - what a treasure trove of powerful, courageous women!
Amazing Advisor #2: Carl Whitaker, Family Therapist/Author/Provocateur - Carl wrote
often about his ideas for helping distressed families; he took risks to shake up their usual
ways of relating, by showing them the flaws in their patterns and encouraging them
to try healthier ones. His strategic use of raucuous humor, creativity, and compassion
was to coax these hurting families back to their true purpose (sustaining a loving place
for growth), while respecting each member's dreams. Carl had lots of courage, and when
I start to slip into Fear in my life, I can recall his example and draw some strength.
Amazing Advisor #3: a dear, too-soon-departed woman friend, named Donna…she came
into my life when I was in graduate school, as a classmate, but it was clear right away
that she was there to become the Older-sister-I-didn't-have, who urged me on in life, who
exulted and cried with me, who "shopped and lunched" with me over the years. Although
we might not be in touch daily or weekly, Donna often remarked that she had noticed "a
disturbance in the Force" (of "Star Wars" lore), that caused one of us to reach out. I
found her support so helpful; when she died suddenly in 1994, I felt a terrible pain, but
my friend Elizabeth, who understands the realm of Angels, assures me that Donna is still
giving me that unconditional love and support, which gives me spiritual comfort.
As I reflect on these Amazing Advisors I've chosen, I notice the threads of Courage and
Resilience among them, which are certainly necessary for my heart and mind.
Ask yourself this question one day soon, when you have time to ponder it…if you wish,
send me a note about your Amazing Advisors - I'd love to hear!
Announcements/Links (ways to feed your mind, body and soul)
1. Marcia Wieder, America's Dream Coach
As I mentioned earlier, I attended one of Marcia's programs recently and came home
transformed! She also offers books, CD's, Dream Circles, retreats in Maui - check her
out via www.dreamcoach.com!
2. Bill O'Hanlon, Writer/Lecturer/Therapist
I have attended numerous seminars conducted by Bill over the years and can whole-
heartedly recommend him to read and experience; Bill is warm, down-to-earth, and fun!
His book, Do One Thing Different , is a source of sensibility and inspiration in my life
and my work. One day soon, I'll get out to Sante Fe for a week-long seminar with him!
www.brieftherapy.com ; PossiBill@brieftherapy.com
3. Tenth Writers' Club Conference (November 4 & 5, 2005)
Local area conference, open to the public; Keynote Speaker Friday PM will be Tim
O'Brien, prize-winning author of The Things They Carried, about the Vietnam War.
Sponsored by Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA.
www.mc3.edu ; (215)641-6518.
4. Websites of interest:
| www.tolerance.org : |
for people interested in dismantling bigotry and creating
communities that value diversity, w/ ways to transform.
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| www.authentichappiness.org : |
Martin Seligman's site, for using principles of Positive
Psychology to realize one's potential - take the
Signature Strengths Survey - it's free!
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Inspiring Quotes (2 this time!):
"It's a good idea to obey all the rules when you're young, just so you'll have the
strength to break them when you're old." - Mark Twain.
"Life is short. Live it up." - Nikita Krushchev (!)
Okay, I think it's time to wrap up this newsletter and send it into Cyberspace to you.
Hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me hear from you
soon! While I realize lots of people say things "just to be nice" and may not really mean
what they say, I'm not one of them, so don't hesitate to contact me if you think I could be
helpful to you in reaching your goals. See you on the flip side!
Janice E. Brown, M.Ed.
Personal Coach
Waterfall Coaching
62 N. Church Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
(215)230-5470
www.waterfallcoaching.com
jbrown@waterfallcoaching.com
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