Is This Heaven?

Posted on February 4, 2009 by pdncoach

At Christmas time, my daughter and her family were travelling home for the holidays. As they boarded their flight in Charlotte, it was overcast and dreary. My daughter was sitting next to my five-year-old granddaughter, Maggie. As the flight took off and began ascending, they finally broke through the cloud cover to a bright and sunny sky. Maggie immediately turned to her mother and asked, “Is this heaven?” Several passengers heard her and got a chuckle.

Oh, the wonder of a five-year-old. While she might not understand heaven, she knows it must be bright and beautiful. But more than that, what she really doesn’t comprehend is that the sun is always shining. Sometimes gray clouds may block our view, but the sun is always shining.

The same goes for our lives. We have the ability to be the sun on someone’s gloomy day: a smile, a word of encouragement, eye contact or a light touch, just taking the time to think of someone other than ourselves. It seems like such a small thing, but so difficult to do at times.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne Williamson


Go ahead, make a difference, I dare you!

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Posted in ability, encouragement, fear, heaven, Marianne Williamson, Purpose, wonder | Leave a comment

Wind Effect

Posted on February 3, 2009 by pdncoach

When I woke up this morning, I heard a bell ringing. I noticed the furnace was running so I thought maybe it was something with the furnace. My husband was in the shower, so I thought perhaps it was something with the water. As I was fixing my husband’s lunch (a rarity), I kept hearing this ringing. Not knowing the weather outside, I eventually realized it was my chimes on the back porch being blown about by the wind.

The wind – not visible, but very effective. It can take a couple of inches of snow and create a blocked driveway, it can create energy, and it can cause the peaceful and joyful sound of chimes. We usually don’t even notice the wind, but rather notice its results.

If the wind blew around in your life or organization, what would change? Would it create a roadblock, causing you to change direction or shovel your way through a tough spot? Would it create energy in an otherwise static environment? Would it bring the melodic sound of a ringing chime?

We could all use a little wind in our lives. Something to shake us up, make us think differently, act differently, go a different route, produce different results. Perhaps it would just bring the musical sound of peace and joy.

Welcome the voice of my partner, Becky Morris, to The Intersection of Purpose & Now. You’ll begin to see her entries here from time to time as well as mine. Becky and I welcome your comments. We welcome you to join us at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.

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Posted in change, direction, energy, results, roadblock | Leave a comment

Over-commitment is an oxymoron.

Posted on February 2, 2009 by pdncoach

Here is an issue direct from a coaching client:

“I often find myself overcommitted. What can I do differently?”

I certainly know how you feel (there is a reason I posted this late today)! My family means the world to me. And there is my work – my Purpose – that I approach with great passion. Of course, I have some social life, mostly connected to my various roles on community boards, or with a group of parents at my kids’ school events and hockey games. Oh, and my spiritual life is all-important, which I dedicate great time and energy to developing, exploring and refining that I might live according to God’s Will. I also devote my time to reading, and read books voraciously. I want to be healthy…ooh, maybe later. Then there is my dream list and my daily and weekly “To-Do” lists and…

“Overcommitted” is an interesting term I hear used quite often from peers, clients and colleagues. I obviously feel their pain. But use of this term belies some underlying assumptions, which may be a problem. Let’s break it down:

The verb “commit” means “to obligate or pledge oneself”, so if I say I am “overcommitted”, I may have pledged my time and energy too broadly. Most likely, you are involved in a number of activities and roles at work or at school, in the community and at home. You probably struggle “finding the time” and energy to keep your obligations. But are you really committed?

Reconsider the concept of commitment. The burdonsome feeling of having too many obligations is common, but are you really over-committed or are you under-committed? Over-commitment is an oxymoron. Too many obligations creates a watering-down effect, so none of them receive your true commitment. Does “obligation” equal “commitment”?

How might your problem look differently if you considered that you may really be under-committed to your real priorities? What new solutions does this shift in thinking generate? What are your real priorities? How do you know?

If you find it difficult to say “no” or have ever used the phrase “I didn’t have time” you may be under-committing; worse, you may be blaming the clock, your other roles or even other people. What is important to you? What opportunities do you have that relate closely to your core goals and purpose? Have you prioritized your opportunities before obligating your time and energy?

“Over-committed” people prioritize their schedules. The committed person schedules his or her priorities. Consider this critical distinction before you make promises in the future.

If you are struggling with over-commitment, time management, or feel overwhelmed with obligations, coaching can help. Comment on this article or call me anytime to talk it over.

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Posted in coaching, commitment, dreams, energy, goals, overcommitted, passion, priorities, Purpose, time management | 1 Comment