Amy K Moment: CRISIS!

CRISIS

I often coach clients through crisis or at least the perception of crisis.

• Career – layoffs, reorganizations, needing to fire someone or being fired, the stress of hunting for a job OR getting the job/promotion and now needing to really perform.
• Relationships – a faltering or failed marriage, looking for love, or FINDING love and dealing with the vulnerability/challenge that comes with it.
• Financial – a cash flow crisis, the unexpected reversal of fortune for better or worse, the wrenching need to change a long ingrained pattern with money.
• Spiritual – who am I really? What is this all for? What do I really believe?
• Time – the crisis of not having enough of it!

Not to mention all the other crises around health, families, friendships, community and more.

Most of us have heard that the Chinese symbol for crisis is made up of two characters – one meaning danger (wei) and the other opportunity (ji). I have found that to be utterly true and an enormously helpful reminder. My approach to crisis as a coach is usually this:

acknowledge and respect the danger – then, get moving & grab the opportunity

The crises of life are unparalleled opportunities for growth. These are the moments that allow us to bring the TRUTH of who we really are and shine. However, you have to be willing to step right up to the crisis -look it in the eye and fully leverage the opportunity.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

What crisis are you facing? Acknowledge the danger with respect. Now, SEIZE the opportunity. (and share your process with me!)

Good luck!

Amy K

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Audio Moment: You ARE Remarkable!

YOU ARE REMARKABLE!

THIS is an Amy K Audio Moment. That means you click on the link below and listen for a moment (okay, about two and a half minutes, but still momentous).

http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WT1SsBVQ

It’s all about how YOU are truly remarkable. Which is worth listening to.

Best,

Amy K

** The Audio Acrobat player should just pop up in your browser and automatically start playing. Enjoy!

Good luck!

Amy K

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Moment: All You Need Is Love

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

As many of you know, Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday.  A holiday that does NOT require weeks of preparation and planning, nor ridiculous amounts of money, and most importantly – no large meals that I am responsible for. If all goes well, I might not have to cook at all.

So simple, really. All you need is love.

It’s just a day about letting go and letting yourself love … and be loved. Fully. Freely. Fabulously.

A chance to let your eyes sparkle and your heart melt. To let your guard down and offer what is yours to give, your love. For your significant other. Your children. Your parents. Your siblings. Your friends. Your colleagues. Really for everyone around you.

I do hope your day was full of love.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

OPEN YOUR HEART! Let your love flow – don’t hold back this year.

Good luck!

Amy K

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Moment: The Power of Inspiration

THE POWER OF INSPIRATION

One of my intentions for 2012 is to be powered by inspiration. I am tired of pushing, striving, trying. It’s ever so much easier to be pulled, inexorably, by what inspires you.

So, what does inspire me? Certainly growth  does – it’s the improvement inherent in growth, the better or different than yesterday, the movement and hope that comes with growth.

Plenty of space inspires me. Having elbow room in my day, my house, my yard, my relationships, even just my vista. I love a big sky. I can breathe when I have space.

And one more. Depth lights my fire. The depth of my own soul and others. It’s why I coach. It’s the great privilege of experiencing someone’s depth of spirit. Ahhhhh. There it is, real, substantial, satisfying.

My most fervent wish for 2012 is for you to be powered by inspiration. The qualities of life that literally bring YOU to life and pull you forward.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

Are you FULLY aware of what inspires you? I want you to write it down, right now. Put it up where you can see it & figure out how to live 2012 from the power of inspiration.

Good luck!

Amy K

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Moment: I Believe

I BELIEVE

Last week my six year old inevitably asked me if I thought that Santa Claus was real. We had watched the Polar Express recently with its theme of ‘believe or not to believe’ and his buddies have been spreading rumors about the big man in the red suit. I looked down at him and with a deep breath said, “Yes, yes I do.”

I went on to explain that I so believe in the spirit and magic of Christmas. At this point, my explanation was sufficient for my boy and he ran off to the next big thoughts in his life. But, it got me thinking. And affirming my belief this holiday season. Without any cultural or spiritual specificity, here is my affirmation:

I BELIEVE in the spirit of Christmas. The magic, mystery, kindness, surprise, generosity, warmth, sweetness, connection, wonder, delight and love surpassing. That’s my belief.

And I choose a full hearted embrace of my belief this season. To let my belief burn bright and to have it touch others and to be touched in turn.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

What do YOU believe in? Live that fully this season.

Good luck!

Amy K

p.s. if you are wanting to give the gift of coaching to someone special – just let me know!

 

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Moment: Seize The Day

SEIZE THE DAY

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” Steve Jobs

Enough said!

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

What is your heart and intuition telling you? What will you do today to follow that?

Good luck!

Amy K

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Moment: Desire, Detachment & Disappointment

DESIRE, DETACHMENT & DISAPPOINTMENT

desire: to wish or long for; crave; want
detachment: state of being impartial or objective; indifference; unconcern

By definition, desire and detachment just don’t go together. That deep ‘longing for’ feeling doesn’t mesh with an ‘easy come, easy go, no problem!’ kind of attitude. Yet, when we really, really want something, we are often afraid of feeling disappointed or maybe even devastated, if we don’t get it. We want a little detachment, because it can be hard to handle the intensity of desire.

Many of my clients are wrestling with this intensity – whether it’s a desire for conceiving a child, getting that promotion or new job, or so wanting that next step in a relationship. In my case, it’s my absolute desire for the dreamy house we are trying to buy. I notice when I really feel the desire, fear of disappointment kicks in pretty quickly.  So then I try  to tamp down the desire – not let myself want it so much, pretend I don’t care. The problem is that I DO care! Deeply. And the detachment I try to muster isn’t authentic, it’s just a control mechanism to handle the fear.

So, I am playing with a new way to handle the intensity of desire. I’m tossing out detachment and trying to be fully passionate instead. Fully passionate in both desire and disappointment. Who says disappointment has to be a bad thing? I’m looking at disappointment as just the flip side of desire. To be fully disappointed in not getting what you desire – you HONOR that desire.

And it helps when I remember to honor and hold onto the ESSENCE of the desire – not just the particular manifestation I have my heart set on. The essence within conceiving a child might be the desire to nurture and love another living being. With the promotion or new job – the desire to stretch your talents and be recognized for the stretch. That next step in your relationship – the desire to experience the fullest expression of love. Or for me and the dreamy house – the desire to create an environment for my family where we can all grow and prosper. When I focus on the essence of my desire, the detachment actually comes naturally and I am not holding on so tight to the particulars.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

What do you most desire? Are you holding back because of the fear of disappointment? Have the courage to be fully passionate in your desire and in any disappointment that might come. Know that the essence of your desire has many manifestations!

Good luck!

Amy K

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Moment: What’s Your Full Potential Worth?

WHAT’S YOUR FULL POTENTIAL WORTH?

I’ve been getting my house ready to sell. There’s been a lot of de-cluttering. Letting go. Cleaning. Sprucing up. Organizing. And just outright fixing and replacing. A broad range of activities – all necessary and quite time consuming – months of effort. There are moments of stepping back to see the big picture, then diving in again on the tasks. Moments of doubt, fear, hitting the wall. Moments of inspiration and creativity. And moments of pleasure in what is emerging. It requires vision, belief, investment, patience and commitment for it all to come together. And now we WILL be able to sell this house and get more money because of this transformation.

Then comes the “why didn’t we do this before – it’s SO fabulous now!”  Why don’t we undertake this level of change – whether it’s a shift in environment, career, relationships, finances or education – unless there is something pretty compelling either pushing or pulling us forward? It’s because it DOES require:

VISION
BELIEF
INVESTMENT
PATIENCE
COMMITMENT

Yet, it’s so worth it. This taking of something to its fullest potential.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

Where in your life do you need a shift to full potential? What would it be like to live at the level? Tell me what you aspire to and what you will do to get started!

Good luck!

Amy K

http://www.amykcoaching.com

Amy K Moment: Smarter Not Harder

SMARTER, NOT HARDER

It might be a cliché, that whole “work smarter, not harder” thing, but today I remind you of the inestimable value of “smarter.”

The value hit me in a small way when doing a project for my son’s school. It involved making a dozen superhero capes from pillowcases. For the record, arts and crafts are NOT my forte. A fellow mom had told me it was so easy, just cut the seam, then do something or other with string, etc. I sat at my kitchen table last night for 15 minutes stumped and feeling inept. Finally, I said ‘#bleep# this’ and quickly sewed two pieces of ribbon for the ties instead of doing it “the right way.” Voila! Done.

It’s remarkable how much energy we put into beating our heads against a wall. The sticking to a process or path that really isn’t working because … why? That’s the way everyone else does it? We look like we are “really” working if it’s hard? Just plain old inertia?

Smarter is not only about efficiency or speed. It’s also about effectiveness and satisfaction. When you do something the hard way, it usually feels frustrating, sticky, grinding. When you have the guts to do something YOUR way, the way that is natural for YOU, it usually feels easy, straight forward and even fun. And you get results.

Like the company who dropped the 10 clients they really didn’t want to work with, and increased their business with the clients that they enjoyed. Or the aspiring author who hired an editor to help pull together her pile of notes and ideas (instead of staring at her computer screen), and is moving ahead on finding an agent. Or the sane voice who stopped the ridiculous email cycle, walked down the hall and solved the problem in person.

Working smarter is about giving yourself permission to do it your way and get on with it.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

Where does it feel hard, frustrating or sticky in your life? What would working smarter look like for YOU? Don’t try harder – try smarter!
(and if you need some help figuring it out – call me for goodness sake!)

GOOD LUCK!

Amy K

amykcoaching.com

AMY K MOMENT – A NEW YEAR JANUARY 2011

WHAT WE REALLY WANT

In this new year, I step back to consider again what I really want for my life.

• More flow and less resistance.
• To be a better listener, especially to myself.
• Courage to step into what I sense is next for me and mine, even if it’s unformed and a leap of faith.
• Less busyness of mind, body and spirit.
• Connection. Deep connection.
• The presence to truly appreciate what I have while reaching for more.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU

Now I ask you to step back. Not to jot down your resolutions, but to speak from you heart about what YOU really want in 2011.

Good luck!

Amy K

amykcoaching.com