Well Hellloooo 2015! You sure have come along quickly.

This is the fifth year I have blogged about the concept of ONE WORD for the coming New Year. It is the perfect antidote to the standard resolutions, goals, and to do lists. The response has always been so positive and inspiring so let's do it again for 2015!

My word for last year was DARE. It certainly permeated my year, my coaching sessions as client (in which I explored boldness, living fully, courage, confidence as they related to how I show up in the world), AND my coaching with clients as I challenged them to be the most powerful versions of themselves yet. I dared to complete my coach training amidst the messy obstacles and struggles in my life. I launched my business, The Art of Possibility, and found myself in an amazing Mastermind group called Evercoach, which has completely transformed my coaching and the direction I am creating for myself. This lead me to a mentoring group with master coach,  Stacy Nelson, which I have recently started. It has already supported me in creating a new version of me as coach. I dared to put myself in several coaching groups well advanced of where I am on my  journey and am learning so much. I also dared to pull Kyle out of a program that was not working for him or me and forge a new path for him. I dared to try some unconventional interventions for his anxiety cycles and found something that worked. I dared to step out of my comfort zone in many areas.

I am also keenly aware of the places I have not dared and that is part of this great experiment called life. I am still holding back more than I would like to be.

If your word didn't work for you or you can't even remember it now, no worries, it's time to pick another one. I consider ONE WORD as the antidote to resolutions or even goals. Choosing a word is about creating an intention for your life.

Intention VS Resolution.  Resolution is "the action of solving", therefore resolutions tend to focus on problems in our lives that need to be solved. Typically, what is wrong with us, and how can we fix ourselves. They usually don't lead to lasting changes and are often quickly abandoned.

Intention is "the determination to act in a certain way". Intentions are about becoming aware of different ways that you would prefer to BE in your life. Intentions allow for the winding journey of life and serve as a touchstone to create dreams and transform who you are being in the world.

Christine Kane gives a great explanation below:

"The reason most resolutions don't work is that they address only one level of your life. The DO level. It's the DO-HAVE-BE model. "I will DO this thing." (i.e., Lose weight) "So I can HAVE this other thing" (Self-Esteem) and I can BE this thing. (Confident.)

The average New Year's Resolution doesn't address the core of the issue - the "BE" level.

The best order for creating positive changes in your life is the BE-DO-HAVE model. This means you start from the BE level. When you begin changing on the BE level of your life, then the DO level and the HAVE level follow more easily.

When you start only on the DO level, then all the blocks on the BE level will often become the obstacles you can't overcome.

Several years ago, my friend and I decided that, instead of making resolutions, we would pick a word that would guide us throughout the year. It would be our touchstone. It would remind us of living our lives at the BE level.

This didn't mean that we didn't take action. It meant that our actions were inspired from the BE level. In fact, I took more action than ever with this new approach!"

BE, DO, HAVE. I really like that! In fact, this is the way I support my coaching clients in creating change in their lives and being the best version of themselves. When the being level shifts, all kinds of magic begins to happen.

I invite you to get quiet over the next few days, go within, and pick a word for the year. Just one word. That's all. Then, hold that word in your consciousness, wake up with it each morning and reflect upon it each evening throughout the year.  Let your word guide you to take action. What a powerful New Year's ritual!

My word for 2015 is.... COMMITMENT. To the degree possible, I would like to commit to the things that light me up. Yes, this means saying no to some of those things that don't. AND, being honest with myself about what does and doesn't light me up. Commitment relates to who I want to be in my life with family, friends, and clients. Commitment to connect at a deeper level. Commitment to be "all in" vs on the sidelines. Commitment relates to what I'm passionate about creating this year. Commitment asks "What am I choosing?" and is so dang powerful, it gives me goose bumps. I'm feeling a bit vulnerable here in sharing this. Now it's your turn.

Farewell 2014. You've tossed me around a bit and you've also been a great teacher even if I didn't get to choose all the lessons. I'm grateful for the gift of intuition, of awareness, of love, of life.

I'm ready for you 2015! Bring it on!

Happy New Year.

The summer brought some very extreme challenges in the life of Kyle (and mine too). But here we are in fall, and the fruits of our work and our prayers are blooming. Kyle has been cycle free for 4 1/2 months and we celebrate each day as a gift, not a given. Just when I thought maybe I had tried everything and there were no more answers to be found, I was proven wrong. We found something, but I am not going to go into detail here, only to say it worked some magic on my son and got him back on the path of being able to have the full experience of his life.

We also found the solution to the serious sleep issues he had developed as detailed in a previous post. By reducing the electromagnetic frequencies (EMF's) in his room at night, he is now able to sleep 8 hours and sometimes more, most nights. I turned the wireless router off, removed the two wireless cameras in his room and the cordless landlines in the house and that night, he slept his first 8 hours in a long time. Life improved dramatically for all of us. This has continued, and I continued to make changes in the house, further reducing EMF's. I will be writing more about this in the future.

Kyle and his 1:1, Angelica, had been working out of the house since leaving his previous program in March. The new program I  found fell through the day before he was scheduled to start. I spent months searching on and off for another program. The longer he was home, the more I found I could not settle for these places where he would have to conform to their schedule and activities and not be able to do what gives his life the most meaning and what he enjoys... going to the Spofit gym, creating shoeboxes for the homeless at a church, and cooking. When I visited the TCAA (the Church at Arrowhead) for the first time, I found a quiet, peaceful, welcoming place. Everyone seemed to accept Kyle. I approached the pastor about having the room in which he had been making boxes twice a week, as his home base. The final answer, after working out all the details, was YES!

Last Thursday was his start day. I'm extremely grateful for the way Kyle and Angelica have been welcomed on the church property. This opportunity feels like a dream come true. Once Kyle gets used to the routine and the fact that he doesn't have as much access to his comfy chair at home, I hope he will be happy there. He and Angelica will be able to continue all the wonderful things he has been doing and being away from the house and at his "job" will give him even more opportunities for growth.

As for me, my life has detoured even further into the coaching world. Whoo hoo! I am following my passion and it is leading me to places I didn't know existed two years ago. I graduated from ICA (International Coach Academy) in July and am certified with the ICF (International Coaching Federation). Last March, I found myself in a Mastermind group called Evercoach, which has taken my coaching off in a much deeper direction. I have learned as much there online through webinars, etc. as I have in my "formal" training. I am still participating in  the Evercoach 100 coaching conversation challenge as a way to keep myself in the game, launch my business, and serve people in the most powerful way I can.

Starting Wednesday, I will be diving even deeper for the next year as I am going to be part of a mentoring program (very small group) with master coach Stacy Nelson. So excited about this opportunity to learn more about myself and how to serve people more powerfully than ever before.

I've come to realize that coaching is all about supporting clients in focusing on strengthening the inside instead of focusing so much on what's missing from the outside. It's more about the being than the doing and when the being shifts, the doing shifts more easily. This is part of the beauty and magic of coaching and the possibilities are so exciting.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching. How did that happen? One of my babies is turning 28 and another, 31 very soon. YIKES. I'm so grateful for the opportunities that being mom to my 3 kids has given me. It hasn't been easy, sometimes it's been very messy and complicated, but it has given me the full experience of participating in life's wild ride.

PS.... If you are interested in creating some change in your life, let me know if you would like to have a free coaching conversation. I've got lots of spaces left and would love to connect.

Website still in progress, but check out my new logo.

I am looking for an adult day program for Kyle. None of these programs are great. Most aren't even very good. Many are depressing and make me want to cry in the car after I visit. I've yet to find one that really meets Kyle's needs or my wants.

Kyle was at a program for five years but currently, he's been home for about five months.

While at his previous program, serendipity brought a wonderful 1:1 assistant into Kyle's life. She made his time there meaningful and built a beautiful relationship with him. When I decided to pull him out back in March, she enthusiastically volunteered to exit with him and go wherever he goes from there. Our reason for leaving is complicated so I will simply say,  I have no regrets.

I've been in search of just the right place for Kyle. In the meantime, Angelica, his 1:1, works with him out of our home. There are some big things we know he enjoys which makes his life meaningful. He continues to grow and learn in a program custom designed just for him. 

~~Our beloved SpoFit gym is a place where Kyle can work out; walking the track, lifting weights, playing basketball and swimming. People know him  and greet him by name. He is comfortable there and the environment is accepting of people's differences. Kyle can be Kyle. So nice.

~~Kyle also has a job. He creates boxes of toiletries (with donated and purchased items) for the homeless for Shoebox Ministry. The church he delivers boxes to is one of the collection points. When they found out he was working from home and no longer at a program, they offered him a room in which to assemble the boxes. Again, people know him and greet him by name and thank him for his contribution. It's great that he can make the boxes there too. We are so grateful for this opportunity.

When I visit potential day programs, I ask over and over, "Can he still do these things if he goes here?" And  the answer is always no because of distance, or vehicle availability, or cost, or it's just not what they do there. There is always an obstacle. He is expected to conform to what the programs already do. I get that. I really do. But I don't see anything for Kyle in these programs.

Recently, I've been feeling discouraged and wondering if I will ever find the right place. So many programs look like a place where people are just passing time. Kyle doesn't seem to fit anywhere. And even though Angelica would be guiding him, they want to limit or take away the activities we know make Kyle's life meaningful and wonderful.

Last week I was close. We found a program that already went to his gym. I thought that was the magic answer but there were many other things about this program that were a total turn off. Depressing would be a more accurate word. But my mind was telling me to give it a chance. "He needs to be in a program, somewhere. Isn't it time already?"

And then before bed, I asked myself a question that I love to ask clients. "What does your heart say?" The next morning my gut was speaking loud and clear. Apparently heart and gut had a conversation during the night while my mind was occupied with other matters.

Simply put, my gut said "NO." Thanks for the advice, heart and thanks for speaking to me gut. Kyle does not belong there.

In the simplicity of that final answer, I knew what was right. Immediately, I was relieved. I was happy that he was no longer doomed to go to the place I knew in my heart was not for him. I felt like an enormous weight was lifted from my shoulders and I was empowered to move on and imagine an "out of the box" solution for Kyle.

I share this because I believe that often in our need to move forward on something, our mind rationalizes why we should settle for this or that. "It's time. You've been dragging your feet and need to make a decision here. Just do it." But it's often accompanied by a nagging feeling. The mind would like to gloss over that feeling and pretend it's not there. But it is, and I believe if possible, it's a good idea to listen.

 On another note, I recently received my diploma from my life coach training and would like to share this very important "win". Despite all the obstacles in my life, I completed a very rigorous program. I am beginning the next chapter of my life by launching my coaching business, The Art of Possibility. (no website just yet)

AND, I am still participating in that outrageous challenge to create 100 coaching conversations. One coaching conversation at a time, I am having a blast in supporting people in creating change in their lives.

In the process, I am leaning into my edge and creating  change in my own life. I love challenging clients and supporting them in shifting their perspectives and showing up more powerfully in their lives than ever before.

With each coaching conversation, I see how a single insight has the power to change everything. It's really quite exciting.

That said, WHO DO YOU KNOW WHO WOULD LIKE TO CREATE CHANGE IN THEIR LIVES? I am still setting up complimentary coaching conversations and coach anywhere in the world via Skype. Contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it