04.01.08
Posted in Courier Articles, coaching at 1:38 pm by Nancy
last snow
You have my permission. For what? You have my permission:
• To let go of guilt — it slows you down;
• To bypass negative self talk — it blinds you to wonder;
• To give up worry — it keeps you from taking action;
• To banish the shoulds — they weigh down our emotional backpack.
You also have my permission to:
• Take a predetermined break to read, or take a walk on a beautiful day, to or do a sudoku or crossword puzzle or watch your favorite TV show;
• To slow down enough to enjoy whatever you are doing.
Why am I saying this? Surely you do not need MY permission to do anything.
And what I hear wherever I go, and coming out of my own mouth, is “I really shouldn’t”: Eat that cookie, have a double latte, watch TV when there is … to do, spend money on …
And the list goes on:
Is he eating that cookie? YES
Am I having a double latte? YES
Is she watching TV instead of … ? YES
Are they buying … ? YES
You have my permission, and it is conditional. My only request is that you enjoy whatever it is — fully enjoy it. When you are done, get on with whatever is next. Go back to your eating plan or dive back into the ever-available to do list. Get up from the TV or the crossword puzzle and re-orient yourself to the pleasure of having things to do. And if you are worried, make a plan to handle what you do have control over and skip worrying about what you don’t.
Let me suggest this. Make a plan for to reach your goal — long term or short-term. It might be reduced stress, healthier eating, more savings, an exercise routine, or a trip you have longed to take. You choose. Make sure you have specific actions to take to reach that goal, and then decide your level of commitment based on a realistic assessment of your life. Don’t commit to what you cannot possibly fulfill and then beat yourself up because “diets never work,” or “there is never enough money or discipline.” If you can exercise 10 minutes a day, great — make that promise to yourself and keep it. Or edit it and say I‘ll walk 10 minutes a day, five days a week. You can always increase it if you want to. Eventually, if you keep this promise to yourself, you’ll find time and energy for that increase. If one day you just can’t get out the door, OK, that’s one of the two days out of seven that you are not walking. No guilt, no shame, no blame. Tomorrow go back to your commitment.
And go back to your commitment with pleasure. Am I kidding? No. My experience is that when we look for pleasure, we find it. Having had the long-term experience of outdoor facilities, I find myself taking pleasure in cleaning the bathroom. My clients report that by fully enjoying the guilt-free breaks they take, they find themselves re-energized and more focused on the next task. I take pleasure in knowing that I chose many of the “to dos” on my list. If I choose to have things, I choose to maintain them. If I choose to be healthy, I choose to enjoy the time I spend exercising, taking pleasure in finding new muscles or tasting new foods, If I choose to read all weekend then I am choosing not to do laundry or visit with friends or fill the wood box, etc. We are choosing all the time. We can choose to enjoy what is in front of us to do, or we can make it harder. Our choice. And you have my permission to enjoy yourself in whatever you are doing because it just makes life easier.
Have a great day. Enjoy.
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02.16.08
Posted in Courier Articles, Handweaving, Uncategorized, coaching at 4:01 pm by Nancy
Here we are - in the quiet of mid January. The holidays are over, New Year’s resolutions made…or not, the depth of winter unfolding before us. What now in this place that feels almost like the void? Well, I am still thinking about resolutions and how to gently move them into practice. Please note the word gently. As I was reading the 43 (yes, 43) newsletters that arrived in my in box along with 2008, I was surprised to find so many claiming that resolutions were a waste of time. Well, you have already read my opinion on that (http://www.intention.com/blog/?page_id=23). So I dug a little deeper. The Latin root word of resolve means to loosen, or release. Quite a different experience from the tension we might feel about the commitments we made to ourselves at the turn of the year. In the spirit of loosening up I am looking at this quiet time as an opportunity to ‘practice’ the new behaviors and thought patterns I want to create in 2008. Back to the dictionary to learn about practice. This is where ‘gently’ comes into play: ‘the repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency’. That’s what I want, and experience tells me what we all want is to learn or improve. It is human nature to stretch ourselves, and when we do we feel more alive, more awake and generally happier. Sometimes we name it differently but the spirit is the same. If we are exercising we call it a routine, if we are learning the piano we call it practice, if we are changing a thought pattern we call it awareness, but it all amounts to knowing that we will engage ourselves on a regular basis to shift into a new way of being. Read more http://www.intention.com/blog/?page_id=20
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12.28.07
Posted in Events at 4:04 pm by Nancy
“New Year’s Resolutions from the Inside Out”
Local Coach Offers Workshop on Creating a Personal “Road Map” for 2008
Camden, ME– Contrary to popular belief, New Year’s resolutions can be fulfilled without the ‘struggle and suffer’ baggage we often bring to them. Realistic goals that come from within, fortified with a solid action plan and a solid support system act like a true compass bearing, guiding us to stay on course throughout the year.
So says Camden-based Certified Life Coach Nancy Lubin, who will conduct her fourth annual “New Year’s Resolutions from the Inside Out” workshop on Saturday, January 5th, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Waterfalls Event Center in the historic Knox Woolen Mill, 40 Washington Street, Camden. Lubin’s co-presenter will be Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and Creative Arts Therapist Mary Cole.
This interactive workshop will help participants take stock of the lessons they have learned in the old year and create a workable road map for the new one. Participants will review the past year’s wins, losses and breakthroughs before setting their goals for 2008. Then they will set reachable goals within a warm community setting and consider strategies for achieving them.
“Most New Year’s resolutions never make it past January because they are made from the outside in,” explains Lubin. “They’re not usually driven by what is deeply satisfying or meaningful to you. So it’s important to explore your own values and discover what you really want instead of feeling obligated to make changes that don’t make your heart sing.”
“Nancy did a remarkable job of having us look at what our lives were really all about and then translate that into clear and measurable personal goals for 2007,” adds Bob MacLaughlin of Warren, who attended the 2007 workshop. “The workshop continued to produce results for me throughout the year.”
Lubin, whose full-time coaching practices specializes in intentional living, encourages workshop participants to think about the previous year in 12 life areas and look for ways to balance the many facets of everyday living. She believes that making New Years’ resolutions in a community setting not only provides helpful support, but also enhances a sense of connection and commitment.
This workshop is offered on a donation basis, with a materials fee of $30 charged upon registration. Advance registration is required as space is limited. Coffee and tea will be provided. To register, call Nancy Lubin at 236-4069, or e-mail nancy@intention.com. Complete workshop details are available at www.intention.com/blog.
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Nancy Lubin lives in Camden, Maine, and is the principal of Coach Associates. She is trained in the LIFECOACH method by Edward Hallowell, M.D., and Ontological Coaching with Julio Olalla. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and holds a certification with the International Coach Federation. She is also a fiber artist, consultant, trainer, and mother. An interview with her will be broadcast at 8 a.m. Monday, December 31st, on WRFR Rockland.
Mary Cole is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach and Creative Arts Therapist who lives and works in Gloucester, Massachusetts. An active artist and published poet, she is a past faculty member of the Graduate Creative Arts Therapy departments of Pratt Institute and the School for Visual Arts in New York City. She coaches a wide variety of clients from cultural creatives to ADD/ADHD executives, and gets excited about opening up courageous acts of creativity on the part of all her clients.
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Posted in Events, First Category at 4:01 pm by Nancy
The PR is out and registrations are coming in. I love hearing from return participants what great impact this workshop(see events page) has had in their year. A few quotes:
“I was better able to hold a new perspective all year, and it really made a difference, thank you”
“This will be my 3rd Resolutions workshop with you. Each year has turned out closer to what I envisioned than I would have thought possible”
And I look forward to meeting in person those who have called or emailed to register for the first time.
Mary and I have been enjoying putting the day together and we are eager to spend the day with you.
Gather your friends and make 2008 GREAT!
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12.20.07
Posted in Uncategorized at 4:51 pm by Nancy
I’m evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they’re letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.
It covers:
- The best blogging techniques.
- How to get traffic to your blog.
- How to turn your blog into money.
I’ll let you know what I think once I’ve had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it’s still free.
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12.13.07
Posted in First Category at 5:45 pm by Nancy
Last week (12/06) I was a guest on a local radio show called ‘Doing Business’ . Several people have asked me about listening to it. The topic was Coaching-What is it and Why might I want a coach? It was an hour and there were two other guests who coach in different spheres. I am putting a link here for you to listen to. If you would prefer to have it as an MP3 file, please email me and I’ll send it along. And when I figure out how to create it as a podcast, I’ll replace this link <g>
or click below to listen here.
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12.07.07
Posted in First Category at 12:31 pm by Nancy
The main reason I have been wanting a blog is to offer a place where my friends and clients can check in to see what my resourceful ramblings may have turned up. My wide ranging interests are barely hinted at on the ‘ about’ page so this feels like a good place to start offering things like: www.freerice.com.
This is a wonderful website for people who love words and word games. Here you can test your vocabulary while feeding the hungry. For each vocabulary word you guess correctly the UN will donate rice to feed those in need. I have found it a great refresher when my mind feels stale and there is more to do. Set a timer though, you can play for longer than might be advisable. And, of course, you can always go back another time or two or three…
Below is an interesting photo of my daughter uploaded by my webmaster Jim Dugan who took this photo while reporting on a local production of a Shakespeare play.
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Posted in Events at 11:55 am by Nancy
SAVE THE DATE
Jan 5, 2008
REVOLUTIONARY RESOLUTIONS
New Year’s Resolutions from the Inside Out
Waterfalls Event Center
Camden ME
This workshop is my gift to the commmunity.
You are welcome on a donation basis.
There is a $30 materials fee upon registration.
For more info:email me
<nancy@intention.com>
or call 207 236 4069
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