Challenge Thought:

Without involvement, there is no commitment. Mark it down, asterisk it, circle it, underline it. No involvement, no commitment.
Stephen Covey Quotes

Coaching Challenge:

One of the meanings of the word involvement is to “make complete”.

Quantum Physics continues to reveal how connected we are in every way.  Anyone who marches around believing that they’re not their brothers keeper is ignoring the cold hard facts.

We are connected to and responsible for everything in our world, but we’re damnably persnickety about what we’re willing to involve ourselves in.  “Don’t get involved” is a modern mantra.

And the way we rip ourselves off with it is a real shame!

The next time you’re struggling to keep a commitment or to maintain one ask yourself how involved you are in it.  Is it a commitment that has rich dimension for you or are you trying to make yourself go through the motions?  Are you doing it because you feel you “should” or you “have to” or does it have real meaning for you?  Is it a commitment you should let go of or is it a commitment that you need to dig in to?  If it’s a commitment you need to dig in to how could you be more involved in it?  How willing are you to live life completely and to become involved?

Your partner in saying ‘YES!’ passionately to life,
Tracy Phaup
http://www.tracyphaup.com

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Challenge Thought:

The Master observes the world, but trusts his inner vision. He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky.
Tao Ching Quotes

Coaching Challenge:

After watching the love of her life being executed in a horrific way, the heroine of “Kama Sutra” walks away and says to herself that her heart is as “open as the sky”.

It’s a moment I’ve never forgotten in spite of the years that have passed since I’ve seen it.

How extraordinary is it that moments after such an agonizing loss that someone could say “Here I am life; come get me!”?

And yes – I know – it’s easy for a fictional character to say, but that’s missing the point.

Life is constantly streaming at us offering an infinite variety of experiences to us and most of us devote our lives to saying “no”.

And what I think is worse is that we’re not even awake enough to realize that we’re doing it.

I think “no” is a great word and deserves it’s fair share of usage in our lives but when it’s our automatic it’s ripping us off!  Abraham Hicks described it as us showing up to the infinite abundance of the Universe with a teaspoon for our portion.

I don’t know about you but I’m not ok with living like that.

The challenge lies in opening our hearts as big as the sky.

Today’s Coaching Challenge?  I’m giving you a gift certificate for “Everything” in life.  “Everything”!  Every car that you see, every home that you pass, every person that you notice, every job that you think about – every single thing that is a part of your world is included in the certificate for you to claim.  Every quality of life including love, passion, intimacy, inspiration, fulfillment and purpose.  Everything!  You are wholly complete and fully deserving of all!  Allow it in to your heart and be willing to claim it as your own!

Your partner in saying ‘YES!’ passionately to life,
Tracy Phaup
http://www.tracyphaup.com

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Challenge Thought:

When you blame others you give up your power to change.
Author Unknown Quotes

Coaching Challenge:

A really powerful distinction that I’ve created for myself is the difference between self-love and self-respect.  I can love myself irregardless of any circumstance, but my self-respect is incredibly conditional.  It is built or torn down based on behaviors and attitudes.

I’m certainly not proud of my willingness to blame others and my self-respect takes a hit every time I’m willing to go there.  I have great compassion and love for myself irregardless, but I’m not tolerant of my blaming others.

And it gets complicated. My first knee jerk response is to blame myself for being blaming.  Loving myself through it really helps me to unhook from being willing to judge myself for indulging in bad behavior and my detachment helps me to learn from it and grow.

I’ve had a powerful opportunity to grow in this area fairly recently.

I ended a very long-term relationship.  One of my favorite quotes talks about being the sole uncontested author or our lives and I’m just so crystal clear that I created this relationship from start to finish in every way.  I did this.  And I really have to work at it and up to it to feel any real resentment about his bad behavior.

On the other hand, my hair dresser totally botched my hair and I had to get a boy cut to fix it and I would just seethe every time I spotted myself in a mirror.  It’s petty, silly and vain and it cracks me up!

An eleven year relationship ends and I’m at tremendous peace about it but don’t mess with the ‘do’!

Bottom line?  I’m completely responsible for the relationship but she’s to blame for my hair.

It’s a light hearted way for me to be consistently reminded that any time I’m blaming others I’m giving away my power.

Today’s coaching?  Where are you unwilling to be responsible and willing to play the blame game instead?  What would shift if you took your power back and stopped blaming?  How would it empower you to design the life of your dreams?  And why would you be reluctant to stop playing that game?

Your partner in saying ‘YES!’ passionately to life,
Tracy Phaup
http://www.tracyphaup.com

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Challenge Thought:

One of the secrets of a long and fruitful life is to forgive everybody everything every night before going to bed.
Bernard Baruch Quotes

Coaching Challenge:

Most people that I speak with seem to hold the belief that forgiveness is something that we have to check the balance sheet on before deciding whether or not the other person has earned it.

I personally believe that forgiveness is a gift that I first give myself.

Life is complicated and so very hard at times and can carry with it pain and suffering.  I’m not a big believer in making it any harder than I have to.

Withholding forgiveness can be like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.

Usually though, we wait for the pressure to build to the point of making forgiveness an act instead of making it a regular discipline.

What if I made forgiveness a regular part of my bedtime ritual and really did forgive everybody everything, including myself?  How would that impact the way I live my life?  How could I possibly hold on to my own petty resentments and judgments if I was truly willing to totally forgive?

I’m fairly confident that I’d reinvent them again the next day, but if I made it a habit to forgive on a nightly basis how would it begin to change the tone and timbre of my life?  And if you were willing to do the same, how would it being to alter yours?

Your partner in saying ‘YES!’ passionately to life,
Tracy Phaup
http://www.tracyphaup.com

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Challenge Thought:

You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair.
Taisen Deshimaru Quotes

Coaching Challenge:

One of my favorite coaches Michael Strasner told me sometime back that what he saw as one of the greatest possibilities for my life was to live like my hair was on fire.

I suppose its a very real sign of growth that the ways I’m stingy and hold back have been reduced to subtle shades of grey that can be hard to catch in the moment they’re occurring.  I’ll get a subtle inkling drifting across my consciousness that something is off and to be fully responsive to it I need to be fully present to the moment.  Doesn’t always happen of course and at times I’ve only been able to put words to it long after the moment has passed.

I could devote myself to chasing those clouds and trying to grasp them wholly but I can tell you categorically that it would be a painfully small way for me to live.

My Road Less Traveled is to dedicate and consecrate myself wholly – without reserve – to live my day as thoroughly and fully as if my hair was on fire.  To throw myself into my life, my day and each moment of my day as if everything was riding on it.  To fight for it the way a drowning man fights for his next breath.  And to start here – now – with this day and to pick up the torch all over again tomorrow.

I’m not only willing – I’m committed!

Are you?

Your partner in saying ‘YES!’ passionately to life,
Tracy Phaup
http://www.tracyphaup.com

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