I was invited to participate in an exercise with a partner. We each picked a card and were then asked to dialog about what the picture and the word represented. Here is what I came to learn from the “Coaching Game – Point of You.”

Associative playing cards give participants absolute freedom to shape the game as they see fit, thereby encouraging them to develop an independent and creative approach to their lives.

The photos for each card were carefully selected with the sole agenda of presenting the topic using a visual that isn’t normally associated with the topic, in order to optimally-activate our spectrum of thoughts and feelings. The word represents the logical-analytical thinking that was and is still considered a traditionally male mode of thinking, with the left brain being in charge. The photo represents the emotion, creativity, and intuition of our “female” side, led by the right side of the brain. The polar combination between qualities that are considered female and qualities that are considered male, when joined create a harmonious whole.

The photographs directly appeal to our intuitions and feelings, and occasionally even bypass rational thinking, which screens out those things we’d rather keep at a distance. This quality, considered characteristic of images, enables them to evoke reactions that we find hard to express with words – thereby giving them a magical quality. Just like works of art that affect the observer merely by viewing them or dreams we recall in the morning yet find hard to describe in words, we connect with images on an unconscious, emotional level.

As an organizational consultant and an executive coach, I thought the “Coaching Game – Point of You” was a fabulous tool to help clients explore, focus, and take action. I was so enamored that I decided to become certified as a “Point of You” coach as well as a certified “Train the Trainer.” I am part of an international team of participants and will become one of 80 international certified Train the Trainers by spring of 2015. I am so excited about this tool and would love to share it with you. If you have any interest in experiencing it, please let me know. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate fall than to have time for a cup of coffee, take a moment to pause, have a chance to challenge some of our perceptions, and learn about other possible “Points of You!”

Marcia

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The Mount Marathon event, an athletically dazzling feat of speed and agility held on Mount Marathon in Seward, Alaska, captured my imagination when I heard a story about it on NPR on my way home from work. Melissa Block was interviewing Christy Marvin, a mother of three young children, who was the winner in the women’s division last year.

Legend has it that the event started as a bet between two sailors.  Race 3,022 feet to the top of Mount Marathon and back down in an hour. The first attempt in 1908 was a failure. Today, hundreds do whatever it takes to survive the challenge of the summiting and returning from the Mount.

Leading racers will typically reach the peak in 33–40 minutes and reach the finish line from the peak down in 10–15 minutes. Average speed uphill is 2 mph. Average speed downhill is 12 mph. It is not uncommon for the racers crossing the finish line to be injured or bleeding and covered in mud.

The names of the various routes give you an idea of just how challenging this event is! “The roots” is a tangled, jungle-like ascent up narrow path ways; “The cliffs” is a steep, rocky path full of loose, sharp rocks called “scree” where one wrong step can be disastrous. And “the gut”, is the most daunting part of the rock to some racers because this is where most of the injuries take place. As one runner described it, “The Mountain is a delicate dance of control, courage and perhaps a little bit of crazy.”

Melissa asked Christy a number of questions including the universal question, “Why, in the world would anyone want to do something like this?” Runners have fallen off cliffs, broken multiple bones and a few have perished, never to be found. Christy described how being in the mountains connects her to her values, the thrill of the adventure and the satisfaction of preparing for the run.  Melissa asked her how she trains for this event given that she has three young children. Christy shared that she would often bring her children along when she would train. She talked about the various training techniques including “hill training” which involves repeated runs up and down the same hill.

Christy described one training session when she placed her youngest son, who was two years old at the time, on top of the hill.  “I just didn’t feel like I had it in me to do another hill. I was tired and didn’t feel like pushing myself that day. All of sudden, I saw my 2 year old clapping his hands and him heard him scream out loud, “Dig, Mama, Dig”! There was no way I was going to let my son down and so I dug as hard as I could to run up that hill!”

Inspiration, encouragement and support can sometimes come from the most unlikely of places. We all have our versions of a Mount Marathon; An epic project, a problematic situation at home, a challenging colleague or an unreasonable and demanding client that seems impossible to please.

This month, I encourage you to honor that you have what it takes to “dig” and go the distance. Celebrate and remember the times in your life when you did just that!  Invite people to be your cheerleaders, support you with wild optimism and unbridled enthusiasm as you tackle your version of “Mount Marathon.”

By sharing your goals and your vision, you just might hear an unexpected voice cheering you on, encouraging you and telling you that YOU have what it takes “to dig and go the distance.”

Here’s to you having the confidence, healthy mindset and inner strength to be able to “dig” when you need to!

Marcia

*Photo provided by Ron Niebrugge/www.WildNatureImages.com

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If you’ve ever set out to accomplish a goal, you know the importance of having a plan (a map with the route), having the resources (guides, food, and water), the determination (I WILL get to the top), resilience, and a positive attitude. All of those elements still come down to one step at a time and ultimately appreciating that the cumulative effect taking one step at a time leads you to some incredible places and experiences.

I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 1994 and it was one of the highlights of my time in Africa. I had just recovered from a very serious bout with falciparum malaria that manifested itself in the Himalayas of Nepal. I was evacuated out by helicopter from the Nepalese army and brought back to Kathmandu. From there I had to return to the United States to work with tropical infectious disease specialists and recover while my traveling companion stayed on and traveled solo.

Something stirred deep inside when I heard he was going to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. All of a sudden,  I heard myself say, “Well, if you’re going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, then I’m going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro”.  A month later I got off the plane in Tanzania and we began putting our plan in place: meeting with guide companies, shopping for supplies, applying for the visa, and taking day trips to build our endurance for the climb ahead.

I hadn’t thought much about this adventure until a few weeks ago when I attended the International ASTD conference in Washington D.C. One of the breakout sessions I attended was called “Olympic Leadership” by Susan Goldsworthy, a former Olympic swimmer. I was captivated by the description which promised to share a model for reaching goals.

To my surprise, she talked about her experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and what an “Olympic” size challenge it was for her. It turned out, she was deathly afraid of heights! Wouldn’t you know it,  there is a spot on the trail where you have to go around “hugging rock”. It’s called “hugging rock”  because the only way around is to hug the rock while you make your way around a narrow trail with a very steep and very long drop off if you misstep.

She shared her “5D Framework” model for goal setting: Disruption, Desire, Discipline, Determination, and Development.  Her “disruption” was turning 40 and she had the desire to push through her fear of heights. She was disciplined in her training and absolutely determined to make it to the top. Her development involved looking at some of her limiting beliefs, challenging some of her assumptions, and taking that practice of “poley, poley, sippy, sippy”, and applying it in other areas of her life.

For me, the disruption was coming down with a serious illness. My desire was to join my traveling companion and have a shared experience. I exercised discipline with my choices on the way to a healthy recovery. I was determined to make it to the top even when I started exhibiting symptoms of hypothermia. My development has also been about the importance of being able to take one step at a time and trust that it will take me to where I want to go! Another development for me was to embrace my curiosity about what the landscape looks like from a different perspective. I’ve continued to embrace that curiosity be it in my travels,  relationships, or professional endeavors.

I invite you to look at the areas in your life where taking the “poley, poley, sippy, sippy” approach will serve you well. I’m always happy to confer and think out loud about where this approach can be useful and how to embrace an action plan that is all about one step at a time!

Here’s to getting to the top and enjoying the view!

– Marcia

Mt. Kilimanjaro Summit
Elevation 19,341 ft.

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That’s an important number.

It’s the number of minutes we have each day.

Today, I attended the 7^th Annual Colorado Culture of Health Conference. One of the keynote speakers was Dr. Wendy Lynch, who was recently named in Forbes “One of Thirteen to Watch in 2013: Unsung Heroes Changing Healthcare Forever,” Her message about the balance of work and wellbeing was compelling.

The presentation focused on human capital and human capital currency. She defined human capital as a set of assets that we all have; our skills, health and motivation. No one can make us increase our skills, become healthier or more motivated without our own involvement. We own our assets!

Think about a time when you made a change in your health, learned a new skill or searched for a source of motivation.  You might have had encouragement, been given a compelling reason to make an adjustment or an ultimatum to make a drastic change.  In the end, it was your choosing and your doing. You are the owner of your assets when it comes to your health, skills and motivation.

Human capital currency is our energy, attention and time. We share that currency when we contribute at work, participate at home and engage in recreational pursuits. We spend our currency because we believe that we will get something in exchange. Typically, we do something because it creates value: a satisfying experience, an intrinsic reward, an extrinsic affirmation or a monetary gain.

Dr. Lynch suggested that wellness is a time preference issue. Consider the following:

• 50% of Americans feel the biggest thing lacking in their lives is time – not money.
• During the week, only 47% of all calories are consumed while “only eating” is our sole activity.  The other 53% are consumed while we’re multi-tasking.
• 4 out of 5 smart phone owners check their phones within the first 15 minutes of waking up!
• Adults, 18-64 years of age, only do 17 minutes of fitness activities per day.
• Of Americans 25 years of age and older, 6.6% engage in health-related self-care each day.

Did these statistics get your attention? They got mine. I had to ask myself if I was spending my 1440 wisely. Not an easy question. If I’m being truthful with myself, my answer varies from an unequivocal “yes” to a resounding “no”.

Time is a fixed resource, constrained and finite. It’s not something I want to squander away or waste. When I engage in activities that are aligned with my values, I know I’m spending my currency wisely! My sense of well being improves; I get motivated to take action and can feel myself thrive.

For this month, I invite you to be healthy, be well and thrive. Be sure to spend a part of your 1440 currency engaging in activities that lift the heart and engage the spirit! And, if you’re interested in how to bring balance and wellbeing into your workplace, give me a call!

To Your Health and Wellbeing,

– Marcia

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1. move or jump suddenly or rapidly upward or forward.

2. originate or arise from.

“emotion and creativity could spring from the same source”

Synonyms: Originate, derive, arise, stem, emanate, proceed, issue, evolve, come

“All art springs from feelings.“

Spring is a time of new beginnings and reawakening. It invites us, and everything around us, to emerge and unfold. I often see clients that are held back due to self limiting beliefs – about what they can or can’t do, what their company can or can’t achieve, or what they think their colleagues are willing or unwilling to do. After growing up in California, and going on 17 years of living in Colorado, I have come to truly appreciate spring. There is something intoxicating about seeing the days get longer and spring flowers bursting through the soil in a profusion of color.  I love the feeling of my toes twinkling with delight as they come out from hibernation; it’s like they are sensing the fresh air and warmth of the sunlight for the first time after being kept in the dark for so long with thick socks, shoes, and boots!

Their thoughts may be based on irrational beliefs, inaccurate information, unexamined assumptions, or unresolved pain from the past. Just like a plant needs nutrients, we need healthy “cognitive” nutrients for our brain and thinking patterns.

One particular client, Lucy (name changed!), held the limiting belief for many years that she was not good at networking. She would attend large professional conferences and be overwhelmed by how many people she didn’t know. She would engage in distancing behaviors during the breaks; check emails, make calls, and look preoccupied. Sure enough, she would leave the conferences with no new contacts which reaffirmed  to her that she was horrible at networking! Because her job required her to make new business contacts, she made a resolution to put this limiting belief behind her and embrace some positive, energizing beliefs.   She told herself;

“I can meet new people.”

“I will volunteer on a committee and get to know a few people.”

“I will ask them to introduce me to other people so I can continue to improve my networking skills.”

Guess what! By embracing those “spring forward” beliefs and replacing those formerly self-limiting beliefs, Lucy  is now the chair person of the membership committee and networking with confidence on a regular basis for her work.

I believe that when people are nurtured, they too blossom and unfold.  In the words of Anne LaMotte, “forgiveness is giving up all hope of having had a better past” so that we accept what was and let go of our hurt and disappointments. In doing so, we can spring forward, create new beginnings, and cultivate meaningful relationships. I invite you to nurture yourself this spring, pay close attention to what emerges, and embrace what unfolds in this season of new beginnings and awakening.

To Your Health and Wellbeing,

– Marcia

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                   Ten percent of something is better than ninety percent of nothing!

When we get locked into perfectionist thinking, our choices become ruled by rigid, all-or-none thinking. See if you can relate to any of these examples:

• If I can’t work out for an hour, then it doesn’t count.
• I didn’t eat “perfectly” today so I might as well completely indulge and have that Ben and Jerry’s pint of ice cream that has my name written on it!
• I know I was suppose to stick to my budget BUT I couldn’t resist the sale and ended up buying 3 pairs of shoes – after all, they were fifty percent off!
• I forgot to take my vitamins today so I might as well have that third glass of wine and drink to a better start tomorrow.
• I know I said I was going to aim for eight hours of sleep and it’s already 10:00pm, but I just want to get on Face Book for ten minutes. (We all know how that ten minutes can magically become an hour and ten minutes!)

The next time you’re in a situation where it’s clear you have competing interests for your resources (time, money, energy) see if you can apply the Ten Percent Rule.

• I know I wanted to exercise for an hour AND since I only have twenty minutes, I’ll take the dogs for a walk. Or, I’ll do at least thirty minutes on the treadmill which is better than doing nothing at all.
• I know I wasn’t impeccable at lunch today, so I’ll skip dessert tonight or eat a lighter dinner.
• I forgot to take my calcium supplements today so I’ll make sure to eat something rich in calcium.
• I am going to set the computer on a timer for twenty minutes when I get onto Face Book since I tend to loose track of time once I start looking up old friends.

As a dear friend reminds me, “it’s not about perfect, it’s about doing something better”, and, “once you do something better, you can do something a little better from there”.

I hope the Ten Percent Rule allows you to move towards accepting “better” as a great place to be. It brings with it less destructive self-talk and more opportunities to celebrate the successes that 10 percent of something will bring you. The cumulative effect of making better choices and doing 10 percent of something to reach your goals will definitely have an impact on getting better results!

To Your Health and Wellbeing,

– Marcia

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