The Authenticity Coach

If you do not have what you want, it may be time to ask yourself: Do you really want it? Do you want to do what must be done in day-to-day life in order to actually have & hold what you say you so ardently desire?Wanting is not only about having. True wanting is about being & doing. To receive & joyfully engage with what we want, we must be capable of handling it.Learn to determine whether what you say you want is something you do, in fact, want. And if it is your true desire, recognize the need to shift your focus from asking to have to asking to be. Gain tips for preparing yourself to be the type of person who is ready to meet the deeply wished-for opportunities. Identify what needs to change within you, in order for vastly new experiences & far greater abundance to be yours. Begin to take brave steps to transform your identity. Be open to shedding old mindsets & habits & become willing to shift into new beliefs & behaviors -- in ways that will allow you to engage fully, enjoy thoroughly & succeed enduringly in the life you want.

If you hate your job & you have decided that you will leave it, this episode is for you. Learn the three things that you need to do in order to get through until you can get out.Do not be one of those high achievers who finally comes out of a crushing role, only to find out that they are in no shape to participate in the life they had so desperately wanted. Protect your enthusiasm, energy & ability to deliver top-level excellence. Follow this guide to survive this horrible time in a way that positions you to thrive. Give up the all or nothing approach of living a complete Nightmare now & looking forward to a Fantasy future. Develop a realistic game-plan to shift this very difficult period from terrible to tolerable. Gain practical tips to empower yourself via self-talk, self-control & self-care. Learn to identify the compelling reasons for why you are staying at the job for now, set boundaries & create temporary lifestyle changes that will enable you to recharge. Acknowledge the hardship of your current situation. Give yourself permission to show up differently. And position yourself to be able to be the best version of yourself when you leave this job & enter the next phase of your life.

No one is coming to save you. If you are overworked, overextended & overwhelmed, it is time to stop waiting for someone to come to your rescue or give you permission to make a change. To avoid disaster, you must save yourself. And the first step to coming to your own rescue is knowing your own limits.This episode will help you to calibrate the spectrum of your stress & see where you stand. Understand how much is "too much" for you & access how close you are to the edge. Learn how to recognize signs, distinguish reality from denial & use time as a litmus test.Tap into the power of acknowledging how bad it is. Stop focusing on the straws that are breaking the camel's back and identify what is actually pushing you to the verge of your limits. Everyone has limits. When you get honest about your limits & realistic about how close you may be to exceeding them, you will be on your way to rescuing yourself. Reclaim your well-being & be ready to make the real decisions that will create a sustainable way of living.

Do you tend to presume that others have positive, negative or neutral intentions? There is so much that we do not know about what others are thinking, feeling & doing, yet we make assumptions about people's intentions all day, every day. And the intentions that we impute influence our mindset &, in turn, determine how we react to & interact with those in our lives.Identify your overall inclination to presume good or bad intentions. Become attune to the presumption you are holding at any given time. Learn to gauge whether you would be better served by having a positive presumption. And become aware of when the reality of less-than-good intentions calls for you to have stronger boundaries. Experience the advantages of choosing to have a rebuttable presumption that others have positive intentions.

Do you want to be the job candidate who interviewers love? For an interview to be successful, you need to be three things: likable, credible & compelling. Creating strong impressions in each of these areas paves the way for receiving sought-after job offers.The winning interview candidate has clear intentions & thoughtfully prepared soundbites. Learn how to design your custom game-plan. Establish rapport & demonstrate your competency. And be ready & able to express your passion & share why you are the ideal, unique candidate.

Feelings of peace & fulfillment come when we do what is good for us. If these feelings are eluding you, this episode is your guide towards greater satisfaction. We begin with identifying where you are stuck. Do you need help knowing what is good for you, wanting what is good for you or doing what is good for you? If you would like to make good decisions, actually desire what you know is best for you & effectively carry out your intentions, start with recognizing where you are stumped or stalled. Learn to determine what you need the most. Is it the clarity to be able to know? The support to foster your desire? Or the practical skills to be able to take the right actions? Understand why you are likely to make the most progress if you focus your attention on knowing, wanting or doing -- rather than if you divide your efforts between two or all three. Gain practical tips to request & receive the type of guidance that will be of the greatest value to you.

Are you keeping a secret or maintaining a confidence? Explore 4 sets of questions to help you to determine whether you are colluding in shame or upholding in trust.#1 - Does it directly involve me? Does it impact my ability to tell my story & receive the support I need?#2 - Does it compromise me? Am I somehow complicit in wrongdoing or at odds with a duty?#3 - Is it gray or clear? Can I articulate what is to be held in confidence & why? Can I identify who is & is not privy? Or are the "rules" vague & unspoken?#4 - Do I feel shame or healthy pride? Is it a burden or an honor to hold this?One of the most valuable & loving things we can do is protect what is shared with us in trusting confidence. And one of the most damaging things we can do is help hide shameful secrets. Make it your practice to ask yourself whether you are keeping a detrimental secret or maintaining a healthy confidence.

What's your Plan B? When you are sensing that your job, your relationship or some other situation that you are in may not advance to meet your needs & goals, you need a Plan B. You want to continue. You are committed. But the continuation of that commitment is contingent upon certain decisions & actions that are beyond your control.Learn what a Plan B is & when you should have one. Understand how to go about forming your Plan B. Learn how to decide whether or not it is wise to share that you have a back-up plan. Recognize the value of setting a clear deadline -- even if it is not communicated to others. And appreciate the magic of continuing to give your full & best effort where you are today, while also holding a viable exit strategy. Tap into the strength of having a solid Plan B & enjoy its power to lift your spirits, boost your confidence & enhance your position.

Are you constantly pushing for the impossible? If so, this episode is for you. Identify the ways in which you strive to be, do & have the impossible. Recognize the chronic disappointment & dissatisfaction this causes & how much of your suffering is self-inflicted. Learn how to get relief -- by stopping your relentless striving to do what cannot be done. Embrace your uplifting dreams. Address the tasks that need your productive attention. Endeavor to grow & improve. But give up the grinding drive to be someone you are incapable of being & shut down the persistent pursuit of what cannot be attained. Open yourself to a new mindset regarding transformation. Reconsider how peace & satisfaction may come to you. Rather than from being, doing & having the impossible, might peace & satisfaction be found instead from granting yourself relief from the impossible? Explore the possibility that your life's mission is not to be, do & have "the best" but rather that your "job" is to take the very best care of yourself. Grant yourself permission to be released from the impossible & set yourself free to enjoy the best life that you can live.

Your focus, fears & fantasies are your prayers. When we consistently give something our undivided attention, when we desire something above all else or when we await someone or something to "save" us, we are, essentially, praying.In this episode, I share the 5 principles that my own experiences of heartache & hard times have taught me about prayer. Whether your religious beliefs are traditional or spiritual, take whatever wisdom resonates with you. Lesson #1: Pray to God (or your Higher Power), not to a person, place or possession.Lesson #2: Pray to be, not to have.Lesson #3: Pray for guidance, not for gifts.Lesson #4: Pray for the highest good, not for goods.Lesson #5: Pray to support, not to solve.Understand the guidance of these lessons & the power of asking for what you want -- or something better. Learn to identify to whom it is that you are praying. Become mindful of what it is that you are praying to receive. Have faith in the magic & mystery of the Universe. Be open to the unfolding of the unknown & infinite possibilities of innovations & arrangements that may bring your good to you.

Do you celebrate your accomplishments? If you don't, it's time to start! Celebration is not a frivolous waste of time & energy, nor is it a meaningless indulgence like receiving a participation trophy. Celebrating your wins can be as crucial to your on-going success as carefully planning your next course of action.Learn why it is so important to recognize what you have accomplished & to revel in its achievement. Appreciate the value of feeling a healthy degree of pride & see how acknowledging wins creates a sense of satisfaction. Celebration signals progress. When we pause to applaud & enjoy what we have already accomplished, it sparks our motivation to continue to push & produce.Understand the distinction between an intentional celebration of something you have achieved & an indulgence you allow yourself as an a "reward" for enduring a miserable experience. Learn to identify the accomplishments & milestones that are truly meaningful to you. Develop methods of merry-making that are uniquely pleasurable to you -- & especially suited to each particular win.Make it a practice to ask yourself & others, "How will you celebrate?" Cultivate a celebration mindset -- & see how a practice of celebrating supports your ongoing success & furthers your feelings of fulfillment.

If you want to receive the increase in pay, the promotion or the headcount for hiring that you deserve, you need to stop the narrative & start to present the numbers. Repeated complaints about working long hours or being "crazy busy" seldom bring the increased compensation, new title or needed staff we are seeking. In fact, complaining may hurt our credibility. Whining, however valid, can sound like static to those in senior management. If you want to get what you merit, you need to stop lamenting & begin to logically show why what you seek is warranted.Learn why shifting from subjective talk of "my experience" to straight-forward showing of metrics can be the magic bullet to having requests fulfilled. Showcasing numbers, percentages, data & dollars may have miraculous results -- after your many imploring stories have long fallen on deaf ears. Gain tips for how to clarify your ask. Learn how to gather convincing evidence. Understand how to tie your data to your request & then to present it in the language that your business leaders can hear -- & to which they will respond with the compensation, title & headcount you deserve.

How zealously do you represent yourself? Do you advocate for yourself with the same vigor as you would for your client, employer or someone you love? Or do you permit unwanted & unreasonable self-talk to interfere with your pursuit of your dreams & desires?Learn how to bring to your own cause the same compelling confidence, courage & sound reason that you tap so effectively to advise & advocate for those you represent. Start "putting on trial" the thoughts & beliefs that no longer serve you. Become aware when you are ruminating upon "inadmissible evidence" & make it your practice to look for evidence that supports what you want. Take command of the hurtful & haunting voice in your head -- & claim the rewards that come from developing a strong practice of advocating for yourself.

Are you miserable because you missed your chance? Do you beat yourself up over what you screwed up, failed to seize or did not even see? Are you bitter because those who got there before you received a boon & participate in benefits you can't have? If so, it's time to end the myth of the missed opportunity. That chance may, indeed, have passed you by. But new chances present themselves every day.Learn to be on the lookout for opportunities, rather than passively waiting for opportunities to come. Identify why the opportunity that eluded you holds so much meaning -- & what about it is so desirable. Recognize that no opportunity is perfect & that your lost opportunity would have had its own drawbacks & disadvantages. Appreciate the practice of letting go of what does not serve you in order to make room for better opportunities. Learn to support serendipity by making the most of unexpected encounters & noticing the valuable essence of unconventional forms.

Is your profession right for you? Should you switch careers? There are 8 questions you can ask yourself to help you to assess whether or not you are on the right track.1. How meaningful is the work? 2. Does the profession encourage you to become a better version of yourself?3. Are your best talents & greatest skills being utilized?4. Does this career pay you what you are worth?5. Do you want the lifestyle of those who have risen on the track you are on? 6. How aligned is the profession with your needs as an introvert or extrovert?7. Is the profession in sync with your natural preference to participate in groups, engage one-on-one or work alone?8. Is the career sufficiently dynamic & challenging?Discuss these questions with someone you trust. Do not come to regret that you did not stick it out -- or to regret that you wasted your life doing what was not right for you. Be honest with yourself & gain the clarity you need to be able to decide whether or not you are on a path that is right for you.

Anger is your ally. Anger, envy, worry, sadness, hurt & many other emotions & feelings are your loyal friends. They indicate when something is not right -- or is not right for you. And they invite you to take action. However unpleasant or unwanted, your feelings can be the richest & most powerful advisers that you could hope to have come to your aid. Emotions are energy -- & you can choose where you want that fuel to propel you. Learn how to be more attuned to your feelings & to read feelings as maps that lead you to focus on your unmet needs. Recognize the invitation that each emotion presents, develop the skill of deciding which signs are right to follow & start to take the smart yet meaningful actions that will shift the trajectory of your life.

There is much truth to the proverb "You get what you give." But what can you do when you are giving -- & you are not getting in return? This is the time to acknowledge the corollary to the "You get what you give" adage: You can give what you get. You have the right to give to someone only as much as you are receiving. If over-giving is causing you to feel disappointment, longing, resentment & pain, this episode is for you. Healthy giving is about reciprocity & mutual willingness, not tit-for-tat score keeping. Forego the fantasy of the future & release yourself from the nightmare of today.Learn how to access where & how you are giving too much. Explore practical ways to adjust your giving. Learn how to communicate & carry out your new limits in a direct & meaningful manner.

You want to be fairly compensated & appreciated for your work, but pay & praise are not enough. You also need to have the title you deserve. Whether you are accepting a job at a new company, being promoted or have gradually taken on more & more responsibilities in your current position, it is important to negotiate for the job title & pay grade level that reflect the tasks & level of responsibility of your role.Having a title that is on par with your position provides you with clear authority, supports your compensation & enables your mobility. Learn why each of these benefits is valuable & how to protect yourself from the risks of having a job title or grade level that does not recognize the extent of your authority or the magnitude or your contributions.

Do you struggle to enjoy what you are doing? Is it difficult to feel satisfied with what you already have? Are you driven by the constant hope of things being better in the future -- or by the relentless fear of either doing something wrong or of something going wrong?If so, the fierce trio of the familiar, fantasy & fear may be ruling your life -- from your major life decisions to your daily actions. Are you being terrorized by the three Fs? If you are like many high achievers, it is likely that you are subject to their dictates & that you are not aware of the extent to which they control what you think, feel & do.Identify how it feels & looks to be oppressed by the familiar, fantasy & fear. Learn why it is so painful & limiting. And gain skills to break free of their tyranny. Gain practical approaches to be able to choose what serves you well. Understand how the three Fs pull you away from today & reality, trap you in the past & the future & tie you to distracting fantasies & unrealistic nightmares. Learn to think, live, take action & experience enjoyment in the real-life present moment -- a place & time where the tyranny of the familiar, fantasy & fear have little power to reign.

Do you feel pigeonholed in a role? Are you stuck with a professional reputation that limits you? Do you wish that you could do the type of work that you would love to do? But do you believe that you will never get the chance because you are already known so well for doing something -- or being someone -- that is so different from the sort of person who gets those opportunities?If this is where you are, do not despair. It just means that it is time for you to make over your brand! A strong & established professional reputation is a highly valuable asset. When you are already well known & well respected, you have transferrable credibility. Learn the three elements you need to deliberately manage to successfully launch your Professional Brand 2.0. Understand the art of tying the praise you are already receiving to the new work you are capable of doing. Gain practical tips for posting on LinkedIn, revising your LinkedIn profile, creating your bio & updating your resume. Learn how to inspire support by speaking in terms of what you are doing.Intentional re-branding is your first step to stretching beyond the pigeonhole of how others currently perceive you & soaring towards the work you truly want to do.

Do you know what you want to do, but you can't seem to actually do it? Does something always get in the way? Or do you need to do more research, learning & preparation before you will be ready to start taking action? If so, this episode is for you.Having the time & being ready are far more within your control than you may think. Learn how to be "time smart." Structure your day to align your capacity with your motivation, protecting your "best" hours for complex issues & creative initiatives. Understand how discipline is about prioritizing your values & goals, not about building superhuman willpower. Explore questions to ask yourself to determine whether you are procrastinating or you truly need further preparation in order to be ready to act. Learn to be precise in identifying what it is that you need to learn, do or have before you can begin to take action. Give up the strict chronological view of actions having to follow plans in a time-bound sequence. Come to see planning & acting as dynamic forces that move in tandem. Make it your practice to weave together -- doing, learning, revising & more doing -- for an on-going expansive way of life.

Are you over-worked & over-extended? Does it feel as if everything at work falls onto you, because your team is not capable? Have you been told that you need to loosen the grip & delegate more? But do you shudder at the thought of giving up control?If so, learn what you need to do to reclaim your time, energy & peace of mind. Don't blindly entrust others with your work & hard-earned reputation. Delegation without trust is dangerous. It's a recipe for disaster. Understand how to create a process that enables you to develop a team -- one that you can trust & to whom you can delegate with confidence.Learn about the many facets of trust, extending beyond honesty to also include reliability, ability & good judgment. Identify the skill sets & qualities you need in team members. See why you may need both a clone (a mini-me who thinks & acts like you) & a complement (an associate whose different strengths supplement your superpowers). Become astute at developing talent by giving regular feedback & feedforward. Appreciate how communicating both praise & constructive criticism is the key to your freedom. Learn the value of making feedback & mentoring the cornerstones of your management style.

Are you a high achiever who is a problem-solver & quick to give advice? At times does your wise counsel fall on deaf ears or cause others to turn away? If so, this episode can help you develop the art of advice-giving. Learn to identify your intention in each conversation or interaction. Is your aim to win, fix, understand or love? Is this an opportunity to help via giving advice to solve a problem? Or would the best support come by asking nonjudgmental, probing questions & listening to truly understand? Or might this be a situation that warrants neither giving commands nor having curiosity, but rather calls for quiet caring -- not the doing for, but the being with?Hear simple questions that you can ask to be able to determine whether the time is right to give advice. Learn practical approaches for how you can offer solutions in ways that empower others to tap into their own wisdom.Start to feel the impact & satisfaction of practicing the art of advice-giving. Enjoy the rewards of helping others in a dignified way -- without over-extending yourself or over-stepping your bounds.

Are you a relationship builder or a relationship leverager? If you want to achieve next-level success, you need to be both. You have a treasure chest of valuable professional relationships. Now it is time to convert some of those gems into active currency.Understand the difference between building relationships & leveraging them. Learn to identify those individuals who are both able to help & willing to help. Become the type of person who others can leverage. Be the colleague who asks, "How can I help?"Find the perspective that will allow you to examine & overcome the old mindsets that are getting in the way of your being the type of person who is at ease with leveraging relationships. Learn practical steps that you can start taking now. Become comfortable expanding your focus beyond great relationship building & develop a career-long practice of leveraging your relationships to be even more valuable.

Success requires a wishbone, a backbone & a funny bone. To achieve what will truly satisfy us, we need to have a clear intention as to what we are seeking, give that desire our strong attention & then let go of the tension as to how it comes to us.Identify which " bone" you are missing & learn how to build its capacity. Whether you want a career that you are passionate about, relationships that are caring & fulfilling or the enjoyment of your weekends, this episode is for you.

Do you have a job, a career or a life? If you want to feel satisfied, it is imperative that your focus be aligned with your values & goals.Understand the important differences between having a job & having a career --- & the distinction between having a career & having a life. Identify what you can do to break out of a job & position yourself to advance in a career. Learn to access whether your primary aim is your career or your life -- & gain insights to be able to determine whether the time is right to divide your focus.A fulfilling life needs to be full. Build an array of wealth that is not only financial but also physical, spiritual, relational, emotional & more. Take the first step towards a life that is rich in time (not always "crazy busy") & allows you to feel good.

Has the negative Voice in your head stopped being useful & productive? Is your Inner Critic -- that Gremlin in your thoughts that commands you to keep quiet, drives you to work yourself to exhaustion & constantly reminds you that you are not good enough -- no longer serving you? If so, it's time to throw your Inner Critic a retirement party! All of the Inner Critic's non-stop condemning & censoring was a clever & creative way to survive the tough circumstances of your childhood, schooling & early career. It was brilliant in helping to position you to be able to thrive later. And you are grateful for how well those strong messages pulled you through those early years!But the Gremlin has not kept up with you. The Voice is like the colleague who was the company superstar many decades ago & now dominates meetings with uninformed comments & grossly outdated advice.Learn how to bid farewell to your Inner Critic & welcome the "new management" of your thoughts & actions -- one that understands how much you and your world have changed. Recognize how much more sophisticated, capable & resourced you are now. See how greatly your needs & values have changed. Understand how natural & beneficial it is for your Inner Critic to make its departure at this time -- & enjoy a new & productive way of managing your day and your life.

Are you being paid less than what you are worth, but you don't know what to do about it? Whether you are an employee receiving a salary, bonus & equity grants, a professional with an hourly rate or a business owner charging a fee for services, you deserve to be paid for the value you bring to your employer & clients.This episode is your guide to establishing fee conviction & positioning yourself for higher compensation. Understand how your commercial worth is based upon the impact you deliver, not the hours you work. Shift your mindset from Scarcity's win/lose perspective & Work Ethic's tit-for-tat attitude to Abundance's win/win outlook. Gain practical tips for forming your pay goals & learn how to craft an effective implementation plan for higher pay.

Do you constantly strive to improve? Are you a highly accomplished person who strives to become even better? But does it seem as though the more that you develop, the more too that you deteriorate?Overcome the common mistake of conflating self-improvement with self-care. True self-care is an ongoing tending to our needs. Faux self-care is an attempt at compensatory amending of self-abuse. Learn to distinguish healthy self-discipline from brutal self-discipline. Gain practical skills to improve your self-care in ways that support your achieving your deepest goals -- & your sustaining of them for the long-term.

Many high achievers live under a spell of worry. Worrying gives many of us an illusion of control. We believe that we are being conscientious & responsible by worrying, but in truth we are draining our capacity.Learn to preserve your energy, so that you are response-able -- that is, you are able to respond to whatever comes, when it comes. Understand the differences between worrying, preparing & taking action. Plan for what is likely to happen -- & learn to be more fit & ready for anything that may come, however unexpected. Tap into the worry-taming power of knowing your values & your intentions. And gain many other practical tips for combatting worry.

Is your intense desire a healthy want or a destructive addiction? Is the all-consuming focus of your time & attention -- for work, a relationship, a hobby, money or some other substance, item or behavior -- putting you on a path to heaven or the road to hell? Can your drive & desire be satiated? Will attaining this goal or experience cause your world to become wider & richer -- or does it spur a progressive narrowing of your life?Learn to gage whether what you crave or feel compelled to do is restricting & depleting you or opening you up to broader experiences & a more multi-faceted life. Has an all-consuming focus of your time & attention taken over? Reclaim your vibrant health, meaningful relationships & your ability to feel satisfied. Cultivate what you need more of in order to thrive & create a life that is balanced & abundant.

What should you do when you have made a mistake, personally or professionally? What is the best way to proceed when you have done something that hurt or harmed someone? How should you handle a relationship that is experiencing a contentious clash or a cordial but strained dynamics -- or one that has no contact at all?Learn how to access whether a relationship is worth mending. Not all relationships should be mended; some relationships are better mourned. Develop your ability to determine whether or not to apologize. Explore how to hone the art of apologizing. Learn the four-step process of making an authentic apology -- one that is both heart-felt & effective: acknowledge, apologize, remedy & reassure.

Are you are feeling held down or held back? This episode will help you to understand how you are bound and why you are trapped -- and what you can do to break free.Are you stuck due to your lack of control, lack of clarity or lack of courage? Is it that you have been trying to control the uncontrollable? Is it that you have not been clear as to what you need or want? Or is it that you have not been courageous and confident in taking action? Identify which of these obstacles constrains you and gain the power to unlock the chains that are keeping you stuck.

It's the anniversary of The Authenticity Coach podcast! One year ago today, on September 27, 2024, the first episode of the show was posted. Over the past year, there have been 55 episodes -- a new episode posted each Friday at 5 am.If you have enjoyed the show, please be sure to follow the show & give it a five-star rating. Also, if you would like The Authenticity Coach podcast to continue, I could really use your support to grow its reach. Please tell your friends & colleagues why you love the show -- & select one of your favorite episodes to send to a few people you care about who could also benefit from listening.I am so grateful for you -- your valuable time & your attention! I invite you to connect with me directly. Thank you! Be well!

Are you tired or burnt out? Do you need a break in order to recharge, so that you can recover from exhaustion & return to work ready to go? Or do you need to break out, so that you can be released from demoralization & feel liberated to live in sync with your values?Learn the key distinctions between feeling tired & being burnt out. Understand why these two states require different remedies. Gain practical approaches to mitigate the chronic cycle of feeling tired. These remedies include having a plan to refill your pitcher, managing your plate and developing your ability to "get silly" fast. Learn what you can -- & cannot -- do about burnout. Identify your internal & external avenues for shifting your career from oppressive to uplifting.

What's your filter? If you're seeking something, how will you know if you have found it? How will you go about determining whether a particular person, place or position aligns with what you truly want?You need a practical process to vet opportunities. A personalized filter is the approach that enables you to screen possibilities to identify those that satisfy your dealbreakers. Learn how to create a custom filter by formulating what you will say, ask & observe.

Your physical environment matters. Your work & your life are impacted by what surrounds you. If you want your best energy to come out in a space, you must set up that area to support that energy.Do you want to be more focused, reach a higher level of success, feel calmer, be more creative, be more supportive of others, convey greater gravitas, be more organized or increase your intensity? Whatever it is that you want to improve, making changes to your workspace can be a game-changer.Whether you work in a home office, have a private on-site office, have your own cube or sit in open bench seating, investing a small amount of money & effort into upgrading your work area can yield large results.Learn simple steps you can take to restore your dignity by cleaning up the dinginess. See what you can easily do to support better function by allowing for a smoother flow of work. Seize the powerful opportunity to maximize your performance by personalizing the space so that it inspires you & portrays the impression you want to make. Experience the impact of creating a work environment that reflects how you want to feel & supports the results you want to achieve.

Creation requires conflict. Whether we are striking a match to start a fire, brainstorming to launch a business innovation or establishing rapport to engage in a worthwhile conversation, nothing can be created without there being friction.Tap into the creative power of friction. Too much friction & we are worn down & defeated; not enough friction & we are untethered & unrefined. Meet the five types of people in regards to friction: the opponent, the commentator, the coach, the spectator & the cheerleader. Understand your level of tolerance for friction. Access how much friction currently surrounds you. Learn how to identify the type & degree of friction you require to create what you want to accomplish.

Look to the frog for three of life's greatest lessons. The wisdom & warnings of the proverbial frog guides us as to when we need to work hard & eat the frog, when we should welcome the help of others & kiss the frog and when we must jump out of dangerous waters so as not to be the frog who boils to death.The frog reminds us to carefully consider when we are best served by doing more, doing with or doing less. Our frog teaches us the values of discipline & discovery as well as, at times, the function of distain -- & why it matters so much which of these principles we allow to command our decisions & actions in any given situation.Learn how to identify whether you are being called to dive in, reach out or get out. Gain practical skills to help you to eat the frog, kiss a frog & avoid being a boiling frog.

Do you have a request that you want your supervisor to approve? Would you like the ideas that you propose to be well-received & implemented? Is it your desire to be highly valued by your organization for doing what you most love to do?If so, learn why it is imperative to tie your passion, purpose & proposals to a compelling business reason. Develop a practice of identifying what is important to your decision-makers & learn to present each of your requests & ideas in a way that meets the needs of those individuals & aligns with the goals of the enterprise. Understand how to "make your case" so that you it is good for you -- & good for business.

Have you been called a control freak? What if the problem is not that you want to control, but that you are trying to control the wrong things?Learn how you can gain greater control -- control that is real. Wield the power of focusing on what impacts you. Examine your "focus on me" flower and identify its petals of your needs & wants, your health, your resources & your integrity.Gain the wisdom of staying in your own lane. Claim your power to refuse to tolerate so much. See how to spot where you do have control -- & where you don't. Begin to overcome the fearful state of believing that nothing good can come to you without your plotting, prodding & pushing for it. Recognize the existence of the unimaginable magic & mystery of the Universe -- & appreciate how the unplanned & unexpected can deliver gifts & bring about outcomes that surpass anything that you have attempted to make happen.

Have you been told that you need to show greater confidence & be more assertive? Or are you someone who has been told that you are too forceful & that you need to be softer & show more warmth? Whether you are considered "too" gentle & timid or "too" harsh & intimidating, does it feel as though you are in a no-win situation? If you have been told that you must be more self-assured & strong in order to advance, you can choose to behave more aggressively -- & put yourself at the miserable risk of not being as well liked. Or if you are someone who is already quite commanding, you can decide to act in a more meek & weak manner -- but at the high cost of forfeiting a degree of your power & hard-won influence.There is a way out of this dilemma. You can be both assertive & regarded with affection. You can be both powerful & popular. You achieve this by being more direct & more kind.Understand directness & kindness in terms of spectrums. Explore examples of how to communicate in your own style that is high in both directness & kindness -- that is, being someone who is "lovingly honest." And become able to identify, in yourself & in others, behaviors that are not lovingly honest. Gain practical tips for becoming more direct & kinder.

Do you want work/life balance? Or are you seeking work/life flexibility? Learn the difference between balance & flexibility -- & why it is so important to know which you actually desire.Achieving balance often requires removing a portion of the work load, in order to decrease the weight of the burden &, in turn, create a stability that is sustainable. Flexibility, on the other hand, allows for modifications as to how, when or where work is done. It embraces a willingness to permit greater autonomy. Flexibility does not, however, decrease the amount of the work, nor does it lessen the degree to which we are held accountable to deliver that work product on time & in top quality.Gain the ability to identify the specific work/life balance or work/life flexibility that you are seeking. Develop the approach of articulating your request in a direct & effective way -- one that presents you in a highly professional light & appeals to your employer's top objectives.

Questions can be transformative. Asking the right question, to the right person, at the right time can change your life.Follow this 5-point guide to forming & asking the questions that will enable you to receive the information, guidance & opportunities you are seeking. * Is your question big enough?* To whom are you asking the question?* Is your question direct? Or is it really a complaint, a nagging push or approval-seeking masquerading as a question?* Are you pausing & holding quiet to receive an answer?* Does your question allow for the response that you want?Asking better questions has the power to quickly change your career, finances, relationships & overall well-being.

What is coaching? It's a transformational process of inspiration, inquiries, insights and implementation. Coaching is a conversation with an outcome, where the success of the coaching engagement is assessed & measured. An impactful coach is your trusted thinking partner. Coaching enables you to see things from new perspectives & then helps you to weave a golden thread through what had seemed to be disparate aspects of your personality, values & experience. Your coach partners with you to craft a clear, cohesive & compelling narrative as to who you are & what you are seeking, spoken in your authentic style & natural voice. Your coach is your cheerleader & your accountability partner, digging deep for your true desires & helping you to construct tactical, practical plans to make your dreams a reality. Learn how coaching differs from therapy, consulting & mentoring. Discover the power of coaching to propel you from being stuck in a place of outward-only success to living a life of inward & outward thriving.

What if your so-called "weakness" is your superpower? What if those qualities & behaviors that you have been told are your shortcomings are actually your gifts? Are you tired of being told that you need to change & downplay the best & most special parts of who you are?Learn how to frame what is exceptional about you, so that you can stop hiding it & start highlighting it. Examine what you are naturally great at doing, embrace that quality & determine where it is not only tolerated or accepted but highly valued & richly rewarded. Explore how to unapologetically own the distinctive way in which you are "too much" or "too little" -- & recast that way of being into your signature superpower trait.

All dreams come true in the same way. There are three essential steps to getting what you want. Whether you have a fanciful desire for some small thing or a huge dream for your life, in order to get it you must know what you want, ask for it & receive it. Overcome your practice of having scattered intentions that bring about scattered results by learning to clarify what you want. Understand what it means to ask for what you -- by speaking directly & by taking action. Practice the art of receiving, including appreciating the importance of being graciously receptive & discovering the magic of being open as to how your dream may come into reality.

Is security a top value of yours? Has the bedrock of your security been financial for as long as you can remember? And now, as you press on to gain more & more monetary security, is it coming at the increasingly high cost of your health?There comes a time for many high achievers when security becomes less about wealth & more about health. Learn how your definition of security has changed since you started your career. Understand how much is enough. Identify your "break even" between your fiscal and physical needs -- based upon what you need to feel secure & well today.

Is it time to quit? How do you know when to continue to push forward at your current job & when to leave?Explore three ways to examine your position to gain practical insights as to whether your work is powerful determination or pointless drudgery. Distinguish energizing grit from soul-draining toil. Identify the importance of having a reason or a season for staying. Learn to overcome delusions & navigate dead ends by making strategic turns.

Much of what is talked about as "boundary setting" is actually a demand or an attempt to control someone else. But boundaries are not about other people. A true boundary is about me -- & where I will step back. Learn how a boundary is about knowing & respecting my own limits. Hear real life examples of effective boundaries. Unlock the power of communicating clearly, without criticism or explanation. Move out of miserable situations by shifting your focus from what others should & should not do to what you will & will not do.