Let’s start with taking a look at yourself in the mirror. Exquisite Self-Care tip #8 was written with this in mind. Take 5 minutes to stare in the mirror at the beautiful person looking back. Write down what you notice about that person, how you feel and the essence quality inside. This simple tip gets you activated on how you see yourself, and that often is in direct alignment with how you show up in the world. When we see the truest part of our whole being, we can better connect to our goals and vision for what we want.

Now that you know what you want, you don’t have to settle for any holiday doldrums. You can create the experience you want for Valentines Day and surround yourself with love and admiration, which is the heart of the holiday anyway. If you can’t give that to yourself, you can’t expect anyone else to give it to you either.

Try these 5 surefire ways to a love inspired Valentines Day.

1. Treat yourself to an evening at the Spa! Don’t wait for someone else to shower you with affection love on yourself instead by heading out to the spa for a treat. Even if you don’t have the $50 for a Mani/Pedi or Massage, spend $10 on your favorite treat, light some candles, draw a bath with bubbles, put on your favorite CD and indulge yourself in luxury.
2. Invite your closest circle of friends over for Topas and Laughs. Share the evening with other friends who are single or without a mate to share the day with. Everyone can bring a delightful treat and you provide the game for laughs. All most people want on Valentines Day is to have connection with others they care about. To be acknowledged as a loving person. Surround yourself with those people in the comfort of your own home.
3. Go on a blind date! I know breathe. Now listen, even if you are married, you can set up a blind date with your spouse and have a great evening. If you are single, be bold and ask another single person out or ask that person you have been eying at the water cooler out for drinks. Too much pressure? Get over yourself. If you don’t want to sit home, then take action and make the call.
4. Catch a play at the local theatre. Community theatre has so much to offer and it is an untapped source for entertainment. Most of the plays are low cost and some theaters offer “pay what you can” to engage the community in what’s going on and give back at the same time. Invest in getting to know what’s out in your community and get involved. The theater crowd is warm and engaging, they welcome new faces openly, try it, you may just find a connection you weren’t expecting.
5. Bake cookies for the office and share. Often times we get so focused on what we don’t have, that we forget what do have. If you work in an office, you have people around you that care for you and delight in what you do every day. Engage in more than ‘shop talk’ and find ways to inspire others from the action of your heart. It does the body and spirit good to give back without expecting anything in return.

Often times it is the way we look at our situation that affects how we perceive our opportunity or obstacle. Don’t let any event or holiday control the value that you place on YOU. Celebrate the little things, acknowledge all and be in gratitude for the life you have. That is the best gift you can give yourself this Valentines Day. Love on yourself!

Ten years ago tonight I remember exactly where I was. My kids and I lived in a 3rd floor apartment with a view of the Capitol. They were small and I was single. Feeling very much alone. I remember feeling uneasy about heading into the new millennium and working hard not to give into the fears perpetuated by the reports in the media. Along with so many others around me, I was unsure of what exactly would happen at the stroke of midnight. And then, at 12:38 AM on January 1, 2000 – there was an explosion! It woke me from a deep sleep and as I heard the repeating ‘boom’ I went to the window expecting that something was falling from the sky. My mind was racing, I was praying and trying not to think the worse. Had the predictions from those enveloped in fear of Y2K come true? And to my joyous delight, as I looked out the window I realized it was only an electrical transformer down the hill. The feeling of ease erased the uneasy as I went back to bed. As morning broke and our computer and emergency systems still intact, all was good in the world. The new millennium was off with a bang!

As I reflect this evening on what life has brought my way, I am filled with a great sense of peace and ease, much different from what I felt this night ten years ago. Tonight, I am on my couch in our family home with my son a grown man, my daughter a beautiful young woman, my puppy and my husband at my side.

What a difference a decade makes!

Little did I know as the clock turned along with the last decade, that in 2000 I would buy my first home as a single mother of two and meet my future husband. What a year that was! Ten years ago I did not have any idea of what life would be like today, as many years later. What I find to be interesting is that I had no inkling or notion of what was to come. I was only focused on what was right in front of me (so different than how I am today.) The stones in my path.

Fear is only a limiting belief and can be perpetuated by others and the sanction we authorize them to have over our thoughts. That was one of my personal greatest learning lessons from the last decade.

What a difference a decade makes.

Today, I am not only in a much different place physically and personally, I am mentally as well. My thoughts tonight are toward the future, confident and at joy with all I have in my life. I look to the future and the next ten years and see great change and exciting opportunity. There are no stones in my path, no obstacles either that I cannot surpass. Before me is a brightly lit lane, filled with love, family, friends, and joyous opportunity.

Tomorrow I look to making a difference in the world and those around me. Giving back and contributing more is a powerful intention I have set for the coming decade. Because of the faith and contribution of others, my life today is much different from how it was ten years ago, I would love nothing more than to be that hope and change for another. My hope is to share the joy of exquisite self-care with others. My heart is to gift clarity of purpose and vision so that women everywhere have the chance to begin Living Their Vision® and my passion is to be a catalyst for transformation through opening up mindsets and shifting perspectives.

We have seen the power of one to destroy. We have witnessed the power of a few to change a nation. We have experienced the power of hope to encourage the heart of the world. How will you use your personal power this year? What difference will you make in the next decade?

Did you know you have just a few seconds to make an impression with prospects? Often when people are inquiring about your services, they will go read your bio to learn more. The prospect will give of their precious time to read however, if the bio is well, boring, poorly written or a bunch of frivilous self promotion, often the reader will select delete and move on. A lost opportunity that can easily be remedied.

Thankfully, Nancy Juetten has come up with a simple solution that produces extraordinary results and I thought it worthy of an interview with The Coach.

The Coach: What is going on in the marketplace right now that makes having a great bio absolutely essential?

Nancy: The US department of labor reported recently that 15 states are still experiencing double digit unemployment.
27 million people are in some stage of “escaping from cubicle nation” to start and grow businesses of their own.
Plenty more are seeking out side incomes to stay afloat in this demanding economy.

No matter where you stand on the continuum — from seeking a perfect assignment or getting known for your winning ways in your own backyard and beyond — a great bio isn’t just something to put on the “to do” list.  It is absolutely essential, now more than ever.

The Coach: Is a bio really that important? Who reads them on the website anyway?

Nancy: People do business with people they like, trust and respect.  It is essential to share who you are, why you are qualified, and why it matters with a few lines of well-chosen text that tell your story in a compelling, inviting way.  A bio is an efficient and essential tool to share this information so the right people will pay attention.
If you are serious about speaking on the radio, commenting for the media, or getting invited to speak in exchange for professional fees, you must have a bio that makes clear the value you bring and why it matters right now.  Don’t be boring and boilerplate with your message.  Be magnetic and really great to invite more of the right opportunities.
Check your web stats to find out how many people are reading your bio.  Chances are the numbers are higher than you would have first thought.  If your bio is “boilerplate” and boring, take the time to revise it to be “really great” and inviting.  Then, when your ideal customers land here first and love what they read, they  won’t be able to stop themselves from reading more, sending you an email, or dialing the phone to discuss how to benefit from how you serve.
This bio for Patricia Fripp is one of my favorites:
Patricia Fripp is an award-winning speaker, sales presentation trainer, and executive speech coach who delights audiences,  electrifies executives who speak, and transforms sales teams. Meetings and Conventions magazine calls Patricia “one of the country’s 10 most electrifying speakers.”  Kiplinger’s Personal Finance says, “Patricia Fripp’s speaking school is the sixth best  way  you can invest in your career.”  She is also the author of Make It! So You Don’t  Have to Fake It and Get What You Want.  Learn more at www.patriciafripp.com.

Right off the bat, you know who she is, what she does, and for whom.   It is clear that she delivers stunning results.  She offers sassy sound bites that lend credibility to her offering.  She makes it easy for the reader to learn more and buy.   This is a winning recipe that works for radio station interviews, website bios, speaker introductions, and more.

The Coach: Will people think I’m not serious or formal if my bio is too playful and personal?

Nancy: I heard an executive from Microsoft quip, “Social media isn’t a job.  It’s a lifestyle.”  In today’s information overloaded world, where messages of 140 characters speak volumes about the sender, we all have to be mindful about the quality and texture of information we share in our bios and social networking profiles.  My advice is to share information that is relevant and magnetic for your ideal customers to know, while also sharing a bit about who you are so the reader can form an opinion about who you really are.  Are you an irrepressible entrepreneur?  Are you someone who is known for having an endless supply of great ideas?  Are you a risk taker who loves sky diving, roller coasters, and more?   If you try to be all things to all people, you end up being too little of the right things for the right people.  Have courage to declare who you are, how you add value, and why you are an essential ingredient for success in your niche, and you’ll invite more of the right opportunities.

The Coach: How will a better crafted bio help me get more exposure and speaking engagements?

Nancy: A radio station producer for a nationally syndicated talk show told me last week that the bios guests send in are often long, boring, and not well suited for radio.  The downside for the guest is that the radio station producer likely doesn’t have time to re-write the bio to be suitable, so she likely captures key words and runs with it.   It is far better for you to provide a few lines of well-worded text to introduce you in the perfect way than to relinquish control who doesn’t care nearly as much about your story or your success as you do.    It’s your story.  Tell it well.

The Coach: What are some of the biggest mistakes people make telling their stories?

Nancy: Oh there are many, and if I had to pick just a few, I would go with these four.
1)   Starting every sentence with “I,”  Shift the “I-You” focus, and you’ll be in much better shape to connect with your audience.
2)  Sharing a lousy photo and hoping it will look better in print.
3)  Forgetting to tailor their message for the audience at hand.
4)  Sharing too much information for the wrong format.

Radio interviews require super short bios.  Offer something long, and you are in big trouble.

Folks who struggle can find help with the Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide.  Read more and buy conveniently online at www.byebyeboringbio.com.  Mention “Tammy Redmon” in the comments section of your online order for Bye-Bye Boring Bio Action Guide, and you’ll receive the Media Savvy to Go Publicity Tips eBooklets (a $10 bonus value!) that offer 147 Powerful Ways to Boost Your Business and Improve Your Profit through the Power of Free Publicity.  And those who need a guiding hand from a  PR expert to turn their ideas into a few lines of well-worded, magnetic text can consider signing up for an Extreme Bio Makeover.  Here is the link to learn more about this service:  http://www.mainstreetmediasavvy.com/rent-a-brain
Remember.  It’s your story.  Tell it well.

Thank you Nancy for your time and commitment to excellence. I know that if readers will heed the call to action, take up the sword so to speak, they too can have a Bio that really rocks and more importantly, gets the right kind of attention.

Recently I joined a #30dayblogging Challenge via a facebook post I read from @sandramartini. The call to action was to write a blog post a day for 30 days (hence the name), to condition yourself for consistent blogging.

We have all read the statistics and suggestions on how many times a week we “should” blog for maximum results. We have all been in those workshops or on those teleseminars that have outlined what blogging strategy looks like. But, unless we really embrace trying it all on for size, we don’t really know what will work for us or not.

Well, I am just about 3/4 of the way through the challenge and here is what I have learned and what I will take with me as a result.

#1 Blogging is not for sissy’s. It is for serious people who are ready to make a difference in the world. People who have more than just something to say, they want to contribute to shifting perspective, teaching others, collaborating and motivating. It takes time, dedication and motivation to be most successful. You can’t approach blogging as a hobby, or as a way to get attention on a moments notice. It takes consistency, time and valueable contribution to produce results. Much like it does for business. For me, I now know I approached it as a hobby, not a strategic business inititative.

#2 Blogging is a catalyst for shifting perspective. Whether it is what I write or what I read from someone else, blogs have the power to shift the way people look at their world. It is almost as if people give immediate sanction to a blog post, especially when they like, know or trust the source. The power that blogs possess was even demonstrated in the movie Julie & Julia this summer. One girls idea shifted the way people embraced cooking as a whole. She used the platform to purge her thoughts and for 365 days, she went totally transparent and vulnerable with her audience. The power for her transformation was to learn she could complete something she put her mind to and for the readers it was the value in the comfort of walking through it together. Our perspective can be shifted in as few as 300 words on a page. Imagine the power in that for your business.

#3 Blogging requires authenticity. When you set out to blog, know upfront that it is not for the faint of heart or for fakes either. If you are trying to blog just to get numbers up to your website or sell your product, you will not find success. Readers can smell a rat a post away and they will out you to the world if you aren’t careful. To blog is to show up from the essence of who you are in every post. Be real with people, that is where great power lays. In one of my most successful posts, 4 Success Strategies I learned from my Teenager, I was surprised (at first glance), of the attention that it got. But as I watched the traffic and listened to people on Twitter, I realized that in that space of total authenticity of story, people could relate. It inspired some and motivated others. And, I believe that if I had told that true story, but changed the character from my daughter to a business associate, it would not have gotten the same attention. Our readers want us to be real with them and not make things up or dumb things down. Be authentic.

#4 Blogging does work for increase. Now this was honestly the most surprising learning point of all. The increase in followers on #Twitter, my Website and Blog traffic and requests for friends on #Facebook, I was not really expecting. In fact, I didn’t have an expectation for this at all. When I started the #30dayblog challenge, I really wanted to go after my own head games and get consistent with blogging. I wanted to see if I could really do it. The cherry on top was that my traffic has increased on all sites, by 10 times as was normal before and the traffic my blogs send to others sites was huge too. I love that part. Increase for me and for those I admire and respect. It makes it a win win for all and that’s a good thing.

As I come toward the finish line, I know I have a couple of blog posts to makeup on one of my sights and I have an inquiry in on two things. One, will I keep blogging daily, and two, how will I keep the momentum going? Those are for later posts I am sure. What I know I am going to do with this new learning right away, is to add a section in my next Tips Booklet for the Professional Woman on the do’s and don’ts of blogging.  I invite you to consider taking on blogging for 30 days too, you might just be surprised at what you get in return.

Coaching Questions:

• What inspires you about blogging or when you read blogs?
• How often do you blog currently? Are you tracking your results?
• What will it take for you to try blogging everyday for a month?

We gave her the option of staying with her current friends and moving up to high school with them or switching to the cross-town rival. To my surprise (and delight,) she picked the option of changing schools.

When we talked things through about the move and ultimately starting high school with few kids she knew, she truly embraced the change. Her thought process and rationale for the switch was better than many of the coaches I work with who try to justify staying with what’s familiar in their business in lieu of change.

The common denominator for the decision point was ‘ready for change.’ While she was very popular in school, had a large circle of friends and even had students from the high school that were looking forward to her coming there, she saw the value in going with the unknown.

What I learned in her place of embracing the unfamiliar, I now see as success strategies that when business leaders, coaches and entrepreneurs embrace them, great things can happen. What have you learned from a teenager lately?

4 Success Strategies from a Teenager:

1. Wanted a New Challenge. While she would have had it ‘made’ in the popularity sense moving up with the same group she grew up with, my daughter wanted to have to work for what was to come. She didn’t want easy, she saw the change as a way of preparing her to head out for college, or for tough transitions later in life. “Mom, if I do this well, it will prepare me for bigger things down the road.” Said my teenager. I wonder if we (looking back as adults) had challenged ourselves like that at 15 would have different lives today?
2. Wanted to have to ‘Try’ to Make It – to Fit In. My daughter knew that she wouldn’t have to work for much in high school with regards to friends and homecoming dates. While for most that would be a welcomed thing, for her it was status quo. That was unappealing, easy was not something that inspired her. I remember her saying, “I want to have to try to fit in, to build new circles of friends, I won’t have to if I don’t move.”
3. Wanted to Meet New People. During middle school, we had some challenges with one of her friends and as a result, needed to draw very strict boundaries around the friendship. That experience shook my daughter pretty deeply, she realized how decision around the people we spend time with can influence how others see us. She felt that it was time to meet new people and develop new relationships. I watched her stretch her comfort zones to meet new people and even stand against others ‘perceptions.’
4. Wanted to Start Fresh. This was her time to leave the old behind and take on new challenges. She saw the change as a way to begin anew and really build the last four years of school to be what she wanted them to be, not what the groups were dictating. I remember how proud I was when I dropped her off for the first day of high school last year. I remember the overwhelming feeling of inspiration at her courage to take on new challenges, even when she didn’t know the outcome in advance.

Starting over or making a fresh start did not intimidate my daughter, it motivated her, and it made me wonder what a difference a tough choice in high school might have made for us as adults?

I continue to be inspired by my  now 16 year old; she is beautiful, confident, compassionate and smarter than I ever was at her age!

Coaching Questions:

1. What challenge have you been waiting to step into? What’s holding you back?
2. When you think about “leaving behind the old” what does that look like?
3. How do you measure whether or not a change is needed in your environment?

An idea came to me to develop a tips booklet for the professional woman. A 52 Exquisite Self-Care tips booklet. My vision was that this booklet would be used on a weekly basis by women who were in need of taking time to get in-touch with…themselves. You know the type. The ones that are high achievers, setting goals and moving at the speed of light through their days. The ladies who are juggling more balls than the best magician while operating moving vehicles? Got the image of a woman like that?  We all know the type and what my heart was wanting and the coaching world was telling me, women needed a tool to learn to slow down and chill out.

Enter 52 Exquisite Self-Care Tips for the Professional Woman, stage left.

Many of the tips I was sharing with business coaching clients everyday. And the feedback that I was getting, especially when I was out speaking to audiences, was that I was really onto something. The idea that women could hang up the Wonder Woman costume and let go of the ‘need for speed’ was refreshing, and yet foreign to many.  Now, what I didn’t realize in this process of writing this little tips booklet, complete with a guide to writing and using affirmations, was the need to get a grip on my own tolerance level while keeping it real!

Let me be clear. “My Own Tolerance Level” was the tolerance I had for my process of proofing, editing, reworking and retouching, before I was ready to flip the switch and print. I had this little idea and it turned into an all-consuming project because why? Well, because I wasn’t honoring Tip #34, While operating a moving female, don’t forget to keep your joy. (Details of tip can be found under the Get Your Moves On section of the tips booklet.) I had left off the key for me in creating new and exciting projects. I got so focused on the minutia that I left out my joy and vision for the project. Simply put, I wasn’t keeping it real, I was spinning in circles with numbers, letters, line spacing, headers and footers.

Now that we are finally at the end of this little project, I am so thankful for the journey! Not only do I have a product that I am excited to release this month, I have the start of the next item in the Catalyst for Transformation toolkit! A new journal and tips booklet for Keeping it Real – How to Avoid the Pitfalls of Perfection (working title.) And for today, I can share 4 steps to keeping it real with you as you too walkout your life.

Step #1: Step back from your situation – taking a breather is always a good thing. And when we are focused on our goal, it can be a difficult step to take. When we become so absorbed in our project or workload, that we only see what is happening with its confines, we become less efficient overall. Taking a step back and giving it a rest, whether for a week or a month, helps to put things back in proper order. It can also

Step #2: Don’t take yourself so seriously – are you laughing at me yet? I chuckle when I reflect on this step to keeping it real. My VA (bless her heart) called me out a few times on things that I was so intent on having in the tips booklet. She was good about keeping me on track with my vision and yet pulling me back in when I got too far out there. The things I was stuck on were mostly around what ‘I thought was best,’ not what my core demographic (my VA) would most benefit from. So when it comes to making changes and keeping it real, watch how others around you are reacting and act accordingly. More often than not, you have elevated yourself and project far above where is best.

Step #3: Ask for help – perhaps the most easy of all the steps in theory, and the most difficult in practice. Especially for women. We are used to being the helpmate, that’s what we were created for too. And, when it comes to asking for insight and clarity from those around us, we just don’t exercise that very well. Asking for help gives you perspective and it gives you a break. It also goes hand in hand with our ability to find rest and success. Try it on for size today.

Step #4: Listen to what is going on around you. Even when things get to feeling like a pressure cooker and we don’t believe we have time to stop, it is important to listen. Your body will tell you volumes of what is happening around you. Check in with your shoulders, are they up to your earlobes? Check in with your hamstrings, are they tight and restricted from sitting at your desk all day? What is your family telling you? Do you get more text messages from them than live, spoken conversations? These are all signs that you have stopped listening to what is happening and your project has taken you hostage. It’s time to course correct and get back to reality.

So, for now – try these tips on for size and check out my tips booklet, you can even pre-order today and I will pay the shipping! And for more tips and strategies on shifting perspective, please visit my blog, Perspective.

My girlfriend gave me a gift for my big 40 last year, it was the news that I was going to have (if my husband was good with it) a little bundle of joy. A puppy of my very own! She said the sweetest thing to me when she gifted the news of the pending birth. These words have stayed with me and will for the rest of my life for sure.  My girlfriend said, “I want to give you the gift that keeps on giving, just like the gift you are to so many.” Wow, what a powerful sentence, it changed my life and perspective.

Now when I picked up my little bundle of joy from the airport last summer, (because she came to me by way of Boston) I didn’t fully understand the meaning of my friends sentiment. For me, friendship is easy. To give is natural and to love is a blessing. What I didn’t see that she clearly got about me was what my little puppy gives me every day. Unconditional happiness for others joy. Little Rory has greeted me from that very first meeting as though I am the most important and special person in the whole wide world. That is what my friend saw that I did for others. My little Rorykins warmly snuggles up in my lap and lavishes me with undivided attention. That is what my friend felt I did for her. This little bundle of energy, comfort and joy in a Shih-Tzu puppy has totally shifted my perspective on the power I am as friend and even coach.

My friendship is a gift to others, I am blessed to give it away and enjoy the joy it brings to others. I cherish that gift and give it to those closest, unconditionally. For my coaching clients, I give to them my undivided attention in each coaching session. My friends get the same attention when we are together. I remove ‘self’ from the equation and focus just on the other person. My little dog treats me the same way! She is attentive and heart centered, just like me. Her love is the gift that keeps on giving. That someone saw me and what I give, the friendship I share in that same light is amazing.

The girlfriend that really got who I was and how I showed up in the world provided a mirror for me to reflect in. She showed me how I was reflecting into the world in a bold and powerful way, without even realizing it. That is what coaches do everyday for their clients.

As little Rory sleeps at my feet while I type this post, I am filled with warmth that she is there for me. As coaches our clients see us in that same way, we are there for them, filled with warmth as we champion for their success. Coaches are the gift that keeps on giving in the lives of so many.

Today I celebrate you as coach. I celebrate you as friend and I celebrate you unconditionally. Embrace the warmth and greet each day with unabashed joy! It will delight and surprise you at the results you produce.

Tonight I went for a walk with my puppy and pondered an inquiry. “What is keeping me pressing in so hard and keeping me from slowing down?”

As I walked and just talked with myself, I realized that my experiences keep me moving and pressing on. They are the very fabric of who I am, how I learn and how I grow. And truth be told, I wouldn’t change it for the world!

The opportunities I have been gifted in my life have been some of the most difficult to overcome, challenging to get beyond and yet delightfully empowering. And I believe the reason for that view point is because I know that there is always a solution and on the other side of it is where opportunity lays.

Yes, it’s my mindset and yes my passion. But what it really is, is a belief down to the core that I am responsible for my joy and happiness. No one else gets the glory for that, just me. When I began to let go of holding others responsible for my joy in life, work and play, I found my golden ticket. I found my opportunity.

So I wonder, what keeps you moving toward opportunity? Is it what truly satisfies you from the inside out?

In the coming weeks I will be writing more about opportunity knocks in life and business. The writings are from experiences with clients that took them through the breakdown to breakthrough. The very element that has opportunity written all over it! I invite you to join me for the conversation. Email your questions and we will talk about them here, at The Coaches Coach Blog.

So as I progressed toward my first phone call of the day at 7:35 am, coffee in hand and comfortably situated on my Exercise Ball at my desk, I was set. And yet, even though all things appeared to finally be in place, I realized something was still missing. Though I couldn’t put my finger on it. First phone call went to voicemail. Second call went to voicemail and oh by the way, these were east and central time zones two and three hours ahead of me, and the calls were scheduled.  As I was jumping in to facebook to sidetrack my frustration (and checking in on my Farmville garden,) I was finding my anxiety level increasing. This morning, this day, was just not starting out to be what I wanted and expected it to be.

While the day progressed, I was reminded via email of this very morning 8 years ago. I remember while in preparation for my days work the morning news stopped me short. The news of the attacks on America, on the Towers and the attacks on the lives of those that were strangers in a timezone different from my own.  I realized this morning that while my day was acting strange and leaving me with high frustration, my day was NOTHING like it was 8 years ago. Not for me. Not for those who lost their lives and Not for the families who were forever changed. Certainly Not for the fabric of our nation. The trivial mishaps that were a mere hiccup for me, were actually becoming welcomed events in my day.

As my afternoon progressed and other things had impact and added challenge in the day. My heart and mind continually wandered to that place of sadness and even to an innocence (if you will) lost. I got to thinking of how it seems we have just moved on from the significant events of 9-11-2001 to something much different today. The flags have been removed from front yards. The street corners where strangers once stood with signs celebrating bravery and freedom are now empty. The sense of community that rang across towns, state lines and boundaries has been replaced with lines drawn on things like Health Care, Choice and Color. What happened in eight short years to the heart of our nation? How is it that we in some way have lost a sense of Truth Telling, Right and Wrong and even a Heart for what’s important? Sadly new lines have been drawn and it seems like we are in a whole new battlefield, on our soil, fighting against ourselves.

When did we as a nation stop taking time to notice what’s important? The passengers on Flight 93 had a clear passion and vision for what was important. The firefighters who risked and lost their lives in the Towers to save another understood what was necessary and important. Those who fled from buildings that were crumbling above them clearly got what was important. We can stand or sit and remember the very people and stories that emerged from the ashes on that day in 2001, the very people who stood on the side of What’s Important, and know their heart motive. But can we see that in people today? Are we taking time today to understand what’s important or are we too busy rushing, pushing, complaining and nagging to notice?

Coaching Q’s:

How do we find time for what’s important today?

When do we stop running, pushing and yelling and start listening and honoring?

If we have stopped taking time to notice, how will we find time for what’s important?