1. Nobody in audience had heard of coaching.

Our work is cut out for us!

2. People are eager for personal growth and enrichment. Even on a cruise vacation!

What could possibly entice people away from a pina colada by pool? The chance to understand themselves better and find ways to make their lives work!

3. We learn best when it's active learning.

Quizzes, interactive exercises, games and prizes never lose their appeal and are solid teaching devices. Give your audiences plenty of opportunity to tell their stories to others, meet new people, put pen to paper, put into practice what you've just told them, and have fun and they'll learn more -- which is your purpose, after all.

4. It's worth getting up at 5 a.m. to watch day break.

The breaking away of darkness is even more spectacular than rising of sun. And isn't this what we do in coaching? Break up darkness so our clients can rise like sun and shine? What a great profession!

5. Word-of-mouth works.

“You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do except limitations of your own mind.” Darwin P. Kingsley

I woke up for third morning in a row with my mind racing at lightening speed. I was obsessively evaluating everything that was not working in my life. My mind was out of control. If I could just generate more income… if my teenage daughter would come out of her bedroom and finally do something… If my husband would free up some quality time for me... On and on my mind flew relentlessly reviewing one problem after another sinking me into a darker and darker mood.

I knew I needed to change energy. I was drowning in it. Leaving my house for a power walk I headed for a nearby pond in woods. I gravitate to this pond when I am in need of reflection or wanting to find my center after a particularly stressful time.

I climbed out onto my favorite rock that juts over water and catches first rays of summer sun. I settled myself and began to breathe in tranquility of natural setting. Suddenly I noticed hundreds of dragonflies flying over pond, all around my rock and in and amongst trees. What a breath taking sight. The iridescent color of their beating wings flitting all around me captivated my attention.

I remembered what I learned about dragonflies from Jamie Sams author of “Medicine Cards”. The idea of “medicine animals” carries suggestion that animals provide a “teaching” offered as a gift for people. Sams writes,” Dragonfly medicine is of dreamtime and illusionary facade we accept as reality”. She suggests, ”On psychological level, it may help to breakdown illusions you have that restrict your actions or ideas”.

These amazing creatures had offered me a powerful gift of awareness. I realized that “illusions” I was filling my mind with were source of my stress and internal pain.

I headed back home with excitement and a resolve to take a fresh look at what was bothering me. I began to reexamine “problems” I was convinced I was having. I thought about what facts were versus my feelings about facts.