Believe in Miracles and Take Action!

They say anything is possible if you believe, but what is faith or belief if it isn’t taking action? What if there were actions you could take that could make your dreams much more likely to come true? Well there really are! You can help bring amazing things into your life with your own abilities. Be open to every possibility, believe for the miraculous and take action!

Where to start:

1. Be clear regarding your intentions. Do you know precisely what you want to happen? It’s not enough to hope for a financial windfall. Give your desire specificity and a timeline.

• If you are vague, you may still get what you are asking for, but maybe when you said you wanted a raise, the .50 cents an hour you got wasn’t what you had in mind. That’s exactly what you might get if you fail to specify a dollar amount. Regardless of the type of miracle you seek, be specific! I want adopt 2 children this year. I want to transition to doing 50% of my work from home in the next 6 months. I want to increase my take home pay by $500 this month.
• If you don’t want to limit yourself with a specific intention, you can always put “or better” or “or more” at the end of your intention, like “…$10,000 or better this year, lose 10 pounds or more this month, get this particular promotion or something better.”
  

2. Rid yourself of disbelief. Your dreams won’t come to pass if you don’t believe they can happen. When you believe something is possible, you become more capable and more likely to take action. If you can visualize success you can put yourself in position to receive what you are believing for.

• Each morning and evening, imagine your desire occurring. Relax and stay with the image until you feel comfortable. Build your own faith and belief that it can happen.

3. Forget about “how” your dream will happen, and be open to any process that allows your dream to occur. Avoid specifying how your miracle will occur and just allow it to happen.
4. Relax and pay attention. If you’re hoping for the man of your dreams to come into your life, it’s unlikely that he’s going to knock on your door and present himself, though he might. Instead, you will be presented with opportunities to meet the man of your dreams.

• Keep your eyes open for any signs or opportunities. Accept that party invitation or finally decide to join that yoga class you’ve been considering for the last six months. Join the dating site highlighted in the email that shows up in your inbox each week.
• The raw materials you need to make your miracle happen are all around you. Are you paying attention adequately? 

5. Expect the best. It’s not enough to believe that something wonderful might happen. It’s necessary to expect it to happen. Start each day with the expectation that today is the day. Keep your head up and something great will happen soon enough.
6. Be patient. Most days won’t be the day your miracle occurs. Maintain hope and be confident that your miracle is on the way. Great things take time. Be patient.
7. Take responsibility. Are you doing all you can? Miracles tend to happen when you’re holding up your end of the bargain. For example, you have a better chance of landing a dream job if you’re applying for jobs each day. Ask yourself what are 5 things I can do today to reach my goal? Avoid relying only on luck for your miracle to happen.

Remember that you’ve already accomplished many amazing things in your life. Be clear regarding your expectations and be confident that your miracle will happen. Keep your mind open while you live your life expectantly. Miracles happen every day, and they can happen to you.

Finishing Strong in 2016

As with all professional coaches, Recovery Coaches daily face the challenge of how to market their services and attract clients who need what they have to offer. The term “Recovery Coaching” may be a good general place to start, but what are the nuts and bolts of what you really have to offer as a Recovery Coach? There are any number of addiction or codependency related issues that individuals may need help with – some of which they are not aware of the root cause. Whatever those issues are, they need a coach who can say “here is how I can help you break through limiting beliefs or patterns” or here are the types of things I can deliver as a coach.

In this ICF Blog post, Brian Hilliard shares his expertise on growing your brand and your coaching practice so that you finish strong this year and set yourself up for next year’s growth.

With the kids back in the school and Labor Day in the rearview mirror, it’s time to buckle down and really get serious about branding and growing your coaching practice during the last few months of the year.

Because make no mistake about it: What you do now will set the foundation for the results you’ll get (or won’t get) in 2016 and beyond.

So let’s take a look at a couple of branding actions you can do today that can help finish the year up strong. Read more

Professional Recovery Coaches have specialized training to recognize the unique challenges of individuals who have struggled with addictive behavior or those committed to sober living. For more information on our specialized training programs visit http://ift.tt/1AwZyYw .

10 Happy Habits

The happiest people have habits that raise the odds of feeling happy. Unhappy people have habits that result in less desirable feelings. It can be that simple. If you’re not as happy as you’d like, take a look at your habits.

If we know what habits happy people tend to have, why not try adopting some? It could yield positive results.

1. Optimism. Obviously, if you believe good things will happen, it’s much more likely that you’ll be happy. Expecting the worst does nothing to improve your mood! Realistically, it’s not even important to expect a positive outcome (although that doesn’t hurt), only to believe that everything will be okay. Optimism is also a form of belief in yourself. If you believe that you can handle any outcome, you can be optimistic and have the mental freedom to be happy.

2. Altruism. Doing things for others provides multiple benefits. You can see firsthand that you have a lot to be grateful for. You can feel good about yourself for assisting others. You have a good reason to get out of the house. You also feel useful. Make a list of at least three ways you can help others and make room in your schedule to do them.

3. Gratitude. Do you realize how many great things and people you already have in your life? By maintaining focus on the things you don’t have, you’re making yourself unhappy. Experiencing gratitude helps to create feelings of happiness and contentment.

4. Create an exciting future. Maximum happiness requires that you have something to look forward to. It can be graduating from college, having a baby, retirement, a vacation, or a hot date on Saturday night. Have a few goals that give you a reason to be excited. Have goals that are both short-term and long-term.

5. Success. Spend some time doing things that you’re good at. It feels good to do well at something. It doesn’t have to be a competitive event. You can hit golf balls at the range or play the guitar and feel great about yourself. Make a list of the things you excel at and try to spend at least a little time each day doing one of them.

6. Resilience. It’s impossible to avoid challenging times. Sooner or later, something will happen that threatens your progress, success, or happiness. Resilience is the ability to continue forging ahead. Some people have a knack for making obstacles seem bigger than they really are. Others are able to maintain their composure and continue making progress.

7. Forgiveness. How can you be happy while holding a grudge? Forgiving others quickly and easily make happiness possible. You might feel that some people don’t deserve forgiveness, and maybe they don’t, but holding that thing over them only keeps you emotionally snagged. Free yourself, be gracious and let it go.

8. Authenticity. It’s hard to be happy and at ease when you are not comfortable being yourself. Being guarded with others consumes a lot of energy. Why not let your guard down a little and let your uniqueness show? You might be surprised at how others respond, and you might find that being yourself is easier and more enjoyable than playing to others expectations or to your own fears about not being accepted. Accept yourself, love yourself, and be yourself.

9. Presence. Focusing too much on the past leads to regret. Focusing only on the future can lead to anxiety. Both scenarios cause you to miss out on enjoying right now! Acknowledge your past, plan for the future and stay in the present if you want to live a happy life.

10. Self Care. Taking care of yourself and making that a priority doesn’t mean you are selfish. It’s hard to help or care for others when you are not taken care of yourself. Ensuring you get the things you need to feel good and be healthy will add to your overall sense of happiness. Rest, exercise, good nutrition and down time are all part of a healthy self-care plan.

There’s nothing complicated about happiness. Forgive others, be yourself, care for yourself, give of yourself, and be grateful for the things and people you already have. Now those are some happy habits.

Conflicted About Conflict?

Confrontation can be uncomfortable. Most of us were raised with the idea that we shouldn’t upset others. Confrontation has a negative connotation, but it shouldn’t. It doesn’t have to be negative, hostile or upsetting. Confrontation is addressing a behavior you don’t like with the intention of finding a resolution.

If you’ve made a habit in your life of avoiding confrontation, review the tips below and begin to take action on some of those things that you know are hindering progress. Confronting issues in a positive manner is the healthiest way forward for everyone involved.

Handle confrontation maturely and calmly with these ideas:

1. Understand that most “confrontations” aren’t confrontations at all. Sometimes we are simply afraid of sharing our own opinion. That’s not a confrontation. You have just as much right to your opinion as anyone else and have every right to share it in most circumstances. Sharing ideas isn’t confrontation.
2. Understand what’s bothering you. Do you really have a reason to be bothered or are your expectations unreasonable? Everyone is unreasonable at times. Perhaps it’s just your turn. Ask a friend for his opinion if you’re uncertain.
3. Determine the desired outcome. What would you like to see happen? Be specific and ask yourself if that’s a reasonable expectation. Be positive. Know what you want, not just what you wish to avoid.
4. Be prepared. When you’re confronting someone, trying to handle the situation spontaneously isn’t ideal. Take the time you need to prepare, and if possible think of what you need to say and how you should say it. Your tone is important.
5. Take control of the situation. Be the first to address the situation. You have more control and can set the tone for the remainder of the encounter. Be calm, cool, and collected, and the other person is likely to follow suit. If you’re hostile, expect hostility in return.
6. Ask questions. Ensure that you fully understand the situation before making any requests. You may misunderstand the current situation. Maybe there’s no need for a confrontation at all.
7. Stick to the facts. When you stray from the facts, you’re viewed as reaching. If you can’t make a legitimate claim with the facts you possess, more research is necessary.
8. Let the other person know what you want, rather than request they cease a behavior. “I want you to arrive to work on time” instead of “I want you to stop being late.” Keep your request in a positive form. Avoid feeling anxious about your request. It’s just a request.
9. Address behavior, but avoid assuming you know the motives of the other person. “When you’re late, I feel like you don’t care” is more effective than “I know you’re always late because you don’t care about this project.” You don’t know what the other person is thinking until you’re told. Making assumptions puts others on the offensive.
10. Stay calm. Good things can happen when you remain calm. Any escalation in emotion will create more drama. Avoid taking anything personally. Share your opinion and let your request be known. Stay calm even if the other person becomes angry.

Confrontation can be positive. Confrontation provides an opportunity to improve the current situation. It’s normal to be anxious at the prospect of confronting another person, but avoid letting that stop you from sticking up for yourself. You’re entitled to your opinion. Learn to share it effectively.

What Do Your Clients Really Need?

Learning how to “sell” yourself as a coach is an important skill, but it isn’t always effective in gaining new clients. The key is finding out what potential client need, and communicating to them how you are a resource in helping them meet that need. Emma-Louise Elsey, a professional coach and former project/relationship manager to fortune 500 companies, provides some tips in this Coaching Federation article:

One of the biggest struggles coaches face is getting clients.

It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of trying to TELL or SELL coaching instead of asking questions to help your prospects understand what they’re looking for—and then letting them sell coaching to themselves!

Here are 7 Coach-like Steps to Turn Your Prospects into Clients: Read More

For top notch Professional Recovery Coach training, review our program offerings here: http://ift.tt/1AwZyYw