"I want to
thank you for sending
your wisdom to me for a
year.
It has been valuable. You write like a friend
and I always look forward to it. I have used
your thoughts to clarify my thinking and to
inspire me. The days when things weren't going
so well, your e-mail would lift my spirits. I
have passed your messages on to others as many
probably do. That way, your positive influence
grows."
"Sometimes
when I talk about "my coach," people are
puzzled. Why would a coach need a coach? A coach
needs a coach so she can be the best that she
can be. But also so she can stay out of the way
of her clients' progress. John has been my coach
for the last three years, and I honestly cannot
imagine what my world would look like now had I
not been coached by him. He creates a safe space
within which a person can sort out what's
happening, discover what's important while
helping his client become aware of when
strengths are being overused. I thank you John,
and because of your work with me, I can stay
ready, able and willing to bring value to my
clients."
"John, I want
to thank you for helping me get focused. I feel
like I'm getting a clearer sense of what my
"glass" looks like every day. And as I make my
daily choices, things seem to flow - I'm
experiencing being in the "flow" which to me
means that I'm aligned with the universe in the
way that I need to be. It is a moment-by-moment
choice to stay focused and connected with the
power of the universe. And I notice/receive
signs when I forget to focus...and then as soon
as I'm back on track the magic begins again and
all of a sudden I have time to get the things
done that I want to get done. It is truly
amazing!
I've said all
this to say, I think I'm where I needed to get
to with our coaching sessions. I was in a
scattered place and now I feel focused and
centered. The key things you shared with me that
helped were - I don't have to be a superwoman
and do it all, I need to define my special life
purpose that only I can fulfill (glass) and fill
it with meaningful activities, pour my life into
that purpose, make my choices based on my life
purpose; also the profile has become more
helpful as I've had a chance to reflect on it
and observe my behaviors; and I must say the
weekly sessions gave a sort of discipline to
studying/reading/reflecting/writing to get in
tune with myself, which I normally would not
have made the time for."
"John, Just a
quick note to say thank you again for all your
help in understanding more about myself. I have
landed a job at an air freight forwarder. This
is the same business that I was in before with
some differences. I am in marketing currently,
with a focus towards managing the future
expansion of the department. I used all the
skills we discussed during our meetings to
express how I can effectively do the
job.
I would like
the opportunity to continue to meet with you,
your help has been invaluable. I will talk to
you soon. Thanks Again"
"John: I
interviewed with _____________ this morning and
think it went well. They said I should know
something in a week or two. You have been very
kind, a great resource and have given me a lot
to think about as my life moves forward."
"Hi John, I
was thinking of you the other day, then I got
this e-mail from you. I wanted to give you an
update on my book. If you recall, I had a strong
outlline and had begun some of the preliminary
work. I had put my tips into chapters-a chapter
for each month of the year. I put it aside
because I felt my pictures were too amateurish,
I'm not saying anything new, can't afford to
publish it, who would read it? Blah, blah,
blah!
About a month
ago, one of my artist friends called me on it.
When are you going to do your book? I took my
preliminary stuff to the next watercolor group
get-together and showed my work to them. They
love it and have all sorts of wonderful
suggestions. I feel like I'm surrounded by
consultants. I decided to really honker down on
my book. The intro and the first two months are
done. I am working on getting my art work into
digital format and hope to have it camera ready
before the end of the year. This is doable. I
thought you might be interested in finding out
what had grown from the seeds that you had
planted! Thank you for your support."
"Hi John, We
have made some major life decisions. That means,
I am putting my training and consulting business
on hold. More important, my husband and I are on
the same wavelength, instead of going in
opposite directions. We've completed one joint
project and are busy investigating
possibilities.
You helped me
focus with your tough questions. I needed that.
It has been a struggle for me since leaving
employment where I didn't have to think, just
do. Answering your questions led to more
questions. Just how do I want to spend the rest
of my life? Thanks for your help."
"I have come
to learn that to cancel a coaching session is to
lose energy for a week and to lose focus. My
coaching sessions are a way of clearing out any
feelings or uncertainties in my week. They are a
way of moving any negative energy from within me
as talking out loud helps how I am feeling and
where I am at and to stay present.
I often hear
myself telling my coach that it’s painful
sometimes to have to be brutally honest with
myself and as he always explains, it’s best
to be honest with your coach as they are a sound
board for you. Let’s think about this
concept for a moment. If I didn’t have a
coach then this conversation would be going on
internally, with my inner self talk. As we all
know inner self talk goes round and round and
doesn’t actually go anywhere except in a
negative energy field. It spirals down into a
conversation of justifying and explaining why I
shouldn’t do something. Controlling our
inner self talk takes great skill.
Thus is the
purpose of a coach. It is a conversation that is
directed outwards and when we hear ourselves
speak we gain clarity as to where we are going
and what we are thinking and feeling. My coach
asks me questions that get me to explore depths
to my thoughts and to my feelings. He allows me
a safe and supportive space to test ideas and
thoughts.
In the last 12
months I have achieved more things than I have
ever achieved through regular, decisive
coaching. To not have coaching feels like not
eating or nurturing myself. Its just not
possible."
