Let's Me Introduce You to The Coaching Professor

Hello, dear friend and colleague! 

I wanted to introduce you to my new friend and social media project, The Coaching Professor.

You know I love coaching and truly believe having coaching skills changes how I....we....all show up in the world for the better.  The issue with traditional coach training is it is expensive.  Most ICF-accredited coach training programs cost $12K or higher, except my college's coach training program (which is affordable and experiential, high-quality and life-changing).  If we are going to change the world via coaching, there must be more places to learn these skills.

That's where my new social media project comes in.  Join me on Instagram and TikTok to learn micro-coaching lessons, the same lessons I teach my college coaching students. Learn anytime. Watch as many videos as you like as many times as you like. Start showing up more coachlike in your work and life.

I'll see you over there to connect and deepen coaching skills together!

With immense enthusiasm,

Jen

Text Blaze for Tech Tuesday

Remember when I used to blog every Tuesday and share a favorite tech tool?  Well, I'm back!  Or at least, I am back today with a tech tool I am l-o-v-i-n-g!  Plus, here's a sneak peak of my new home office.  We call my office space the Jen Den.  It's a mix of color (to inspire me) and natural tones (to calm me down).

Today's tech sensation is a Chrome extension which means you have to use the Chrome browser to enjoy it. If you are new to extensions, Chrome extensions are like mini-apps built into Chrome. I appreciate all the extensions I've downloaded so far via Chrome (eg: Text Blaze, Pinterest, and Rakuten - to name a few).  

Today's tool, Text Blaze, is a Chrome extension tool that you can use to quickly insert a snippet of text when you are using any web-based program (like email, Facebook, grading within an online course, etc.).  It's for those times where you find yourself repeating your typing over and over again and you want a snippet of pre-written text to insert instead.

Teachers, you will love this tool for giving feedback to students.  Everyone else, you will appreciate this tool, too. Here's how I use it....

I have a lot of people contact me at work about my college's coach training program.  I now have a snippet I use to answer them back.  I simply type /cto (which for me stands for "Coach Training Offerings" and with just those four keystrokes the following snippet/message appears in the email I am composing: 

Thank you for reaching out. Right now, our spring 2021 coaching courses are full; they filled up in under a week. We do plan to begin our coaching course series again this summer 2021 and fall 2021. If you mark your calendar and email me (say in mid-March), I can share the upcoming dates/times with you.

If you have more questions, please let me know.

Best,

Jen

See how easy that is!  Four keystrokes and I get that entire snippet of text above.  Since I write this standard email reply many times a week, Text Blaze is saving me time and brain power.

Here's another example.  With coaching clients, I often follow-up by email after a coaching session.  Here's the snippet I use for that.  I simply type /csfu (which for me stands for Coaching Session Follow-up) and the following snippet appears:

Hello - As promised, I wanted to follow-up with you after our coaching session. Based on our session....

What updates can you share?

What are you noticing?

What are you learning?

Curious,

Jen

See how easy that is!  Four keystrokes and my message is composed!

Go check out Text Blaze and see what you think.  A lovely colleague shared this tool with me.  The free version gives you up to 20 snippets that you can change as you need them.

Happy Tech Tuesday!

With love from the Jen Den,

Jen

Why we are closing our business - Hello Strategies

As some of you know, Jackie and I are closing our business, Hello Strategies, at the end of 2020.  Why, you ask?  Let me explain....

Five years ago, when we started our business, I (we) had a desire to make products we didn't think existed at the level that we wanted them to and share the products with others.  Jackie and I are both educators (and train teachers for a living), so we wanted to serve the people we care deeply about - current and future teachers.  We also are both trained coaches, so our products reflect our deep love of coaching, too.

Now, fast forward five years. We've sold hundreds of decks of our question/coaching/leadership cards.  We've spread joy and surprise by selling almost 2,000 You are Awesome wooden nickels. Our ebook has been downloaded close to 1,000 times (maybe more...).  What we set out to do - create products, share with others and live our core values deeply - done, done, and done.

What you focus on grows (J. Kelm quote).  Neither Jackie nor I want to prioritize Hello Strategies in this new age + stage of our lives.   It's time to thank her for her service and let 'er go.

In efforts to let her go, everything in our Etsy storefront is 50% with free shipping.  We have enjoyed serving you and others and now, help us find forever homes for the last of our You are Awesome nickels, decks of cards and our teaching strategies ebook.

December 31st at midnight, doors close....for good.

It's been a fun, creative ride. Thank you for letting us serve you!

Jen

Dream Queue - An interview with myself

If you are new to this blog, here's something you need to know about me.  I generally have a Dream Queue.  

Depending on what's in the queue or what's going on in my life, that Dream Queue is either moving along at a lovely clip or pace or man, that queue is stuck.  Recently, my Dream Queue was totally stuck.  So, let's interview myself, shall we? 

.....By the way, if you have ever wondered what (life) coaching is like, this interview is what coaching is like.  A lot of thought-provoking, honest questions and not the coach giving advice.  Let's go to my inner self interview...

Hey Jen, what's a Dream Queue?

A Dream Queue is the place inside me where all of my dreams and big ideas go to wait for their turn.

Why do you capitalize Dream Queue?

Because it feels like it's a proper noun and deserves the attention and recognition.

What makes the queue stuck? (Hmmm...notice the lowercase....)

Great question!  What makes my Dream Queue stuck is time (or feeling like I have lack of time). Or that work projects or classes I am teaching need my full attention and that I don't have space for dreams-into-action.  Also, malaise and fear of the unknown.

What gets the queue unstuck?

Writing about it like I'm doing now.  Coaching.  I recently got coached on my Dream Queue and finally have some answers.

What are the answers?

The answers are that some dreams need to wait their turn.  Some dreams are more time sensitive. Some dreams require me to collaborate with others (which leads to some stuckness....who do I want to collaborate with right now? Not everyone floats my boat).  Some dreams ignite fear within me like "Will the time spent on this dream pay off?  Will my return on effort pay off?"

When you say "pay off" do you mean money?

Not necessarily.  Some dreams and ideas could generate extra income, but many dreams just generate joy - which to me is as important as real dollars.  Actually, now that I am typing this...I think both are true.  I like real money and joy.

So, what's holding you back, Jen?

Great question.  What's holding me back is feeling like I have to get XYZ done before I begin moving my dreams through the queue.  

What's true?

What's true is that yes, I do have some things that need to get done in life (like work, prepping for next semester, making sure my holiday shopping is complete, etc.) AND, in reality, those are excuses for letting my dreams sit in the queue for too long.  What you focus on grows is one of my favorite quotes.  I've been focusing on distractions and small wins.  AND afraid to put forth effort into bigger, dreamier projects that may - in the short term - not feel like they are paying off.

What's next knowing this?

I am just realizing something....I need more small, micro wins.  I crave more micro wins. Some of my Dream Queue ideas are so big that it feels like 6-12 months before I could see them paying off.  The fear inside me doesn't want to wait so long to see "if" a dream is going to take off, workout, or generate joy or extra income.  What I am also realizing is I need to take my big dreams and break them up into smaller chunks.  Then, tackle one chunk at a time.

Jen, why are you shaking your head?

I'm shaking my head because I missed this!  I missed that one, big dream is really just an accumulation of small, small steps.  

What do you want to commit to, Jen?

I want to commit to taking one of my dreams out of the queue and making a list of all the small steps - small wins - I need to accomplish to make that dream come completely alive. Then, I will start taking a step one after another.

Jen, how will we know you've done that?

I'll report back here.

💜

With new insight and apparently a dream about to become queue-less,

Jen

Gift Guide - Jen's Favorites

Y'all, this pandemic, I've been one consistent user and wearer of certain items.  Here are my favorites in case you need last minute gifts for others or yourself.  

Favorite joggers.  The fabric is so darn soft and they run true to size.  I love the camo print. Bonus:  Miss O loves their leggings.  Both look like Lulu knock-offs for ¼ of the price.

Be Hippy beanie.  I'm obsessed with this hat.  It's so cheerful and warm.

Leopard printed slippers.  I am on my third pair of these for the pandemic.  My feet love them.

Faux bun.  Because sometimes on Zoom you need a quick, last minute up-do!  And for $8, why not?

Winter jacket.  This REI quilted jacket is my absolute go-to.  It packs up super small, so post-pandemic we can all bring it on trips with us.

Running shoes.  Are you like me and walking (and jogging) a ton?  Brooks are my fav.  This model is my favorite, too.

Charcoal bags.  Being at home all the time, I find myself wanting our place to smell fresh and clean.  These bags help.  I hang 'em in all of our closets.  You are supposed to be able to recharge the bags in the sun every 1-2 months.

Coaching cards.  I use these powerful question cards to coach others and self-coach.  Right now, everything on Hello Strategies is half-off with free shipping!

Happy shopping, friends!

Jen

Year in Review 2020 Activity + Download

Hello, dear friends during a pandemic!  I'll write more soon and in the meantime, if you'd like a lovely tool to bring 2020 to a close and think ahead for 2021, here you go.

This is the same tool I use with coaching clients; you get to use it for free!  Enjoy the download here and feel free to direct others to Upcycled Education so they can download it, too.

I have a few more blog posts in the hopper.  More soon!

xo,

Jen

Last call and Life Updated

It's been a while since I did a Life Updated post.  Here it goes....

• I am celebrating that my entire course load at AACC this year has been coaching courses.  Pinch me.  
• If you are local, we are going to offer our coaching course series this summer (specifically to educators) and this fall (open to the public), so email me if you want to know more.  Our courses do require 20 hours of face-to-face instruction, so you have to be in person for those hours.
• Though Mr. UpCyclist isn't in any of the photos above, do know he is working hard on his Ph.D. dissertation and (fingers crossed) will graduate before the end of 2020!  Woot, woot! I am so proud of his hard work.
• Miss O has her first job (besides babysitting). She is umpiring field hockey games.  I think I am the only person at tournaments who is cheering for the umpire and not a team.  Ha!  I love that kid...I mean, teen.
• Jedi, the dog, says "Hi!" Why is he so cute? I swear that dog was put into my life to keep me exercising and to have more joy. Thank you, Jedi!  It's working.
• This summer:   Miss O and I usually go to sleep-away camp in NC for three weeks. This year, we want to try something differently.  Have any suggestions for us?  Please plant any seeds or ideas you have!  Travel, a cool class, interesting experience....anything.
• My mom is out of the hospital recovering from surgery and will go back in about a month to determine the next steps for her cancer treatment.  Please keep sending her all the good vibes and prayers you have.
• And.....

Last call:  The Life Tune-up kicks off tomorrow, Feb. 17th, 2020!  You can still join us.  Register here.  Read about the tune-up here.  And use this code for a discounted price:  earlybird (case sensitive)

Because, why not join me?  It will be fun to virtually hang-out together and tune-up our lives.

Cheers, dear friends,

Jen

New App - A Passion Project

Without further ado, I'd like to welcome you to my newest passion project, Life Tune-up!

Here's my problem.  I always want to care for myself, but I don't always make the time to do so.  That means, everything gets done for everyone else and everything else and then, I'm too exhausted to focus on me.   I'm like a car needing a tune-up, but I keep putting it off and the mileage just keeps accumulating.

Solution:  I need a Life Tune-Up.  So, I created one.  And since I already don't have enough time, I made sure this tune-up is super time friendly.

Why is this important?  Because, "You can't pour from an empty cup."   You.  Me.  All of us.  It's time to thoughtfully fill-up our cups and then, go conquer the world (get stuff done, be fantastic parents, family members, colleagues...).  Follow our dreams.  Self-care.  And not feel depleted.

Details:  I've created a 21-day experience (called a "challenge") through the Obii app where you and I (plus, whomever wants to join us) will take 21-days to tune up our lives in a meaningful, coachy, and time-effective way.  Each day during the three week challenge, your phone/tablet will deliver new content right to you via the Obii app.  Your job each day is to watch the 1-5 minute video I made for you (and yes, it's me in the video - the gift of gab).   Take whatever you learn from that day's video and reflect on it in a downloadable journal I created.  There's a chance each day to share your biggest takeaways in our community - all via the Obii app. The app is pretty to look at, easy to use and fun.

Dates:  The dates for the upcoming challenge are May 4th-25th.

UPDATE: The Life Tune-up will begin June 8th.  Use the info below to register....

Code:  earlybirdsummer
Link to registerhttps://app.obii.io/store?p=245

Want to join me?  Check in with yourself and see if you need (or maybe just want) a Life Tune-up.  I would love to virtually hang out with you while we self-care together.  Here is the link to registerhttps://app.obii.io/store?p=245.  Use this code for a discounted rate:  earlybirdsummer

And in case there is some little voice inside of you telling you differently, you are worth this - the time, the money, the self-care, the abundance, the everything!

Yep, you are -

Jen


PS - Life Tune-Up will take 5-10 minutes a day for three weeks in a row.  That's it!  And, it might be shorter some days and on one day longer as I have an interesting activity planned for us that is about 15 minutes that one day.

Holiday Season Bucket List Printable

Recently, I had some coaching on making this holiday season more special as sometimes the holidays can be stressful and un-fun.  Part of my coaching homework was to create a Holiday Bucket List.

Aside: Did you know coaching often includes some type of homework or accountability?  I mean, what's the point of working with a coach if you aren't committed to grow?

In efforts to fan the fun fire, I created a Holiday Bucket List printable.  Get yours here.  Right now, my Holiday Bucket List includes:

• Visiting Old Ellicott City (photos are above); it's so charming there
• Going to Homestead Gardens (Davidsonville location) at night; they wrap the trees in these gorgeous lights and my eyes and soul are so happy!
• Eating at Hot Pot Hero; Miss O hasn't been yet; it's like an Asian Melting Pot
• Checking out Georgetown Glow; we went last year and loved it.  Be ready to walk a few miles if you go!  Last year, we ate at this restaurant and the vibe of the restaurant was incredible (the food was OK).  Plus, scroll through the photos because the bathroom is CRAZY.
• Take a family hike

Mr. UpCyclist clearly doesn't understand the Bucket List mentality as he added "clean cars" and "clean house" to the list.  Crazy husband!  Of course, I crossed those off immediately.

What's on your bucket list for this holiday season?  

Curious and excited,

Jen

Year in Review Activity

A lovely, coachy way to wrap up 2019 and move into 2020 is with the Year in Review Activity.  See what you think here and why not share it with your family, friends, and colleagues?  And, while you are at it, add your frenemies to the list, too.  We need them to be cheerier and do some reflecting!

Ha!

With December love,

Jen

Need You + These People

Y'all, I'm doing some market research as I am possibly teaming up with a neat app company to run a "dream into action" experience (for folks who want to move a dream forward from their dream queue). Help me by answering this quick survey and sharing this blog post with your friends, family, other curious souls, and colleagues. I aiming for lots of ideas, feedback and market research - don't I sound like a fancy, business person?

Here is the link in spelled-out version if you want to kick it old-school: https://obii.typeform.com/to/VFZztJ

And, you see these people above? These are coaches at AACC (my college) and beyond. They make my heart melt and my soul dance.

Thanks for the help with the quick survey!

Information is bliss,

Jen

Oh, the Hurdles of Fall

Hello blog readers - Happy fall! Even though I totally planned for fall this year.  I recorded a pep talk velfie (video selfie).  And, I know fall is historically my hardest season of the entire year, the hurdles of fall still found me!  After a coaching season with one of my college's new coaches*, I created this graphic to show fall's hurdles in a new, fresh, more delightful way.

Yes, fall brings professional and personal hurdles for me AND it also brings joy, optimism, and growth.

So, on my self-designed hurdle now includes....

Grass = growth
Music = joy
You got this = optimism
Pretty decorations on my hurdle = because why not?

If life is going to force me to jump hurdles this fall (or try to go around them - which by the way, hardly works for me), then why not make those hurdles lovely and cheerful?

What hurdles are you facing right now?  What's supporting you as you face them?

Curious,
Jen

* Y'all, coaching at my college is growing!  See what we are up to here.  We now have over 120 coaches on campus and are training K-12 educators and community members, too. 

Year in Review Activity

If you are like me and like to wrap-up the year with a review, see below for an activity I riffed on from this post.  I think it's a great way to celebrate and/or bring closure to 2018 while thinking gently ahead to 2019.

Download the template here; Share with your circle of friends, family and colleagues.

xo,

Jen

10 Things Update

Hello, dear friends.  What's going on in your neck of the woods?  It's been a while since we connected, yes?  I'm curious. What have you been up to?


1.  I'm addicted to Peanut Butter Powder.  I bake with it, lace pancakes with it, and sprinkle it onto plain yogurt.  It is sooooo delicious if you like peanut butter and has much less fat since the fat is pressed out of the peanuts.  I hear it is also great in smoothies.

2.  See those mala beads in the photo above?  A dear, camp friend made them for me this summer and I love 'em.  I never used to like long necklaces; now, I do!  I'm going to experiment with making my own long necklaces since I have stockpiled so many beads over the years.  Wish me luck.

3. With slightly cooler temps in Maryland right now, I must say, I'm excited for long sleeve shirts, cozy pullovers, and for the first time ever, I'm buying myself black, tall boots.  I know, I know....some of you can't believe I don't own a pair yet.  My neighbor who likes fashion told me, every woman is entitled to several pairs of tall boots.  You don't own any, Jen?!  I love that my neighbor used the word entitled.  Like tall boots is a natural born right.

4. What are your binge watching recommendations?  Mr. UpCyclist and I have now binged:  Downton Abbey, The Crown, Jack Ryan, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.  I must say, I am waiting over here in bated breath for the Downton Abbey movie that is being released Fall 2019.

5.  I still use paper calendars/planners.  This is my current one.

6.  My favorite social media platform is by far Instagram.  I follow very few people and this one is probably one of my favorites as she is such a super creative mom and her adoptive daughter, Nova, is flipping adorable.  Plus, I've learned so much about albinism, which I didn't even realize I had curiosities about until their adoption of Nova.

7. Our family wants to take a spring break trip somewhere international in 2019.  So far, we've been to Lisbon, Portugal and London, England - both areas of the world we loved.  Got any recs?  Please message me if you do or leave any suggestions in the comments below.  If Miss O had her way, we'd head to Greece.  I'm unsure what the weather is like for Greece in March.

8.  I just remembered...the first long necklace I might try to create might look something like this or at least I'm inspired by this look.

9.  I'm experimenting with an idea that has been on my mind for about two years now.  What's fun about it is I'm getting to explore different technologies while I decide how to make that idea-dream into a reality.  So far, I've experimented with Facebook private groups, Livestreams, and Eventbrite.  I love learning new things, don't you?

10.  Speaking of learning new things, I've been taking the Undefeated Kickboxing class on Daily Burn for a month now.  You should see me in our basement. I'm a sweaty mess in just 30 minutes (thank goodness their classes are nice and short like that; maximum sweat in a short amount of time) If you want to try Daily Burn for a month free, use this link.  I think I even earn a month free, too!

What have you been up to lately?

Cheers,
Jen

Best Places to Find Research on Coaching

Before I share the top places to find research on the impact and benefits of coaching, let us enjoy what I believe could be the movie poster for an action-thriller starring Miss O and I taken here.  Or perhaps, we look too smiley and friendly.  What do you think?

I am asked frequently about the science and research surrounding coaching. Years ago, I don't think I could have said, "There is so much research and scientific discoveries out there touting the benefits and impact of coaching."  Alas, I can now.  There really is so much.

If you like data, hard core studies, dissertations, and case studies, please enjoy the following:

• Harvard's Institute of Coaching - They especially do a great job of sharing the neuro-effects of coaching on performance, engagement, and productivity.  And, it's Harvard.
• The International Coach Federation (ICF)- Besides being the gold standard in coaching and the largest accreditation body for coaches and coaching programs, ICF maintains a ginormous database of research.  You will feel like you hit the motherlode of coaching research here.
• Case Studies and Award Winning Programs - The Prism Awards (given by ICF) are another great place to see coaching case studies (and be inspired).  Though the case studies are not hardcore research, per se, they all do provide evidence of the impact of coaching on an organization.
• Blog Post on Coaching at my College - Yes, I snuck this one onto the list.  I wrote this blog post to explain how my college got into the business of training coaches.  It has some research and is more about describing the journey of our program as it is unique for a community college to offer an accredited coach training program.
• Learning Objectives for a Coach Training Program - Sometimes people want to know what coaches learn in coach training. Check out my college's Engagement Coach Training Program and you will see all the learning objectives for the program.  You really can teach this stuff - coaching!

I will add more resources when more are available.  If you have any questions related to coaching, please reach out.  At this point, I think you know...I could talk about coaching all day.

Smiling,

Jen

Hello, 2018!

And just like that, 2018 begins!

I'm looking forward to....

• Training more coaches at my college and beyond
• Traveling to London for the first time this spring
• Keeping in shape throughout the winter
• Using my core values to guide me as to when to say "no, thank you" or "Heck yes!" to invites and opportunities
• Making my immediate family and BFFs a priority (I'm going to return to my coffee dates as one way to support this goal)
• Trying out a new style of coaching on some select victims clients open-minded friends

What about you?  What's on your 2018 list of awesomeness?

Happy New Year's,

Jen

Collaboration, Mean Girls, and No Apologies

A week ago, before Thanksgiving, a big crew of us went to see the pre-Broadway production of Mean Girls (written by Tina Fey).

Holy moly, y'all.  That show is hilarious and off-the-chain creative.  It is no longer running in DC (or at least it ends it's pre-Broadway debut here this weekend), but you catch it on the real Broadway starting in March 2018 in NYC.  And GO see it!  It is soooooo good.  I literally left the show in DC and started looking for tickets to see it again.  Miss O enjoyed it, too.  I was happy that 10% of the humor was over-her-head.  After all, she's just a tween still (though she appears taller than me in the photo below.....I like the "appears" part). 

I can neither confirm nor deny her height compared to mine.  Ha ha ha.

On a professional and passionate front, I just collaborated with the CC Daily to write a blog post about.....drum roll, please....coaching.  This post, however, is a bit different than my other coaching blog posts so far as it outlines how my college's coach training program came to be and what our next steps are including hardcore research related to it.  If you have an interest or just want to hear me speak in my informal, blog voice on an academic blog, go here.

Y'all, I cannot write like a professional, academic anymore.  I can only write in my bloggy voice.

And, I'm not apologizing ;)

I gotta be me.

Happy December,

Jen

Teacher, Parenting, and Coaching Tip: Ask Great Questions

For the last few days, I have been blogging with some very, very new friends at Apperson.  I don't know about you, but that is one thing I appreciate about social media - all the connections and collaborations that can happen in weird, random, unforeseen ways.  Let me explain.  I noticed a few weeks ago the Apperson blog was referring readers to Upcycled Education because of this post of theirs.  So, I reached out to Apperson to say thank you; how lovely Apperson included me in one of their blog round-ups.  Then, Courtney from Apperson and I got to talking - through social media, of course - and she invited me to guest blog for them about....huge shocker....coaching!

One of the foundational skills of a coach is to ask curious and powerful questions.  With these three tips, you expand that skill immediately at school, at home, at work, and beyond.  Go read the post if you are interested and say hi to my new friends.

Cheers,
Jen

Identifying Your Core Values

If I could offer one coaching session to all the humans in the world, I would offer this: Identifying your core values.  Why?  Because knowing what is most important and meaningful to you in life has great power in (and over) your life.

Your core values - when identified -  can serve as your internal GPS.  Your core values are what make you tick and what ticks you off.  Since it would be impossible to offer a one-on-one coaching session to every human in the world (that would be almost seven billion coaching sessions I would have to offer - oh, my!), I've compiled a few resources to guide you in identifying your own core values.  I still think identifying your core values with a (life) coach is the best way to do this and there is worth in the suggestions below.

By the way, you can see my four core values in the photo above.  I now consult those four values I've identified when making life decisions and saying YES to some decisions and NO to others.  Plus, when I am feeling icky, I can generally determine which core value of mine is being squashed and respond more effectively (versus overly dramatically).

Here are four resources to guide you in identifying your core values.....

1.  This Huffington Post article explains six easy steps to identify your core values.  Plus,  I love the introduction to this article and all the juicy core value information.

2.  Zappos Insights (yes, the shoe company) has a blog post on the topic of identifying your core values.  It is a little sparse with the "how to"s, but it might be helpful to some.

3.  The authors from Tribal Leadership (probably my favorite leadership philosophy + book) suggest this strategy to identify your core values.

4.  Hire a (life) coach (cost is between $70-$250/session and you are totally worth it!).  I adore many coaches like Sue, Anne, and Steve.  Plus, I probably have 20 more to suggest :)

What other strategies have you used to identify core values?  Have you identified yours?

With joy, connection, creativity and initiative (my core values),

Jen

On Marriage (or deep relationships in general)

Good friends of mine are getting separated.  In support of them, I attended Second Saturday with the wife of the couple.  I would 100% recommend Second Saturday for any couple or person considering separation or divorce.  I thought it was great for me, too, which probably sounds odd since I am married to. Mr.UpCyclist.  Why?  Because I am a curious soul.  I love to learn.  It was great to support my friend and the information made me think about how deeply I adore Mr. UpCyclist and that often times, I take things for granted in our relationship.

At Second Saturday, there is usually a team of people who present - a lawyer, a mediator, a financial consultant and a coach/therapist/psychologist.  Though, I thought each presentation was highly, highly valuable, the coach's presentation really spoke to me.  It was this quote below that just nailed it for me.

Man, that quote made (and makes) so much sense to me.  The coach, Karen Winter, went onto say that "we need the deepest level of intimacy in a relationship to do the hardest work of healing and improving."  It made me think of how I can be at my absolute worst with Mr. U, Miss O, and Jedi. They see me at my lowest of lows and most crankiness of moments.  Yet, they still love me, support me, and ultimately only want the best for me.

Deep relationships like marriage are like that.  Not all deep relationships, but the ones that really matter and are really worth healing and improving for.  I think those relationships are a gift from the universe that points me (and you) to the areas in life that need improvement, healing, and/or cultivating.  

I've alluded recently to how cracked open I feel lately because of the six month coach certification program I am in right now.  This quote sums up that cracking in such a beautiful way:

There is a crack in everything.  That's how the light gets in.

Leonard Cohen

What relationships are you in right now that are pointing you to important places within yourself that need healing, improving and/or cultivating?  Are you brave enough to face those areas?

Curious,

Jen