October 2013Energy and Focus"The energy of the mind is the essence of life." … Aristotle (384BC-322BC) Greek philosopher "E=mc2" is probably the most famous equation in physics. Energy = mass X the speed of light squared. Einstein's great insight was that energy and mass are interchangeable and it led to a revolution in the way we think about the universe as well as applications that are used in everyday life. Energy also plays a central in our work. Our individual energy underpins our everyday experience of life and is always a consideration when coaching. You may think this would be obvious to everyone but remarkably this is often not the case. From an ontological perspective, when we think about energy, we are considering two aspects of being energetic - how much energy you have and where you direct your energy. Let me give you an example of how this works. In a coaching session, a coachee raises a breakdown related to lacking motivation about something they believe is very important to their future. After a conversation, they open up a number of possibilities and commit to a course of action. They declare they are feeling much more motivated and appear so. A few weeks later, the coachee comes to the next coaching session appearing rather flat. They speak to this and question their level of motivation. When asked, "How have you been over the past couple of weeks?", they disclose that they have been unwell and off work for a week. So are they lacking motivation or lacking energy or both? How much energy we have is a direct result of our physical well being - how healthy we are. There is nothing new here. It is simply about our diet, sleeping patterns, exercise patterns and so on. If our energy levels are low then most likely we will simply get through the day. We will largely find ourselves in coping mode. Motivation can be seen as a focused direction of energy into part of one's life. However, we need a certain level of energy to simply get through the day so even though we might feel motivated towards some possibility in life, it will be hard to sustain that motivation if our energy levels are low. We may be able to do it for a while but this may well lead to burnout. In the case above, it makes sense for the coachee to recover their health and see if the motivation returns. If it does not then this speaks to another breakdown regarding what is getting in their way. If we are to maintain our motivation in life long enough to achieve what we desire then it is important to take the time to maintain our energy levels - eat well, exercise well and sleep well. We invite you to explore more in the articles section of our web site.
Play Create ElevateSome thoughts from Jacqui Chaplin "In my opinion, the most fruitful and natural play of the mind is in conversation. I find it sweeter than any other action in life; and if I were forced to choose, I think I would rather lose my sight than my hearing and voice." … Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (1553-1592) French essayist Let’s Talk About ‘The Skeleton in the Closet’!My Nana turned 100 on Sunday 13 October 2013. Did you know that made her a Centenarian? And yes, she got a letter from the Queen, the Governor General, The Prime Minister and the Victorian Premier. I had the privilege of being the Master of Ceremonies at the event, attended by some hundred plus people from all areas of her life! Prior to the event I was seeking to make sense of an email message to her that I had received from one of her many nephews. Fortunately one of my Mum’s first cousins rang about some other details of the celebration and I asked him for clarity on the topic of my confusion. During and related to that conversation I asked about how one of his uncles had died. His response, “Oh, he committed suicide but we don’t talk about it.” For those of you who know me well or have heard me speak this year you’ll probably be able to predict my response. My first response was to suggest that maybe if more people did speak about the causes, signs and symptoms of suicide then those who don’t feel there is any other option might be spotted sooner, feel less alone and know that there are other ways to move past the horrendous feelings they are experiencing. His response this time, “Good point!” The second offer was about the way we speak about suicide by saying that someone “committed suicide”. This language comes from a time when it was both illegal and a sin to ‘suicide’. It was an ‘act that you committed illegally’. That is not the case any longer in Australia. 6 people die by suicide every day in Australia. That’s 1 every 4 hours. That’s WAY MORE (almost double the 2012 figure) than are killed on our roads annually. So much work is being done in the background to address these issues. But until EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US know the signs and symptoms of depression and at the very least know how to and actually have a conversation with someone who can help us help a person in need these people will go on dying unnecessarily. Each and every one of us will know someone who is suffering a mood disorder whether we are aware of it or not. We don’t need to talk about it all day, every day. We do need to be able to talk about it openly and comfortably with each other. 6 Australians every 24 hours is 6 too many. ZERO, that’s my aspirational number. How can I help you, and those you know, get more comfortable talking openly about the signs, symptoms and experiences of mood disorders? Please check out the website, www.PlayCreateElevate.com.au, and let Jacqui know what you think. More on PCE next month!
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