Vitality, positivity and grace are now available in pill form...

Wouldn’t that be great?  No, it wouldn’t!  But I bet it would sell!

I think that is what many of us are striving for... vitality, positivity and grace. Sounds good.  And it feels good when we can land there. Unfortunately, we often seem to be looking in all the wrong places. We Americans have never been more medicated, in debt, overweight or addicted. Yikes! Sorry to remind you of that reality.

These times are full of uncertainty and turmoil, and they are full of potential for positive change. Chaos often precedes change. This can be a time for transformation for us. I know at times, I feel very vulnerable as many of my friends, family and colleagues do. We can’t stop what’s going on in the world but we can learn to do things differently if we choose. We can learn to be more resilient. Resiliency leads to resourcefulness. That is a skill set we really need today.

"Vulnerable?  Not in This Dog's Dictionary!"

And it has to start right here inside each of us... It all depends on us making different choices.  The big challenge is,

“How do we access our best during these challenging times?” 

Though the circumstances are certainly different, the question is the same one that each of my parents were faced with in their lives.  They faced even tougher times.

Top Two Strategies
There are two strategies that most resilient people in the world use. 

1. The first is to remain calm during adversity. If unable to do that, then they are able to return to calm quickly following and recenter themselves in order to re-focus. This can be learned. 
2. The second step is to engage in the practice of positive inquiry. Just asking questions and being curious is an admission that you don’t have all the answers. Whew! What a relief that is! Direct your energies by asking questions that point to the positives or strengths in a situation, like:

• What is going right?
• What is in my control?
• What is the lesson here?
• What do I desire?

When I am able to do that, I land in a place closer to vitality, positivity and grace. 

Questions bring us beyond what we already know...beyond what we currently feeling. They help us to find the answers so we can start living them.

Feeling vulnerable feels like the new normal.

That’s not so bad as long as we don’t assume we know what the future holds.  Getting comfortable with this discomfort can help us to stay right there instead of searching for the many ways we do to alleviate the feeling.

Finding new ways of coping and moving in the direction of resourcefulness, are not just important but I will go as far as to say your life depends on it!

So, let’s gather all our strategies and tools for bringing our best to just this moment... Because that is all we really have.  And let’s gather our resolve to make the most of our precious time on earth.

Anne Jolles is offering a 5 week webinar, “Rise and Shine Anytime” 5 Steps for Bringing Your Best To The Next Moment.  You will learn strategies and tools to increase positivity, resilience and grace while earning 5 CCEU’s from ICF. Watch this video: Rise and Shine Anytime 2012.  Learn more at www.riseandshineanytime.com

Play to the edge this September

Have you ever attended an ICF Annual International Conference? Chock full of education, networking and best practice sharing, the annual conference is something many look forward to. This year is no different—1,000 coaching professionals are anticipated to convene this September at the desert oasis of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA at the Mandalay Bay Resort for Playing to the Edge.

The theme, Playing to the Edge, is about risk, fun and ultimately about taking coaching to the ‘edge,’ according to the Conference Education Steering Committee. The committee has been working diligently since late 2010 to create a conference experience that brings attendees fresh ideas and concepts to apply to coaching.

According to Coachfederation.org/conference, attendees can expect to see these ten features in Las Vegas:

• Opportunity to earn approximately 18 CCEUs.
• Dynamic, upbeat opening general session.
• Three keynote speakers.
• Opening reception with Michael Gelb (CCEUs offered).
• A "gathering place" for meeting with peers.
• Balancing space—a personal care space/place to take a break from a busy day.
• A balance of interactive and traditional (didactic) breakout sessions.
• Global Conversations with a new "reporting out" process.
• Variation in length of breakout sessions.
• Early ending on final day (to allow for easier travel).

Registration for the 2011 conference opens early next week (Monday, April 4). Register early to maximize your savings! Those who register before July 31 are eligible for special savings, known to conference goers as the Early bird rate. ICF members are subject to even more generous discounts as they are offered the special member pricing.

And, anyone who registers for a full conference registration before May 31 will be entered to win two tickets to a Las Vegas show, courtesy of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. ICF will randomly select a winner on June 1. Contest rules are listed here.

As in years past, the conference will feature world class keynote speakers, educational content for coaches of all experience levels, and opportunities for fun. Check out Coachfederation.org/conference for more information on the September 24-27 international conference.

Pull up a podium

The ICF is looking for speakers for its 16th Annual International ICF Conference that will take place this September in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. If you are an interactive speaker with something to say, you really should consider this opportunity!

The ICF International Conference draws more than 1,000 coaching professionals annually. They want to learn. They are eager to share ideas and opinions. They like to network. And they are the perfect audience for your presentation.

If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, you will want to start getting your materials together now. Proposals will only be accepted until Monday, February 7.

A few words of advice: you must include a link to a video stream (perhaps YouTube, your personal website or other website) that illustrates your skill as a presenter and your engagement with an audience. Proposals submitted without this will NOT be considered.

Ensure that your proposal is interactive. This is a biggie—Conference Education Steering Committee members (those who will review your proposal and ultimately select or deny your proposal) want to see sessions that are energetic, lively and involves everyone. They want to see a session that will allow attendees to “live in the moment.”

Your proposal should encompass a session in which you have experience. You need to be a subject matter expert in the content you propose to offer. For instance, you don’t want to propose a session where you will teach people how to use social media when you yourself don’t regularly use it. Your session should be around something you know about and you believe others will want to learn about it too.

The ICF is accepting proposals until 12 a.m. midnight (New York) on Monday, February 7. You can learn about the application process, as well as other criteria, here.

Have you ever spoken at an ICF International Conference? What was your experience like?

We Care For…Your Continuing Education

Since late October, coaches have been sharing what it is that they care for…and the answers are as varied as our 17,000+ members! For instance, Tuncel in Turkey cares for “creating better politicians and citizens on this planet by creating more enlightenment and awareness” and Aurora in the USA cares for “supporting coaches as they help their clients through grief.”

Have you shared your story yet? Tell us what you care for at ICFICarefor.org. You can also join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.

Here at the ICF, one of the things we care about is the continuing education of coaching professionals.

To assist in the ongoing development of coaching professionals worldwide, the ICF offers several educational opportunities including Virtual Education sessions, the ICF Annual International Conference and the world-renowned ICF Credentialing program for both members and non-members alike.

If you are looking for a regular opportunity to meet new people, learn new techniques and ideas, and earn Continuing Coaching Education Units (or CCEUs)—to be used toward applying for or renewing an ICF Credential—look no further than ICF Virtual Education (VE).

VE sessions offer coaches personal and practice development through presentations by guest speakers. Several sessions are offered each month and are free to ICF members. Topics range from Coaching Abrasive Leaders to Personal Branding for Coaches and everything in-between. Learn more about ICF Virtual Education here.

Through 2010, the Virtual Education program was expanded—offering more than 45 presentations in five languages across numerous time zones. This has allowed even more people to get involved! In fact…2,156 participants have taken part in VE sessions to date in 2010 (compared to 1,823 total participants in 2009—also in 2009, there were only 31 total VE sessions compared to this year’s 47).

Have you attended an ICF VE session this year? Was it beneficial? What topics or speakers would you like to see through the ICF Virtual Education program?