Lessons from a Bird

One early morning last week there was a knock at my door. My next door neighbor, said, “There is a parakeet in your driveway.”

What? I live in the Northeast and we don’t have any birds like parakeets living around here, at least not on this side of the bird cage bars. Curious about that, I walked to the end of my drive and there stood a beautiful yellow, blue and green parakeet. It was obvious that this bird was used to humans because we could get very close and the bird kept pecking away looking for food. With no discussion, we animal lovers immediately decided that we should try and catch the little birdie before the hawks, which are so numerous in this area, found it. As parents we had visions of some child quite upset because someone opened the cage and their beloved pet escaped.

How would you have felt?

When we got too close to the bird, it panicked and flew up to a tree. After a quick phone call to my vet, I decided, with their encouragement, to go out later and if the bird was still there, I would try again to catch it. I went back to work and hours later walked to the end of my drive to get my mail and there sits the bird pecking away and looking up at me nonchalantly. This time I was equipped with a cage. I held my finger out, like the vet suggested, hoping the bird would jump on board. No luck. Then I threw down some seed in a path that led right up to my cage hoping he would jump in quite relieved to be “home” again. No luck. As I did all this, I chatted with the bird quietly and sidled up closer and finally tried to grab it. It flew away again. Well, I reasoned, I tried to be the great pet rescuer. I decided that I had done as much as I could and sort of forgot about the bird who looked down at me from the telephone wire.

The next day, I am walking my dog about a half mile from home and from out of nowhere, the parakeet flies at my face and lands on the sidewalk in front of me. What are the odds of that? This is a new challenge. What is it with this bird anyway? Now, I have nothing to catch him with so I surrender my thoughts to the dangers that this tiny chap is facing. I was feeling quite protective and frustrated as I couldn’t help him or her out once again. I had to walk away from a situation that I could not resolve to my satisfaction.

What do you think that bird was thinking?

And then the next day, in blows Hurricane Irene. During the many hours stuck inside my home listening to that howling wind and watching those trees bend from it, I must admit that I mentioned that little bird to my husband. I said, “That poor little parakeet is never going to make it through this mess!”

Following the storm, the next day, I was walking my dog on a totally different route and, lo and behold, that darn parakeet was sitting on the sidewalk right in front of me. This seems beyond coincidence. It is a sign of something but I am not sure what. Have you ever experienced something like this? I photographed my new friend because I did not want this to be another fish story about, “the big one who got away”. I discovered I had a new attitude about this little guy. He does not seem to need my help at all. He made it through a hurricane. I started thinking that maybe these are the best days of his life... cage free, independent and quite resourceful. This resilient, tiny soul had a message for me. I am going to be more aware of the assumptions that I am making about others. I am going to look at more perspectives before I go trying to catch a bird who just does not want to be caught.

At first, it was all about me. But as I thought about things, I can really relate to that birds experience...

As a metaphor for life, when you think about this story, who do you connect more with? Me or the bird?

Would you like to learn some new perspectives and ways to cope with life’s unexpected curves? Please join me for my webinar, “Rise and Shine Anytime” 5 Steps for Increasing Positivity, Resiliency and Success. Learn more about it here.

You can learn more here as you watch this short movie.

If you are ready to access more energy, focus, enthusiasm and positivity for increased productivity and success, this webinar series is for you! Sign up today at my website or by calling me at +1.781.878.8589 or e-mailing me at abjcoach@comcast.net. If you enjoyed this story, I promise a good story for you every week!

You won’t want to miss it!

With gratitude,Anne Barry Jolles
Life and Resiliency Coach, Author and Speakerwww.riseandshineanytime.com

The (sometimes) tough decision of choosing a coach training program

Last month, we asked our Facebook fans “coaches, with so many options out there for coach training, it is often difficult to decide where is best for you. What factor was most influential for YOU when it came to choosing a coach training program?”

Several responses were shared and all are listed below for your reference. If you are searching for a coach training program, the below insight will show you how other coaches determined which program was best for them:

• “One that helps focus on the core values of my niche and gives the marketing techniques to really get your practice off the ground.” (Shay DivineGlow Love)
• “Core values/philosophy.” (Francine Kolacz Carter)
• “Integrity and reliability!” (Detre Webster Tarbert)
• “I chose based on flexibility and the variety of niches they offered. I wasn’t clear going in what I wanted my niche to be. I had the opportunity to experiment with a few before making my choice.” (Nicole Avery)
• “I agree with Shay. The Core Essentials are the foundation of a great training program. In addition, it was important for me to have instructors who had a variety of coaching backgrounds as well as being ICF Credentialed.” (Jennifer Howard)
• “Ok, so I want to say core values but when it comes down to it, it needed to be affordable and flexible.” (Melani Luedtke-Taylor)
• “The degree of practicality-behavior base; the capacity of taking me out of my comfort zone; and no or little ‘tools’, a.i. marketing-based frame of reference.” (Mihai Stănescu)
• “I chose CTI on instinct and it was the best decision for me.” (Janice Cunning)
• “Accredited program, that is flexible (online) and relative. Also, price is an influence. Its more about education to do a better job at coaching than it is having a certificate.” (Robert Crawford)
• “I chose a flexible, affordable accredited program that was well known and online. After years of graduate school, I didn’t have too much time or money to give.” (Shannon Kearney Lessard)
• “I needed an online program; moreover, I continue the training. So much to learn…” (Tafari Educational Consulting, Inc.)
• “An accredited program with a scientific basis, i.e. a brain based approach—Results Coaching Systems, global organization.” (Diana Pettie)
• “Shaping the industry, including the ICF standards, experiential learning in small groups, amazing course leaders, a powerful model, extensive support and business mentoring—CTI.” (Laura Ahnemann)
• “I wanted one that I could do coursework from home since I’ve got 4 kids. And I like being able to telecommute to conference call classes and presentations. It was fun, fit my schedule and helped me learn technology that I use as a coach now. Bonus!” (Living Power Life Coaching)
• “I researched three program in depth and chose iPEC, the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. It’s an ‘all-in’ program that includes 4 weekend intensives, weekly teleclasses, peer coaching, -peer groups, mentor coaching and even books for the book reports. iPEC centers their training on coaching a client’s core energy, moving it from negative to positive. They teach ICF competencies and ethics. They have the best instructors I’ve seen and I’m a trainer. Check them out at www.ipeccoaching.com and tell them I sent you! I’m a recent grad.” (Laurie Battaglia)
• “I wanted the most expensive accredited program.” (Andrew Carter)

What about you? How did you choose the coach training program you used? We’d love to know—share it with us on at Facebook.com/ICFHQ.

The Bucket List of Fun and Adventure

A couple of weeks ago over dinner, my husband and I compiled our “Bucket List of Fun and Adventure” for the next six months. We do these lists twice a year. We find that there is magic in building them! We get positive emotional hits when we are envisioning, researching, collaborating and then doing enjoying the adventure! This exercise and the list keep us on our toes as we honor our shared values of fun and discovery. We have some really great adventures together as a result. Our energy and vitality at dinner, that night, noticeably increased with our enthusiasm…despite the blizzard raging outside.

Our clients are coming to us to make changes in a positive, desired direction- whatever that may be. We coaches need tools and strategies to access those sweet spots of positive change for ourselves and for our clients. With all that is going on in the world; how do you show up in your life, alive and vibrant, amidst life’s inevitable blizzards?

After a particularly trying time in our family, I looked at my husband and said, “Who am I to life coach anyone when we are running into this problem in our life?”

He looked at me and said, “Who better to share and coach others than someone who has lived it, survived it and thrives in spite of?”

We are all a “work in process.” We have the opportunity 24 hours, 7 days a week for 70-80ish years, if we are lucky, to get this life thing- to live. Our challenge personally and professionally is to learn how the “good stuff” can bubble up to the top instead of sinking to the bottom. Through all my life challenges, I have learned and collected so many ways to do just that. What I am talking about here is resiliency- the ability to bounce back from adversity.

Do you know the question all resilient people ask themselves when they are challenged?

If you want to learn more about this and get the answer to that question then you may want to join me on my webinar, “Rise and Shine Anytime” 5 Steps for Bringing Your Best to Work and Home. Learn more about it here: http://www.annejolles.com/Rise-Shine/Webinars.html.

If you are ready to access more energy, focus, enthusiasm and positivity for increased productivity and success, this webinar series is for you! (Not only that, but it is an easy way to earn CCEUs!) Sign up today to get the specially discounted price (only $125 USD) by calling me at +1.781.878.8589 or e-mailing me at abjcoach@comcast.net.

You won’t want to miss it!
Anne