Why Growth?
In his book “The Moral Landscape”, Sam Harris describes an imagined hell where all possible suffering is maximized with no value to be gained. Movement away from this state is considered progress as it moves us from the worst possible hell and into the good.
I believe connecting with the values that drive who you are and leading a life that’s meaningful to you and those around you constitutes this movement into the good. This is the movement of growth, and with growth comes aliveness.
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I believe to the core of my being there is aliveness to be had, and better yet, to be shared. Maybe ‘aliveness’ sounds hedonistic but for me it’s about more than seeking pleasure. It’s about taking on your actual experience, both the good and—to be blunt—the shit.
We have the choice to tune in to what’s really happening in the present, or to be held captive by the past and worry about an imagined future. We also have the choice to make an impact over things within our control and to let go of everything else. This brings us back to aliveness: the choice to take charge of your life…right now.
What Drives My Coaching?
Over the years, my own philosophy has formed itself around the works of Sam Harris, Albert Camus, Carl Rogers, and Seneca, while my coaching method has been heavily informed by researchers like Martin Seligman, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Aaron Beck, Angela Duckworth, and Brené Brown. As you might have guessed, this accounts for the elements of mindfulness, Stoicism, and positive psychology I incorporate into my practice and daily life.
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But what good is growth if we can’t measure it? I integrate measures throughout the coaching process so that both my client and I are clear on where we’re starting from and where we’re moving toward. Selected from both coaching and positive psychology resources, these measures ensure a standard to my coaching that is peer-reviewed, tested, and empirically derived.
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For me, this can’t be understated. I wouldn’t hire a personal trainer who never takes note of rep count, set count, and weight lifted, so I hold my coaching to the same benchmark.
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Humour is also a building block of who I am. People tell me I’m funny, I tell them they’re perceptive (usually funnier in person). With the right application, it’s also a hell of a tool for growth which is why it shapes my coaching style.
What Makes Me, Me?
I maintain a daily meditation practice, though when I’m off the cushion I jump at the opportunity to go rockclimbing, hit the tennis courts, or take my bike for a ride up the mountains.
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It’s clear to me that connecting with the body is as important as connecting to the mind as a matter of overall wellbeing (this is why I also offer field sessions where my clients and I engage in a physically demanding activity from the lens of mindful enquiry).
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Curiosity and wonder would also be fair descriptors for me. In my travels around the world, I’ve been able to connect with some truly remarkable people, explore incredible parts unknown, and even expand my grasp of language by learning Spanish (this is still a learning process, pero poquito a poco).
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Also near and dear to my heart are the values of sustainability, compassion, and health which I try to live by in maintaining a vegan lifestyle.
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Send me an email or give me a call if you have any questions or simply want to know more. I’m an open book and always up for a chat.