Friday, October 20, 2006

Childlike Innocence

I am taking some time off this weekend to visit with my parents. It reminds me of younger days when I blindly trusted my childhood innocence. It always makes me laugh when I catch myself back in one of those moments. A smile begins to spread across my face as I realize what is happening.

Usually it happens in the midst of friends. We're playing games, we are low on sleep or we've had one too many glasses of wine. Laughter among friends is the most beautiful sound - I read that somewhere. I try to pause in the middle of those giggle-fests to make a memory and cherish the moment.

My childhood innocence sneaks up on me even when I'm alone. I'll catch myself singing in the mirror, or sliding across the floor in my socks. Chuckling, I know it is a moment of pure pleasure. Silliness breeds grinning.

And grinning is never a bad thing.

One of my favorite movies has one constant quote throughout: "never loose your childlike innocence." I love that quote. Even though we're adults, we still need to be silly. It reminds us we're never too old to have fun. Spark your imagination.

Take this weekend to do something silly. Go jump in a puddle, go make breakfast for dinner, go have a silly string fight. Whatever you choose to do, be sure you are grinning from ear to ear and that your sides hurt from so much giggling.

Much love and laughter,
Coach Katie

Monday, October 16, 2006

Inspiration from Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is a huge inspiration for me. Her words are solid and secure, like huge hardwoods with their roots buried deep in the ground. She has found her natural beauty, accepted her strongest gifts and overcome many trials in life.

Some quotes from Maya to inspire you today:

"A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

"The main thing in one's own private world is to try to laugh as much as you cry."

"Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it."

"Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning."

"All great achievements require time."

"I believe that every person is born with talent."

I especially love that last one. Have a wonderful week,
Coach Katie

Friday, October 13, 2006

Never Stop Learning

Walking down endlessly long, poorly lit hallways lined with gray lockers was never my idea of an exciting place to learn. While I value those years and the knowledge I took with me, I much prefer the lessons absorbed before and after those years. After all, isn’t life just an ongoing apprenticeship with a few fleeting moments of mastery?

In our early years, we questioned little when it came to authority and often when it came to life. Our parents were usually right, you didn’t talk back to adults and life was full of possibility. We jumped in puddles to see the splash, we made telephones out of cups and string and we felt the grass between our toes often just because it felt good. We questioned everything from why the grass was green to why someone would be so mean to us.

I believe the reverse is true the older we get. Our authority figures are growing older and are now “old-fashioned or stuck in the past.” Our lives have become structured with habit, and summon very few energizing moments. In many ways, we’ve become numb.

I’ve said it often, “the more I learn, the less I know.” As a highly intelligent society, our minds are constantly bombarded with new technology, concepts and integrative thinking. As a result, we feel challenged and sometimes fulfilled. My challenge to you this month is to fulfill your personal desires through learning.

Sign up for a class today, listen to someone's advice, be a mentor. Do something for you, to help you learn a new topic or gain a new perspective.

Have a great weekend,
Coach Katie

P.S. This post is the beginning of my November newsletter. To read more, sign up at: www.energizeyourmoment.com

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

The More I Learn, the Less I Know

There is a kind of knowledge that can make you mindless.
There is a kind of intelligence that will leave you empowered.

Last night I went to see a lecture by Dr. Andrew Weil. He talked a lot about integrative medicine and what vitamins, supplements, etc are useful to maintaining and improving our health. He carried no notes, his leaned on the side of the podium like he was having a conversation with a good friend. The theater we were in was packed. HIs voice was clear and his words were fluent. Having no background in medicine, I understood what he was telling me, his words were clear. Delivering his talk was easy because he knew each fact, detail and story. His research is extensive, his travels have been far. I can't imagine knowing so much.

That hour and a half speech was a very healthy reminder for me. One I have often, but am astounded by it everytime.

The more I learn, the less I know. Each time I feel I've become an expert on a particular topic, I wake up to the realization that I've only captured a small slice of the knowledge available. To think that I've even come close to enlightenment is a fantasy. Sometimes I let myself live in that fantasy. Particularly when I've captured a great tool for personal empowerment. Realistically, my world has just opened up a little bit more. A tiny fragment of light coming in through a thousand doors still in front of me waiting eagerly to be opened at the right time.

In my opinion, knowledge works in two ways. It can open your mind to new possibilities, opportunities and higher thinking. OR, it can aid you in closing your mind to thinking there is only one right way. I try my best to remember that my world is limited by what I know and there is always more to learn. There is a kind of knowledge that can make you mindless.
There is a kind of intelligence that will leave you empowered.

That being said, two wonderful things come from limited knowledge. First, what you do learn will inspire action. By tipping off your interest on a particular topic, you attract others who can fortify that knowledge, or open new doors toward your goal. For instance, when I heard about coaching, I knew nothing about the field except that I was curious. That curiosity led to questions. From those questions, I met others who had hired coaches, which led to coaches who were practicing. From there I learned about the field, hired a coach and began taking classes to get certified. All from a simple curiosity.

Second on the list of empowerment that drives limited knowledge is a lack of understanding when it comes to failure. There is a reason they say "Hindsight is 20/20." How many choices would you have run screaming in the other direction from if you'd only known what the outcome would be? With limited knowledge before the leap of starting a business, getting into a relationship, taking a trip, accepting a job...you don't know failure. You have the highest expectations. While they don't always work out, you always learn a valuable lesson from the failures. In which case, they weren't failures at all. Many times you realize just what you're made of. They make you stronger and as a result, you have again increased your knowledge. When they do work out, it is often not in the way you expected. With that knowledge ahead of time, you may have limited your perception of your ability. Again, you've found out what you're made of.

I started off this post with these words and I'll end it that way, too:

There is a kind of knowledge that can make you mindless.
There is a kind of intelligence that will leave you empowered.

Don't limit yourself with knowledge today, let your heart have a say as well,
Coach Katie