Month: January 2016

Today It’s O.K. To Be a 5

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  St. Thomas Aquanis used a term Via Media.  Translated it means existing in such a way that we are not living to extremes. For me, this notion goes against my very nature. I seem to take everything to the extreme, starting with my wants and ending with my perceptions of reality!  We live in a world that terms success as maxing it out. While it’s great to live our life with gusto, sometimes the world we live in tells us that we haven’t arrived until we have in all in terms of material things and experiences. Manufacturers and commercials tout their products as “extreme.” It gives us the impression that if a certain amount or just one is good, then more must be better!   We hear that when someone has comes to terms with a terminal illness, they may ask that no extreme measures be taken to preserve their failing body. When we exist in Via Media, we recognize that while we can be satisfied with our “things” and state in life, we …

O.K. There’s Got To Be a Missing Piece!

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  For many people completing puzzles is a very relaxing pastime.  The more complex the better.    3-D no problem!  For many people the very idea of sitting down with a puzzle and putting it together would simply be a source of frustration.  Many of us view life itself as a puzzle. When we look at it in positive terms, we are able to take a step back, pause and come back to it when we are ready to focus a little bit more closely.  Those people are patient, avoid rash actions and judgments and are better able to function within the realm of the unknown or unfinished business.  But what about those of us who are easily frustrated and see the glass as half full? When we look at life as a chore to be competed rather than living in the moment, we become stuck.  Something is wrong, missing or just doesn’t seem to fit.  It’s usually a result of our limited focus and an inability to see options and other ways of doing …

Even the Best Plans of Mice and Men…

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  Let’s face it. We all have a reaction to our efforts and plans not working out the way we envisioned. It can range from a sense of mild aggravation to coming totally unglued. It’s easy to say just “Go with the Flow”, but the truth is there is a fine line between taking a c’est la vie attitude and recognizing the things that are within our hula-hoop of control. In the little setbacks of the day and the big hurdles of the week, The Serenity Prayer pretty much puts it all in perspective. To paraphrase, it calls upon God to provide us with a sense of peace when it is beyond our control, the fortitude to work through the dilemmas we can, and the discernment to know when to take charge or let go. What about the relationship we prayed so hard to establish and maintain that fizzled out?  We later learn just how wrong that person would have been for us.  We catch every red light on the way to an appointment, only …

The Four Temperaments…Plus 1

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  This graphic gives a snapshot of the temperaments and generally describes how we are hard-wired.  Here at Life Coaching Partners we administer the APS Temperament Analysis. It is unique in that it is the only such analysis that has uncovered a 5th temperament, the supine. The supine is the “missing link” in that is expresses a collection of attributes that didn’t fall squarely into any other grouping. The truth of the matter is that rarely is an individual a pure temperament. Most of us would be unbearable to others as well of ourselves if we were!  We are typically a blending of two types in the areas of inclusion, control, and affection.  One type is usually more dominant and operative than the other.  Once we know what our temperament type is, we gain insight into how God created us to exist, function, and interact with others in relationships. If you are struggling in relationships or maintaining them, this analysis is the perfect way to understand why you act or think the way you do.  Some of …

Will Making My Bed Really Teach Me Self-Discipline?

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As we find ourselves weeks into the new year, many of us have set goals and resolutions that have already fallen by the wayside.  The problem is that we set our standards for success pretty high with lofty goals that seldom have long-lasting effects. It’s not that we lack willpower or great intentions, but rather we set unrealistic and unsustainable outcomes over the long haul. If we start with the small things and experience a sense of success or satisfaction, we are better able to tackle the big projects one bite at a time. It really amounts to self’discipline and gaining some sense of order. Here are a few suggestions to tackle on a daily basis that can become part of a routine or plan for a start. (You might already be head of the game!) *Make your bed immediately upon awakening     *Then pause of 3 minutes to say a prayer of thanksgiving, petition and praise to start the day *Have your clothes for the next day laid out, complete with accessories *Organize …

Paralysis by Analysis

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  As human beings with a God-given higher intellect, we tend to overthink most of the situations we encounter. We already plot out in our minds the way a potential confrontation is going to go down. We plan what we’re going to say in anticipation of what we think the other individual is going to do or say. We have expectations based on our faulty perceptions. When all is said and done it seldom plays out the way we had orchestrated in our minds. We have wasted a lot of mental energy and anguish, not to mention time, obsessing about the future event. Today, make an effort to live in the present knowing that the future will usually take care of itself as it should be. No amount of planning based on the thoughts and actions of other people is going to change the outcome. As long as we live by our core values, doing the next right thing, we lose the potential for resentments that we often self-impose, Jan M. Drury, M.S., C.L.C.   …