You’ve Always Had the Power My Dear

You've always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself. -Wizard of OzI’ll admit, I wasn’t sure if I was qualified to do the Equus training program because I wasn’t sure if I could be a coach. However, I decided to take the plunge and as I went through the training, I realized I did have the courage to actually do it.

I’ve always had the willingness to say yes and do big things but I lacked the confidence. I went through the Equus Coach Training and I realized I had the confidence and power to do it all along.

Where have you felt this in your life?

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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Those Wise Words You Write While Day Dreaming

Those Wise Words You Write While Day DreamingWhile at the Equus training ranch in California for my second in-person training workshop, I created this doodle of words, well it’s more of a list, that resonated with me. I got to be there with my herd mates, all people who are also training to be certified in the Equus Coaching process.

During the training, while I was observing another herd mate who was in the round pen with a horse being coached, I was reflecting on what I was learning and honestly, what we we’re all learning. This doodle list is what came to me in a very profound way.

I could tell that I had learned a lot because I was able to really, keenly observe that not only had I learned in these areas, but I could feel the feels in these areas. I also found that many of the same themes came up for the other coaches-in-training. It got me thinking that maybe these are also areas that might come up for you.

Those Wise Words Your Write While Day DreamingA big part of training is to not only learn the Equus coaching process but to also participate and be coached using the tools that are given. It’s amazing to learn a craft through the very tools and techniques of that craft. In the software industry, this is called eating your own dog food but everywhere else, it’s more commonly known as practicing what your preach. 🙂

Months later these words still resonate for me since it was September when I created this doodle. It’s a constant practice to observe when I feel these feels and it’s been a very valuable one. These words and themes keep me on track and feeling balanced.

The words in parentheses are what each of the main words mean to me personally. They are all words I use often and I went deeper within myself to define what those mean and feel like to me.

It’s a great reminder of what to reflect on and believe in.

Do any of these words or themes resonate with you? Do you have your own words that you come back to time and time again?

I invite you to share 1-2 words or themes that have come up for you and how you personally define or add meaning to them. -Let me know in the comments.

With much love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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How One Woman Quit Doing What Everyone Else Expected

http://gretchenchristy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/HowOneWoman.pngWhen I decided to learn more about working with horses to do life coaching, it had a lot to do with how I felt after experiencing the the impressive Equus coaching skills of Koelle Simpson.

There are not many instances in life when you commit to something that really changes you for the better in such a surprisingly pleasant way. The feeling that “EVERYTHING is different now and that’s okay.  I CANNOT believe it happened so quickly like that” is one that stays with you.

So, I recommend that you give yourself ten minutes to experience a taste of that for yourself by reading this article from Oprah Magazine.

The story shows how one busy professional with a husband, two teenagers and her own demanding, full time job goes from being so easily angered that she was almost fired for an argument about which font to use (ack!) to the kind of woman whose teenagers start confiding in her (impressive!).

If you ever feel over-committed, stressed out by your financial situation or trapped by what you’re doing in life (or why you’re doing it), it’s a read that you’ll fully appreciate. And, you’ll probably pick up a few tips along the way.

After you read the article, leave a note in the comments or on the Facebook page to let me know how it moved you? What resonated for you?

I’d love to know if reading this article allowed you to see new paths that you might take and apply to your own life. Personally, I think it’s the next best thing to being in the round pen with a horse and life coach yourself.

With much gratitude,

Gretchen

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Being Vulnerable….

Do you know what it means to be vulnerable? I thought I did, but boy oh boy was my perception wrong. After having recently read Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, I have a new understanding of what it means to be vulnerable. Brené defines vulnerability as uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure. Not at all what I thought.

Vulnerability is not about weakness. It's about showing up and being seen. -Dr. Brene BrownBefore, I thought of vulnerability as a weakness (and I’m sure many others do, too.) It was something we never really talked about in my family.  I didn’t want to admit that I ever felt vulnerable, because I didn’t want to seem weak. From Brené I learned that actually being vulnerable is to FEEL. It’s learning how to own our vulnerability and engage with the emotions that come along with it. Deep, but so true!

Being vulnerable allows for many great things to happen to us in life. It’s a gift. My greatest vulnerability awareness right now is trust. Trust is a product for vulnerability. You have to be vulnerable to feel in order to trust.

I had a life-altering conversation yesterday with a woman who’s only been in my life for about 3 months. By being vulnerable and trusting her, she held the space for me to be raw and open. In a conversation that lasted a mere 60 minutes, she helped me in a way that will change my life forever for the greater good. I’m grateful I was vulnerable with her because the outcome was so rewarding.

I invite you to be vulnerable. As Brené says “The courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead.”

With love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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Reaching Out

As you’ve heard me say before, I tend to put others before me. My kiddos, my husband, friends, family, clients; everyone. It truly matters that all have what they need and if I can be a part of making that happen, then I will and it feels good. I’m a natural humanitarian….and that can be both a good and bad thing.

One thing I’ve really noticed lately is that I need to honor my own feelings and desires as much as I do those of others. There have been some things going on in my personal life and it’s been affecting me in different ways. I’ve found by not dealing with these feelings, I’m letting my emotions of anger and hurt build up inside. Then what happens? I become the snappy wife and mom who ends up taking my emotions out on those who matter most. This feels horrible, after the fact, of course.

To end this, I’ve committed to myself going forward that I’m going surround myself with those I love most, who are a positive inspiration and make me smile. I have to remember that they don’t know I need their support unless I ask and share with them what’s going on.

Bottling my emotions up inside serves no one and brings me down and leaves me feeling raw. I’m tired of feeling this way, so I’m going to stick to my own word and reach out to my soulmates when necessary. I encourage you to take a look inside, and if you are holding on to unhealthy emotions, make a commitment to yourself to reach out to those who care about you. Let them help you help yourself.

It FEELS GOOD just writing this! Thank you as always for listening.

With love and gratitude,

gretchen-sig

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Truth

SunflowerHave you ever heard the saying “The truth will set you free”?

I know firsthand that being in difficult situations can be tough; especially when there’s confrontation involved. But the number one thing I’ve learned, and a very important life lesson is that no matter the circumstance, stating the facts or the truth will always set you free.

At times, you don’t want to hurt others’ feelings and are willing to compromise yours; or maybe it’s true that you’ve hurt someone and the truth needs to be told. The bottom line is that once what needs to be said is said, a huge sigh of relief will come over you and you’ll know you did the right thing.

Don’t be afraid to speak the truth, regardless of fear. The truth will ALWAYS set you free.

With love and gratitude,

Gretchen

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