One of the big insurance companies had an advertising campaign with “Mayhem” as a character.  In the first commercial, Mayhem was a teenage girl who is driving and texting.  Her best friend kissed a boy that she liked, and she loses control of the car, hitting a parked car.  The campaign went on to show other ways that things happen in life (and, of course, how this insurance company protects you).  The ads were memorable and so they did the job. 

            The truth is chaos happens.  We get into situations where things fly out of control and chaos erupts; to paraphrase Marvel baddie Thanos, “it is inevitable.”  The important thing to remember about chaos is not that it happens, rather how we remain calm and handle the situation.

            Back in the day I was a restaurant worker.  Starting as a dishwasher and busboy, I became a waiter, floor supervisor, kitchen manager, assistant manger and then Manager of Dining Room Operations, and I was still a kid.  Most chain restaurants experience rushes during the course of the day and sitting in one of the largest malls in the USA, we had our rushes.  I would help up front getting people seated as soon as possible, while helping the service staff attend to the customers.  However, early on, I was a maniac.  I would come up front, see the line of customers, see the seating chart and run around trying to help.  From my perspective, I was trying to efficiently seat everyone and get them food.  From customer’s perceptions, I was a nut job.  My actions were viewed as panicked.

            A colleague took me to the side and gave me some advice.  He knew my passion was in the right place, but my actions were haphazard and chaotic.  I took this advice to heart, slowed down, and started to create a sense of calm during the storm.  Now I am able to handle all kinds of chaotic surroundings with a sense of calm (and as a pastor, there are plenty of chaotic circumstances).

            Emergency responders regularly operate in states of chaos, yet they always seem to be in control.  Everyone knows their part, everyone knows what to do, even if that means taking a moment to assess situations rather than run forward into the fire.  We can do the same thing in any chaotic situation.

Do not just jump in, rather assess, consider options, look at the tools around you (especially co-workers) and then calmly proceed.  The world will not end if you take a moment to center yourself, the situation will not grow worse if you make a conscious decision to be calm.

But this takes practice.  We all need to take moments away from the work to breathe, meditate and be still.  Practice this during the calm times, make it a practice to stand up every 45 minutes, stretch, walk around and, if possible, go outside.  Do some deep breathing and then return to work.  You will find yourself calming down almost immediately.  Then, when chaos comes, you will be ready, just do the same thing.

Did you ever wonder why adults always ask children what they want to be when they grow up?  It’s because many adults need new ideas!

Sometimes we get stuck in jobs that are unfulfilling and just cannot see a way out.  Sometimes we are so busy with the job that we cannot find a way out of the job.  And sometimes we are concerned about taking a chance at something different. 

Are you in the right career?  Do you want to change careers or change your work environment?  Do you feel like you are stuck in your current job?  If you said yes to any of these questions, consider a Life Coach.

Life Coaching can help you get unstuck.  Life Coaching can help you find a path towards a better position, or even change the way you work the current job.  Through coaching, we can help you define your career goals and then help you take the steps to achieve the goals.

Is it time for you to move forward?  Is it time for you to make the change you want to make? Contact us today at 610-451-0624 or reachlifecoaching1@gmail.com.

The Batman will be in theatres in a few days.  I’ve been a Bat-fan most of my life, starting with reruns of the classic Adam West TV show.  The George Barris Batmobile is my favorite, followed by the 1989 movie version  Face it, Batman is cool.  He’s got the gadgets, the intellect, and most important, the will to do the mission.

While a fictional character, we can learn a couple of things from Batman. First, and foremost, is willpower.  If we have a strong will, we can achieve much.  Bruce Wayne trained himself to the pinnacle of human perfection.  He studied various forms of hand to hand combat, scholarly pursuits including science and psychology, and trained his mind to become the worlds greatest detective.

But Bruce Wayne is not just about the battle. He possesses love.  Love for his parents, slain in front of him, love for humanity, striving to prevent that horrific event from happening again.  If you want an example of Bruce’s love, watch the Justice League episode “Epilogue”.  It is an excellent example of how Batman’s drive is more than vengeance, but a desire for the good.

Okay, none of us are Bruce Wayne – he doesn’t really exist.  But we can harness some of his ideals.  

We can set realistic goals about physical and mental fitness.  We can create a plan to achieve our goals and even our dreams.  We just sometimes need some help.

So did Batman.  He had Alfred.  Alfred protected Batman’s humanity, while guiding Bruce.Without Afred, Batman would not be possible.

If you need an Alfred, consider a Life Coach.  Our job is to help you refine your goals and achieve them.

See you in the Batcave!

Can you believe we are fast approaching the end of January?  We are 1/12^th finished with 2022!

So where are you on your New Year’s Resolutions?

Are you exercising more? Have you given up the fast food? Did you stop or reduce drinking or eating candy or anything else? What about your spiritual goals? How far into the bible are you? Are you praying or meditating more?

Okay – I’m not getting on you about resolutions.  Besides, isn’t the unwritten rule that resolutions are made to be broken?

So why do we make them in the first place?

New Year – New You

The new year gives us a great time to start over.  It is a blank page, a “Tabula Rasa” and it makes sense to do something different January 1^st. 

When you consider the holiday season – from Halloween through New Years’, we consume a lot of food, candy, cookies, and the beverages of our choice.  Our bodies simply need a break, our minds need a break, even our wallets need a break.  It is even an intense time for religious folks – most world religions and cultures have some form of special celebration during the last quarter of the year.  Advent/Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali and Kwanzaa are just some of the celebrations (and there are many more).  These celebrations are wonderful – yet can be draining for many.  As we approach the New Year, many simply need a break from the partying.

The new year also gives us a chance for reflection.  What was good about the past year? 

What did we do that was great?  What did we do that we want to change?  How can we make this new year better?  We reflect on these things and then we make resolutions – that we tend to break.

So, what do we do?  Accept that we want to make changes, but do nothing about them?  Continue to make resolutions that we do not keep, or do we try something different?

Vision Boards

What is your vision for your life this year?  It is a different than saying “I want to eat healthier” or “I want to read more”, it is all encompassing.  It is an important question

Over the past few years my wife and daughter have been making vision boards for the new year.  This year I joined them.  We sat around a table with magazines, paper, pictures, stickers, colored pencils and a bunch of other crafting supplies.  We thought about what we want this new year to be and allowed the creative process to happen and we had a lot of fun doing it. 

A vision board can be a list of things, it can be images, it can be inspirational quotations, and it can be a combination.  For me, I took pictures of things I like – and want to spend time doing – such as my model railroading and guitar.  I also added quotes that touch me and I made a list of things I want to do.

Some of these things are easy, some are hard, and most will take some time.

But the first part is to put it down and the second part is to look at this vision board every day – to read it, to take it in, to truly make it a part of our daily living.

If you have already given up on your New Year’s resolutions, consider a vision board.  Spend some time with creative process, put it together and look at it daily.  You might just find those changes easier.

And if you need more help clarifying and reaching your goals, consider a Life Coach.

Bill