A Coaching Secret

I've told people for a long time that one of the "secrets" of coaching is forgiveness. Forgiveness takes your finger out of the dyke of the past so you can let the future flow. Buddha said, "forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past." It is an act of total volition, requiring only a softening of the heart. But how do you forgive the unforgivable?

Like millions of Americans, I have been steeped in this paradox. D-Day + 64 was very difficult. Honoring our dead in the midst of our current war heightened this conflict for me. How can I coach people to forgive when I am having difficult in forgiving?

I've talked about this with people who I deeply respect, trust and love. I share it with you. Forgiveness is releasing the bands on your heart that interfere with your moving forward. To forgive behavior is not to condone it. Condoning is like ignoring, looking the other way. Forgiving is allowing you to look without letting your own history interfere. Personally, I can forgive our soldiers for their appalling behavior and continue to work as hard as I can to change this administration.

But here is a totally spiritual view. It is a view that I hold. I come from the notion that the purpose of life ? for each of us ? is to be as close to G_d as possible. So that whenever anything bad happens to us, I hold that we have been given another opportunity to move spiritually closer to G_d. I call it the "find the pencil" theory of the universe. When you get closer you get more and more positive feedback ?"you're getting warm, warmer, hot, hotter." And when you respond otherwise, the universe gives you increasingly negative feedback ? "cool, cold, colder?" So forgiving our soldiers is an opportunity for spiritual growth. You can actually empathize with those you are angry with, because the universe has given them the burden of being that way.

Aside from one cousin, all of my relatives from WWII have passed on. The war exists for me as memory and my experiences as a young boy. I remember going on a train from Brooklyn to Miami and being 'adopted' by a group of soldiers ? a fondly remembered highlight of my boyhood ? And going to Ebbets Field to watch the Dodgers ? I sat in the left field bleachers, right next to the section reserved for the military ? I loved it. I have a photograph of myself at age seven, wearing a full soldier's outfit I love my country.

As I forgive today's unfortunate army, I recover my love, my hero worship and my deep respect for these brave, willing, but unwitting young people. And I grieve for those who have so senselessly died.

Forgiveness works.

Find out more from his website, www.1stClassCoaching.com.

Michael Lipp is a senior coach, with over 21 years experience and an extensive background in leadership, design, management and entrepreneurship.

---

Nothing is left to Chance

You are going to meet a very important client for... Read More

The Biggest Loser

I am a "Loser". You're gonna learn from this writing... Read More

Kabbalah Coach: Love the One Youre With

IntroductionEvery one of us came to the planet to figure... Read More

Cause and Effect! Choose a Path

Three steps to your Personal Transformation:Awareness and PerceptionLaw of Cause... Read More

A Live It

Real change happens only when it becomes part of our... Read More

Build Your People Skills

How would you like to get along even better with... Read More

What The Buddha Says About Coaches

There is a Buddhist saying that goes like this: "If... Read More

Coaching Skills and Positive Motivation

There is one important point that is often missed in... Read More

The Need to Feel Special

From the time Jennifer was a little child, she was... Read More

Invest Your Inner Wealth

It started out like any other Wednesday - reports to... Read More

Coaching Can Help Teachers At A Crossroads In Their Careers

Teachers enter the profession with the desire to help others,... Read More

God, Grant Me Patience.....And, I Want It Now!!

Are you facing a difficult time in your life? Do... Read More

Reduce Anxiety About Decison Making

What's the alternative to making decisions?Allowing someone else, or circumstances,... Read More

Self-contentment Leads to Confidence

Being self-content means accepting and acknowledging who you are at... Read More

The Value of Career Coaching and Its Effect on Productivity

Athletes the world over have coaches. Yet, workers whose very... Read More

Ten Benefits of Having a Relationship Coach

As a Master Certified Relationship Coach, I work with singles... Read More

Gullibles Travels

A journey by a web-footed gull through a sea of... Read More

Choosing The Right Coach

Coaching has become a very popular way for people to... Read More

The Harvest: Shared Power

The fall harvest comes upon us once a year. The... Read More

Fear Is Nothing To Be Afraid Of!

What do you do when fear shows up? Do you... Read More

Is Coaching Everything That It Is Cracked Up To Be?

Personal or business coaching has helped thousands change their lives... Read More

Creating An Effective Toolbox For Success

WHAT'S IN YOUR TOOLBOX?Think tools are just for builders and... Read More

What is Life Coaching?

An recent article in Money Magazine said that "A coach... Read More

How to Solve Disputes with the Helicopter Talk Technique

Do you ever find that when a friend asks for... Read More

The Non-Conscious Mind at Work. Harness it for Your Success

Thoughts are real things. As soon as you realize how... Read More

I Give Free Consultations... So, Why Dont They Hire Me?

I show my clients a way to answer the question,... Read More

Good Communication is Easy - Isn?t It?

My name is Steve Brummet and my business is to... Read More

Coaching for Results

He's a very successful sales manger who craves results. He... Read More

Overcoming Work Addiction

Why are you so busy? Do you really have too... Read More

Can You Say No?

As a manager you are constantly being asked to do... Read More

How to Effectively Balance Your Work and Family Life

What Is Your Definition of Success?If you want to create... Read More

Priorities: Are You Living Yours?

In the Charles Dickens classic, "The Christmas Story", Scrooge is... Read More

Pecked to Death By Ducks

Ever been in a situation where it seems like minor... Read More