Just wanting to share the good news that I finished the course with the School of Coaching Mastery, and passed the exam! Many thanks to Julia Stewart for offering the course!

Most of you know that I’ve been taking the Free Coach Training Program from Julia Stewart and the School of Coaching Mastery. It’s been a wonderfully great learning journey for me! The test opens this weekend (in the midst of the busiest time I’ve ever seen in my business! When to study..? hmmm..), and hopefully soon I’ll have a nice certificate for this 28-hour coach training program!

A few weeks ago I gave Julia some free tips and tricks on how to maximize her links for search engine optimization, and in turn, she offered me a spot as a guest blogger on the SCM site!

Take a look at my guest blog post at The School of Coaching Mastery. I talk about the quality of this training program, what I learned, and also what I found out about myself in the process.

Many thanks to Julia Stewart for this great opportunity to guest blog!

*Note: I just finished the exam! Wish me luck! I’ll know if I passed next week!

I realized that I skipped around a bit with Julia Stewart’s Free Coach Training program, and completely forgot about the module – What Drives Your Client. Interestingly, it was probably the Universe or my Higher Self that allowed me to take this module right at this time.

A great exercise in this module is to List 20 things in your life that you are “tolerating.” These are the things that are happening or that you are putting up with that aren’t allowing your life to move forward, or to pull you forward.

Here’s a portion of my list.

I’m Tolerating:

1. Not having an organized office space at home
2. Not having enough furniture to feel I could entertain guests
3. Not having a clean or uncluttered space to meditate or do yoga
4. How every flat surface in my apartment starts collecting piles of paper

So, these were all environmental influences on me that were keeping me a little stuck in feeling motivated.  The clutter, disorganization, and arrangement of my living space just wasn’t in line with how I wanted to live.
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I have a feeling that this topic could turn into a series of blog posts, simply because of the importance of ethics in doing business.

In the first “Do The Right Thing” module in the Free Coach Training program, we learn about the International Association of Coaches (IAC) and their Code of Ethics. As well, participants in this recording have great discussions about the different certifying bodies out there for coaches, their codes of ethics, and how they certify coaches and/or accredit or license schools.

In both my hats as a holistic practitioner and a web designer, I’ve taken countless hours to research state and organizational codes of ethics, as well as develop my own that I do business by and share with my clients. However, for me, there are some sticky ethical dilemmas that occur when Ethics, Specialization, Credentialism, Licensing, Accreditation, Competency, and Freedom to practice a profession come into play.

I practiced as a massage therapist for 10 years in the State of Minnesota. Minnesota is one of five states in the United States that have a “Freedom of Access/Freedom to Practice” law in place for alternative and complimentary healing practitioners. Massage Therapists are required to follow the laws and regulations outlined in Chapter 146A of the State of Minnesota Code. There are strong Regulations for practicing a healing art in Minnesota, with many consumer protections in place, yet there is not a statewide License which restricts the practice of massage therapy. Massage Therapists are free to practice as Unlicensed Complimentary and Alternative Healthcare Practitioners, and the State of Minnesota does not regulate curriculum or coursework. Practitioners must disclose all of their training and experience on a Client Bill of Rights and may only practice within the bounds of their training. But it can be through apprenticeship, hands-on individualized study, training from a school, or training from abroad – so long as this training is disclosed. There is also a consumer office in the State which can receive and investigate complaints, which has the power to discipline a practitioner – even to the point of barring them from practice.

What does this mean as far as Coaching and this path I’m on?

Personally, I enjoy the freedom to learn from a variety of sources to build my own level of Competency. I appreciate laws and regulations (even codes of ethics) which allow me the breadth and freedom to build my own portfolio and unique skillset. Don’t get me wrong. I believe that everyone needs good training and education to be effective in many careers. However, I believe that there are many paths to gaining extensive and effective education and training that can bring about success.

One line that I always look for in a professional organization’s code of ethics is that of “honoring all paths” within a profession. This can be hard to find when a profession becomes largely regulated with curriculum standards, licensing, and accreditation of schools. An honoring of all paths and lineages can embrace both competency and curriculum, and allow multiple entry points into a career.

Imagine if I lived in rural Minnesota – lets say International Falls. The closest physical “school” for maybe coaching, massage therapy, etc, might be well over 300 miles away, or a closer school might exist in the province of Manitoba in Canada. Or perhaps I could learn the same skills over the internet or from a coach trainer that is only 30 miles away? Imagine the costs involved if I needed to attend a physical “accredited or licensed” school that might be 300 miles away, and I was required to have 100 hours or more of only their coursework. What if I had a family to take care of? What if I lacked transportation to take me to this school? What if I attended this school and could not afford the perhaps $500 licensing fee from the State in order to practice (after I had spent a ton of money on travel, expenses, coursework, books, etc). I could be the most effective coach in the world, but I’d be excluded and barred from practicing.

I’m very encouraged that the IAC provides their mastery certification based on COMPETENCY rather than number of “clock hours” of education, where I received my education, and whether or not this school was licensed or accredited or not. I also believe that our customers and clients expect both competency and consumer protection.

Does consumer protection have to come from licensing, accreditation, or stringent curriculum standards, or can there be freedom to practice within good local, state, and regional regulation?

What makes a great coach? Where and what training they received (and how much), or how effective, competent, and ethical they might be?

Psst.. I decided to put the blog post on “Global Paradigms” on my HolisticGeek.com blog (where I do my web-design related work)! No, I didn’t jump ahead!

If I could reflect and sum up the lessons coming forward for me in this module of the Free Coach Training program, they would be:

• It pays to collaborate rather than compete
• Too much energy is spent on FEAR and Blame, and
• Be of service to something BIGGER than yourself

Now, I have to admit, that sometimes I ride along the edges of these paradigms, just holding on!  I don’t really believe in competition, however, I’ve learned that I play best as a soloprenuer rather than a collaborator on a team.  Maybe it’s just my working style, because I love to engage a lot of my diverse skills.  Maybe there is a small “fear” of letting go of tasks, responsibility, or the thought that I might lose my identity in the process of sharing and collaborating too much.

There have been times I’ve “walked out” of collaborative situations because I felt that they weren’t resonating with my goals or personal ideals – sometimes even very NOBLE causes or projects.  I think too, that there is definitely a learned skill at navigating collaboration so that everyone wins, no one person takes on too much, and everyone has their needs met throughout the process.  So I’m hopeful.  I do like to be the one in charge of my own destiny, and definitely I have more of a collaborative relationship with my clients.  But so far, I’ve realized that I work better on my own.

People are imperfect and they fail.  They fail a lot!  I include myself in the “people” I’m talking about!

Deciding to not live in Fear however – I believe that this is the biggest lesson of all for healing to come about in an individual, group, family, etc.  In all of my experience, I’ve benefited so much more from being courageous rather than fearful.

Fear and Blame are evil twins!  In my mind, they travel around together like a Yin-Yang style bowling ball!  Sometimes it’s easier to give up, not take any risk, throw up our hands and say something like “Well, it’s the ECONOMY.  That’s why I’m can’t make more money.”   Then we just throw our dreams in the gutter.  And conversely, sometimes when there’s no one left to blame, we simply blame ourselves and stay stuck in our fear, and we don’t move forward.  We don’t even step up to play.  It’s time for a new bowling ball I think!

If we just got out of our internal and external “blame game” and spent our energy on possible solutions, even if we failed at a few attempts, maybe we’d be propelled into success FASTER!

Finally, being of service to something bigger than ourselves, to me, opens up some new possibilities.  Even for me currently, I’m very steeped in my own research and thinking about the concepts of Indigo Children and Indigo Adults, that some of my old ways of thinking are being challenged, and I’m thinking of some new possibilities in actively reaching out to these communities.  I’m starting to see that regardless of the definitions or labels we put on children with special sensitivities, that they need positive adults in their corners, and others who will help to build structures and alternate institutions that benefit rather than hinder them.

So, while I’m still a work in progress, feeling more comfortable in a solo role in my work, some great inspiration is poking through within these wonderful Personal Paradigms for me!

It’s time for me to kick things into a higher gear with the Free Coach Training program. The first open exam period has passed, and 31 new coaches have passed the exam! Congrats to those new coaches!

I just finished the Universal Paradigms class, and of course, LOVED IT! (No surprise.)

A few of the things I took away from the class, in the form of quotes:

“The Universe is not only stranger than we know, it’s stranger than we CAN know.”

And yet.. at the same time.. “We create the Universe.”  (cue the music to 2001: A Space Oddessy)

Ok! Read that again! Let’s now talk about embracing a big black hole of Paradox!

I can barely talk about this, really, as there isn’t much of a language to talk about this paradox, but I’ll try.  So, the human mind, which is part of our human body, a small and insignificant speck in the universe, is insignificant, yet important!  Our minds and consciousness HAVE to be held as important, if we can indeed create a Universe that is both “stranger than we know” and “stranger than we can know.”  Could there be something more at play?  Are we in fact limiting ourselves by our small and insignificant “size” in the massive Universe?  Our holographic nature and observation actually collapse the wave-form of our very Universe, so that we can discover it, look at it, measure it, etc.  Can it be that all of us simply ARE the Universe waking up to itself?  Are we simply projections of energy in carbon-based bodies, here to collect data, co-create the Universe, observe and collapse wave functions, and all the while have fun just not understanding?  Hmm..  Ponder that for as long as you like.

I’ve often said to people that “I would rather live a life Discovered than a life of planning.”  And all the while, in reality (or.. not..) we create the Universe that we discover (or.. don’t..).  Or we do and don’t at the same time..

Coming down to Earth for a moment.  What I think I really took away from this, was the thought that “OF COURSE WE’RE MORE.”  We’re more than just people out wandering about.  We’re more than the sum of our experience.  We’re more than our relationships, our thoughts, emotions, etc.

We are more than we know, and we’re more than we CAN know.

For me, when I start to embrace this and believe it, doors start opening up for me.  I’m able to choose something different or shift my thinking.  I’m able to feel more connected to the Universe and whatever “grand scheme” might be “out there” or coming from my very co-creative consciousness.  I feel more connectedness somehow when I think that I’m more than “what I am.”    And perhaps any clients, friends, family members, or colleagues we have might benefit in the same way if we passed on this information or “blueprint” into thinking and perceiving ourselves.

So, what might you choose differently if you knew and felt deeply in your consciousness that you were MORE than what you knew, and MORE than what you could know?  Would you do the same thing you are doing now?  Could you navigate the Universe (that you knew you created) with more ease?  Would you need to find a way out of the Paradox?  How would you “show up” every day of your life if you knew and felt this?

…Ponder THAT for a while!

Well, it seems that Julia Stewart is just putting more free coaching courses up on the School of Coaching Mastery web site, so I’m very thrilled! One step at a time though for me. I’m still letting my learning and insights integrate and ruminate – maybe “ferment” if you will. I love the metaphor of “fermentation” – using transformation to give life-giving qualities to things!

This class was about Priming the Pump – allowing for silences and pauses within the rising energy between you and a client, so that the silence too can propel them to sharing more. It was also about Building a Scaffolding – preparing and guiding others through resources, tools, strategies, be they physical or behavioral.

I have to say – my assignments are piling up! LOL. As a web designer, I’m gravely in need of putting up a resource list or “Scaffolding” for my clients and potential clients. I also constantly need to assess and collect my own Scaffolding of resources and tools so that I can both support my clients and support my own self-development and even personal and emotional needs.

I’ll be putting up my “assignments” for this class soon, so you can read more in detail, but I just wanted to get this blog post up sooner! I need to develop a resource page too on my own web stie – http://www.holisticgeek.com/

There’s also another lesson I learned in this class, and it was something that Julia said to one of the other students (I’m paraphrasing again):

“I can’t help but notice the lightness in your voice when you talk about this past situation that was probably painful for you. That lightness can be powerful, and will most likely attract people to you.”

So, for the last three days maybe, I’ve taken this to heart in my conversations with others, and when I speak and interact with others, whether it’s a client, my partner, a friend, or even maybe someone whom I’m having a conflict. My partner started noticing right away.

“Did something change or shift with you, Scott?”

I have to admit, I’m laughing and smiling more, and other things in life that might have troubled me, and I might have shown them more outwardly, seem to be “lighter.” It really makes me wonder..

How much does our language and speech affect our emotional health – or even physical health? If we choose to be lighter in our speech and attitudes about situations or small conflict, how can that change how we navigate through these tough times?

For me, I’m finding myself not dwelling in hurt feelings or “the mud” of conflict by reminding myself of this “lightness” of voice and thought. Instead, I’ve been able to voice my needs better, and try to keep conflict more on track to positive outcomes.

I “fired” one of my clients this week, and I think that I showed a lot of restraint from going into “the story” with them and focusing on keeping the momentum going in a professional way, and offering up ways to make the new arrangement a positive one, because in the past we were both not getting our needs met with one another. And of coarse, I’m learning that even through getting my own needs met, setting good and healthy boundaries, etc, that others may or may not enjoy the boundary setting, and that their reactions are of their choosing, or perhaps a result of “living in their stories” too.

I think that the great value for me thus far with the Coaching Groundwork Class is that I’m learning tools for myself too in getting my own needs met and for maintaining and establishing healthy relationships and boundaries with clients and friends. I’m even enjoying my favorite clients and friends even more now. There’s a bit of a “shedding of old skin” that I’m going through, and Julia’s insights and principles are helping me to explore new ideas and ways of thinking.

I say Yippee!

I recently had lunch with a friend of mine who is graduating with his Master’s degree in Psychology, and is on a track to receive his license in Marriage and Family Therapy. I’m really proud of him for all of the strides he’s made!

We talked about how I was taking a coaching course, and he encouraged me to check out the school he went to and look into their coaching certification class (which it might be fun to check out – but part of me is not very interested in re-joining academia for one institution’s approach).

We started talking about Mission Statement, Goals, Objectives, etc. – and a huge statement just flew out of my mouth, and I had to write it down.

“I don’t think I’m interested in the conventional Mission-Objectives-Goals-Criterion-Evaluation model of business development and coaching. I would much rather help people to find the patterns and insights around the edges of chaos and resistance, so that they could more clearly see ‘what is emerging’ in them, so that they can DISCOVER their life instead of just planning it.”

Wow, where did that come from??!

I’ve always been interested in those moments where you hear “audacious statements” that people make – those times where their passion is engaged, and gems of wisdom and discovery just flow out of their normal everyday speech.

My friend was silent for a while, and later he said, “Yeah you should check out the program, but I think you might butt heads with the director!”

We both had good laugh when I said, “Well when is that a new thing with me?”

My friend has loaned me his coaching books from a class he took, so I’m very excited to read some supplemental information while I take my class.

On Thursday next week, I’m also attending a “Coaching Salon” at a coffee shop in my neighborhood.

My journey is gaining momentum and richness already!

The second Coaching Groundwork class in the Free Coach Training course I’m taking was about “Being Curious and Fine Tuning Your Antenna.” I love how Julia Stewart talks about expanding our intuition and testing it out, picking up on other external stimuli and using it to check in with a client.

But.. For me, this class was more about one BIG statement that she said, that hit me like a freight train. Here’s my paraphrasing of the statement:

Our “Story” is what we make up about the “stuff” in our lives. We choose to live in our stories, but really, they are “made up” and they aren’t true.

Whoa! This statement came to me at a time where I think I needed it most!
(Julia, are you running a coaching class or are you coaching me?!)
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I’m so glad that I listened to this first 2-hour class again, and as they say in show business, “This time with more feeling.”  I also gave myself the assignment of creating my own introduction and to answer the questions asked of the participants in the recording:

• Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
• Why is Coaching important?
• Why might it be important to the world?
• What kinds of clients do you think you might work with?  or Who might choose you?

So, apart from the PDF introduction about me, I really took away vast amounts of insight and information from just this first class. 

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