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Saturday, December 31, 2011
MOTIVATIONAL QUESTIONS
1. Do you
have someone who inspires you the most to take up and persist in your key roles in life?
2. Do you
read every day to learn how to become a better devotee and professional?
3. Are
you ready to be patient until people you assist are sufficiently grown up and developed so they can
stay on their own feet?
4. Do you
see people in terms of their potential or in terms of their faults?
Friday, December 30, 2011
SHOULD COACHES GIVE ADVICE?
Posted by: The Coaching Academy In: Coaching Articles
Giving advice to clients denies them the joy and satisfaction of personal discovery, says The Coaching Academy’s former Managing Director Lesley Matile.
Almost every new coach who I meet at training events asks the question,
‘Do coaches give advice?’
I reply there are many coaches who do and there are many coaches who do not. The question that often follows is,
‘Should coaches give advice?’
My reply is that it really depends on the coach’s definition of coaching and where that coach sits on the continuum of coaching from directive to non-directive.
I would not tell another coach that s/he can or cannot give advice; that is a matter for each individual coach. I do however have a clear view as to where I sit on the continuum and some of the reasons for that positioning.
My starting point is that there is a massive difference between using coaching skills and actually coaching. Many people come to coach training events because they want to add coaching skills to their portfolio. Coaching skills are, after all, great life skills to have. Who wouldn’t see the benefits of attentive listening, asking powerful questions, goal setting, challenging limiting beliefs and helping others to move toward their desires? Many interventions – consulting, advising, mentoring, therapy, counselling – all share this skill set and a desire to see others achieve the maximum from their lives. For me, the difference lies in the finer detail of the way in which the user applies these skills.
My favourite definition of coaching is from Myles Downey:
‘The art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another.’*
At its simplest level, the coach enables the client to define clearly where they want to be, (perhaps need to be in corporate coaching!) and then to work with the client to identify the steps forward. Coaching is goal-centred, client-centred and focused on results. The distinguishing factor of great coaching is that clients learn a huge amount about themselves and their situation as the coaching develops, but very importantly, the coaches are not teaching the clients. It is the sequenced, probing and purposeful questions from the coach that allow pertinent insights from the client to surface. Those moments offer clients the greatest value and give coaches the ultimate reward and satisfaction for their efforts.
In the purest form of coaching, which I also believe is the most beneficial to clients, there is no room for advice giving. That is a bold statement. My belief is that coaches with great skills, used in non-directive ways, can help their clients achieve fantastic results without input, advice, stories and prompts. There is a place for all these ‘assists’, but I believe too often coaches resort to these aids too quickly. This denies clients their opportunity to discover those insights for themselves, to really tap into the potential they possess and to enjoy the satisfaction of discovering their own great steps forward.
The access to this level of coaching is for the coach to develop fantastic skills and then to use those skills in a non-directive manner and in my opinion, this is what sets the superb coach apart from the average. I believe that coaches do their clients a disservice when they ask questions to lead the client to discover what is already in the head of the coach, rather than accessing the client’s inner wisdom. Coaching is client-led with the credit for change resting with the client; it is not an opportunity for the coach to demonstrate their knowledge. There is a place for the sharing of knowledge, but not in coaching in its purest sense. The only knowledge that the coach should demonstrate is an in-depth knowledge of the coaching process that enables the client to achieve great results.
If the client is stuck for options, this suggests that there is more reality to unpack or perhaps the coach needs to help the client to step back and consider the issue from an alternative perspective. A fresh perspective gives new possibilities for the way forward. I use this phrase as my benchmark:
‘My coaching is only as a good as the options the client generates.’
As our belief and skills in the coaching process grows, so our desire as coaches to offer suggestions decreases.
There is a time factor here, you may say. Offering suggestions can speed up the process. True or false? It won’t surprise you to hear me say, ‘False’. The value of coaching lies not just in helping clients get to the end of a session with options, but in building motivation, raising awareness, generating ownership and commitment to change. All my experience suggests that giving advice hinders all the above and reduces the possibility of life-long learning. Now if coaches really want to add value… sustainable and life-long learning would feature very highly on the outcome list. A colleague uses a phrase I really respect,
‘It often takes longer to do things badly than to do things well.’
Advice often springs from the thought we have, ‘If I were the client, I would…’ We all spend much of our daily lives passing information we receive through the filter paper that asks, ‘What does this mean for/to me?’ As coaches, the art of being able to be a clean and clear space is a constant challenge. We need to remember that we are not the client. There are often huge differences – gender, age, experience, background, faith, to name but a few. Our advice is often from a different context, different culture, is historical and reflects our preferences. Once we get an idea, we can become less objective and at worst, may become focussed solely on that one thought. As a result, we adopt a whole variety of assumptions that accompany our opinion, most of which mean we take our attention off the client’s map of the world. Their map is always the key one.
You may think, ‘If the client had all the answers surely they wouldn’t need coaching?’ Wrong … they may have some great ideas but they haven’t found solutions yet that will work well for them to their satisfaction. Some clients can recite loads of options but that’s not the end. In these scenarios, the coach needs to find out what the client is really seeking for from the coaching. Is it to build desire, raise motivation, or face the fear? There is something missing or the client would spend their money at B&Q or in a great wine bar rather than on coaching. The coach needs to help the client discover the vital missing link to ensure their success! That comes from great questioning.
If you are sceptical about my comments, try two things. Firstly, listen to the reaction of the client in terms of enthusiasm when you offer a suggestion. Half the responses will be, ‘Yes, but…’ Contrast that with what happens when the client comes up with his or her own solution. Secondly, keep a log of actions completed and sustained by clients. Divide them into your suggestions and the client’s suggestions generated from your wisdom-accessing questions. It will make interesting reviewing.
I am not against every sort of input to clients. I personally do a mixture of coaching and mentoring on a small number of contracts on which I am engaged. I must admit however, I prefer the pure coaching approach. I recently undertook a piece of work with some relatively new managers. After my initial meetings with the sponsor, it became clear that there was likely to be some gaps in knowledge for the managers. There had been no formal training input to this group of first line (first time) managers. I offered the sponsor a choice – that I take a pure coaching approach or I offer some models and information as might appear appropriate. The decision was that I did a mixture of the two.
So I began by coaching out need, the client’s available skills, lessons learnt by them from their own previous experience and knowledge, their ideas from seeing and talking to others, barriers they had encountered and overcome in the past and those obstacles they anticipated encountering at this point. We identified a number of options for effective ways forward. Some clients were highly imaginative and resourceful in generating options and thought they had sufficient steps to go forward.
For some, there were some feelings of needing more options and some additional input. For those, I introduced a couple of models and some research findings to prompt their thinking. I described each piece of information and then, back to coaching mode, I asked questions about the potential value to the client of the information provided, with the primary focus being on what the clients thought this might add to their list of possible ways forward. Three important considerations arise. Firstly the timing of that input, secondly the neutral manner in which it was presented and thirdly that the provision of information (note, not advice) was previously negotiated with the customer.
It has been suggested that clients will not buy coaching because the process seems vague and ill-defined. Further, non-directive coaching demands the question,
‘What exactly am I getting for my money?’
The answer is not to tell clients of your expertise in any particular area to establish your credibility and a reason for being engaged but to explain with clarity and passion the incredible benefits of the pure coaching process. You may not like this statement but I feel that some coaches knock the idea of non-directive coaching when maybe the challenge is for those same coaches to develop their own skill set to the next level to enable them to deliver great results through such methods. Clearly, I am talking about sophisticated and well-honed skills. But for me, this is part of the definition of a profession: high level skills obtained through education and hard work.
In conclusion, coaching stands and falls on the results it achieves. Some individuals and businesses seem to only want immediate, short-term results. Maybe that will be enough for a coach to short-circuit the non-directive coaching process and offer their advice and supervise its application, holding the client to account. It is my view that not giving advice, but rather facilitating the client’s discovery of their own way forward is what distinguishes coaching from related professions. My own passion is to help clients achieve great results and sustainable, long-term personal development that is transferable from situation to situation. This is achieved through a non-directive approach …coaching in its purest form.
*Effective Coaching by Myles Downey (Texere Publishing, 2003)
Giving advice to clients denies them the joy and satisfaction of personal discovery, says The Coaching Academy’s former Managing Director Lesley Matile.
Almost every new coach who I meet at training events asks the question,
‘Do coaches give advice?’
I reply there are many coaches who do and there are many coaches who do not. The question that often follows is,
‘Should coaches give advice?’
My reply is that it really depends on the coach’s definition of coaching and where that coach sits on the continuum of coaching from directive to non-directive.
I would not tell another coach that s/he can or cannot give advice; that is a matter for each individual coach. I do however have a clear view as to where I sit on the continuum and some of the reasons for that positioning.
My starting point is that there is a massive difference between using coaching skills and actually coaching. Many people come to coach training events because they want to add coaching skills to their portfolio. Coaching skills are, after all, great life skills to have. Who wouldn’t see the benefits of attentive listening, asking powerful questions, goal setting, challenging limiting beliefs and helping others to move toward their desires? Many interventions – consulting, advising, mentoring, therapy, counselling – all share this skill set and a desire to see others achieve the maximum from their lives. For me, the difference lies in the finer detail of the way in which the user applies these skills.
My favourite definition of coaching is from Myles Downey:
‘The art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another.’*
At its simplest level, the coach enables the client to define clearly where they want to be, (perhaps need to be in corporate coaching!) and then to work with the client to identify the steps forward. Coaching is goal-centred, client-centred and focused on results. The distinguishing factor of great coaching is that clients learn a huge amount about themselves and their situation as the coaching develops, but very importantly, the coaches are not teaching the clients. It is the sequenced, probing and purposeful questions from the coach that allow pertinent insights from the client to surface. Those moments offer clients the greatest value and give coaches the ultimate reward and satisfaction for their efforts.
In the purest form of coaching, which I also believe is the most beneficial to clients, there is no room for advice giving. That is a bold statement. My belief is that coaches with great skills, used in non-directive ways, can help their clients achieve fantastic results without input, advice, stories and prompts. There is a place for all these ‘assists’, but I believe too often coaches resort to these aids too quickly. This denies clients their opportunity to discover those insights for themselves, to really tap into the potential they possess and to enjoy the satisfaction of discovering their own great steps forward.
The access to this level of coaching is for the coach to develop fantastic skills and then to use those skills in a non-directive manner and in my opinion, this is what sets the superb coach apart from the average. I believe that coaches do their clients a disservice when they ask questions to lead the client to discover what is already in the head of the coach, rather than accessing the client’s inner wisdom. Coaching is client-led with the credit for change resting with the client; it is not an opportunity for the coach to demonstrate their knowledge. There is a place for the sharing of knowledge, but not in coaching in its purest sense. The only knowledge that the coach should demonstrate is an in-depth knowledge of the coaching process that enables the client to achieve great results.
If the client is stuck for options, this suggests that there is more reality to unpack or perhaps the coach needs to help the client to step back and consider the issue from an alternative perspective. A fresh perspective gives new possibilities for the way forward. I use this phrase as my benchmark:
‘My coaching is only as a good as the options the client generates.’
As our belief and skills in the coaching process grows, so our desire as coaches to offer suggestions decreases.
There is a time factor here, you may say. Offering suggestions can speed up the process. True or false? It won’t surprise you to hear me say, ‘False’. The value of coaching lies not just in helping clients get to the end of a session with options, but in building motivation, raising awareness, generating ownership and commitment to change. All my experience suggests that giving advice hinders all the above and reduces the possibility of life-long learning. Now if coaches really want to add value… sustainable and life-long learning would feature very highly on the outcome list. A colleague uses a phrase I really respect,
‘It often takes longer to do things badly than to do things well.’
Advice often springs from the thought we have, ‘If I were the client, I would…’ We all spend much of our daily lives passing information we receive through the filter paper that asks, ‘What does this mean for/to me?’ As coaches, the art of being able to be a clean and clear space is a constant challenge. We need to remember that we are not the client. There are often huge differences – gender, age, experience, background, faith, to name but a few. Our advice is often from a different context, different culture, is historical and reflects our preferences. Once we get an idea, we can become less objective and at worst, may become focussed solely on that one thought. As a result, we adopt a whole variety of assumptions that accompany our opinion, most of which mean we take our attention off the client’s map of the world. Their map is always the key one.
You may think, ‘If the client had all the answers surely they wouldn’t need coaching?’ Wrong … they may have some great ideas but they haven’t found solutions yet that will work well for them to their satisfaction. Some clients can recite loads of options but that’s not the end. In these scenarios, the coach needs to find out what the client is really seeking for from the coaching. Is it to build desire, raise motivation, or face the fear? There is something missing or the client would spend their money at B&Q or in a great wine bar rather than on coaching. The coach needs to help the client discover the vital missing link to ensure their success! That comes from great questioning.
If you are sceptical about my comments, try two things. Firstly, listen to the reaction of the client in terms of enthusiasm when you offer a suggestion. Half the responses will be, ‘Yes, but…’ Contrast that with what happens when the client comes up with his or her own solution. Secondly, keep a log of actions completed and sustained by clients. Divide them into your suggestions and the client’s suggestions generated from your wisdom-accessing questions. It will make interesting reviewing.
I am not against every sort of input to clients. I personally do a mixture of coaching and mentoring on a small number of contracts on which I am engaged. I must admit however, I prefer the pure coaching approach. I recently undertook a piece of work with some relatively new managers. After my initial meetings with the sponsor, it became clear that there was likely to be some gaps in knowledge for the managers. There had been no formal training input to this group of first line (first time) managers. I offered the sponsor a choice – that I take a pure coaching approach or I offer some models and information as might appear appropriate. The decision was that I did a mixture of the two.
So I began by coaching out need, the client’s available skills, lessons learnt by them from their own previous experience and knowledge, their ideas from seeing and talking to others, barriers they had encountered and overcome in the past and those obstacles they anticipated encountering at this point. We identified a number of options for effective ways forward. Some clients were highly imaginative and resourceful in generating options and thought they had sufficient steps to go forward.
For some, there were some feelings of needing more options and some additional input. For those, I introduced a couple of models and some research findings to prompt their thinking. I described each piece of information and then, back to coaching mode, I asked questions about the potential value to the client of the information provided, with the primary focus being on what the clients thought this might add to their list of possible ways forward. Three important considerations arise. Firstly the timing of that input, secondly the neutral manner in which it was presented and thirdly that the provision of information (note, not advice) was previously negotiated with the customer.
It has been suggested that clients will not buy coaching because the process seems vague and ill-defined. Further, non-directive coaching demands the question,
‘What exactly am I getting for my money?’
The answer is not to tell clients of your expertise in any particular area to establish your credibility and a reason for being engaged but to explain with clarity and passion the incredible benefits of the pure coaching process. You may not like this statement but I feel that some coaches knock the idea of non-directive coaching when maybe the challenge is for those same coaches to develop their own skill set to the next level to enable them to deliver great results through such methods. Clearly, I am talking about sophisticated and well-honed skills. But for me, this is part of the definition of a profession: high level skills obtained through education and hard work.
In conclusion, coaching stands and falls on the results it achieves. Some individuals and businesses seem to only want immediate, short-term results. Maybe that will be enough for a coach to short-circuit the non-directive coaching process and offer their advice and supervise its application, holding the client to account. It is my view that not giving advice, but rather facilitating the client’s discovery of their own way forward is what distinguishes coaching from related professions. My own passion is to help clients achieve great results and sustainable, long-term personal development that is transferable from situation to situation. This is achieved through a non-directive approach …coaching in its purest form.
*Effective Coaching by Myles Downey (Texere Publishing, 2003)
EMPOWERING AUSTERITIES
Bhagavad-gita
describes three kinds of austerities in the mode of goodness. Practicing these
austerities may give a strength to any spiritual leader for pursuing his
leadership and preaching duties successfully.
We may practice the 'austerity of the body' by forcing our body to rise early and engage in hearing and chanting.
We may practice the 'austerity of the body' by forcing our body to rise early and engage in hearing and chanting.
'Austerity
of the mind' may be done by reading Srila Prabhupada's books every day to learn
the art of caring and leading others, and being a good example; also thinking
always of doing good to others and how to help them start or develop their
spiritual life.
'Austerity
of speech may be practiced by making sure that we speak uplifting and wise
words, based on sastra and emanating love, patience and care. One has to
genuinely want to help others, otherwise they will feel it when we speak to
them. "I don't care how much you know until I know how much you
care."
Daily
conscious practice of these austerities will give us leadership strength in
many challenges that we encounter. And above all, attentive chanting of 16
rounds every day (no 'preaching excuses') is the most important purificatory
and empowering austerity. These austerities are purifying for the intelligence
and so one can serve with the help of spiritual intelligence.
Action:
Remember from time to time that 'Austerity is the wealth of the brahmanas.' And
try to apply it intentionally.
AN OLD SIOUX LEGEND
In ancient times, the Creator wanted to hide
something from the humans until they were ready to
see it. He gathered all the other creatures of creation
to ask for their advice.
something from the humans until they were ready to
see it. He gathered all the other creatures of creation
to ask for their advice.
The eagle said, “Give it to me and I will take it to the
highest mountain in all the land,” but the Creator said,
“No, one day they will conquer the mountain and find
it.”
highest mountain in all the land,” but the Creator said,
“No, one day they will conquer the mountain and find
it.”
The salmon said, “Leave it with me and I will hide it
at the very bottom of the ocean,” but the Creator said,
“No, for humans are explorers at heart, and one day
they will go there, too.”
at the very bottom of the ocean,” but the Creator said,
“No, for humans are explorers at heart, and one day
they will go there, too.”
The buffalo said, “I will take it and bury it in the very
heart of the great plains,” but the Creator said, “No,
for one day even the skin of the earth will be ripped
open, and they will find it there.”
heart of the great plains,” but the Creator said, “No,
for one day even the skin of the earth will be ripped
open, and they will find it there.”
The creatures of creation were stumped, but then
an old blind mole spoke up. “Why don’t you put it
inside them—that’s the very last place they’ll look.”
The Creator said, “It is done.”
an old blind mole spoke up. “Why don’t you put it
inside them—that’s the very last place they’ll look.”
The Creator said, “It is done.”
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
YOUR GADGETS AND WHAT MATTERS MOST
Ensure that your mobile phone, iPad, iPod, laptop, email, text messages and Facebook do not distract you from what matters most in your life.
Do not become gadgets addict and lose your focus on what is most important to you in life.
Your ability to focus on the most important things will determine your success or failure.
Don't become a slave of the urgent and unimportant.
Do not become gadgets addict and lose your focus on what is most important to you in life.
Your ability to focus on the most important things will determine your success or failure.
Don't become a slave of the urgent and unimportant.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
ENVY
At the
Bhakti Vriksa Seminar held in Inish Rath ISKCON Temple in Northern Ireland, one
devotee mentioned how vicars in one church don't allow congregational members
to take up more responsible roles because the congregational members are better
then them, and keep them just giving donations.
This is very vivid
example what the leader must give up - envy of those who work under him.
Do we
sometimes examine our motives?
Do we really want people to succeed?
Are we
afraid for our position or reputation?
A devotee of Krishna should be glad that
people are coming forward to take up responsibility.
He should encourage and
coach them.
He should be genuinely happy when another devotee is successful and is
developing as a caring leader, or a responsible person.
One GBC Minister said
we should see congregational devotees as partners and not look down upon them.
In many
spiritual and business organizations today leaders are forced to give up
control and become facilitators.
Practically it boils down to 'change or soon
you'll be strange'.
But it is not easy to change, to give up control, give up
false prestige and enjoying or exploitive mentality.
Intelligent
spiritual leader knows he will be tested and he prepares for it by reflection,
introspection and examining his motives. He does it to learn and improve when he is faced with a challenge. And
challenges will come.
BHAKTA-VATSALA
Krsna is sometimes addressed as vatsala.
Vatsala means "always favorably disposed."
One of Lord's names is bhakta-vatsala.
He is famous as bhakta-vatsala, which means that He is always favorably inclined to the devotees
WITH LOVE AND AFFECTION
When one is adorned with love and affection, his face is lotuslike.
When one's eyes are smeared with love of Krsna (premanjana-cchurita), he always sees Krsna, outside and inside.
Only those who engage in devotional service with love and faith receive the necessary intelligence from the Supreme Personality of Godhead so that gradually and progressively they can advance to the abode of the Personality of Godhead.
If any devotee offers Krsna even a small leaf, or a flower or water, with love and affection, the Lord accepts it and is pleased.
When one's eyes are smeared with love of Krsna (premanjana-cchurita), he always sees Krsna, outside and inside.
Only those who engage in devotional service with love and faith receive the necessary intelligence from the Supreme Personality of Godhead so that gradually and progressively they can advance to the abode of the Personality of Godhead.
If any devotee offers Krsna even a small leaf, or a flower or water, with love and affection, the Lord accepts it and is pleased.
BHAKTI VRIKSA SERVANT-LEADERS
Bhakti
Vriksa Servant Leaders are devotees who have taken up the responsibility to
personally take care of a group of serious candidates for the advancement in
devotional service.
They are leaders-servants, the concept that is becoming
more and more prominent in business sector today.
They are facilitators.
They
recognize talents and potential of the devotees and help them express and
engage those talents.
They are friendly and selfless.
They like to see others advance.
They like to assist others in becoming servant-leaders.
THE ESSENCE OF LIFE
The essence of our life is service and giving with love.
This is why we exist.
This is why God created us.
Anything less than that will not make us happy.
Therefore, the best way to start our day is to ask:
How can I serve today?
How can I give today?
With love.
This is why we exist.
This is why God created us.
Anything less than that will not make us happy.
Therefore, the best way to start our day is to ask:
How can I serve today?
How can I give today?
With love.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
WHAT ARE THE PILLARS OF YOUR LIFE?
What are the pillars of your life?
What are your sources of strength?
Where do you get knowledge?
Where do you get support?
Do you have anything that gives you clarity, inspiration, and direction?
How do you connect with the Source of all inspiration, power and intelligence?
What are your sources of strength?
Where do you get knowledge?
Where do you get support?
Do you have anything that gives you clarity, inspiration, and direction?
How do you connect with the Source of all inspiration, power and intelligence?
WHAT IS SERVANT LEADERSHIP?
One
leadership teacher describes servant leadership as follows:
"The servant leader is servant
first. It all begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve
first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference
manifests itself in the care taken by the servant - first to make sure that
other people's highest priority needs are served."
Another teacher says:
"Servant leadership is demonstrated through the stating of goals or vision,
aggressively listening to others, telling the truth and being trustworthy,
assisting others in their development, caring for the well-being of all people,
and in the end, sustaining the hope that both the organization and its people
will reach their desired futures."
Servant Leadership
Mini Test
1. Are
you living inwardly and outwardly in a manner consistent with your mission?
2. Are
your intentions, secret desires, private ambitions, dreams or passions
contradictory to what you publicly proclaim about yourself or your
organization?
3. Are
the decisions you make congruent with the principles of your mission?
START SMALL
We can
improve our spiritual life by starting from where we are and then going
further, step by step. We can start small. Improvements may be small, but
constant.
If we just give attention to what really matters in our practice of
bhakti-yoga, we will make advancement. We can improve our sadhana. We can make
a plan to rise early, and take steps to make sure it happens. Have a good alarm
clock, or someone who is regulated and is willing to wake us up. Most important
is to go early to bed.
We can
improve our japa, for example, but keeping a Japa Quality Journal. Write down
every day how you did in the morning. Assess yourself. Give it attention.
Sixteen good rounds are the most important thing. Chant along with Srila
Prabhupadas' tape, at least sometimes.
Read every day, at least a verse and a
purport. Write down the main point. Write what you can apply tomorrow from the
text you've read.
In this way we can renew our enthusiasm every day and have a
strength to start developing nice devotional relationships with authorities and
other devotees. And we can nicely cooperate in the mission of spreading
Krishna consciousness all over the world.
IF YOU SPEAK SPANISH ...
Here is our Gita Coaching interview in Spanish:
http://www.mundonamahatta.org/2011/11/24/entrevista-al-entrenador-gita/
http://www.mundonamahatta.org/2011/11/24/entrevista-al-entrenador-gita/
HELPING DEVOTEES SUCCEED SLIDES
Click on this link to view 113 HDS slides:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78099562/Helping-Devotees-Succeed-Bhakti-Vriksha-The-Home-of-Lord-Krishna
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/78099562/Helping-Devotees-Succeed-Bhakti-Vriksha-The-Home-of-Lord-Krishna
CONGREGATIONAL DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY AND GITA COACHING
I just discovered that our interview in Peru on Gita Coaching was published on the CDM website in September this year:
http://www.iskconcongregation.com/node/178
http://www.iskconcongregation.com/node/178
Friday, December 23, 2011
HOW CAN WE HELP DEVOTEES SUCCEED?
Here are 12 ways to help devotees succeed, by helping them to:
- Express their thoughts, feelings and ideas by listening to them attentively, with a genuine interest.
- Create a Personal Mission Statement, as a compass for their life to give them clarity, inspiration and direction.
- Clarify their key roles in life (e.g., disciple, husband, father, manager, etc.)
- Clarify their top priorities, what matters most to them.
- Simplify their life and focus on top priorities.
- Stop self-sabotage, i.e., various habits that are against their self-interest.
- Balance between being gentle and strict with themselves and others.
- Plan and practice regular self-renewal of the body, mind and spirit.
- Strengthen their faith in Krsna and devotional service.
- Overcome all internal and external obstacles to their success, happiness and productivity.
- Discover and utilize internal and external resources they are not using (like talents, skills, friendships, knowledge, etc.).
- Discover what service inspires them and what they can contribute to the world with great enthusiasm and determination.
STUMBLE
All people occasionally stumble across the truth, but most pick themselves up and continue as if nothing had happened.
WINSTON CHURCHILL
WINSTON CHURCHILL
Thursday, December 22, 2011
REFLECTION ON 2011
This year I found out that many people read my blog, and not only the members of ISKCON. I am very happy because of that.
This was a second year of my new lifestyle of travelling and teaching. Since I had joined this movement, I wanted to live and serve like this. Now Krsna has fulfilled my desire. I meet many people of all ages, in various countries, and can serve them and love them and help them come closer to God.
Personal coaching has a great value in my life and I want to learn it even better. In this way, I will be able to provide better service to the devotees all over the world. I got a message many times that I should write a book. I started it, but I don't know when I will finish it.
This year brought some wonderful realizations, but I think that the next one will be even better.
This was a second year of my new lifestyle of travelling and teaching. Since I had joined this movement, I wanted to live and serve like this. Now Krsna has fulfilled my desire. I meet many people of all ages, in various countries, and can serve them and love them and help them come closer to God.
Personal coaching has a great value in my life and I want to learn it even better. In this way, I will be able to provide better service to the devotees all over the world. I got a message many times that I should write a book. I started it, but I don't know when I will finish it.
This year brought some wonderful realizations, but I think that the next one will be even better.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
WHAT IS COACHING?
There are many definitions of coaching and as you develop with us as a coach you will no doubt work out your own best way of explaining to others what coaching is.
At the heart of coaching is the idea that it is a form of personal intervention that is future focused, goal orientated, and concerned with enabling others to move forward with their lives or businesses more effectively than if they were doing this alone.
As a coach you will be offering unconditional support and working with clients using a proven methodology.
The number one essential background qualification to becoming a coach is a love of people. If you gain personal and professional satisfaction from helping others to reach their goals, then coaching is for you.
The issues clients raise are as diverse as the clients themselves. Your very first client could bring anything from financial worries to family or health concerns to the table.
If you choose to work as a corporate coach, your client may have issues around change management, team building or leadership within the organisation.
As you gain confidence and experience you may start to specialise in one specific type of coaching, or you may decide to only coach one particular type of client.
The personal challenge of coaching clients through a huge variety of issues is frequently cited by our graduates as a major motivation.
Coaching is an enormously rewarding and fulfilling career.
Coaches help people.
http://www.the-coaching-academy.com
At the heart of coaching is the idea that it is a form of personal intervention that is future focused, goal orientated, and concerned with enabling others to move forward with their lives or businesses more effectively than if they were doing this alone.
As a coach you will be offering unconditional support and working with clients using a proven methodology.
The number one essential background qualification to becoming a coach is a love of people. If you gain personal and professional satisfaction from helping others to reach their goals, then coaching is for you.
The issues clients raise are as diverse as the clients themselves. Your very first client could bring anything from financial worries to family or health concerns to the table.
If you choose to work as a corporate coach, your client may have issues around change management, team building or leadership within the organisation.
As you gain confidence and experience you may start to specialise in one specific type of coaching, or you may decide to only coach one particular type of client.
The personal challenge of coaching clients through a huge variety of issues is frequently cited by our graduates as a major motivation.
Coaching is an enormously rewarding and fulfilling career.
Coaches help people.
http://www.the-coaching-academy.com
Monday, December 19, 2011
THE LATEST NEWS FROM LONDON
Team building workshop for the East London Pandava Sena youth group in Ilford, East London.
Talk on Self Care at ISKCON London, Central London.
Talk on Taking Responsibility And Initiative at ISKCON London, Central London.
Individual coaching sessions with various devotees in London.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
LOVE AND TRUST
Now all my disciples must work combinedly and with cooperation to spread this sankirtana movement. If you cannot work together then my work is stopped up. Our Society is like one big family and our relationships should be based on love and trust. We must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to push ahead. You should accept help from your Godbrothers.
Our movement is based on love and trust, so if we do not cooperate, then how is that love and trust?
Our ISKCON should be taken as being a family based upon love and trust, so as the father becomes unhappy when one of his children wishes to break family connections I also become unhappy when there is difficulties within our ISKCON family. So please do not consider leaving as you are spiritual children of mine.
There were no factions of devotees finding fault with him, as in the past, and he especially has gained the confidence of Dayananda and they are working together in love and trust. This was very encouraging to me.
- Srila Prabhupada
Our movement is based on love and trust, so if we do not cooperate, then how is that love and trust?
Our ISKCON should be taken as being a family based upon love and trust, so as the father becomes unhappy when one of his children wishes to break family connections I also become unhappy when there is difficulties within our ISKCON family. So please do not consider leaving as you are spiritual children of mine.
There were no factions of devotees finding fault with him, as in the past, and he especially has gained the confidence of Dayananda and they are working together in love and trust. This was very encouraging to me.
- Srila Prabhupada
Thursday, December 15, 2011
INTELLIGENCE BECOMES PURIFIED
Chanting Hare Krsna is the easiest process by which to become purified, especially in this age, when people are so dull that they cannot very easily understand spiritual knowledge.
If one chants Hare Krsna, then his intelligence becomes purified, and he can understand spiritual things.
- Srila Prabhupada, Science Of Self Realization
If one chants Hare Krsna, then his intelligence becomes purified, and he can understand spiritual things.
- Srila Prabhupada, Science Of Self Realization
YOU CAN WALK SPIRITUAL STEPS
So practice means employing both the mind and the senses in practical devotional service. This practice is not for developing something artificial. For example, a child learns or practices to walk. This walking is not unnatural. The walking capacity is there originally in the child, and simply by a little practice he walks very nicely.
Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Krsna consciousness.
- Srila Prabhupada, Nectar Of Devotion
Similarly, devotional service to the Supreme Lord is the natural instinct of every living entity. Even uncivilized men like the aborigines offer their respectful obeisances to something wonderful exhibited by nature's law, and they appreciate that behind some wonderful exhibition or action there is something supreme. So this consciousness, though lying dormant in those who are materially contaminated, is found in every living entity. And, when purified, this is called Krsna consciousness.
- Srila Prabhupada, Nectar Of Devotion
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
POWER TO CHANGE
Never underestimate your power to change yourself.
Never overestimate your power to change others.
- Wayne Dyer
Never overestimate your power to change others.
- Wayne Dyer
Monday, December 12, 2011
SOLUTION FOR ALL FEAR
The almighty Lord has empowered His name with the powers of His personal Self.
It is stated in the Srimad Bhagavatam that the name of Krsna is feared even by fear personified.
This means that the name of Krsna is nondifferent from Krsna.
Therefore, His name is as powerful as Himself.
Thus anyone can take advantage of the holy names of Lord Sri Krsna in any situation, even in the middle of greatest dangers.
The transcendental name of Krsna, even when spoken unconsciously or by force of circumstances, can help us get free from the cycle of birth and death.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
FINDING THEIR NATIVE GENIUS
Finding someone’s native genius is the key that unlocks
discretionary effort. It propels people to go beyond what is
required and offer their full intelligence. Finding people’s
genius begins by carefully observing them in action, looking
for spikes of authentic enthusiasm and a natural flow of
energy. As you watch someone in action, ask these
questions:
What do they do better than anything else they do?
What do they do better than the people around them?
What do they do without effort?
What do they do without being asked?
What do they do readily without being paid?
Native genius can be so instinctive for people that they may
not even understand their own capability. Perhaps you’ve
heard the phrase “fish discover water last.” But if people
aren’t aware of their genius, they are not in a position to
deliberately utilize it. By telling people what you see, you
can raise their awareness and confidence, allowing them to
provide their capability more fully.
Liz Wiseman
multipliersbook.com
IT DEPENDS
Whether you prevail or fail depends more on what you do to yourself than on what the world does to you.
www.jimcollins.com
www.jimcollins.com
MULTIPLIERS
We’ve all had experience with two dramatically different types of leaders.
The first type drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room.
These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment.
On the other side of the spectrum are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them.
When these leaders walk into a room, light bulbs go off over people’s heads; ideas flow and problems get solved.
The first type drains intelligence, energy, and capability from the people around them and always needs to be the smartest person in the room.
These are the idea killers, the energy sappers, the diminishers of talent and commitment.
On the other side of the spectrum are leaders who use their intelligence to amplify the smarts and capabilities of the people around them.
When these leaders walk into a room, light bulbs go off over people’s heads; ideas flow and problems get solved.
These are the leaders who inspire employees to stretch themselves to deliver results that surpass expectations.
These are the Multipliers.
And the world needs more of them, especially now when leaders are expected to do more with less.
http://multipliersbook.com
http://multipliersbook.com
Friday, December 9, 2011
DEVOTEE CARE SEMINAR IN RADHADESH
Here you may find recordings of my latest seminar in Radhadesh, Belgium:
http://www.radhadesh.com/en/node/3253
http://www.radhadesh.com/en/node/3256
http://www.radhadesh.com/en/node/3253
http://www.radhadesh.com/en/node/3256
GET BENEFIT FROM A FREE COACHING SESSION
Contact professional Life Coach Elena for a free email or Skype coaching session:
eanargyrou@yahoo.com
Visit her blog "Light Up Your Soul":
Here is her free offer for you, given in a letter to me:
Dear Akrura,
As I mentioned to you, I am working on a project I call "Give it Back", this is a service I am very happy to be engaged in, as it has already helped several young and talented individuals from different countries, who would otherwise not think about the benefits that coaching has to offer them.
I am excited about this project because I am thoroughly inspired to help others live the fullest expression of who they really are. Helping people find their wings and watch them soar makes me come alive. It is amazing to see how even one powerful coaching session can ignite clarity, strength and creativity and motivate individuals to take steps to live their lives to the fullest.
Within the "Give it Back" project, I am offering a limited number of free coaching sessions to a limited number of people until December of this year. One conversation is already enough to bring people's current reality in alignment with their own vision of their best life.
The minimum time my clients commit to working with me for is 6 months. This is an opportunity for someone to reap benefits in only one conversation with me.
If you know of someone who would benefit from having a conversation with a coach who will support them by working with their fears and obstacles to allow transformation to happen, please let them know of this service work I am offering.
Love,
Elena Anargyrou, MBA
Personal & Business Coach
Certified by ICF Approved
& EMCC Accredited School
"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." W.J.B.
**********************************************************************
For inspiration visit my blog at: www.lightupyoursoul.blogspot.com
Thursday, December 8, 2011
THE MONGOOSE AND THE BRAHMIN’S WIFE
Once upon a time, there lived a Brahman by the name of Deva Sharma with his wife. His wife delivered a son and they were happy to have their first child. The Brahmin wanted to have a pet animal to protect the child which would also be a companion to the child. The Brahmin kept his proposal before the Brahmani. She found the proposal acceptable and the Brahmin went to bring a pet.
Deva Sharma went round the village and after much toil, got a mongoose as an escort to his child. Brahmani didn’t like the idea to keep a mongoose for her child. But as the pet was already brought, so she accepted it. Now, both of them started loving the mongoose as their own child. Yet, the Brahmani never left her son alone because she did not trust the mongoose, fearing that it could harm her son.
One day, the farmer and his wife had to go out of the house leaving the child at home. The farmer confirmed that the mongoose would take care of the child while they would be away. So, they left the mongoose and the child at home and went out. Soon after they left, a cobra entered the home. Finding danger to the son of the Brahmin, the mongoose attacked the cobra. They had a bloody combat and the mongoose succeeded in killing the cobra.
After this, mongoose heard the footfalls of Brahmin’s wife and went at the door to greet her. Brahmani was trembled to see the blood stained mouth of the mongoose. She inferred that the mongoose had killed the child. Without a second thought, she threw a heavy box on mongoose and the mongoose died at the spot. Brahmani quickly entered the house to see her child and to her great surprise, she found her child sleeping quietly in the cradle.
As soon as, she saw a snake bitten into pieces lying near the cradle, she realized that the mongoose had saved her child. The Brahmani was struck by grief that she had killed the mongoose that was like a sibling to her son. She cried loud at her hasty action.
Lesson: Don't pre-judge. Think before you act.
- Pancatantra
PATIENCE
The exact meaning of the word sattvena is given by Sridhara Svami as being synonymous with dhairyena, or patience. One must perform devotional service with great patience. One should not give up the execution of devotional service because one or two attempts have not been successful. One must continue. Sri Rupa Gosvami also confirms that one should be very enthusiastic and execute devotional service with patience and confidence. Patience is necessary for developing the confidence that "Krsna will certainly accept me because I am engaging in devotional service." One has only to execute service according to the rules and regulations to insure success.
Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.16 Purport
Srila Prabhupada, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.16 Purport
WHY ME?
Why I have to go through this trouble?
Why I have to suffer like this?
Why this is happening to me?
Why Krsna is allowing this?
Why not? Instead of asking "why me?", ask:
What can I learn from it?
What is good about this problem?
What are the hidden opportunities?
Why I have to suffer like this?
Why this is happening to me?
Why Krsna is allowing this?
Why not? Instead of asking "why me?", ask:
What can I learn from it?
What is good about this problem?
What are the hidden opportunities?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
THE ESSENCE OF DEVOTEE CARE
The essence of devotee care are six loving exchanges given by Rupa Gosvami:
dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam
Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.
dadati pratigrhnati
guhyam akhyati prcchati
bhunkte bhojayate caiva
sad-vidham priti-laksanam
Offering gifts in charity, accepting charitable gifts, revealing one's mind in confidence, inquiring confidentially, accepting prasada and offering prasada are the six symptoms of love shared by one devotee and another.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I CANNOT LEARN FROM HIM
Every morning Prabhupada would take a stroll to one of the nearby parks, sometimes with a few disciples and sometimes with only Sivananda. Sometimes while he walked along the waterfront, Prabhupada would ask about shipbuilding and related industries, and Krsnadasa would answer. When Prabhupada asked Krsnadasa what the population of Hamburg was, he knew. Prabhupada began to jokingly call Krsnadasa "Stats," because he knew so many statistics.
One morning, while Stats was answering Prabhupada's questions about various cranes used in shipbuilding, Prabhupada turned to the others and said, "You see, although I am the guru and I am taking you back to Godhead, that doesn't mean that I cannot learn from him."
- Srila Prabhupada Lila, Satvarupa dasa Goswami
INTERVIEW WITH AKRURA DASA IN RADHADESH
Q: Why have you come to Radhadesh?
A: To do a Team Building Workshop for the temple department heads, presentations on Devotee Care and Guidance, and personal coaching sessions with individual devotees. And to play some devotional music.
Q: What is the best way to build an effective team?
A: Make a plan based on sound principles like mutual respect, personal trustworthiness, trust, encouragement, and alignment with Srila Prabhupada's teachings. Then follow up with an attitude of helping each other succeed. Read this Srimad Bhagavatam text to learn the basis of building spiritual teams:
http://vedabase.net/sb/4/30/8/en1
Q: What are the three main principles that will help teams succeed?
A: 1) Krsna's mercy, 2) Building trust, 3) Sincere attitude of helping each other succeed (HEOS), 4) Mutual appreciation.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
WHY ARE WE FEARFUL?
Because we do not have enough faith that Krsna who is in our heart as the Supersoul is our supreme well-wisher and the best friend.
Friday, December 2, 2011
AN OFFERING
What is the point of making an offering which is very hard or even impossible to be accepted?
Is it because of our ignorance that makes us lazy and we are not interested to see our real doings?
Or is it maybe as a result of our impersonalism, even though we think that we are so far from it?
Who are we joking with, our friend who nicely came to have some exchange with us, or ourselves who mechanically offer inappropriate things, unwilling to open our eyes..?
Written by Sita from Skopje, Macedonia
Or is it maybe as a result of our impersonalism, even though we think that we are so far from it?
Who are we joking with, our friend who nicely came to have some exchange with us, or ourselves who mechanically offer inappropriate things, unwilling to open our eyes..?
Written by Sita from Skopje, Macedonia
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