And unlike what the news says, I don’t believe this is the most important election I’ve ever voted in. That was my first one - when I cast my ballot for Bill Clinton in 1992, shut my eyes, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best. If the election hadn’t gone “my” way, my mom and I were moving to Canada. (Yeah, right… at least that’s what we thought at the time…)

I will say this is a phenomenal election. Sexism and racism are rampant all around. Nasty political tactics are taking place by people I voted for, people I voted against, and on both sides of most measures in the state. Except for the humble school and local municipality bond measures, politics is messy.

Not afraid to get messy, I’ll tell you that I voted for Barack Obama today. I voted for Jeff Merkley today. I voted against every measure supported by Bill Sizemore and Kevin Mannix, and voted for a local bond measure to support the Portland Community College expand its facilities and services. I voted for what I believe in. I voted with the combination of my heart and mind. I voted for me.

I know that many people are afraid to speak openly about who they’re voting for. They feel it’s private - and for many reasons I understand and respect that. The instances of voter intimidation and coercion that still go on across the country is good reason for privacy and protection of votes - I am so grateful that I personally don’t have to worry about that, being a white male in a very blue state.

I announce proudly who I’m voting for and what I believe in. I am excited to have a voice, I am grateful to participate, and I am honored to be a part of changing the world for what I believe in.

The night that Bill Clinton was elected in 1992, I woke up in my college dorm room at about 3 in the morning with a nightmare that results over that night had swung the election to Bush. It took eight years for that nightmare to come true, and I’ve woken up in that same nightmare every day since 2000.

I let people know how I feel and what I think in my blog. I often ask people to do something as homework. So here’s my homework for you. I’m not going to give you a song and dance about voting. If you’re reading this blog, chances are that you’ve already voted, or are going to vote on election day and you most likely share most of my political views. What I do want you to do is find the gratitude in the process of elections. I really want you to explore how many things you can be grateful for in being able to cast a ballot, make a decision, and play a part in the democratic process. And tell the person working at elections, “Thank you.”

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

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I had a my thyroid removed two years ago due to cancer. This type of thyroid cancer is very treatable yet life threatening if I hadn’t had the surgery. I was told that all I would need is a small pill once a day to replace the hormones generated by the thyroid and I’d be fine.

Well, since then I’ve had challenges losing weight, felt low energy, kinda brain-foggy at times, and all around not at the top of my game. These are all symptoms of being hypothyroid and predictable to my situation. I’ve started seeing a naturopath to help supplement my health care with diet strategies and other medicinary items to address the problems with high blood pressure, cholesterol, and other factors. 

I’ve spent some time navigating the medical and insurance world attempting to find a set of healthcare professionals who I can trust and who will work with me and who will work together. I’m finding this to be a tremendous challenge. And yet each step I make reveals my resolve to make sure that my health comes first.

Sometimes I write a post to be about you and your experience. Today I decided I’d do this one for me. It’s really important for me to remember and honor the decisions I’m making for myself. I’m taking an active role in my health and well-being. I’m choosing my life today.

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

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Lately I’ve been reading over some previous blog entries and through my journal. I’ve had wonderful awareness over the past several months. Some of my entries, however, seem like they were written by another person. It’s like I experience a part of myself and allow it to fly away from my consciousness.

There can be a lot of pressure to grow and transform one’s self. Over the past 4 years I have really become a new person. And in many ways I continue some habits that aren’t so great, habits that I had once licked and I chose to bring them back.

Here’s an example. I started smoking again one spring and summer after my marriage broke up. It was just for a few months. And yet my choice to stop smoking in the past was a comfort zone that I welcomed back like an old friend. Why? Somehow it’s often easier to stop growing, put the brakes on, and get comfortable.
I find that I’m continuing to choose some habits that I really don’t care for. Notice that I say I’m choosing them. I take full responsibility for my actions. I can’t blame anyone else for them. They are solely my choices. I’m talking the more-than-usual dessert, an “extra” helping at dinner, not being consistent with my exercise, participating in gossip, and allowing emotions to run amok.

And so I find myself in the present moment, having at once changed so much in my life, and simultaneously holding on to old habits out of fear. I welcome this awareness, and I look forward to finding out what steps I will take to create the next level of change for myself.

So I’m going to go out on a limb and profess and confess (notice the pro and con here?) that I have a goal to weigh 210 pounds by June 11, 2009. On that date I have planned to jump out of a plane in Boulder, Colorado and that is the weight needed to do a tandem jump with the company I want to go with.

Homework:

What is one thing you want to commit to? How scary is it? Notice how much stress comes up and where your body feels it. Are you motivated to complete the task? Can you take one step forward, no matter how small you think it sounds? Whatever it is, I know it’s possible if you choose to.

Prove me wrong,

Joseph Lyons

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I’ve just ended a call with a Master of Coaching, Steve Mitten. Along with at least 20 members of the NW Coach Association, I coordinated this call that brought one of the leaders of the coaching industry directly to our organization. I was nervous, anxious, worried, and fearful that it wouldn’t go well. Maybe someone would have higher expectations of the phone quality, or maybe someone would think that I wasn’t a good enough host, or something technical would happen and disconnect us all.

None of those things I feared could happen did happen. In fact, the call was so wonderful and delightful that I’m humbled by how relatively simple it was to make this class happen. A solid intro to the call, a great speaker, a fun and interactive short answer session, and the opportunity for Q and A. My only last concern is if the call was successfully recorded, but that’s not in my hands anymore and if it didn’t take, then so be it.

What I’ve learned from the call:

• Struggle is growth waiting to happen.
• 98.5% of coaching clients believe that coaching is very effective
• The biggest impact that Steve felt would be important for him to know throughout his career was “mindfulness”.
• Cutting edge to Steve is about balanced energy. Balancing the yin and yang. For him, this means balancing times of growth with times of reflection.
• His biggest advice to both new and seasoned coaches is to aspire mastery of yourself and to give back.

What I learned about this process for myself:

• I am capable of bringing at least one industry leader to participate in the growth and transformation of a subset of that industry
• I can manage a teleconference with grace, dignity, and humor.
• I can engage members of my organization myself - I don’t need to rely on gathering consensus from a group before I take action.
• I depend greatly on the support of others to help with projects and that I can’t do it alone. (Thanks to Kim Christensen and Feroshia Knight for providing all sorts of support with this project!!!)
• And once again, I learned that connection means freedom for me. I could have stayed trapped in the fear of looking stupid in front of my peers and Steve. I could have chosen to not step up and create this project. Instead, I stepped out of fear and into freedom, choosing to follow my instinct, passion, and intention.

Homework:

I learned TONS in one hour. Just by paying attention and participating in the world, I received a knowledge of intellectual significance, and also of courage, focus, intention, commitment, passion, humor, humility, and gratitude. How much can you learn in one hour? Start by writing down the current time and your immediate insight. Then, continue this for an hour. Then stop, and reflect on what you learned in that hour. I guarantee that you find you learn so much by being fully present, tuning up your awareness, and just listen.

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

PS. I get to do this all again in a month when I interview Rhonda Britten, 4 time author (working on her fifth), host of Help Me, Rhonda for the BBC and Starting Over for three years, and is the founder of my coach training school, Fearless Living Institute. If you want to listen to that call, you’ll need to be a member of the NWCA. Join here!

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A few years ago when I decided to become a coach I joined my local professional coaches association. The NW Coaches Association is a local chapter of the ICF, or International Coach Federation. Within just a few months I had joined a group to develop projects and programs and now I serve on the Board of the organization to bring speakers and presenters to the group.

This year I decided to ramp up our services and with the help of the NWCA Leadership Team I developed a project called Meet the Masters in which speakers from around the world will come together for an over-the-phone virtual meeting between each master and the members of the NWCA. It’s quite a wonderful project and the first meeting is tomorrow at 11 Am Pacific.

The coaching master I asked to join us is Steve Mitten, a former President of the ICF. This Vancouver BC coach has his finger on the pulse of coaching is the pulse of coaching having worked with major international organizations, dynamic individuals, and led the world’s movement of coaching. Steve has willingly and enthusiatically agreed to support our local chapter and I’m grateful.

I’m excited and nervous about this event. It’s a great opportunity to share with my peers, continue to grow as a coach, and build my confidence in leadership skills. I promise to let you know how it goes!

Homework:

I decided to continue to grow and change a path that I began a few years ago. What path have you started on? Have you stalled out? Or, are you going to fast and missing the views? Do you want to change your pace on that path? Do you want a different path? Or how about just simply enjoying the moment in time and space where you are right now? Journal on that and let me know where you are.

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

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I have a favor. Please, for the next two months at least, please don’t use the phrase “lesser of two evils.” I’ve heard it every four years in terms of the election of our President since 1992. I don’t want to hear it this year. I’ll tell you why, and then I’ll tell you some things I think are better things to say.

To say that either person is a “lesser of two evils” is thin and shallow. In order to say this, one would have to believe that intelligent, respected leaders are somehow evil. How can either of these individuals, Obama and McCain, be evil? I just don’t buy it - and it shows incomplete and erroneous thinking.

If you believe that the American political system is evil - well, boo. I don’t think that you are giving credit to a system that has developed over 200+ years. I don’t believe our system is perfect, and if it’s perfect you want, get more involved, run for office, and do your best. Guess what? Perfect doesn’t exist at schools, at home, in yourself, and certainly not your government. Get over that excuse and start making change happen yourself. (I encourage you to read my friend Rhonda’s blog on this issue)

Here’s some ideas of things I’d love to hear. Let me know if any resonate with you:

• I loved that debate - although I didn’t hear where they differed on a particular issue, I got a better sense of how they make decisions.
• That ad, even though I want to vote for him, was very negative against his opponent and I don’t like that kind of campaigning.
• I believe that ______ shares my point of view, and I want a President that agrees with me.
• I know what it is about ______ that I don’t like. I wasn’t sure before, and now I realize that his/her stance on this issue is too extreme for me.
• I am really excited to have _____ in office. I can’t wait to have a (ex-POW/great orator) in office.

Whatever you choose, CHOOSE IT.

And please VOTE.

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

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I went to the gym this morning and all I could think as I got ready and moved towards the treadmill was how much I’d rather be anywhere else. I wanted to cry, pout, complain, and wiggle my way out. By the time my 5k was up, again I wanted to complain because I didn’t want to be done. I was having so much fun that I didn’t want to stop! What gives?!

So, there’s this kid spirit in me that wants to play and have fun. I think we all take life way too seriously in some ways. (Getting cut off in traffic? Toast landing wrong side down? It just doesn’t matter, Mabel. Back to my point…) I love playing games, telling risque jokes, and just being stupid sometimes. Lighthearted, free-spirited, and playful - this is me!

My body tells a slightly different story. I can do lots of fun things with my body; I can run, dance, jump, love, walk, climb, hug, stretch. And I’m also overweight, I’ve had cancer, I get sore where I didn’t used to get sore. My body sometimes doesn’t want to have as much fun as my heart does.

I was tuned into both heart and body this morning. Where was my mind? Gleefully, my mind was meditating on my music and my breath. My mind had clarity that allowed me to have the awareness of my body and soul. That’s peace of mind.

Homework:

This is an exercise from DawnMarie Vestevich, a Dale Carnegie speaker. Take a piece of paper and write your name on it. Now, place it on the floor in front of you. Stand up, and step over it.

Now - just like that piece of paper - get over yourself!

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

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I guarantee that if you’ve done any reading or listening to self-improvement that you’ve heard to live every day like it’s your last. Then you could say I love you, do the things you’ve been hesitating to do, and feel free. That’s wonderful - yet it’s not the whole story.

I doubt that any of you have actually done this. There’s always a next day, and the people I have lost haven’t really spent their last day in what I would call freedom. So I say turn the idea on it’s head and live everyday like it’s your first. Do you remember your first day?

• Cry. It helps you bring in oxygen and clears out emotions.
• Wiggle. Explore your body like you’ve never experienced it before - like it’s the first time touching your own thumb.
• Burp, cough, fart. OK - You might want to spent some private time with this one.
• Hold and be held. A baby will use it’s hands and fingers to grab and practice holding on - this is an exciting new world and finding a way to ground one’s self with support of a bigger, stronger, wiser person is a good thing.
• Sleep. If you try to live like it’s your last day - you probably won’t want to sleep. This makes the next day more difficult. Sleep a bunch to restore your readiness to continue living like it’s your first.
• Be cute. All babies are cute. They almost know how cute they are. They don’t wave it around - they just exude their cuteness.
• Never look back. It’s all future, baby. But not too fast - take your time and enjoy this new world. Every moment is it’s own, beautiful, simple, sweet, elegant, exciting, fantastic, gorgeous, brilliant, and shining moment.

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

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Quiz: You can create the energy needed to accomplish a task. True or False.

If you answered true, I love you, you optimist. And what you experience may appear to be a creation of energy. What you see, feel, and sense is actually a transformation of energy. The law of conservation of energy actually states that energy cannot be created or destroyed - only transformed.

Tonight I conducted a presentation for the NW Coaches Association. The meeting was outside with lots of distractions from me - birds flying overhead, ducks quacking, waiters coming around with drinks… And I wasn’t having the best of days. My sleep pattern is a little off, I’m changing my thyroid medication, and ultimately my energy has been rather low. And many of my peers and partners were going to be late to the meeting meaning that my usual support mechanisms weren’t going to be available.

So, how on earth did I create the energy to get in front of this group of 40 people, hold thier attention, get them excited and pump up the room, and create a wonderful experience for everyone?

Knowing that I cannot create energy, only transform it, I set out to find some energy to transform. On a hot, sweaty day - looking at long faces showing the effects of a brutal day of work - where could I find this energy to transform? Where could I find the resources needed?

I focused on a few things that work for me. Connecting to my body. Connecting to my fellow man. Connecting to nature. Connecting to beauty. Here were my proactive behaviors:

1. Hugging people to greet them - even if they didn’t initiate a hug
2. Focusing on my intention - to be willing to support and promote high coaching standards for the coaching community
3. Taking my time - it’s OK to go slowly, methodically, and patiently forward
4. Asking for what I want - I noticed that desserts were low for the group so I asked that more be provided
5. Asking people to go deeper - the exercise I created generated a lot of great ideas, and I encouraged the group to deepen the exercise for themselves. This was as much a gift for me as it was for them.

When I connect - when I plug in to the energy circuits of relationships, of nature, of my body, of the universe - I get the energy I need to transform into my own energy. I literally become a powerhouse simply by connecting to the energy that already exists.

Homework:

Where does your energy come from? Where does it go? Journal on what you believe your flux of energy is and identify the energy sources and the energy saps. Keep a diary of what you notice throughout the day. When we understand our energy input and output, we can make choices that might sap our energy knowing full well how we can recharge.

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

PS. I’m exhausted now. I’m now going to recharge my battery with a full night’s sleep. Night night.

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Some of you may be totally unaware about the 17 Signs of Good Luck. They have been passed down in secret from family member to family member and now to me. Since I have no children, the 17 Signs might end with me, unless I risk the “curse” and share them publicly. So here goes, fates be damned!

The 17 Signs of Good Luck:

1. Finding a wombat in your bed
2. Going through 2 green lights in a row (3 or more is even better as this one is cumulative)
3. Dogs that bark, “I love you”
4. Waking up at the exact sime time as the digits of your birthdate
5. Snow in any month that ends in -pril
6. Walla Walla Sweet Onion Rings
7. Socks right out of a warm dryer
8. Getting an email about investment opportunities abroad
9. Watching the moon rise
10. Dancing for no reason, with no music, with no one watching
11. Getting the bay leaf from homemade soup in your bowl (don’t eat it or it quickly becomes bad luck)
12. Bath salts from Grounding Tree Massage (http://groundingtree.com/store.php)
13. Breathing an elixir, primarily of nitrogen and oxygen, on a regular basis
14. The words “brouhaha” and “hullabaloo”
15. Joining my Fearless Loving study group starting Monday, September 8 at 6:30pm (by phone)
16. Hummingbirds and Bumblebees
17. The moment a leaf decides to fall from a tree (this is only good luck for the leaf, however)

So now you know. You are in the inner circle of those of us who know what to look for, identify, and celebrate as good luck. Oh, one more thing…

There is no such thing as good luck, bad luck - any luck at all. There’s no predetermined, there’s no fate, there’s no destiny. All of those are concepts that human minds have come up with in attempts to understand what can’t be understood. We have tried hard to hold on to those concepts because it’s easier than taking responsibility for the choices that we face every moment of our lives. I came up with this list of 17 things as joke - something that was fun to do. I made a choice to have fun this morning and another choice to share it with you. I hope you got a laugh or at least a chuckle or a smile. That’s what I wanted to create today.

Homework:

Pick something you want to create today and take responsibility to create it.

Truly Yours,

Joseph Lyons

PS. Finding a penny used to be good luck. Little known fact - that sign of good luck was repealed by Benjamin Franklin himself prior to his passing. He was saddened to find peers and colleagues meandering the streets looking for pennies to the dismay of spouses and children. Ultimately the economy began to fail by the plight of the downtrodden, seeking pennies instead of working hard. It was too much for Franklin, who decided to make a pronouncement that although a penny saved is a penny earned, a penny found is a penny burned, formally ending PennyGate for decades. Don’t believe me? It’s bad luck to look it up and try to prove me wrong.

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