Get on the Good Foot

 

I am a trained and certified Life Coach.  Coaching is often misunderstood and can appear mysterious. It involves action and change.  A coach listens, brainstorms, and advises, and provides confidentiality, encouragement, and accountability.

To become a coach, I trained in groups and individually, learning about people in personal and corporate contexts.  It was a lot of work and considerable expense.  I could have avoided all that, because, for years (though I didn’t know it) I had been studying at the feet of the master.  The ultimate coaching machine.  The hardest working man in interpersonal relations.  The Godfather of Soul and Transformation – Mr. James Brown!

Though, sadly, he is gone, he left behind records of his sessions.  In these, his worldly experience and his wise, not to mention funky, understanding of human behavior, is there to help us negotiate the rapids of relationships and the intricacies of individual human development.
Many of his teachings have taken their righteous place in the collective unconscious.  Get Up Offa That Thing, Dance and You’ll Feel Better, is an essential exhortation from which everyone can benefit.

The legacy he left us is virtually inexhaustible.  It will always be relevant and immediate.  Put on I Got The Feeling and turn up the volume.  It is not just an intellectual exercise; it’s a somatic one.  Just try sitting still, clutching the beliefs and self-concepts that no longer match the person you are today.  Say the words, I Feel Good.  Affirmation is not just some woo woo idea; it’s a cathartic explosion.  A reprogramming of your internal computer. 

Mr. James Brown didn’t discover this in a book.  He found it on the road, in small towns and smoky dives, and incorporated the lessons learned there.  Eventually, he would consult with auditoriums full of people, who had sought out this sage from Augusta, GA.

James Brown championed and challenged the souls of people who were discouraged, confused, who suffered from low self-esteem, and who were at a point in their lives where they were ready for change.  He supplied words that echoed their deepest feelings.  His own journey was one of constant questioning and a determination to move forward.

He shared his struggle in such great songs as: I’ll Go Crazy, Think, Get It Together, and Talking Loud and Saying Nothing.  His moments of desperation came through in: Please, Please, Please, Bewildered, I Can’t Stand Myself, and I’ve Got Ants In My Pants.

He revealed his inner dialogue of affirmation and encouragement: Pump Up The Volume, Don’t Be A Dropout, You’ve Got To Change Your Mind, and Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved.  He celebrated personal triumph and expressed real joy, when he sang: You’ve Got The Power, Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag, It’s a New Day, so Let A Man Come In And Do The Popcorn,

and Say It Loud, I’m ____ (you fill in the blank) and I’m Proud.

In his way, he coached a nation at a critical point in its struggle for equality.  He stated the keys for self-development.  He challenged us to get up offa our things and get it together.  As a coach, he provided inspiration and an energy that may never be equaled.

I am indebted to him for his wise counsel and encouragement.  I am forever grateful for his example and his determination to never give up or settle for anything less than the best.

Thank you, Mr. Dynamite.  

As the master coach, himself, so often said, Get On Up And Get On The Good Foot.

 

The Essentials of Coaching

Two things are essential to the undertaking and the success of the process of Personal Coaching:

1.    The desire to change.

2.    The willingness to act.

If you have both of these, let’s begin.

Coaching is about moving forward, about making something happen.  This is a huge challenge, but one which will bring about the kind of life you long for.

If there are obstacles in your way, we can deal with them.  If things are great and you want to make them even greater, we can do that.  It's all about action.  That's what differentiates coaching from therapy.   

Together, we can figure out where you want to go, make a plan of how to get there, and begin.  Personal Coaching provides the time and structure that allows you to stop and assess your life and actions.  Challenge yourself to create a better life – the life you want.

We can determine which of your beliefs are up-to-date and true and which are based on something from the past that no longer applies and is limiting your present actions.  I am on your side, cheering you on, recognizing your best self, nudging you toward your goals, and helping you untangle whatever it is that is holding you back.  I will help keep you on track.

I believe that you are creative, imaginative, and have the inner resources needed to make the changes you want.  I am dedicated to your excellence, your direction, and to your desired changes.  I am trained to listen, observe, and customize my approach to your needs.

Let’s see what’s possible.