A few weeks ago I wrote about that question, "What kind of coaching could be life-changing for people in their twenties?" I thought about what the young woman above might have found useful. Then I thought about the unique challenges facing twenty-somethings, aka "Millennials" in this decade. And I heard encouraging things from you. Since then I've pulled together six of my favorite coaches and...

I grew up within reach and earshot of two grandmothers. One was irresistibly kind, full of fun and, happily, enthralled with me. The other seemed chronically irritated and just wished I'd stop biting my fingernails. One seemed comfortably connected to God, herself and other people. It was hard to get close to the other, like trying to hug someone who won't relax. One was kind of fat. The other was...

Several Christmases ago I met a man who was singularly unskilled in the smooth techniques of Christian communication. Watching him in action, however, I saw that while great communication skills might be nice, there are things that are even more compelling. It was a couple of weeks before Christmas and I was walking through the Seattle Center with my sister-in-law, Jeanie, and her children. We...

Robin Williams' default was always back to sweet. Somehow, he used f-bombs, but didn't get coarse. There was joy in his very synapses. And he was indelible. So here's the deal, if even he could get into such a dark place, many could. If you're reading this, call me before that happens. Here's my all-time favorite riff of his

Best observation this week: A veteran CEO said she thought she needed to putter with about thirty percent of her time. Made me think we been undervalue the practice. Maybe we need a more elegant word? Maybe it's not a guilty pleasure or a time waster, but a chance to let our brains play, create and get ready to refocus. Maybe there's ROI! For me it's watering the plants on the deck, walking throug...

We are wired for stories. Stories are featured in our best moments of learning, we tell them to calm ourselves down, to join with other people, to make sense of things and to honor the few decades we get on the pebble Here’s one of mine—and I share it with you in hopes of hearing one of yours. Ten years ago this week Kari and I and some good friends were in rural Tuscany learning t...

As a facilitator of groups, I've grown used to feeling something between curious and amused when an emcee stands up to introduce me. I usually learn something from these stage-setters who range from commanders to comedians. Mostly I tend to hear these words about me: counselor, consultant, writer, theologian and storyteller. All true, but it's that last one that means the most to me spiritually. ...

As I sit down to write this morning, I am reveling in a typical spring day in Seattle, which means I am reveling in shades of gray. The cloudy sky reflects a bright gray, which is not an oxymoron if you live here. There is softness to everything and I don't have to squint. Even the trees conduct a warm grayness-- just this week presenting bouquets of cream-colored buds. The water of Puget Sound is...

Presented to ICF Washington State way back on November 18, 2014. You can hear it below--in five brief audio chapters. Like most coaches, I had a dynamic career before this one. Mine involved watching a nation of people begin to fall in love with liberty. Probably like me, in your early career you had opportunities to learn about courage and presence, along with how to both advocate and inquire...

Gaze: “Look steadily and intently, especially in admiration, surprise, or thought.” Glance: “Take a brief or hurried look.” Glimpse: “See or perceive briefly or partially.” As I push “send” it’s around 4:20 pm in Seattle on December 21, 2021. Today is the longest night of this long dark year. However, if you know me, you know I think that...