Discovering Your Way: Only One of You

To deepen your experience on the planet, will you give yourself five precious minutes to read the quote below?
 
Slowly.

Totally present. 

Breathing in the importance to your life and your work.

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique.  And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you.”
– Martha Graham
American modern dancer and choreographer

To more and more of you!
Ann

Thank you, Brenda BeNew for sharing this beautiful piece!

StrengthsFinder®: More energizing than fog and confusion . . .

I had a LinkedIn conversation with JB King yesterday in a StrengthsFinder® discussion group that I would love to share with you.  I had asked about people’s experiences with looking at their own and their clients’ strengths as the composite of their Top 5 strengths rather than looking at each of the Top 5 separately.  JB asked if I had used the 5 Whys to look at my inquiry.

My Top 5 StrengthsFinder® strengths:
Maximizer | Individualization | Connectedness | Strategic | Empathy

Cable Car

“Okay, JB, I’ll play!

I love the 5 Whys and use them alot in my own journaling and with my coaching clients. I hadn’t thought to use them on something like this discussion.

So here goes. Why is this question important to me: ‘How has the combination of 3 or more of your own or another’s top 5 strengths specifically informed?’

1. I have the sense that when we look at the cluster of our strengths, we find something precious, rare and unique. Why is that important to me?

2. It helps me and my clients better know, access and live and work from our specific genius. Why is that important to me?

3. Because I am hungry for and I see many others hungry for a clear understanding of why we each are here on the planet. Why is that important to me?

4. Clear knowing of why I am here and helping others have clear knowing of why they are here powerfully supports each of us in knowing what to commit ourselves to and what not to commit ourselves to. Why is that important to me?

5. With commitment comes miraculous outcomes. Amazing things that won’t happen in the fog or confusion. Why is that important to me? 🙂

6. I love miraculous outcomes! I find them so much more life-affirming, fun and energizing than fog and confusion.

Well that was fantastic. Thank you, JB.”

What’s here for you?  What’s more energizing than fog and confusion?
1. The content above that drills down to my deep Why.
2. The reminder to ask our clients more frequently about their deep Whys.

I leave you with this inquiry: Why is it important for you to grow your coaching business?

To your Thriving Work!
Ann

P.S. Shortly, I am launching a new brand around owning our Genius (which, of course, our StrengthsFinder® strengths are part of that).  I am starting a pilot coaching program: Free Your Genius®. I am looking for three women coaches or consultants who have in their top 5 Connectedness and one or more of Achiever, Activator, Maximizer or Responsibility who might like to become a client in the program.  It would be a great fit for them if they are already doing work they love, yet they’re restless right now to take it to the next level, narrow it down or reinvent themselves in their work.

If you or a woman you know fits this description, please email me at Ann@AnnStrong.com or call me at 303.399.8737.

Conscious Choice: In the Abundance of Now

I started to go to that familiar place.
Thinking I needed to do something to make more money.

Then, I smiled.
Remembering to use that worn-out old thought
As a new reminder to seize the juicy Now.

I am here Now.
How am I called to serve Now?
What am I able to do Now?

What gift do I feel called to give?
What act of service do I feel called to?
What inspiration am I called to share?
What encouragement would I like to offer?
To whom do I feel called to give attention?

I am here Now.
Immersed in the abundance in which I
live, move and experience my being.

I am here Now.
No thinking necessary.

I am here Now.

Serving from the abundance that is me.

I am here Now.

– Ann Strong

Please post your comments below.