August 09, 2004

Good morning Team,

The coaches challenge of the week is to follow your intuition. Have you ever
been in a meeting where everyone is acting as if they’re in agreement, but
you know they’re not? Have you inquired into the health of a good friend and
when they told you they were fine, you knew they were not? Have you known
the phone was about to ring and then it does? Intuition is knowing what you
know without knowing how you know it. It comes as gut feeling, as words, as
images in a dream, as pictures in your mind. You feel certainty in a way
that doesn’t lend itself to logical, rational explanation.

Intuition speaks from silence. You’ll find that when you’re deeply in the
flow of things, intuition and synchronicity engage in dance together:
intuition is often confirmed by synchronicity, and synchronicity can lead
you to further intuitive insights. Some people consider intuition to be the
unconscious knowing surfacing into consciousness; some say it is information
picked up through the five senses below the level of conscious awareness.

Whatever intuition is, it is a wonderful tool that helps us know the truth
about a situation. Learn to trust it. It gives new levels of perception into
the world we think we live in.

If you’d like more information about intuition or you’d like some practical
suggestions for being able to experience it more often, let me know. I’ll
send you more information.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

August 02, 2004

Good morning Team,

The coach’s challenge of the week is to be a mirror, not a sponge. This
comes from Don Maruska and his book, “How Great Decisions Get Made”. He
writes, “Be a mirror, not a sponge. Many hard feelings arise and
decision-making efforts derail because people absorb what they think others
said and meant without checking it out first. It’s much easier, more
effective, and less painful to be a mirror rather than a sponge. Discover
the real issue that needs immediate attention.”

When was the last time you asked for clarification about what someone was
saying, rather than assuming you understood what they were saying and had an
immediate opinion or judgment about it? Try acting as a mirror and simply
reflecting what you see or hear. When you reflect back what you’ve heard,
you give people an opportunity to modify or restate their perspectives.

It’s best not to assume that we know what someone else is thinking, saying
or meaning. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

P.S. – Don’t forget to breathe!

July 13, 2004

Good morning Team,

The coaches challenge this week is to try not to complain. A good way to start is to try observing when you do complain. It’s difficult to not do something if we’re not even aware that we do it in the first place! So, on this first day, try to see when you are complaining. Observe what triggers this and what kind of situation you’re in. Then, try stopping. You may find yourself in mid-sentence, complaining about someone else. Just try stopping the words. You may find that you become more aware of this and are able to see when the complaining thought enters your mind. Try seeing it and letting it go by. There’s really no need to express it.

I often find that I complain the most when I’m unhappy about something I’ve done or I feel unjustly treated by someone else. I also notice that I never feel good when I’m complaining.

See what you can observe about this and let me know. I’d like to find out what you see as well.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

___________________________________
Kathleen Doyle
Scout Search & Pathfinders Coaching
2839 NE Hoyt St. Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 296-9249 www.scoutsearch.net

July 06, 2004

Good morning Team,

The coaches challenge for the week is to not rush through things. We all seem to have too much to do. Each day brings us a myriad of tasks that need completing. Our tendency is to rush though things to get them all done by the end of the day. But, when we do that, we often feel exhausted and unsatisfied by the experience. Our challenge is to try not to be overwhelmed by the amount of things that need doing and to take each thing as it comes and be present to that. I often tell myself, “do only what’s directly in front of you”, that is, stop worrying about all the other things that need to get done and stick with what I need to do in this moment.

There’s an appropriate saying from the Amish that reads, “It’s not rushing through tasks to achieve a series of goals that is satisfying, it’s experiencing each moment along the way.”

Have a great week!

Kathleen

June 28, 2004

Good morning Team,

The coach’s challenge for the week is about attitude. Jean Davidson keeps a copy of this in her office and I’d like to share it with everyone since it’s one of the best pieces I’ve ever read about this subject.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past…we cannot change the fact that people may act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you…we are in charge of our attitudes.” Charles Swindoll

Every now and again, I realize that I need an “attitude adjustment”. I think overtime we get worn down by circumstances and the “to do’s” of work and life. When I see that happening to me, I try to readjust my attitude to put me in the right perspective towards what’s important in my life. We all know how much our attitude affects the people around us. Part of my responsibility to myself and others is to maintain a healthy attitude, regardless of the circumstances.

Have a great week,

Kathleen

Kathleen Doyle

President, Pathfinders Coaching

2839 NE Hoyt St.

Portland, Oregon 97232

(503) 296-9249

May 17, 2004

Good morning Team,
The coaches challenge for this week focuses on respecting ourselves and others. The definition of respect reads, “esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability; I have great respect for her judgment.”

One way that we show respect for others is to be willing to see them in a new way. We can also do this for ourselves. When you observe negative self judgment, try to see yourself differently, or from a different perspective. For example, maybe you didn’t perform as well as you would have liked in your last meeting with someone, but consider respecting yourself for trying to do your best.

Respecting others is a daily challenge. We are often quick to judge and find ourselves unable to change our viewpoint. Appreciating others for their differences rather than expecting them to think or act like we do, gives us a great opportunity to respect them.

We all embody human characteristics and qualities of great value. Our ability “to see” this value in ourselves and others is our challenge.

Have a great week!

___________________________________
Kathleen Doyle
Scout Search & Pathfinders Coaching
2839 NE Hoyt St. Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 296-9249 www.scoutsearch.net

May 03, 2004

Good morning Team,

The coaches challenge for the week is to be courageous. The word courage comes from the latin word cor and the french word cuer. It is defined as “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, uncertainty, or difficulty.”

We often think of this in the context of big challenges or difficulties that seem impossible to overcome. However, having courage can be as simple as reminding a team member about not taking thing’s personally, or being impeccable with our word. It can be as quiet as remaining silent when it takes all of our strength not to make that next comment, or fill that space.

“There is nothing in the world so much admired as a man who knows how to bear unhappiness with courage.” Seneca

Often, we are most courageous when we are frightened or uncertain and we have to muster all of our internal strength to move into the next moment. Try to see how courageous you are and appreciate it; it is not a virture to be taken for granted.

Have a great week,

Kathleen

___________________________________
Kathleen Doyle
Scout Search & Pathfinders Coaching
2839 NE Hoyt St. Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 296-9249 www.scoutsearch.net

April 26, 2004

Good morning Team,
Here is the coaches challenge for the week.

Try maintaining balance in your life. The ancient chinese symbols of “Yin and Yang” represent the balance that is inherent in the nature of all things; passive and active, female and male, receiving and giving, soft and hard. Each day, we are given the opportunity to maintain balance so that we can deal with what confronts us with a clear head and an open heart. It is this “balance” between work and play, team members and family members, activity and rest, that gives us the equilibrium we need to maintain a steady course through our daily lives.

And… don’t forget to take time for your Self. We often forget that a large part of maintaining balance is by providing time just for ourselves. My Grandmother used to say, “I was born with myself and I’ll die with myself. I think I’ll get to know myself in the years inbetween.” Try spending some good, qualilty time with yourself this week. Do something nice for yourself, you deserve it.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

Kathleen Doyle
Scout Search & Pathfinders Coaching
2839 NE Hoyt St. Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 296-9249 www.scoutsearch.net

April 19, 2004

Hi Team,
The coaches challenge of the week is “listening”. The challenge here is to try to consciously listen when someone else is speaking. Are you able to hear everything they are saying? Are you aware of their movements, tone of voice and words? See how often your mind drifts away when someone else is speaking. Do you start to think about what your reply will be before the person is finished speaking? Do you interrupt or finish their sentences for them?

Being present while listening is one of the greatest challenges we encounter every day.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

___________________________________
Kathleen Doyle
Scout Search & Pathfinders Coaching
2839 NE Hoyt St. Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 296-9249 www.scoutsearch.net

April 12, 2004

Good morning Team,
Here is the “Coaches Challenge” for this week.

“Try not to be defensive”. We often find that this is the common reaction to last week’s challenge of no blame. When we feel we are being blamed, we are often defensive. The reality is that if we are trying to do our best, there is nothing to defend. Try to see how often you defend yourself with others. More importantly, notice how often you defend yourself internally. Thoughts like, “they really don’t understand me, I’m the one that was right, they just don’t get it” are a form of inner defensiveness. Sooner or later, this inner defensiveness gets projected out onto to someone else.

The key to neutralizing our defensiveness is acceptance. At the end of the day, things are as they are and no amount of self-defense will change them.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

___________________________________
Kathleen Doyle
Scout Search & Pathfinders Coaching
2839 NE Hoyt St. Portland, OR 97232
+1 503 296-9249 www.scoutsearch.net