I’ll be honest: I never thought I would call myself a life coach. Over the years, that term has conjured all kinds of images for me. (And I know I’m not alone, given my conversations with friends.) The concept of life coaching struck me, at some sort of visceral level, to be any or all of the following: Frivolous. Patronizing. Bossy. An overpriced, Portlandia-style “faux profession,” aimed at navel-gazing yuppies.
Yikes.
So how did I end up here, writing this blog, and calling myself a life coach?
Well, I’ve always enjoyed working on-on-one with people in a supportive role. For the past five years, I have been seeing clients in my Happy to Listen empathetic listening practice, which has been incredibly rewarding. I love watching people blossom and grow as I help to hold space for them, offering support and witnessing as they live their lives consciously and intentionally.
Meanwhile, I’ve always been excited by innovative ideas, big visions, creative problem solving, and the idea of making the world a better place in a variety of ways. This Dream Into Change practice allows me to combine those two passions … and “Life coaching for a better world” is the pithiest, most accurate way I have found to sum up what I do. I believe this practice will use my talents and skills more effectively than anything else I can imagine myself doing, to make my personal greatest possible impact on the world. And I’m really excited about that.
I want to be up-front and transparent with regard to credentials, about which people are naturally curious. I have a B.A. in psychology from Lewis & Clark College, but it did not come easily to me. Although I have always been a high achiever on aptitude tests, I have never thrived in academic environments, and it took me five years to earn my undergraduate degree. I found it so exhausting at the time, in fact, that I gave up my dream of earning an advanced degree and going into private practice. The prospect of attending a life-coaching program and earning a credential in that way (as well as piling up debt, which I would then have to pass along in my pricing) similarly does not appeal to me. What does appeal to me – and what has always worked best for me – is self-directed, hands-on learning, including reading as much as I can about the topics I’m passionate about; networking with as many people as I can who might be able to collaborate in some way on whatever projects my clients are working on; and interviewing people directly when I see that they are taking on inspiring projects. I learn from them, and I publish their interviews here so that my readers and clients can learn, too.
So, fair warning: I don’t have fresh-from-the-books tips and tricks to offer clients in our sessions together. What I do have to offer is my full presence; my commitment to each client’s vision; my network of contacts; my brain full of books and websites to offer as resources; my empathetic presence at those times when the journey gets tough; and my steadfast enthusiasm for taking each dream to fruition. Each session is organic and intuitive; I go with each client where we need to go together at any given time to move the dream forward.
So … here I am. Life coach for a better world, at your service. To schedule a free, no-obligation 30-minute call to see if we would be a good fit, please feel free to email me or call me at 971-303-8395.
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Really like your views and outlook, plus I got a LOT out of the interview with Jonathan Brinkley and how you drew him out about the jump, the decision he made to *become* what he envisioned.
This resonates a great deal for me, as I am in a transition period, from owning a business and doing well making short films (trailers they show prior to the feature) to making “real” movies. Yet, because I am financially able to exist without *having* to do the hard work Jonathan talked about, and also viewing it as hard work, rather than the fun it actually is when you *start* working, I have/had been falling into the same trap he did…doing nothing.
Now, however, I am working nearly every day on completing a script that a partner and I started years ago. It feels good, but I am afraid of losing momentum, and allowing it to become a pipe dream. My friend that I co-wrote a script with in the 90s has a #1 hit to his name, so I know I have the talent, and don’t want to squander it.
Anyway, I would be interested in knowing more about what you are offering.
Phil
Thanks for writing, Phil! I’m so glad you like what you’ve seen here so far. I’m still getting things up and running, so I apologize for the still-under-construction status of the site. I’d be happy to talk with you about what you’re working on and whether/how we might be able to work together. (I think your vision sounds wonderful, and having made a couple of short films myself, I *fully* understand what you’re talking about regarding momentum, motivation, etc.) Please feel free to email me privately at maren@dreamintochange.com with your phone number and/or email address. (And apologies if you tried to email via the link and had it bounce back; the link has now been fixed.) I’m traveling during this holiday weekend, but I can find some time to talk in the next few days if you’d like. Looking forward to it!
Thanks so much for your comment, Phil. I’m glad to know my words helped kindle your motivation. I’m looking forward to seeing your films on the big screen!
-Jonathan