A Rich Life

WowCoach(tm)
DeskTopCoaching
March 13, 2002

in this issue:
1.  Quote of the month
2.  Life
3.  The Richest Person in The World
4.  Light The Fire Within
5.  Coaching Tip

Welcome to the monthly edition of DeskTopCoaching.  this newsletter
is designed to bring coaching into YOUR life.  through thought
provoking articles, strong questions, and requests for action, we will
bring a coaching slant to your life.

How do we make changes in our lives?  One step at a time!
Participate in the concepts of the newsletter and watch the shifts
begin to happen.

Our network grows by your referrals.  please feel free to send
copies of the newsletter to friends and colleagues.

Have a wonderful month.
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Take the first step in faith.  You don't have to see the
whole staircase, just take the first step.
                              Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Accept - then act.  Whatever the present moment
contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.  Always work
with it, not against it.  Make it your friend and ally, not
your enemy.  This will miraculously transform your whole life.
                              Eckhart Tolle

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I have been off training for life - spending time teaching, travelling, and
simply
being with my family.  It has made me think and truly feel how rich I am,
and
that these are the experiences that make for a full life experience.  It
brought
to mind the stories below, and I wanted to share them with you.

I apologize for missing the March deadline for the newsletter.  Life
got in the way!  janice
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The Richest Person in the World

I will always remember Stella. Elderly, blind and living
alone, one might think she should have spun long tales of
hardship and misery. And I suppose she could have told
such stories, but she made little room in her life for
self-pity.

She might have mentioned the deaths of friends and family,
including her husband; the glaucoma which finally claimed
her eyesight; the small pension on which she was forced
to subsist and the arthritis which kept her homebound in
a little trailer house.

And nobody could blame her had she despaired that she had
grown so dependent on others. She never did lament about
all her hardships, either past or present. But I frequently
recall her enumerating her good fortune. Speaking of her
son, she often said:

"My Jimmy came to see me today. He's so good to me!"

Of her friends, she often commented: "I've been talking
on the phone all morning. I'm so thankful I have such
good friends."

Then, with a slap on her knee and a broad smile on her
lips, she would invariably exclaim,

"I'm the richest person in the world!"

And maybe she was! She had love. She found it in her
friends, her family and her faith. She had everything
she needed for a happy and fulfilled life. And what"s
more, she knew it. Stella spoke of her upcoming 90th
birthday.

"All my family will be here," she smiled. And with that
familiar slap on her knee, she exclaimed, "You know, I'm
the richest person in the world!"

But she barely made that birthday celebration herself.
Several days prior she was laid in a hospital bed and
slipped into a coma. Her family was told she would die
shortly. I felt sad that she would not experience her
long-awaited celebration.

However, a strange thing happened. On the day of her
birthday, she opened her eyes and greeted the smiling
faces of family and friends surrounding her bed. She
sat up and enjoyed birthday cake while someone read
cards.

They told her they loved her and they said, "Good-bye."
At one point, she looked at me with that familiar twinkle
in her eye, smiled and whispered,

"I'm the richest person in the world!"

Stella went to sleep that night and slipped peacefully
away. I have often wondered if she felt sorry for those
who have everything but happiness.

After all, they could be just as wealthy and happy as
she, if they only realized that the greatest of all
riches is love.

Thanks to Stella, I have now decided to become the
Richest Person in the World! And I think I can!

From JOY ALONG THE WAY, by Steve Goodier
********************************************************
Light the Fire Within
by Dr. Martha Collins

Deep within each of us lies a fire, a power that is waiting to ignite.
Watching the world's best athletes over the last few weeks, we've marveled
at their fire, their passion, and their expertise in sports that many of us
would
be too fearful to attempt.  The fire we all share, whether as an Olympic
athlete or not, is the power to create our lives to be the best in the
world.

It is remarkable to me to hear the stories of the athletes and how hard
they've trained to compete in Salt Lake - especially the stories of how
they'd
overcome adversity to be able to march in the opening ceremony parade of
athletes.  For instance, the histories of some of the women skiers were
mind-boggling.  Some of these women have had 13, 10, 7 surgeries each
to repair torn ligaments in their knees.  One of our Canadian ski team
members had surgery to repair a torn ACL only 13 weeks ago!  Would
she quit skiing?  No - she's hurtling down a mountain because of the love
of her sport and her commitment to performing at her best even in light of
this recent setback.

Watching the joy in the faces of the athletes has been overwhelming.
We can sense their happiness and pleasure in their triumphs - that it was
finally time to celebrate all their effort and sacrifices.  It is very
humbling
to see this - to feel their energy, their dreams coming true.  It has made
me consider yet again how essential activity is not only for our physical
selves, but also for our souls.  for our self-confidence, self-esteem, to
manage the challenges in our lives better, and to reconnect with our inner
self.  Not everyone may choose to become an Olympic athlete, but there are
many ways to become and 'athlete' without competing in Skeleton.  For those
of you who are athletes, I applaud you - you inspire me every day as I have
the opportunity to make the adjustments that fine-tune your being and
capabilities.
For those of you who are considering starting a new way of life that
includes
becoming an athlete, I applaud you.

We were born to run, walk, move, stretch, jump, hike, swin, paddle, sweat,
inhale, exhale, and experience the sweet endorphin release that exercise
offers.  A couple of years ago, I asked a friend of mine what he was
training
for, thinking he had an upcoming race.  "Life," was his profound answer that
I
will never forget.  Spring is coming - don't let a day go by without being
outside
to enjoy it!  Even in the midst of our busy days, we need to first set aside
time
to fill our tanks, experience the breeze going through us, and the sun on
our
shoulders while being the athlete we were meant to be.

We are all athletes at various levels of fitness and achievement - from
walkers,
to swimmers, to tri-athletes, to tennis players, skiers and golfers.  We are
all
capable of experiencing the joy that is being seen in the faces of the
hundreds
of athletes in Salt Lake.  We just need to put on our shoes, skates, helmets
or
runners and open the door.

Light the fire within - good luck and Godspeed.

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*************
Coaching Tip:

What makes you the richest person in the world?  Think in all areas of your
life - family, friends, children, beautiful place to live, wonderful
opportunities
to travel, etc. etc.

Begin your training - for your life!  Start with gratitude.
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Copyright Dr. Janice Hughes 2002

Dr. Janice Hughes, B.Sc., M.Sc., D.C., LCP(hon)
WowCoach(tm)
www.01scripts.com
www.weightloss101.org

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