The Trailhead

Each month, you will receive some practical tips on ideas such as eliminating stress, finding your passion, clearing clutter, and maybe even some travel tips and more. Also look for helpful resources including book titles and websites. In addition, don’t be surprised when you find a call to action. I am a coach, after all! I hope you find some useful tidbits. If you decide to take me up on one of the monthly challenges, email me and tell me about it. I would love to hear what you are up to! If you know someone that you think may find something of value in here, please forward this newsletter on. And remember…the adventure begins at the start of The Trailhead!

Enjoy a day of reconnection with your mother or daughter, while gliding along the peaceful Wading River in the NJ Pinelands. (No experience necessary.)

Take a day this summer just for you and a close friend-to enjoy the great outdoors, the pristine waters of the Wading River…AND a little self-exploration! Check www.adventurecoach.com for exact dates or customize your own group and choose your day.

October 21-26, 2004: Join Coach Deb Martin (www.portagecoach.com) for our 3^rd annual Adventure Coaching Retreat at Maho Bay Camps on beautiful St. John in the US Virgin Islands. This fun and invigorating retreat is for you if you are serious about upgrading your life in a positive way…the perfect opportunity for self-exploration in a gorgeous, tranquil setting.

Fee: Starting at $795 per person (includes accommodations, daily breakfast and dinner, all morning workshop activities and materials plus an individual coaching session when you get home.

Click on my website for more information regarding the above-mentioned retreats. Also see more info for other 2004 retreats and getaways.

Welcome to May: the month of new awakenings, beautiful blooms, and the promise of summer.

As I write this, I am in the bedroom of my childhood where I am surrounded by all things familiar. I arrived here last night to spend the evening and next day with my mom while my 80 year old dad is away for a reunion with his WWII pilot buddies. My parents are still living in the same house that my sister and I grew up in. We knew no other home until we went off to college and started the next phase of our lives. My husband and I currently live in the next county over from my parents so I have not strayed too far. (Except for in my travels!)

It feels like I’m home again and what a great feeling it is! When I woke up this morning, I peered out the window, looking out over the tree lined backyard where so many days of my youth were spent swinging on the swings, playing kickball, climbing trees, and simply reveling in the great outdoors. Those fond memories have brought on a flood of warm and happy feelings.

It got me thinking. When I left my teaching career a few years back to embark on my Coaching and Outdoor Retreat –Leading practice, Robert and I had visions of leaving our area to live in Colorado for half the year then on to the island of St. John for the other half of the year. I could certainly run my new business from both of those locales. They are the places in the country where we have visited over and over again and love the most. Each time we would return from either St. John or Colorado, we would restart the discussion and begin the plans on how we would sell our home and make the move. Yet, something changed for me along the way. It happened gradually but it was something I had to pay attention to. I began to notice that when it was time to get ready to leave those beautiful beaches or gorgeous mountains, I had a real feeling of elation at the thought of going home. This was new for me! It used to be that the idea of leaving those attractive surroundings was more distressing rather than joyful. Now I was getting excited at the idea of going home! And that has now become the norm whenever we go away. It’s great to get away but even greater to return home.

What happened for me was that instead of searching and planning ways to find satisfaction and/or happiness in another locale, I simply opened up myself to see things as they were here at home. The big thing for me was to really pay attention to my feelings. That’s not to say that I do not want to travel any longer. Not at all! I absolutely love to get away and explore other places. The shift for me, however, was realizing that my current home is where I really want to live my daily life. I love the familiarity of where I live. I love being part of my community. I love the connections I have here with my family, friends, and colleagues. And I love that I live a short walk away from 600 acres of lakes and woods, even if it isn’t Colorado! What I found was happiness in my own back yard.

What about YOU? Do you ever find yourself grousing about your surroundings? Do you find yourself thinking that if only you could move, or get away, your life would be infinitely better? My challenge to you is to dig deeper, go inward, and pay very close attention to your feelings. What positives can you find in your own backyard? If you can open yourself up to those positives in your surroundings, you’ll likely be pleased and maybe even pleasantly surprised at the results.

“You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” Alan Alda

Take some quiet time to look inside. Instead of focusing on what needs to be done, focus instead on who you need and want to be in order to find happiness in your own backyard. Is there a quality you’ll want to develop or an inner muscle that you’ll want to strengthen? Once you’ve done that, take your search outdoors. Walk around your neighborhood or take a drive through your town. Pay attention to the areas that make you smile.

*Wherever You Go, There You Are-By Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn: A clear and practical guide to meditation

*Slowing Down to the Speed of Life: how to create a More Peaceful, Simpler life, from the Inside Out by Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey

*Monkey Dancing: A Father, 2 Kids, and a Journey to the Ends of the Earth by Daniel Glick

To schedule a complimentary 30 minute coaching phone session, email me at patt.adventurecoach@verizon.net or call 609-953-0027