Deb Ingino

Are You Facing An Obstacle?

 

I really enjoy coaching adults into their next career or business. It is an absolute privilege to watch dreams take flight.  

 

But of course like anything else, it takes time.  And it’s what happens during that time that can make all the difference.  

 

Some are challenged by the weighty issues they face.  Whether it’s spiritual, relational, financial or health related for some, there is an obstacle that is distracting them from moving forward.  We’ve all been there, and for those of us honest enough to admit it, we’ve been there more than once.  Now hopefully we’re not like the Israelites of the Old Testament who wandered around the same mountain for forty years.  

 

There are some great resources out there to help us to break through an obstacle that is in fact impeding our success.  The best approach is to seek out the resources you need so you can move or reframe the obstacle so it no longer impedes your success but rather speeds your success.

 

For me, I am a voracious learner.   Whether directly from another, from a book, article, DVD, podcast, I love learning from others especially in the area of how they were able to overcome their obstacle.

 

So seek out great material and resources.

 

Seek out great counsel.

 

Seek out those who have walked in the same journey you are and are merely a little farther down the path than you.

 

Seek peace in realizing that this is part of the journey and once you move around this obstacle, you are in fact further down your own path.

 

Seek comfort in knowing that this is the first step to becoming all you were meant to be.

 

As for me, your fellow traveler, I wish you a wonderful journey!

 

Why Not A Summer Of Strength?

Every summer families everywhere make their plans for some strategically placed fun.  Whether a vacation, family reunion, trip to the lake or a backyard campout, we often make very elaborate plans to include details such as, the perfect timing, who we will invite to participate, our destination and what we would need to arrive there. 

 

I’ve heard it said before that we spend more time planning an annual vacation than we do our future….hmmmm and that future includes how we can fully develop our strengths; yours, mine and our children’s.

But what if this summer it was different?

 

What if you made a plan for a Summer Of Strength?

 

What if you used this summer season strategically?

 

What is this was the summer when it all changed?

 

A Summer Of Strength is when we take one strength and create activities and plans that allow us (or our child if they’re the focus) to use that strength extensively to hone it, tone it and bring it to a higher level of performance.

 

You see for many of us there is a strength that we can in fact become truly gifted at, if we merely sharpened the strength a bit more and the best way to sharpen it?  Why using it of course!

 

Test it out, share it with others, use it or lose it.  Here are some ideas…

 

If your strength is writing, here are a few strategies that will provide you with additional opportunities to write and really hone your craft.

 

1. Honestly assess where you are in this strength, whether you use A is best, F is the worst score or 5 is best and 1 is the bottom, assess where that strength is today.
2. Write out the story of why you like writing.  What feels so satisfying about it, is it the writing or the comments from others about your writing? Is it the crisp white paper (errrrr I mean screen!)? 
3. Write a letter of thanks to the people in your past who encouraged you
4. Begin blogging
5. Read blogs on subjects of interest to you and make comments
6. Offer to guest blog for someone else’s blog
7. Write stories and submit them to on line and traditional print publications
8. Offer to write content for your church or community website
9. Begin writing that book you’ve had in you for all those years
10. Reassess your strength, how does it compare to where you were in the beginning of the summer?

What would happen if each of us intentionally did that each year? 

 

What about each season?

 

Would our lives be different?

 

What about the lives of those around us?

 

Hmmmm…..time to start planning.

 

Wishing you a Summer Of Strength!

 

Deb