Create A New Season

Memorial Day: D-Day=Freedom2

Can you believe that we are already to this point in the year?   I look to Memorial Day as the signal that it’s time to relax.  Then Labor Day hits and the routines of school and life pull us in.

Of course, Memorial Day, goes far beyond my thoughts related to the beginning of summer.   About six years ago, I was living in Europe for the summer.   We reserved a day to go to the Normandy region of France.   As I stood on the grounds of the cemetary, looking down toward the beach, it struck me that this looked like any beach.   Kids were kite surfing on the sand.  Others were enjoying the relaxation of sitting and reading, as the crashing waves were relaxing.   I took all this in realizing that these leisure activities that we take for granted belong to us, because of the sacrifices by young men, who we will never know.

Walking through the American Cemetary is a must do, if you find yourself in France.   Looking at the cliffs from the perspective of Point du Hoc.   it’s amazing that our young soldiers scaled the cliffs knowing that they were sitting ducks for the open fire that awaited them.  D-Day was a turning point in World War II.    It was also the anniversary of many untimely deaths by guys, who were still teens or in their early 20’s.

One of the docents pointed out that they wanted to live and experience life just as you and I do.   Yet, there was a pride in fighting for America and giving us a freedom that we take for granted at times.

These have been tough days globally with the unstable economy.   People are in despair over losing their homes and their savings.  That hurts and definitely registers as a major life stress time that you will remember.

Martha Beck came up with a formula for living from the “Stargazer’s Viewpoint” aka “Looking at the Big Picture”.

The exercise below asks you to remember a favorite time.  Then go backwards and you’ll see how a really “dark night of the soul” or a brutal time in life, eventually led to a favorite thing.

List one of your favorite things in life:

What was the happy event that contributed to having my favorite thing?

What was the prior happy event that allowed the happy event listed above to take place?

Write down at least one rough time or example of bad luck that supposedly eventually supported your favorite thing.

****There is almost always a bad link in the chain of events that eventually takes you to a favorite life moment or happening.

I’m going to generalize this exercise to Memorial Day.

The Story of My Favorite Thing,  Stargazer Version from the Observatory of my Life

I was destined to have:   FREEDOM

Because of this destiny, something negative happened:  YOUNG MEN LOST THEIR LIVES TO THE HORRORS OF WAR ON D-DAY ON THE SHORES AND CLIFFS OF NORMANDY, FRANCE

Fortunately, this led to  THE EVENTUAL END OF WORLD WAR II AND THE VICTIMS OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMP WERE RELEASED.

And that helped this other thing to happen:   EVEN WITH ALL THE ECONOMIC MISERY IN THE U.S.A., I STILL LIVE IN A FREE COUNTRY.  I HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION, FREEDOM TO VOTE, FREEDOM TO START MY OWN BUSINESS,  AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON.

I look at this template when I’m extremely concerned about something.  Today, I’m generalizing this to all, who benefitted from the sacrifice of any soldier, who is a U.S. citizen or a citizen of one of our global allies.

Don’t forget that this day is to remind us to remember the sacrifices made for our freedom.  Others gave up their freedom to live, so I could have my freedom.   That’s beyond a blessing.  It’s the highest form of good.

Think on these things, as you’re enjoying a three day week-end.

Mary Ann

Posted: Life Coaching through My Blog

Become Your Child’s Life Coach4

I offered two classes in Febrauary and March to teach parents how to be their children’s life coach.

If you’re tired of confronting discipline challenges and ready to have a more peaceful mellow home environment, then you’ve found the right class.

The purpose of the class is to give parents new tools for better more effective parenting.  I know many of you have read so much information about parenting.

However, there is very little information out there about how to become your child’s life coach.   Through this course you’ll learn a lot about yourself and the thoughts you bring to parenting.    You’ll begin to recognize an immediate connection regarding the way you parent and how you were parented in childhood.  Even if you’ve deliberately chosen to “not be my mother or father”,   you’ll understand how their methods of child raising impact how you raise your own children.

Whether your children are preschoolers, school age, teen agers or young adults,  this coaching class will help you understand their unique temperaments and their innate gifts and talents.   As you begin to understand your child, you’ll be able to plan a discipline (training) program that is more effective for your child.

Parents in my February class mentioned that they couldn’t believe how the slightest changes in adapting their discipline plan made such a difference in their child’s life.   You’ll see the same results.

Here’s a comment from Melissa

“Maryann, I can’t believe how the power struggles have just stopped.   My ten year old doesn’t fight me anymore.   By understanding the fact that she was challenging me to gain my attenion,  it has transformed the way I respond to her and now her behavior is so much better.  The change is amazing.”

We’ll end the class by giving you a set of life coaching tools to  begin parenting as a life coach.  Your end game is to raise responsible children, who go out in the world with the confidence of knowing who they are.    It’s absolutely possible to raise awesome children without destroying their spirits in the process.

The class is a bargain, since I want it to be affordable for all parents or anyone in contact with children.  The $99 cost includes six free coaching sessions and two personal life coaching sessions.   The class is offered via telephone, so parents from all over the country and the world can join in.

Let me know if you have questions.   maryannlowry@mac.com

Best to everyone.  Hope you’re enjoying a beautiful day like I am.

Mary Ann

Posted: Raising Great Kids to be their Uniquely Created Selves