Your Pastoral Coach

A Transformation in My Life

Have you noticed that the frequency of my posts have diminished from a high of daily, to several a week, to now a few a month? Most of my time and energy has been directed elsewhere. Over the last several months I have been thinking about the possibility of realizing one of my dreams, to start my own business. After 20 years of corporate and government experience, I resigned and began my business exactly three months ago. I started a management consulting firm that helps organizations, particularly their Information Technology group and Service Providers, work with a clear vision and realize that vision. More specifically I facilitate strategy development sessions to help them have a strategy that is clear and actionable. I help them improve their governance so that they can effectively make the decisions that are needed to actually realize their vision. I also help them grow their leadership capability through coaching, team building, conflict management, and diversity training so that they can sustain that momentum. These are the topics I love the most and am the most passionate about.

This also helps me more closely align my life with my personal mission statement. My purpose is to help unleash people's divine potential to live happier, healthier, and more meaningful lives. There is a lot of sadness and anguish in the workplace. There is a lot of people, staff and supervisors, that are lost. There are companies with great ideas, but they can't realize them or their business value. If my work can help them be moved by a compelling vision, if they are better able to relate what they do with a cause greater than themselves, if organizations can actually decide on the things that matter most, and if I can help leaders lead and create a better future, then I'll be living my purpose. This sense of service and purpose really fulfills me and fills me with "passionate peace." Because consulting allows you to work anywhere and at any time (or all the time...), I'm planning to book half day, and then one day a week to do nothing but pastoral coaching and theological work at church, which today I fit in when possible.

Tomorrow's readings talk about Christ the King. Through Him we are able to enjoy the promise of everlasting life in the Kingdom of God, and that kingdom begins here on earth, right now. We are the kingdom and the kingdom is only realized when we live the will of God in our lives daily. When, in the presence of God, we use our gifts and talents to make the world a better place. This is my way of living my journey, at least for now. Follow through and make real your dreams!

So, my dear friends of this blogging community, this is where I have been. I miss all of you dearly and think of you during my prayer time and during the day, as you have been a supportive part of my life. Please feel free to visit the website of my new business or my new business blog.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you have imagined." Thoreau

Technorati Tags: Hope, Purpose

God Unites Us All

I think I wrote about this last year, but it always makes such an impact on me. This past weekend my son Quique and I attended a football game at my alma matter, the University of Notre Dame, which is a Catholic university. The were 80,000 people for the game. Two and a half hours before the game the players and coach attend mass together at the Basilica. Then, they walked from church to the stadium through a "tunnel" of people that are lined up at either side wishing them well. When they first take to the field, they each go to the end zone, take off their helmet, and kneel in prayer. At the beginning of the game, in addition to singing the National Anthem, a prayer is said.

Then after the game, visitors rush to the basilica for Saturday mass, which is always 30 minutes after the end of the game. The church was packed, with people standing along walls. In the church, you have fans of both teams worshiping together. You have rich people all dressed up because they had box seats, and people in sweat pants, you have professors and stadium ushers with their yellow vests. Parents, students, visitors, old, and young gathered and holding hands. The mass is always angelic and you leave uplifted.

God, the great uniter. Let's also embody that peacemaking spirit!

Technorati Tags: Catholic Spiritiality, Hope

We have the Mental Power to Make this World Better

We have the intellect, the capability, the ingenuity to make this world better. Yesterday I had the opportunity to take a "behind the scenes" look at Dell company. I toured a manufacturing plant and I was amazed. I was able to see their process in action from the time trucks pull in with parts and an order comes in to the time they are putting boxes in a UPS or Fed Ex truck. Every single computer is costumed made. Robots and machines move everything through this facility at amazing speed and accuracy. People don't have to lift anything, everything comes to them and is taken from them. Computers are tested automatically and then whisked away. The whole floor is operating not like a factory, but as coordinated as an orchestra. Beautiful.

I saw that and was thinking, there is so much good humans are capable of. We can end poverty. We can end hunger. We can find cures to many of the most debilitating conditions. We can eliminate the threat of nuclear annihilation. We can live in peace. If only we really wanted to. If only the global common good was more important than to benefit a nation, a party, a group of relatives, a single person, us. If we were driven to live the message of love, forgiveness, and acceptance. We have what it takes to make a huge difference. I pray to God that some day we will stop adoring the idols of money, pride, and power. We have the mental power to make this world so much better.

Technorati Tags: Hope

Why do we worry so much?

So many of us worry so much about the things we did or didn't do in the past, or about what may happen in the future... we carry so many burdens, yet life is only happening this one second. Enjoy this story...

"A wayfarer carried a heavy sack about which he complained unceasingly. From none could he get help or comfort. And as he slowly journeyed, groaning under his burden, the Angel of Optimism came to him and spoke kindly, saying: "Brother, what does thou carry?" The man answered surlily, "My worries." The angel smiled pityingly upon him and said, "Let us look into thy burden and examine thy worries." And so they looked in. But lo! the sack was empty. "Why surely," cried the man, "there were two great worries, too heavy for man to bear. But—ah, yes, I had forgot—one was a worry of yesterday, and so it is gone." "And the other?" "That—why, that was a worry of tomorrow, and it—it has not yet come." Then the angel smiled with infinite pity, saying: "Hearken! He who bows himself down under the worries of yesterday and tomorrow wears himself out for naught. But he who carries only the worries of today has no need of a sack for his sorrows. If thou will cast this black thing aside, and give all thy strength and cheer and courage to the things of today, real misfortune never can burden thee."
Wondering, the man did as the angel commanded. And as he took up his journey and went lightly, swiftly on, his heart and his hands were free to relieve many a brother wayfarer of his burden and to pluck sweet fruits and flowers along the wayside. And when he came at last to the setting of the sun it was with smiles and a song."
~ unknown

Technorati Tags: Anxiety, Hope, Optimism, Quotes, Trust

Reading Reflections for October 2, 2005

Today's second reading, from the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A), is a great inspiration for hope and optimism.

Optimism and Wounds

"The optimist already sees the scar over the wound; the pessimist still sees the wound beneath the scar."

Ernst Schroder

Technorati Tags: Hope, Optimism

The pleasure of not been needed

The pleasure of what? That's right. Yesterday I had the wonderful pleasure a coach experiences when a client no longer needs him or her. I'm so proud of my client! She has significantly improved her optimism and resiliency to the point that it's second nature. She experienced a number of deep problems that come from life and she bounced right back. In fact, she saw the good in them.

Julian of Norwich is teaching me...

I took this little fun quiz and came up with Blessed Julian of Norwich as a Saint with whom I had things in common. I knew a little bit about her, but in the last couple of days I have been reading some more. This is what Julian of Norwich is teaching me...

To recognize Divine love in all circumstances. Her visions ("showings") of Christ's crown of thorns helped her see the love and sweetness of life, even when faced with sickness or the painful consequences of sin. I have a saying (not sure if I made it up or read it somewhere) that life offers only blessings and opportunities.

To completely trust in the greatness and love of God and to embrace mystery. She had a vision in which Creation amounted to no more than a hazelnut. Physically, a small and simple thing, but spiritually measured by the greatness of God's love. "To gaze into the heart of darkness itself is to enter the mysterious immensity of God's goodness.

To meditate on the feminine qualities of God. "Jesus, she says, is our Mother, who bears us in the womb of his love and nourishes us with his own flesh."

To be more optimistic (imagine that!). She emphasized focusing on the bliss and glory of the Earth with exquisite joy, rather than on sin and the things that are negative. She thought that with the crucifixion of the Son of God, the worst that could ever happened happened and God overcame it. Therefore... "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well"

Finally, Julian of Norwich teaches me to have intimacy with God as an all consuming goal. To seek to see His face in all the days of my life...

Some references...The Website of Unknowing and Julian of Norwich.

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Hope, Optimism, Saints, Spirituality

Hope and Optimism are the key

Over a week has passed since Hurricane Katrina struck LA, MS, and AL. The Police is still trying to force people to evacuate New Orleans, relatives in other states are helping their suffering extended family, and millions of dollars have been raised to help the victims. If in five years we look at the victims that are now sheltered in Texas, we will see that some would have put their lives back together, they may have good jobs, and nice homes. In fact, for many, their quality of life will be higher than before the hurricane. Others might still be suffering from emotional scars, many might still be trying to land adequate employment, and maybe trying to decide where to live. Why would people that experience the same tragedy and receive the same financial help and other aid end up in such different circumstances? Hope and optimism are the key!

A solid sense of optimism is one of the strongest predictors of success and resiliency in life. Penn State was having difficulty predicting which students were more likely to graduate four years later. They had all kinds of data, but nothing was coming up as the key indicator. After they conducted psychological tests of students they found the strongest correlation of success was the student's level of pessimism or optimism. West Point Academy was also trying to understand which cadets were more likely to make it into the second year. This was a big issue since they were losing 10% in attrition. The key indicator was not SAT scores or fitness level, it was the degree of optimism. After 9/11 the most optimistic people were able to not only recover emotionally quicker, their state of well being was actually higher afterwards because they were overwhelmed with the outpouring of goodwill from so many people.

The good news is that optimism can be learned. When I coach clients who are working on increasing their level of happiness in life, we take a few weeks to improve their optimism. After just a few weeks, their level of happiness is measurably and sustainably higher. Of course, so is mine! Last night I talked with about 30 or so evacuees that are in Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Despite the fact that most had lost their homes and jobs, I would say that at least 70% were already making optimistic comments. For example, one was overwhelmed with the love a family had shown to her by inviting her to their home. Another was excited about the number of jobs available in Dallas and a new apartment they had already gotten through a state agency. One was looking forward to living by his sister in Memphis. They realized that bad things do happen to good people. I talked to only a few people that were bitter and pessimistic, and they were not necessarily those that had the worst experience.

As we help the victims, let's not just give them money or jobs, let's help them find the goodness in their situation (there is always a blessing), help them understand that this difficult moment is not going to last, and that they are loved. Let us also pray that God blesses them with the virtue of Hope. “Hope is the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1817).

“Encircle me, oh God,
keep faith within
and pride without.
Encircle me, oh God,
keep hope within
and despair without.
Encircle me, oh God,
Keep love within
and hate without.”

A Celtic Prayer

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Hope, Katrina, Optimism, Spirituality