CATALYST NEWS

Eva Dahm, MA, CPCC

July, 2002

DEDICATED TO YOUR GROWTH AND EXPLORATION

It's good to have an end to journey toward; but it's the journey that matters, in the end. --Ursula K. LeGuin

I am the rest between two notes...Rainer Maria Rilke

WONDERING… Why do we want our self-help in 10 easy steps (or less) when it took countless steps to get us here in the first place?

LIVE RESPONSIBLY

This slogan in a beer advertisement I saw recently was interesting. Obviously they mean drink and don't drive. But they did not say that.

I have been wrestling with RESPONSIBILITY for some time now. Many of us were raised to believe that hard work, long hours and diligence translate into "responsibility." Sounds HEAVY to me. Be an adult-act responsibly-have a heavy job that weighs on you. Have a job that makes Fridays into TGIFs and Mondays Blue. Many of us have exactly that.

But I don't have that kind of job now. I am a "coach". I have a "calling". Isn't life supposed to be all flowers and sunshine now? The people who have yet to discover their callings think it is. "That must be wonderful to do what you love." "Sounds great to know what your life purpose is."

Well, I got a news flash-Life's great but not totally joyful and cheery simply when you know your calling. (For more about the challenges of answering a calling, check out "Callings: Finding and Following an Authentic Life" by Gregg Levoy.) My workdays are shorter, but my income is below what it was in previous jobs. My former Type A self wondered, "How responsible am I with these conditions?" This feels more like early retirement!!! And I am a person who loves work and is not ready for early retirement.

I was driving myself crazy with this circular argument. (I know you've never experienced that so I'll explain: it felt like a never-ending loud discussion in my head. One voice that said "You're not working hard enough" and the one that answered "But I'm living my life purpose!")

I wrestled with this for a long while. (Obviously, I did not want to get beyond this one with EASE, so I made it difficult.) Then I sat down to journal, and I talked to my coach.

I began to see some light when I realized that MY RESPONSIBILITY is to live from my purpose. I am responsible for being the best Eva I can be--for all the people I know and even for those I don't know. And if I am doing that, then I am living as RESPONSIBLY as I possibly can.

If we each reach for our best in every moment, there is nothing else. Wow! No idea of heaviness here-no requirement for long or short hours and no rule about it being hard. In fact, I believe living my best is done with EASE. That's one measure I now have of what is "right". Is it easy or difficult to arrange and figure out?

I personally believe that the Universe wants to cooperate with us to give us what we want and need when we clearly 1. Know what that is, 2. Ask for it, 3. Take the risk of moving that direction, and 4. Prepare our inner selves to receive. So it may not always be without obstacles or difficulties, but EASE is also possible.

For example, another coach and I were trying to arrange group presentations. All my calls to local bookstores had yielded nothing. I picked up the phone and within a few minutes had a sales meeting and within days had a workshop scheduled at a local church. I concluded that churches (which initially had been most interesting to us) were the best. EASE!

CONSIDERATIONS FOR YOU:

1. Where are you stuck?
2. What are you making difficult?
3. What stories do you have that define and limit yourself? Or worse, to belittle yourself?
4. When are you being your best YOU?
5. What do you do with ease?
6. What do you need to get clear on and ask for?

Call for a free 30-minute sample coaching or encourage a friend to call. Send an email to get the schedule of workshops beginning in September on Parenting With Spirit and Living Your Values.

Eva Dahm
Coach Catalyst
630-369-9824
edahm@msn.com