Category Archives: Coaching

Singing and Dancing a Recipe for Joy? Look into the Gene Pool…

We all know that when we are sad our shoulders and our heads are affected by the emotion thus making us look different. Our bodies do not tell lies – they reveal our emotions as clearly as anything. And we know that the opposite to be true too – when we are happy we like to laugh, jump, dance or sing. Given that – might the opposite also be true? Might it work to laugh to actually make us happier? Some say a strong YES! There are actually classes teaching this too. How about singing then? In Sweden we are known for a bit of melancholy but we are also known for music. Not only ABBA, but swedes are a nation of choirs. So we actually believe that singing is associated strongly with joy. We even have singing rituals at our dinner parties. So YES! Clear indication that if you sing you will increase your well-being. And it works to whistle too! And sad songs can make you happy too.

But can dancing really heighten you spirits? WE all know that Flamenco dancers express deep feelings through their dancing, but the other way around?There has been research done on elderly and disabled people introducing dance as a means for improvement and that has proven to be successful. And we have examples of dancing that many of us like to watch. A Michael Jackson moonwalk, a classical ballerina or something by Fred Astaire perhaps will send our hearts upwards? My favorite is however Gene Kelly. I find his dancing very uplifting. Remember his “Singing in the Rain” which I have mentioned before.
Gene proves that dancing IS joy and that you can dance alone, with someone you love or even with an imaginary friend. So when a bit low – take a dive into the Gene Pool!

The Coach, The Media and a Whistling Future !

I can hear a distant whistle “toodeeloodeeloo,,,whuah whuah whuah” and see Clint Eastwood smile. Yes. the title is inspired by “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly!

Assuming that all bad coaches have been shot at dawn the Coach is of course the Good in this plot. An intriguing thought having Clint Eastwood as a coach, but he might make our day if we give him a fair shot. Let’s face it he knew how to ask questions as Dirty Harry “Do you feel lucky, punk?”, right?
Yes, I do believe coaches need to dare more and to be prepared to actually use more heavy artillery – not always in relation to clients but in relation to the Media and the Future. Coaches need to toughen up.

Media, here compared to the Bad, can be rather cruel to any profession, or any person for that matter, when given half a chance. When Media sniffs and manages to inhale a weakness it will behave like a flock of wolves or dogs closing in on their prey. No companies, no professionals and no politicians are safe. So coaches need to know how to handle Media pressure, know how Media thinks and try to avoid jumping into the most obvious pits dug by the Media for Coaches to fall in..Instead Coaches need to learn not only to handle the Media but also Social Media, Web Design and SEO. If Coaches won’t there might be trouble on the horizon! And never come running when the Media people whistles. They are up to no good. They just want to sell newspapers!

Coaches might quite easily become victims of the Media and will meet a Future that is…? Yes it is true, It the Good cannot handle the Bad they will meet the Ugly!

So how is the situation today? Coaches, especially job coaches, are under Media attack in Sweden. Some of the Media pressure Coaches have brought on themselves, not all acting professionally in relation to clients, companies and state agencies – but not all! Some of the Media pressure is created by the gutter press, using bad journalism, half truths and fake so called experts. Experts in other fields but acting as experts on coaching. Readers of newspapers have no chance of finding out what is really the truth in these matters.

So Coaches need to use the Media instead of being victimized by it. And Coaches need to become more professional, more alert and more equipped to handle real life as entrepreneurs. Coaches need to mean business and stop dreaming. The time of the hobby Coach is over – Welcome to the Business Coach! Killing Coaches’ naivety is a cruel thing and will be frustrating, but necessary to avoid an Ugly Future. If Coaches want the Gold, they need to start earning it! So look on the bright side, people – Don’t Grumble, give a whistle!

So What Do You Want from Life?

In this world we are led to believe that we always lack something and that we should always look for more and preferably buy it. We are told that we are less. We are told!

But shorten the sentence even more and you get: We are!
This is an interesting starting point for exploration. OK, so I am…..but what or who am I? Who am I when I am at my best? How does it feel? And what happens when I am under pressure? Who do I become? The same or am I a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde perhaps? Who am I when I only ask myself and forget all the things that my parents, teachers, peers and media are trying to confuse me with? What is the “Core Me”? And then – when I am standing there as the stripped down “Core Me” saying I Am!– and only then – I should ask myself- What do I want From Life?