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Living the Creative Life: Issue 89: LEARNING TO ENDURE
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Sharon Good
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Nov 15, 2006 14:10 PST
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LIVING THE CREATIVE LIFE
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For Creative People
and Those Who Want To
Live Their Lives Creatively
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November 2006 ~ ~ ~ Issue 89
In this issue ~~
* Opening Notes
* Feature Article: LEARNING TO ENDURE
* Action Challenge
* Wise Words
* Bookshelf
* Upcoming Classes with Sharon
- In NYC: Getting Ahead at Your Own Pace
- In NYC: Coaching Classes at NYU
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OPENING NOTES
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
As we move into the holiday season, it feels like the year has flown.
The days are shorter and, for many of us, colder. It feels like a good
time to curl up under the covers or in front of a warm fireplace and go
within.
Despite this being a challenging year in many ways, it's a great time to
remember and express our gratitude for all the good things that happened
for us. Remember – the energy of gratitude attracts more of what you're
thankful for! One thing I'm grateful for is the opportunity to expand my
teaching, which I love.
The feature article for this issue is on LEARNING TO ENDURE, and seeing
the value in that for our growth and development.
Creatively yours,
Sharon
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LEARNING TO ENDURE
Sometimes, life is just hard. We have goals and dreams, and we're taking
steps toward them, but we keep hitting obstacles. It seems to be taking
forever to make any progress. Very often, the question comes up: How
long should I keep doing this? Is it a sign that I should quit and do
something else?
When you're passionate about something, it can be extremely frustrating
to keep hitting roadblocks. Shouldn't your passion and commitment bring
you success? What's a reasonable amount of time to keep going? What do
you do when your passion is overshadowed by discouragement?
When you're working hard at something and it doesn't seem to be
happening, you can certainly evaluate what's going on:
* Do I have limiting beliefs that are blocking my success?
* Are the steps I'm taking effective ones?
* Are my fears keeping me from doing the hard, but necessary steps?
* Am I putting energy into something I really don't want to do?
Sometimes you're doing everything right, but it's just not happening.
What that may be is "divine timing." As much as you might want something
to happen NOW, that greater intelligence may have a better idea of the
optimal time for your hard work to come to fruition. When that's the
case, the best thing you can do is keep going and learn to endure, to
stick it out as long as it feels right to do so.
I can hear you groaning as I say the word "endure," but it's not such a
bad thing. Athletes train to build endurance. When we build inner
endurance, we build the strength of our character and learn to go the
distance with our dreams and goals. Very often, the things we want most
are also the path to our greatest growth. The lessons we learn along the
way are invaluable and often strengthen us for bigger, more exciting
challenges in the future.
How do you know when to keep going and when to quit? It's an inside job.
You have to get quiet and tune into your inner voice. What is it telling
you? When I was an actress, I hit many bumps along the road and had my
fair share of discouragement. Periodically, I would check in and ask
myself, Do you still want to do this? The answer kept coming up, "Yes."
Until one day it didn't. That's the day I decided to quit. But at that
point, I had been doing it for 25 years and felt that I had squeezed out
of it everything I could.
It's hard walking into the unknown – investing your time, energy and
money, not knowing what the outcome will be. We live in a very
results-oriented, "are-we-there-yet" culture, and if we don't reach our
goals, we feel we're failing. But, at the risk of repeating a cliché,
the journey matters as much as, if not more than, the destination.
If you feel you're on the right track, just keep putting one foot in
front of the other. From time to time, remind yourself why you're doing
this, and renew your joy and passion. Avoid the temptation to work
yourself into exhaustion, thinking that you're just not working hard
enough.
Do your best work, give it time, and when the rewards finally do come,
they'll be that much sweeter.
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ACTION CHALLENGE
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Where in your life are you feeling discouraged? Are you making your best
effort there? If so, what can you do to renew your enthusiasm? If not,
what can you do to bring new energy there?
WISE WORDS
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"When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my
brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends.
Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the
quality of endurance. But let the process go on until that endurance is
fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature
character, men of integrity with no weak spots."
~ James 1:2-4, Holy Bible
"Beyond talent lie all the usual words: discipline, love, luck -- but,
most of all, endurance."
~ James Baldwin
"We are made to persist. That's how we find out who we are."
~ Tobias Wolff
"Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have
perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that
we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained."
~ Marie Curie
BOOKSHELF
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"Stick to It!: The Power of Positive Persistence" . . . C. Leslie Charles
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0964462109/sharongoodlifeco
"Patient Persistence" . . . Adele M. Gill
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0930958004/sharongoodlifeco
"Unstoppable: 45 Powerful Stories of Perseverance and Triumph from
People Just Like You" . . . Cynthia Kersey
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1570713383/sharongoodlifeco
"When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life's Sacred Questions"
. . . Sue Monk Kidd
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0061144894/sharongoodlifeco
"The Boy Who Invented Television: A Story Of Inspiration, Persistence,
And Quiet Passion" . . . Paul Schatzkin
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0976200007/sharongoodlifeco
"Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust" . . .
Immaculee Ilibagiza
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1401908969/sharongoodlifeco
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UPCOMING CLASSES WITH SHARON
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FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ALL CLASSES, please visit
www.goodlifecoaching.com/Classes.html.
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FOR THOSE IN NEW YORK CITY:
GETTING AHEAD AT YOUR OWN PACE
Do you feel like you're always racing to keep up with your more
energetic friends and colleagues? Life coach Sharon Good uses methods
and exercises from her book, "The Tortoise Workbook: Strategies for
Getting Ahead at Your Own Pace," to help you manage your time and
energy, turn your limitations into strengths and achieve your dreams and
goals in a way that honors your natural pace.
Investment: $30
Location: 92nd Street Y / Makor - Steinhardt Center, 35 West 67th
Street, NYC
Date and time: Monday, December 4, 7 - 9 PM
To register or get further information, please contact the 92nd Street Y
at 212-415-5500. Register online at www.92y.org (course # T-MM5LP25-01).
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COACHING CLASSES AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
Sharon will be teaching 2 classes:
* Career Coaching:
Fall 2006 semester: 2 Saturdays, November 18 and December 2, 9 am – 5 pm
Spring 2007 semester: 2 Saturdays, March 31 and April 14, 9 am – 5 pm
* Creative Marketing Tools for Coaches:
Spring 2007 semester: 6 Mondays, February 5 to March 19, 6 – 8 pm
For information and registration links, go to
www.goodlifecoaching.com/Classes.html.
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Sharon Good is a Life/Career/Creativity Coach, Workshop Leader and
Author. Her books include "Managing With A Heart: 222 Ways To Make Your
Employees Feel Appreciated," "The Tortoise Workbook: Strategies for
Getting Ahead at Your Own Pace," and "Self-Publishing Basics."
Sharon is available for one-on-one coaching for:
* whole life balance using the Whole Life model
* successful career and life transitions with the Life Purpose Process©
* support in achieving your goals and dreams
* guidance in writing or publishing your book
* developing your creativity
* enhancing and integrating spirituality in your daily life
For a **FREE INTRODUCTORY COACHING SESSION**, contact Sharon at
212-564-2073 or sha-@goodlifecoaching.com.
For further information, see her website at http://www.goodlifecoaching.com.
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Sharon Good / Good Life Coaching Inc.
Life, Career and Creativity Coach
Certified Life Purpose Process© Consultant
"Being a Tortoise in a World of Hares"
400 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10036
sha-@goodlifecoaching.com
www.goodlifecoaching.com
www.beingatortoise.com
"Making your dreams a reality through partnership"
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(c) 2006 Sharon Good. All rights in all media reserved.
For reprint rights, contact sha-@goodlifecoaching.com.
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