Getting Real
I was working with a coaching client this morning, and he was pretty anxious. As we started to explore the anxiety, what we discovered was that he wasn't being real with himself. He wasn't…
Writing
Stop “Should-ing” on Yourself
Below is a quote from the section of a book that I’m reading by Claudia Naranjo. Naranjo was a student of Fritz Perls, the well-known gestalt psychotherapist that led encounter groups at…
Hoping and Waiting, Waiting and Hoping
I just got off the phone with a potential client. He was feeling stuck in terms of his work. He’s transitioning from a service oriented job to an investment field. After a bit of exploring…
The Saturn Return: Ages 28 to 31
In astrology, a Saturn Return is when Saturn comes back to the position it occupied when you were born. The first is commonly associated with ages 28 to 31, the second with about 58 to 60,…
Rites of Passage and the Performance Trap
A way of living stops fitting. You can still do the job, keep the commitments and tell people you're fine when they ask. But you don't know anymore whether you want to keep doing it this…
Neptune Square Around 40: When the Old Dream Loses Its Pull
You know how to work toward a goal. What's harder to explain is the moment when the goal is still there and you don't want it the way you used to. Nothing obvious has gone wrong. You may…
Uranus Opposition Around 42: When the Life You Built No Longer Fits
You can explain why you chose this life. The work made sense. The commitments mattered. You can still keep them. And yet you want space from a life you worked hard to build, and then you…
Chiron Return Around 50: Working with What You Have Spent Years Managing
An old hurt comes back in an ordinary moment. Someone overlooks what you did, or a reply is cooler than you expected. You understand why it gets to you. You may have understood it for…
Second Saturn Return at 58 to 60: What Do You Want to Keep Carrying?
You're the one who knows what needs doing. People rely on you, and you've gotten good at carrying that. But when you picture keeping up the same pace, you notice a cost you used to push…
Meta-View
My wife, Melissa, friend, Peter, and I were on Mt. Tam early this morning having a great conversation. Nature has a funny way of giving you a fresh perspective. At one point, we were…
Remembering the Basics
When my clients are down, I notice that they often forget the basics. They’re often searching and searching for the ‘reasons why’ they’re not feeling right. And in the search for ‘why’ they…