Resources
Practices for Living & Leading Well
Doorways to Presence:
There are multiple doorways to presence and all doorways are interrelated. The 3 doorways as described in Doug Silsbee’s book, Presence Based Coaching, are the Mind, the Body and the Heart.
MIND: This doorway helps us strengthen our ability to observe ourselves and make more conscious choices in thought and behavior.
BODY: The body is always present. When you are noticing your breath or sensations, you are present. When you are with your body, mental clutter slows down. You will notice sensations and emotions which can offer information and can bring a greater sense of aliveness.
HEART: When you practice a connection with your heart, you may find you are listening more deeply and feeling more. The heart is considered the doorway to compassion, appreciation, and a broader wisdom.
Mind:
- Headspace app. There is a free version. You can set it for as little as 3 minutes.
- Healthy Minds app. Free and from the Center for Healthy Minds at UW-Madison.
Body:
- Body scan. This is an example from Headspace. 3 minutes.
- Body Centering and Grounding by Richard Strozzi, adapted by Doug Silsbee and Sharon
- Yoga Nidra. This tends to be longer but is a lovely practice. Here is one example.
Heart & Gratitude:
- Heart practice
- A simple gratitude practice.
- Taking in the Good. Rick Hanson. This practice can be done in 15-20 seconds. Start watching the linked video at 3:45 to learn the practice
Greater Good in Action: Science-Based Practices for a Meaningful Life
Getting some space between you & your assumptions, gremlins & habits:
The Work by Byron Katie. 4 Questions and a Turnaround to help you unearth and question beliefs and assumptions. The process can be very liberating.
3 questions to move from stuck/annoyed to neutral/uplifted and moving. By Sharon.
Taming Your Gremlin, by Rick Carson.
Starting & Ending the Day
Morning and Evening words to start and close the day. By Sharon, inspired by others.
Beginning a New Year
Year Compass Free booklet of writing prompts to help move through transitions, meant for year to year transitions but could be helpful for any.
Helpful during painful transitions or challenging times:
A list-like almost-blog-post documentation of what I found useful during a soul-crushing time.
Creativity & Making Change
Books:
One Small Step Can Change Your LIfe: The Kaizen Way – Robert Maurer, PhD
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert
Let Your Life Speak – Parker Palmer
Creativity – Michael Fox
Quality coaching books and resources (see below)
Leadership & Wholeness
Dare to Lead – Brene Brown
The Leadership Dojo – Richard Strozzi-Heckler
Leading Below the Surface: How to build real (and psychologically safe) relationships with people who are different from you – LaTonya Wilkins
Your Body is Your Brain – Amanda Blake
Search Inside Yourself – Google’s “Jolly Good Fellow,” Chade-Meng Tan
How Women Rise – Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith
The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz
Towards a Framework for Repair. On-Being podcast with Robin DiAngelo and Resmaa Menakem on racialized trauma and “grappling with whiteness”
From Dismantling Racism. Characteristics of white dominant culture/white supremacy culture and their antidotes for our organizations.
And, of course…
Brene Brown, PhD – Books, videos, podcasts, ted talks on Leadership, Courage, Vulnerability, Wholeheartedness. Sample Ted Talk (on Vulnerability)
Susan David, PhD – Emotional Agility book, videos, etc.. Sample Ted Talk here.
Adam Grant, PhD – Smart and witty organizational psychologist. Author, podcast, etc. Sample Ted Talk here. Lively and inspiring interview with Dolly Parton here. 12/19/22
Coaching
Books:
Co-Active Coaching. Clear fundamentals of coaching by the creative and lively founders of Co-Active Training Institute.
Presence-Based Coaching. Leadership development focus which includes somatics by the terribly missed founder of Presence-Based Coaching and friend, Doug Silsbee.
Climate Change Coaching by founder of the UK-based Climate Change Coaches – an all around spectacular person (and my instructor on the topic) – Charly Cox (and Sarah Flynn)
Diversity Beyond Lip Service by La’Wana Harris.
Coach the Person, not the Problem by Marcia Reynolds
Coaching for Transformation: Pathways to Ignite Personal and Social Change. Laskey, Kellogg, Michaels and Brown.
Parent as Coach by Diana Haskins
Other written material:
Coaching Presence article by Sharon
Choice Magazine of Professional Coaching.
International Coaching Federation. Global organization for coaches and coaching. Sets standards and ethics, certifies, accredits.
Climate Engagement
First! Positive News. We need to see and acknowledge and support what’s going well too! “What’s going well” is hard to find in mainstream news. This new-to-me site informs about what’s going well, what’s hopeful in the world right now. Check it out.
Project Drawdown “The World’s Leading Resource for Climate Solutions”
350.org Easy access to community involvement.
Under the Sky We Make, by Kimberly Nichols, PhD.
Climate Change Coaching, by Charly Cox and Sarah Flynn
How to Save a Planet podcast, especially:
Dr. Ayana E. Johnson Helps You Find Your Climate Superpower
Feeling Doomed? How to Tackle Climate Anxiety
Many many Ted Talks, including:
What to do when climate change feels unstoppable with Clover Hogan.
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Ted Talk: How to Find Joy in Climate Action
Don’t know where to start with climate?
Take a breath. Consider something you are grateful for. Breathe that in. Resource yourself with gratitude and being kind to yourself. And then decide that one simple step is how to begin. Once you take one step, the next one often shows up and is easier to take. You might join an organization as a volunteeer and even enjoy aspects of it.
And if you aren’t ready for any of it, that’s fine. Maybe consider hiring a coach to help you explore your feelings and thoughts – and engagement when you are ready. I offer special pricing to those interested in coaching around climate feelings and climate engagement.
Here’s a handful of simple actions an individual can take. Start with one. Invite a friend to join you!
- Talk about climate. Even just a little bit. If we don’t ever talk about it, there’s no chance for change.
- Check out volunteer opportunities in local climate-related organizations. Check out 350.org.
- Meatless Monday. Take a break from meat on Monday’s or eat one less meat meal a week. And cut down on food waste as much as possible.
- Take the bus, ride a bike or walk at least once a week vs. drive.
- Fly one time fewer a year. Or fly one time total per year. Or skip one year of flying. Check out what’s possible by train or bus. Or what there is to exlpore and enjoy in a 20 mile radius of where you live. Stayvaction, anyone?
And here’s an article from the Washington Post, 2/22/2022, offering 10 steps you can take to lower your carbon footprint
Do you have other ideas or experiences regarding moving from stuck to climate action?
