Jennifer has the rare talent to make one’s strengths come to life.

Jim-Patton-3-231x300“Jennifer has the rare talent to make one’s strengths come to life.  In a very short time she led me through a voyage of self-discovery of my top five strengths from StrengthsFinder 2.0.  She helped me to dive beneath the surface of the report to recognize the interrelationships and richness of my unique strengths so that I could maximize them and make them work powerfully together.  I will send all my clients to her to have the same experience that I had with her so that they can grow to their full potential.”

Jim Patton, Plant Manager, The Biz Success Factory

Jennifer has been so instrumental in helping me orchestrate a new approach to life.

member_14245061Autumn 2011 was a turning point in my life.  My three boys were out of the house, two in college and one in the Naval Aviation program.  My mother had died one year earlier.  Even though I had wonderful friends, a good job and a nice home, I was truly lost and empty nester syndrome hit me hard.  All of a sudden, I had this feeling of everything was wrong and I had to change my life completely.

A close friend of mine suggested I contact Jennifer Seaver Stokes.  She had begun practice as a personal development coach and my friend said Jennifer has uncanny talents for listening, discovering and guiding.  As a musician by nature, she has been so instrumental (no pun intended!) in helping me orchestrate a new approach to life.

The perfect exercise for me at the time was the strengths inventory put forth in Tom Rath’s  “StrengthsFinder 2.0” . This provided the foundation for our work over the next few months.  I know I am a strong person.  Jennifer saw this immediately.  I simply had hit a threshold I couldn’t seem to pass.  Jennifer arrives to our second meeting with colored poster board and markers.  She says to me “Pick a color”!   I chose ORANGE!

This orange board covered with a rainbow of words is still prominently displayed in my office.  I can picture the day we composed this board.  This was uch a worthwhile exercise.   I go to it almost every day.  We use it during every single coaching session.  Even if I don’t have it with me, we both know exactly how it looks and what it says!

It has been nearly two years since I met Jennifer.    I began with her full level of coaching.  Once completed, I scaled back a bit.  I can call her whenever I need her and pick the program that suits me.

Trust me, once you’ve gone through one level of coaching with Jennifer, you will know how to continue.

I have highly recommended her to others.  I wholeheartedly feel Jennifer has a very unique gift and a great talent.  She continuously works on crafting her skill which makes her so refreshing.  She always brings something new to the table, whether a new approach to consider or a book to read or an activity to attend.  Jennifer is never stale!  This is of huge importance to me.   Most importantly, she never lets me forget my strengths.  This is the greatest gift of all.

Susan

An inspiring video from Joan King with Music by Marvin Hamlisch!

Inspiring video by Joan King with music by Marvin Hamlisch

Thank you for sharing your genius with me – it makes my day, my world, my life more than I could have dreamed it would be!

The secret is embracing the talented and dedicated people who choose themselves. Seth Godin

from Seth’s Blog: Most people, most of the time (the perfect crowd fallacy).

I love thinking about the WWW as the great equalizer.  On a snowy day in March,  YES MARCH, you can still run your business,  keep up with friends and have fun even if you are too lazy to get out and shovel the driveway!

Seth Godin’s blog talks about the inherent opportunity for everyone to establish an online presence that ranges from meaningful to obnoxious. Now the world has the chance to do the filtering.

On the other hand,  counting on the WWW to fill my need for community is very discouraging.  There is so much available to us through the electronic medium that can grab our attention away from the opportunity to be with people in real-time and space.

As a musician, I always value the live, acoustic, musical experience.  Last night at a good friend’s home,  I played music of Tchaikovsky on their acoustic piano and their son sang an original song accompanied by an acoustic guitar. I loved every minute of it.  It was worth so much more than likes, follows, text messages, emails, voice mails or videos.   Thank you for that real experience!

Change your thought$ – change your life!

miracles_at_work

The way to change the nature of your thoughts is the way to change the nature of your experience.

Miraculous thinking does not represent a state of denial………..it is a state of positive denial. Marianne Williamson

I have an inner recording of statements of “truth”, attitudes, limiting beliefs, and assumptions about money that are more attached to me than any physical representation of money in my possession.  I could, in fact, lose all of my money and worldly possessions but still “own” all of these beliefs.

Today, I have taken the challenge of writing down all of my current thoughts about money and putting them into three categories.

  1. Things my parents taught me.
  2. Things that the world has taught me.
  3. Things that I believe about myself in relation to money.

My mother never really believed that we had money.  She lived in fear of not having money.  My father did not have money growing up but was very successful in his career.  He and my mother donated money to a variety of charities and individuals over their lifetime and most recently, a large portion of their estate has been donated to a major charity.  

What did I learn from my parents?  Be frugal, live in fear of not having enough money, give generously where you see a need.   Pretty contradictory statements!  No wonder I have such mixed emotions about my finances.

What have I learned from the world about money?  Those that have money have significantly better lives than anyone else.  Some people have to work for it and others just inherit it.  People are greedy and they will always take you for all you are worth if you let them.

What have I learned about money from my own experience?  I have always had what I needed.  Usually have what I want.  I don’t have the opportunity to realize my dreams because of a lack of money.

Now comes the hard work………what is true, what is an assumption, limiting belief or interpretation?

The bottom line,  I can change anyone of these statements by changing my thoughts.  I can’t change other people, but I can change how I think about them.

Here is the new version:

Have everything I need now and everything I need for the future.

My purpose will be supported and funded so that the dreams I have, the ideas that have been given to me by God for my life, will be realized for the benefit of everyone!

There is no lack of money in the world,  it is the allocation of the energy of money that is in need of correction.  This reallocation is at my discretion with every financial decision I make.

I am releasing feelings of victimization by the financial world.

I am receiving Divine Guidance in my daily financial affairs.

I am no longer live in fear of money.

I give and receive money in the same way that I experience love.

Thanks Tuned In Coaching for helping me get tuned in to my strengths and how to use them.

Here is a testimonial from a participant in the Strengths Development Playshop!
MyInsideCoachJennifer brings wonderful insight to any conversation.  Her comfortable style got me to open up and explore ideas in a way I had not yet considered.  Her style and approach builds confidence in my thoughts and direction.  Its great to have her expertise in StrengthFinder too.  It is obvious she is very knowledgeable in understanding what her participants strengths are and how they can use them to deepen their relationships, build their business, and in general create a plan for moving their passions and goals forward.   Certainly goes without saying … I want more of what Jennifer has to offer.  Thanks Tuned In Coaching for helping me get tuned in to my strengths and how to use them.

Jennifer Wolf, Inside Coach, LLC

The easy way to balance your life!

Happy Spring Equinox!

March 20th is the first day of Spring 2013! (For more scientific information, check out this link on the Earth Sky website.)  The equality of night and day is fleeting in our universe, just as perfect equality and balance is in every facet of our lives.   As I face the daily challenge of balancing my life, I realize that balance is not a static state.  We might be able to balance a bank account or improve our physical balance through exercise and fun games on Wii Fit (a new part of my physical therapy routine!)  However, true balance is always found in the midst of change.  I tend to think black and white when I visualize balance but reality has taught me that it  is the ability to right oneself in the face of forces beyond our control that really defines a balanced life.

The idea of living a balanced life and  this particular time in our celestial calendar connects intuitively with  ideas I am experiencing through my daily meditation with The Tao.

Practice non-action.
Work without doing.
Taste the tasteless.
Magnify the small, increase the few.
Reward bitterness with care.

See simplicity in the complicated.
Achieve greatness in little things.

In the universe the difficult things are done as if they are easy.
In the universe great acts are made up of small deeds.
The sage does not attempt anything very big,
And thus achieves greatness.

Easy promises make for little trusts.
Taking things lightly results in great difficulty.
Because the sage always confronts difficulties,
He never experiences them.

Sixty-Three, The Tao Te Ching by Lau Tsu

All the ways you can connect with Tuned In Coaching!

Thursday, March 21, 2013 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT)  
Carmel, IN | Free Conference Call

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Spring Cleaning for your GUT!

We have had a few really warm days here in Carmel, Indiana but they are just teasers.  Mother Nature must be going through menopause!  Everyone gets the urge to spring clean,  open up the doors and windows and let in fresh air and welcome the new growth and colors of the season.

Today’s topic is spring cleaning for your gut.  Here are some baby steps you can take to give your gut a much needed break so it can rest and rejuvenate!

  1. Make sure you are front loading your system with food (mostly protein) early in the day and taper off towards the end of the day.
  2. Allow your digestive system to complete its work and then rest for a 12 hour period.  Stop eating @ 7pm and eat again @ 7am.
  3. Try a 24 hour fast by consuming clear liquids………very similar to prep for a colonoscopy without the nasty prescription drink!  Broth, apple juice, even jello if you want!

Now for the really deep cleansing!  In a Course in Weight Loss, Marianne Williamson writes;

Emotions need to be felt the way food needs to be chewed.

Feelings need to be processed in the mind so they are not carried around on our bodies as extra weight, disease and pain.  The numbing affect of additive, obsessive behaviors was only meant to be implemented during crisis, trauma or emergencies.  Today, we are using it for every unwanted emotion!

Try this new way of encountering food:

  1. Ask yourself what you are feeling when you have the desire for sugar, caffeine or more than your body really needs.  Negative or painful emotions have the same feeling in our gut as hunger.  Feel the fear  and recognize its presence.
  2. Turn your feelings over to a Force greater than yourself.  Allow that Source to do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
  3. Openly receive wisdom for the situation that is causing the unwanted feeling.

Honor the Wisdom that is present in your GUT!