by Kim Childs, CPPC Three and a half years ago, life as we knew it changed as a global pandemic began to shut things down and create new behaviors and circumstances, some still with us. Weather patterns have also been changing and, whether we accept these alterations or not, there’s no going back to “normal” (whatever that was). From my perspective, this gives each of us radical permission to be new and different, too. Adapting to pandemic-related and climate changes…
by Kim Childs, CPPC As I've said here before, a simple practice called Morning Pages changed my life in 1997. Done at the start of the day before other agendas beckon, they are a fundamental part of The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, a book I’ve taught and used with clients for nearly 20 years. The idea behind them is to meet ourselves on the page and see how we’re doing each morning by writing, uncensored, by…
by Kim Childs, CPPC Many of us are tempted to make resolutions or set intentions as January arrives. It’s hard to resist the promise of a fresh new year, full of possibilities and opportunities to make changes in our lives for greater well-being and fulfillment. By spring, however, many of those plans and good intentions have typically been compromised, abandoned, or forgotten. There’s a different way to design the year ahead, based on how we want to feel in the…
by Kim Childs, CPPC When people ask me what kinds of clients I mostly work with, I don't have a pat answer because I've worked with both men and women, ages 20-something to 70-something. I can, however, identify what often unites them: they have discounted their desires and believed their doubts and fears to the point of inaction. They come to me to get unstuck, get clear, get out of their own way, and get moving and on track toward…
Last summer, I enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime journey to South Africa, where I toured the country performing with my chorus and experiencing moments of awe, joy, and connection that will last me forever. This summer I took a different journey - inward - to process the recent death of my father and some other personal losses and endings. As grief forced me to slow down and attend to my deepest needs, I made space to nurse my aching heart and sagging…
by Kim Childs, CPPC We lost my sweet, salty, quirky, loving dad last month after a heartbreaking battle with COPD. He hung in there long and strong, until he couldn't, and died just short of his 81st birthday this weekend. Peter Barry Childs was a Cape Cod native, born into a large Irish Catholic family and raised in Centerville, MA. He went to Barnstable High School and the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts. He served in…
by Kim Childs, CPPC As I headed toward my 55th birthday this winter, I started to think about my intention for this next chapter of life. I decided that feeling more empowered was the overarching goal, and adopted the cartoon character Kim Possible as my role model. About the same time, I read a horoscope that said 2018 was "the year to kick your own butt." [caption id="attachment_3008" align="alignright" width="207"] My role model, Kim Possible[/caption] Pondering this directive, I realized…
by Kim Childs, CPPC This month, we “fell back” an hour when Daylight Savings Time ended, to gain more light before moving into the shorter days of winter. Likewise, when we’re preparing to move forward in life, we may sometimes need to first go back in time. Just as an archer prepares to shoot an arrow by pulling it back to prepare, focus, and gather momentum, we can constructively revisit our past to propel forward movement. If we want to…
by Kim Childs, CPPC Last month, I noticed my coaching client scribbling earnestly during our session, as we were discussing the difference between willpower ("I want to ___") and way power ("I may need help, training, instruction and a plan to ___"). So what was my client writing? "Asking for help is self-care." Indeed. For far too many years, I was self-reliant to a fault—trying to assume control, figure things out by myself and hide my needs and insecurities from…
by Kim Childs, CPPC About 20 years ago, I heard a phrase in a 12-step meeting that lodged itself firmly in my head: "God's delay is not God's denial." Today I have several examples, and not just in my own life, of how this phenomenon plays out. No matter your religious beliefs, embracing the notion that some dreams may take longer to manifest than we desire, and turn out even better than we imagined, can ease frustration and fuel optimism.…