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.…
by Kim Childs, CPPC This summer I'm headed back to Africa, a continent beloved to my very soul. My connections to the land and people run deep, perhaps even beyond this lifetime. Here's why... In the fall of 1996, I was invited to visit my friend Liz in Zimbabwe, where she was doing economic development work. I jumped at the chance to make my first trip to Africa, and arranged to fly from New York to London to Harare, the…
by Kim Childs, CPPC Last year I was working with a client who was preparing to retire from a long and successful career. She named a desire to work part-time in a new field, and her face lit up as she described what she'd like to do and why she wanted to do it. It was clearly a long simmering passion. As we identified her next steps of research and action, her face darkened. She began to voice doubts about…
by Kim Childs, CPPC At some point in the process of recovering from my divorce, I realized that I was having trouble dreaming new dreams. While I’d done a lot to heal the emotional pain of my failed marriage, this was something different…and deeper. Eventually, I came to realize that I needed to mourn the dreams I'd had for me and my ex-husband that didn’t come true, and the hopes and plans I had for my own life when I…
by Kim Childs, CPPC I've been immersed in personal growth work for 20 years and, while my aim in coaching is to bring forth my clients' own wisdom, I also love referring them to teachers who've helped me on my journey. Two of my favorites are Don Miguel Ruiz and Byron Katie, who offer us four simple yet powerful questions and agreements for better living. Katie is famous for creating The Work, her signature program of inquiry that teaches us…
by Kim Childs, CPPC Last month I was helping a client prepare for a job interview, which also meant bracing for the possible question, "Can you tell me about one of your past mistakes or failures?" We discussed how to answer that question both honestly and positively, by telling a story about the growth, learning, character development or gifts that resulted from the failure. "Oh," said my client, brightening, "like when I tell my son that he can always learn…