As life coaches, we've often observed a universal yet overlooked truth: the way we allow others to treat us plays a significant role in shaping our relationships, self-esteem, and overall well-being.

A new practice that we have been encouraging our clients to implement in their lives is Daily Self-Compassion.

It has been nearly ten years since we first started coaching together, and what an incredible ten years it has been! Every day, we keep learning how to be the coaches we truly want to be and best serve our clients. From our first day coaching together, we’ve believed that coaching is a team approach to gaining understanding and solving problems. We are a team with our clients, and the two of us are a team together!

We have also been introduced more personally to the term “caregiver burnout.” We discussed burnout in a previous blog, but when we wrote that blog, the number of caregivers we had met was pretty limited. Caregiving can be stressful even if it only lasts a short while, and long-term caregiving stress and exhaustion need more attention and recognition.

To show up as our best selves, we must be able to EXPRESS OUR EXPERIENCE of life with someone else. Being truly seen, heard, and known is essential to happiness. This means that we must be able to honestly express our past hurt, our current pain, our joy, our concern, our frustration, our confusion, our love, and every other experience we encounter in our lives. We must have someone to see, hear, and know us – our true authentic us.

Are the people closest to you safe? Is your home safe? Is your workplace safe? Your answers to these questions are important. Very important. And we encourage you to take some time today to really think them through because in order to thrive and show up in life as the best version of yourself, your relationships, home, and work must be safe.

Annette and I are certified life coaches and have extensive training in personal growth and development, communication, Nonviolent Communication, the Enneagram, boundaries, self-love, and addiction. In addition, I am a certified health coach, meditation instructor, and now I am certified in goal success.

Today, I want to share with you what happened to me last week that has me thinking a lot about joy and how important it is for all of us to spend time each day doing something we love – even if we only have a few spare minutes.

One issue that has been coming up in our practice quite frequently this summer is exhaustion from experiencing a lack of consideration and kindness. Life can be stressful enough – and being confronted with unkindness is difficult!

Change is unavoidable, and no matter whether we experience the change as good or bad, change can still knock us off our center. So, if you are struggling with change at this time, please extend lots and lots of understanding and empathy to yourself.

You are a gift to us, your family and friends, and most of all, your hard work and dedication allow you to show up fully and authentically for yourself.

We are finding that problems and frustrations with technology are truly a significant source of stress for people.

The other day, Annette and I had a conversation about how much courage it takes to come in for coaching. Courage that not everyone has – and courage that we acknowledge and appreciate each day.

Today, we wanted to update you on Annette and Don’s sweet rescue dog Greta, who is near and dear to Ada’s heart as well. Over the past two years, the three of us have worked together to help Greta feel safe and loved.

Last week, Annette shared that she had a craving for crab omelets. We hadn’t made those in a while, and they sounded absolutely delicious to me as well! Neither one of us had the recipe handy, and we both tried to remember how much crabmeat our recipe required.

It is crucial for our wellbeing to feel our feelings. Feeling our feelings can be a tough and scary thing to do, which is why many of us don’t do it. It is tough and scary because we might not have learned how to go within and recognize what is going on inside us.

Our need for appreciation is closely related to our inner desire to be seen, heard, and known. To be appreciated by others is to have what we do from our hearts acknowledged. To recognize our appreciation for others is to open ourselves up to seeing how others contribute to our lives.

If you find yourself at a crossroads, where you know it is time to move on and let something or someone go, yet there is a part of you that wants to hold on, please have compassion for yourself and recognize that you are not alone in your struggle.

Along the way, Ada has taught me many important lessons as well, and one that has possibly impacted me the most is: Start with the Easy Things

Personal development is all about continually doing our healing work, learning ways to better support ourselves, and challenging ourselves even when no one else is looking. In short, it’s about finding the fire in our own hearts and growing for our own benefit so each day we can show up as the best version of ourselves for that day.