“The only way you can change the universe is by changing yourself… ”
Sydney Banks, Philosopher
This week I’m combining ongoing work on the book with a speaking engagement in the US, so we’ll be continuing to re-run some of the most popular previous issues of the newsletter. I’d love to hear what you make of this one. Please visit my Facebook page to join the conversation. I look forward to connecting with you again once I am back in the UK next week!
So you want to “get the principles out there”, and make your living sharing the principles behind clarity? I understand! Over the past six years, I’ve discovered (often the hard way) what it takes to share these principles professionally and make your living from the inside-out, transforming people’s lives. Over the next few articles, I’m going to be sharing the keys to creating a principles-based practice, whether as a coach, trainer, consultant, facilitator or “other” (experience shows that this work transcends the traditional “job-roles” and titles we’re used to, so whether you resonate with these titles or not, you can relax). So without further ado, here’s the first key to building a profitable, principles-based practice (in fact, you may find these apply to creating any kind of coaching, training, consulting or therapeutic practice)…
Key number 1 – It starts with YOU
In early 2009, I had some major insights into the principles behind clarity, and realised that I would be spending the next 20 years learning and sharing these principles. I immediately started restructuring my priorities so I could immerse myself in deepening my understanding of the inside-out nature of life. I invested many tens of thousands of pounds and countless hours in coaching and training. Here’s why: I intuitively grasped several facts…
a) You can’t give what you haven’t got. When it comes to impacting people with these principles, the one thing you’ve got going for you is your embodied understanding of the inside-out nature of life. Your clarity of understanding is what allows you to…
– Enjoy your life more, while navigating its inevitable ups and downs
– Keep your bearings in stormy weather, and find them quickly when you lose them
– Have a truly transformational impact in the lives of others
Your clarity of understanding is what gives you the confidence to work with anyone, and the flexibility and impact that people are willing to pay for. It’s also what’s behind the next point…
b) People like being around people who feel good
I was talking with a client recently about “customer experience”. I made the point that, while there are lots of lovely things you can do in a business to enhance the customer experience (Eg. Great food and atmospheric lighting in a restaurant, free shipping and next day delivery from amazon, the aroma of fresh bread when you walk into a bakery), the customer’s experience is ultimately determined by one thing:
The quality of your client’s experience is determined by their mood (the feelings and perceptions arising from the Thought-generated reality they’re experiencing moment-to-moment.)
And what’s the thing most likely to influence a client’s mood? Yourmood. People love being around people who feel good. A genuinely good mood is contagious. So is a bad mood. If you feel insecure, your client will pick up on it. If you feel buoyant and hopeful, your client will pick up on that. If you feel irritated or needy, your client will pick up on it. If you feel peaceful or joyful, your client will pick up on that.
I was on a training course many years ago, and someone asked the trainer what he reckoned was the number one thing we could do to increase our quality of life, our impact and our business results. The trainer said “Upgrade your somatic state.” This was a fancy way of saying “Spend more of the time in a good feeling.” I found this advice extremely difficult to follow, so I bookmarked it for later, but when I started to understand the principles behind clarity, I discovered something amazing:
As you get a deeper understanding of these principles, you spend more time in good feelings. And because people like being around people who feel good…
You can do the math. People who feel good when they’re coaching are likely to get better coaching results. People who feel good when they’re selling are likely to get better sales results. People who feel good when they’re parenting are likely to get better parenting results. People who feel good when they’re teaching are likely to get better teaching results. People who feel good when they’re learning, practicing and experimenting are likely to learn, practice and experiment more. *
* This doesn’t mean you don’t need skills. Many fields have important skill-sets to learn and master. Eg. If you’re ever having an operation, I recommend using a surgeon who is well-trained, highly skilled and who has a lot of clarity.
c) Your understanding is the key to sorting out your own fears and insecurities.
As you get a deeper understanding of the principles behind clarity, you’re going to have insights. Problems that may have persisted for years will start to fall away, and you’ll have less on your mind, and this creates a virtuous cycle: Insights into the principles behind clarity lead to a deeper embodied understanding, which leads to more time in a good feeling, a place where you’re very likely to have more insights!
You see, an insight (a fresh new thought, realisation or “a-ha moment”) is always the thing that makes a difference in your life:
– The difference between intellectual understanding and embodied understanding is an insight
– The sudden solution to a problem which you’d been unable to find the answer to arrives as an insight
– The thing that increases your clarity of understanding is an insight
– The realisation that clears your head and wakes you up to the moment is an insight
– The thought that gives you a fresh new perspective and an inspiring new direction arrives as an insight
And when do you have insights? I don’t know, but I’m guessing that you’re at your most “insight-prone” when you’ve got a clear head and you’re feeling good. Which brings us to the final point in this article…
d) Your understanding is the ultimate leverage point for impacting your clients
The thing that will make the biggest, most transformational difference to your clients is their own insights! Your job as a change-worker is to create a space where your client can have the insights they need. Your clarity of understanding and the feeling you’re in when you’re with your clients is the most influential thing you can bring to the party. That’s what creates the space for them to have the profound insights that will solve their problems and help them experience the life they desire. And that’s what they’re going to pay you for.
Next week we’re going to looking at the second spiritual key to a profitable principles-based practice.
To your increasing clarity!
Big love
Jamie
P.S. The next instalment of Project Glasswing is nearly ready to kick off! If you’d like to be considered for the latest intake of the programme, we’ve filled 30 of the 36 places, so there’s room for you if…
- You are a coach, therapist or change-worker (Eg. Sports coach, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, business coach, bodyworker etc)
- You have at least one year’s experience of working with clients (either paid, pro-bono or both)
- You probably charge by the hour, but want use a “coaching package” model and increase your income
- You have room to work with at least one longer term contract client, starting in February
- You’re an enthusiastic, friendly people-person
- You have a coachable spirit, and are willing to step out of your comfort zone if necessary, and
- You can keep a secret
If that’s you, then email me at info@jamiesmart.com, and let me know where you’re located and a little about yourself (if you don’t know what to tell me about, look at the list above for inspiration). Change the subject line to “Project Glasswing CS”. I’ll be choosing people in the next couple of weeks. Talk to you soon! J