{"id":134,"date":"2019-10-14T12:54:45","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T16:54:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/capablecoach.com\/articles\/?p=134"},"modified":"2024-05-25T13:53:28","modified_gmt":"2024-05-25T17:53:28","slug":"how-to-live-an-integrated-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/2019\/10\/14\/how-to-live-an-integrated-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Live an Integrated Life"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If the thought of working with a Co-Active Coach\u00ae conjures up images of being goaded into action, you\u2019re not alone. While it\u2019s true that there’s often a good deal of action that takes place within the context of coaching, sometimes that action consists of designing and building a life that integrates \u201cdoing\u201d and \u201cbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do I use \u201cintegrates\u201d instead of \u201cbalances?\u201d Whereas balance is defined as \u201ca condition in which different elements are equal or in the correct proportions,\u201d integration involves \u201ccombining (one thing) with another so that they become a whole.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While looking at the various aspects of our lives as separate and distinct elements serves a useful purpose (see Figure 1 below), combining these elements into an integrated whole is the ultimate goal (see Figure 2 below); it is for this reason that I refer to myself as a \u201cwhole life coach\u201d rather than merely a \u201clife coach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 1: The Balanced Life <\/strong>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 2: The Integrated Life<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Within the context of coaching, \u201cbeing\u201d can be conceptualized in a couple of different ways. Whereas \u201cdoing\u201d is often associated with accomplishing tasks\u2014making things happen, so to speak\u2014\u201cbeing\u201d involves allowing things to be just as they are and letting them unfold just as they will. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine that you\u2019ve just planted some sunflower seeds in the ground. Aside from seeing to it that those seeds have been planted in nutrient-rich soil and given the right amounts of sunlight and water, it\u2019s up to those seeds to germinate. You\u2019re not going to make<\/em> those sunflowers grow; they’ll do that on their own and in their own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way to\nconceptualize \u201cbeing\u201d from a coaching standpoint involves clarifying your vision,\nmission, and values. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve\nworked or volunteered for an organization, chances are you\u2019ve seen its vision,\nmission, and values statements. But have you ever contemplated what your\npersonal vision, mission, and values statements might look like? Here\u2019s one way\nto think about it: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Your vision<\/strong> is about what you ultimately want your life to look and feel like, and who you ultimately want to be<\/em> as you live that life. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Your mission<\/strong> is about doing <\/em>what you need to do<\/em> in order to bring your vision to fruition. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Your values<\/strong> are about being<\/em> who you want to be<\/em> as you carry out your mission. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    So, you see that, even as you are doing<\/em>, you are at once being<\/em>. To be or not to be? For as long as you\u2019re alive, you\u2019re going to be<\/em>, whether you’re doing<\/em> something or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Incidentally,\nif you find yourself feeling disenchanted with the organization for which you\nare currently working or volunteering, chances are there\u2019s a mismatch between\nthe organization\u2019s and your vision, mission, and\/or values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you’re starting to realize that you haven\u2019t given much thought to your personal vision, mission, and\/or values, you needn\u2019t worry. First of all, you\u2019re in good company, as many people live out their lives without contemplating their vision, mission, and\/or values, at least on a conscious level. Secondly, unless you\u2019ve just drawn your last breath, it\u2019s not too late to get in touch with the vision, mission, and values that, like fingerprints, are uniquely yours; and you needn\u2019t fret if you don’t know where to start, because I, your Co-Active Coach\u00ae, am well equipped to assist you with this endeavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While many coaches administer various assessments, such as the Strong Interest Inventory\u00ae, or present their clients with a list of values from which to choose, approaches such as these put certain constraints on clients, preventing them from thinking outside the metaphorical box. My Co-Active Coach\u00ae toolkit contains an interesting array of exercises that circumvent the rational mind in order to tap into the vast reserves of the intuitive mind; why is this important or even necessary? I believe that Albert Einstein put it best when he asserted that \u201cthe intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind a faithful servant.\u201d In other words, getting to the heart of your vision, mission, and values–gaining a true understanding of, and appreciation for, your authentic self–requires a deep dive into the essence of your being. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    If the thought of working with a Co-Active Coach\u00ae conjures up images of being goaded into action, you\u2019re not alone. While it\u2019s true that there’s often a good deal of action that takes place within the context of coaching, sometimes that action consists of designing and building a life that integrates \u201cdoing\u201d and \u201cbeing.\u201d Why […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-work-life-integration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":526,"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134\/revisions\/526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindabolle.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}