When asked “Why are humans created this way that they are very vulnerable from behind?” Adam Wu responds:

The human has a SUPER EFFECTIVE adaption for protecting their rear. One so powerful that when properly deployed it makes humans one of the least vulnerable creatures on the planet to being attacked from behind.

It [sic] layman’s terms, it is known as “a buddy watching your six”.

Take away that adaptation by forcing the human to be alone, and you’ve nerfed the poor thing.

Calling him “vulnerable from behind” in this context is about as fair as claiming that a de-fanged a sabertooth cat was “created” with a weak bite, or that a de-finned Megalodon was “created” to be a poor swimmer.

Adam Wu

Important, particularly in the independence-is-best western culture. Another quote comes to mind:

…they’re sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it’s better than drinkin’ alone

Billy Joel

We need each other. Maybe un-obviously, being our best selves allows us to be what we can be in support of each other’s journeys. And journeying together can help us be our best selves.

We’re all just walking each other home.

Ram Dass

I’m going through the Prosperous Coach again. Now that I’m finally able to build this coaching practice, there’s a ton coming to the surface that is valuable to me. Steve Chandler and Rich Litvin are so wonderfully committed and challenging. I’m sharing here just to share; thinking out loud with my fingers. If you find any order in the following, I don’t know how it got there.

From Chapter 8: Loving the “hard” part

The second paragraph catches my eye. Rich’s model doesn’t quite fit for me:

This one is closer:

Here’s where my model is at the moment:

Rich’s second diagram certainly allows for this. Contrarianism-R’nt-Us. For me, it’s more about discovering a client. That discovery process doesn’t stop when some kind of coaching agreement is in place any more than it ends when we don’t interact as often. I’m interested in those around me because I’m interested in those around me. My discovering them is my discovering me. That we arrange ourselves in such a way to work more closely together is only a phase change in the process of human beings discovering one another and themselves. In other words, a declared relationship allows us to attend to that process more deliberately — and it is a modification instead of a metamorphosis. The miracles simply show up more quickly.

From Chapter 10: Cultivate deep foundations

To become highly successful as a coach, you need to master three disciplines Rich Litvin

For me, the three disciplines are not separate and, in some important ways, not distinct. They are overlapping facets of the same gem; they exist together or not at all.

To be more specific, creating clients is about helping someone discover currently unavailable resources. That’s the definition of coaching. An inability to connect with that which will help them take the next step is what’s in the way. “Creating Clients” is coaching. It’s a search for a human being — which, by the way, is the definition of deep inner work. I am searching for me as I am searching for them. All fear and excitement that rises in me is the fear and excitement rising within them. Them finding me is them finding themselves. Me finding them is me finding myself.

Just a word or two on “mastery” from Rich’s quote. For me, mastery is a journey. I’m building a coaching practice; I have no interest in a coaching factory.

From Chapter 43

But I promised myself that I was never going back to work in an organization. I was never again going to have a boss. Rich Litvin

For me, I’d be beyond happy to work in an organization which supported a boss who was seeing to my growth and well-being and the growth and well-being of my family.

Done For Now (5-Mar-2018 9:35am)

Not sure when I’ll be back to work through the rest of the book. I think you can subscribe to this post if you’re interested.