Article Published in the Clinton Chronicle, Hell's Kitchen, NY

When first asked to write this article about Spiritual Life Coaching I was honored but also nervous.  When I think of newspapers, I think of politics and business, the buzz and hum of daily living, the successes and tragedies of the day.  While I am certainly a political being and I live within the day-to-day, my gifts lie within the ineffable realm of the human spirit—that part of us that endures, that is conscious of it all, that knows who we are, and what makes us happy.  I thought, “How could I possibly write a newspaper article about that?”

Then it occurred to me.  It is so easy for all of us to compartmentalize our lives in this very way—to see our political life as separate from our work life, our work life as separate from our relationships, and all of this as separate from our spirituality.  We say, “There is a war happening over there,” or even, “There is conflict within my own nation;” but is there not a war happening within our own minds, within our own hearts?  Every day that we rise, we are faced with a challenge to do the “right thing” to be a “good person.” Amidst this challenge, we are barraged by thoughts regarding what we should do and an inner voice telling us what we want, thoughts of what we should believe and an inner voice telling us what we know to be true.  How on earth do we create peace out there when there is such conflict within our own being?

As a Spiritual Life Coach and owner of Ignite Your Voice Coaching, I believe that through discovering what brings us peace and joy and then, creating that within our lives, we can bring peace and joy to the world.  At the root of my philosophy lies the simple principle that all we are here to do on Earth is to show up and be completely ourselves—not the person who our parents, spouses, bosses, or even children want us to be, but rather, the person who we are at our core.  I also believe that the best indicator that we are on track is our joy.  The more joy that we feel, the more we can know that we are living a fully expressive life.

So often, the obligations of the day win over that which brings us joy.  By working with both individuals and groups, in person and from a distance, I help them peel back these many layers of ought’s and should’s in order to reveal the joy that is at their essence.  By continually revisiting those joy experiences, my clients learn to listen to and make choices that feed that joy.  Relationships change for the better.  Work becomes more enjoyable.  They feel healthier.  Their lives begin to blossom, and they touch the lives of those around them.  Inner peace becomes outer peace.

It is a new year and an abundance of possibility awaits you.  Are you living a life of joy and peace?

Copyright Melissa Simonson 2008