Week 8 Coaching call Assignment #5

Michelle Jacobs

Coaching assignment # 5 Week 8

March 30, 2014

Part One:

For my 15-minute meditation I sat by my window because in my opinion the weather was not warm enough for me to sit outside.  Although the weather wasn’t great, I saw a few people on their bikes ride by and a couple of neighbors walk their dog. While sitting and looking out of my window, I thought about my recent move from Providence, RI to Seekonk, MA. The atmosphere here is so different from when I was living in Providence. My new atmosphere is so peaceful and calm. I can hear the birds chirping outside and rarely hear noise from the cars driving by. It was nice to engross myself in my surrounding and be aware of what was going on.

Who is myself?- Until I sat and thought about this question, I had a difficult time understanding who I am. I have been a student since I was five years old but come this spring, I will no longer be able to classify myself as a student. So when I thought deep down about what I really care about and what I enjoy. I thought about traveling the world. In the recent years, I have traveled around the United States to various places. Once I am finished with school, I plan to travel to various places around the world to explore. I have read and learned about the history of other countries. Now I would like to see and explore those countries for myself.

What work does this person wish to do?  The purpose of your existence or what you are meant to be.- This is something that has evolved over time for me. While I was an undergraduate I needed a second job so I took a job providing supports to a child with Autism. This is not a job I thought I would love but to my surprise it has became my passion. Each day I go to work, it is a learning experience. While I know I have a huge impact on their lives, I feel as though they have an equally important impact on me. I have learned so much from the people I support that have disabilities. I currently work in the state of Rhode Island supporting adults over 21 with developmental disabilities. The state of RI continues to cut our budget and expect that we are able to provide the same services. As a result, many of my clients have been impacted deeply by the budget cuts and I feel as though this is part of my purpose is to fight for better funding so we can provide the best services to those we support.  I hope one day this will longer be my purpose in life because we were succeeded at getting better supports for our clients.

Part two:

This week I was able to engage in a conversation with my boyfriend. With our busy schedules the last 6 months, it has been difficult to engage in a deep thought provoking conversation because of our time restraints. This week we scheduled some time to engage in a real conversation. I focused on what he was saying and I didn’t interrupt while he was talking. I waited until he stopped or when he asked if I wanted to add to the conversation. By doing so, we were able to reach a high quality of conversation. I think by continuing to put time aside for each other, he can reach his highest potential because I do not interrupt or try to one up him in our conversation. I allow him to speak without adding my judgments.

In my coaching call with Wendy, she offered her experience of being outside at a farm and being a ware of things that she wasn’t aware of before. She stated that she is seeing things differently and began questioning what was there before. She thought of the impact of all the previous people that had come before her. This experience allowed her to get the most out of her conversations and move into deeper conversations. Wendy discussed the conversation with a friend she recently got back in touch with and how prescencing allowed for an open and deep conversation.

My coaching call with Kerri discussed my experience with or attempt at an experience with nature. I attempted to experience nature by looking through a window. While I am not sure that I am more in touch with nature I was able to reach a sense of calm. The environment or neighbor that I now live in is so comforting and relaxing. Kerri and I discussed the questions from the assignment. I described what a profound impact the developmentally disabled individuals have had on me and how I plan to advocate for their needs. I feel as though advocating for those who can not has become my purpose.