Early in the afternoon of Tuesday, January 28, 1986, I was walking back from lunch to my part-time job as an undergraduate academic advisor at Pace University.  It was a day like most other New York City winter days -- the air was brisk, as was the undulating throng of pedestrians moving along the city sidewalks toward a thousand different destinations.  

Until, all of a sudden,  they weren't.

For those who hadn’t been watching TV that morning, the "breaking news" had to be passed along the old-fashioned way... through a rare midday publication of a city newspaper.  Peering around the clusters of people to find out what headline had grabbed so much attention, I learned that the space shuttle Challenger had exploded just 73 seconds after takeoff.

For me, the Challenger explosion marked my first collective "before and after" moment -- a global event that cleaved time into two categories:  before it happened, and after it happened.

It also marked the end of my cultural in...

 As a lifelong learner, I'm always looking for ways to learn and to grow -- whether formally or informally.

Recently, I signed up to earn a certification in religious trauma studies.  The program is relatively robust and -- to date --  has been well-designed and delivered.  Having said that, it's nowhere near as rigorous as the ICF certification process, and there are no ongoing requirements once initial certification is earned.

Students in this program are also invited to join a Facebook group -- another powerful opportunity to connect with those who want to learn more about this topic.

Last week, another enrollee in the program posted this question (modified, to ensure anonymity):

"I am a student in this program.  I have an unrelated master's degree and am an ordained minister. I am not a licensed social worker, nor am I a family counselor. I wanted to market myself as a spiritual counselor but was advised by counsel that I can't do so in my state. So,.. what should I call mys...

There is nothing to fear…

...but fear itself."

These powerful words, now iconized as part of the American vernacular and spirit, were delivered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during his first inaugural address on March 4, 1933.

FDR's wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, was an equally powerful orator... inspiring generations with her timeless wisdom and insight.  Like FDR, the First Lady also spoke about fear:

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face."

So... let me see if I have this straight:  do we stop to look at fear itself, so as to overcome our fear of fear?  Or, do we stop to look at that which we fear?

Perhaps both have value.

And... perhaps both are relevant to an obstacle (or opportunity?) that all of us who choose to become ICF-certified coaches will face:

Mentor Coaching

What makes mentor coaching challenging – even fear-inducing – for many of us?

Well... thinking back on my own experience,...