February 06, 2013

Multifarious Musings, Minutia, and Miscellanous Mentions


I kinda love the word "multifarious." To me it sounds a bit like a combination of nefarious, mischievous, and mellifluous.

"Multifarious" seems likely to misbehave, doesn't it? Perhaps it might steal our silverware or tell dirty jokes when children are present. But on the other hand, it could suddenly launch into a sweet ballad from the old country that reminds us of one our grandmother used to sing.


Hey there, ya' mutifarious group of quaint old codgers!

Whatever sort of multiplicity it heralds, one expects something more intriguing from Multifarity than a mere random assortment of unrelated things.

But sadly, the boring old accurate title to this post might be:  "Coaching Giveaway Results, A Few  Interesting Links, And Crabby's Self-Serving Pitch for Life Coaching!"   And why would anyone want to click on that?

So first up:

The Free Life Coaching Package goes to...

Shadowduck! And Shelley!

And yeah, it was hard enough not to pick EVERYBODY, I loved all your comments so much.  And the finalists were all so appealing!  I decided I had to run the RNG twice.

And a few words about the Coaching Thing...

As old timers know, I am not known for open-minded optimism in the face of new ventures.  I am a skeptical crab; one might even say something of a Party Pooper.

So when I first dusted off my MFT license and years of psychotherapy education and experience and retrained as a Life Coach, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.  Sure, a phone/web based mobile coaching practice would fit my weird bicoastal lifestyle since I couldn't be a face-to-face psychotherapist anymore.  And I knew my favorite part of doing psychotherapy practice was working with high-functioning clients pursuing personal growth goals.  But that was all about ME and what I might enjoy.

What about clients?  Could they really benefit from  "Life" and "Wellness" Coaching?  The field is new and kinda "woo-woo" sounding, practitioners often make inflated unrealistic claims about it, and many flakes seem to be attracted to it.

Well, now that it's been about a year and a half, I can say after working with a bunch of clients: YES LIFE COACHING CAN HELP PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOR THE BETTER! It's often cheaper than therapy, more practical, and less stigmatizing for people who aren't suffering from "disorders" but just want to take a more proactive approach to their future.


It's amazing how setting aside time to figure out what you really want in your life, and how exactly you're going to get there, can make such a difference in stress management, health, satisfaction, sense of purpose, contentment, achievement, and happiness.

But hey, can't you just buy a self-help book and do this all on your own?

Yeah! In theory anyway.  And some people do, and I totally recommend this route, it's cheap!

However, ultimately it doesn't work for many folks.  We read this stuff, we feel inspired, and maybe we even do a few exercises and think differently for a few weeks and life gets more complicated or  we just plain run out of steam.  We forget about our dreams and goals and just "get by" again.

In contrast, there's something about the collaborative, supportive nature of coaching that seems to spur inspiration, new ideas, courage, accountability, and most importantly: follow through!

It's very weird that it works as well as it does.  It ain't rocket science. Clients do all the real work; I just provide structure and mostly listen and ask questions and add a few thoughts or a different perspective. Yet I continue to be totally impressed with the brave choices and changes clients make in their lives...sometimes small and steady and consistent, and other times huge and liberating.

Anyway, I'm still relatively new to the field.  The plus side to this is that even my normal life coaching rates are on the low side compared to more seasoned coaches. And, I sometimes have deals like this latest January Resolution Support Group thing, in which all of you who participated are eligible for 50% off the first package. (And, due to the blog discount, 25% off after that).

Just something to think about!

Or heck, maybe you are already living the life of your dreams. In which case, sheesh, skip those coaching sessions and go out for a nice dinner instead.

Goal Support, Now Open All Month Long!

Another form of support for your goals and dreams are the newly christened Cranketeers! We are, I hope, going to keep checking in on our progress and encouraging each other throughout the month. The January goal thing was so fun we're giving it a try on an ongoing basis. So if you haven't discovered it yet, go visit the very first ¡TOMA! post.  TOMA stands for the Thread of Mutual Awesomeness, and if you skim through the comments you can find out much more about why it's called that.

(If you're new to blog commenting, try using the Name/Url option, pick a name, and just leave the URL blank and see what happens!)

OK, now a few Links:

I am loving the videos and the inspiration over at Kim's site, Day With KT.

The demonstations are challenging (I can never do nearly as many reps as Kim), yet the quick workouts are generally constructed from easy to follow moves. The videos are nice and short so you can get the idea with out investing a whole morning listening to a complete physiology lecture or meandering chit chat or a sales pitch.  Check it out!

I'm also really enjoying Gaye's blog Confetti Drop.  She's honest and fun; today's thoughtful post is more on the serious side; in lighter moments she's almost as nutty as I am!

And the awesome Geosomin alerted me to this poignant tale from The Oatmeal; be forewarned you may be blinking back a few tears.  If you'd like something lighter, there's always the Work at Home alternative, an oldie but goodie.

What's everyone up to this Wednesday morning? Multifarious thoughts?

46 comments:

  1. YAY!!! I am THRILLED to have won!!! Thank you so much!!! I am really looking forward to this, you have no idea!!!

    As for what I'm doing this morning? A happy dance! :)

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    1. Congrats Shelley, and I will be emailing you!!!

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    2. Congratulations!!! I'm really happy for you!!!

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    3. the shell and the crab! this just has to work out great! congrats! you will love it.. im sure

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    4. Congrats to you Shelley. You are one lucky girl!

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  2. I have to agree with you about the self-help books. I read I think Eureka! that idea will really help. I use it for a week then forget it and the next time I look at it I think "Well that idea didn't have as much power as I thought". I can't seem to make much stick in this brain it just whistles right through!

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    1. I'm right there with you! I couldn't even tell you how many self-help books I've purchased over the years. And yet, I can count on one hand how many I've actually read all the way through.

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    2. I have to include myself in this camp too Cindy and Theresa, though fortunately a few things have stuck over the years. I tend to be better at taking away a simple concept or two and practicing it rather than trying to change my entire life.

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    3. i agree though i find these books great for inspiration.same goes for quotes. hardly ever does one stick with me for years.

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  3. How fitting. I am feeling particularly multifarious today and can't figure out what to do first. I have things to clean and things to write and things to eat and plenty of happy interesting stuff to mull over as I do all of the above. Multifarious is the best.

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    1. What a great day you have planned Leah! Well, except the cleaning... unless you like that sort of thing. Multifarious mulling would help though!

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  4. Congratulations Shadowduck and Shelley!

    And I have to say WAHOOO!!! 75% off of Life Coaching Rates?!? That is amazing, thank you!!! I'm doing a happy dance TOO!

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    1. Ooops OMG, SO SORRY Theresa and anyone else who may have seen that typo!! It should have been 25% off!!!!!

      Thanks so much for catching that Theresa!

      Because of my carelessness, anyone who wants to take advantage of a SINGLE SESSION at 75%, it seems only fair.

      Dang must learn to proofread!

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    2. Just to clarify, blog readers generally are entitled to 25% off, and people who participated in the resolution series get 50%. But now anyone who sees this can get one 75% off session.

      Again, apologies!

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    3. OMG!! Was there a typo or did I read it wrong??!? Either way...I am equally thrilled with being able to take part in the 50% off that was offered for the resolution series. Especially since I came in late to the party.

      I'm STILL happy dancing and looking forward to working with you!!

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    4. You did indeed catch a typo Theresa, which I scurried to correct, and I'm SO grateful!!

      And I'm happy dancing as well and really looking forward to working with you too!

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  5. I was just trying to get to your last post when this one came thru! I always need more time to read your posts since they have SO much info!! I love that you spoke to books don't always help people. I am a quote lover but reading self help books never did it for me. Many have suggested things to read but for me, it just is not the thing that works for me.

    I feel like a "Multifarious" person. My thoughts & wants go in so many ways that I think it sometimes stops me in my tracks! ;)

    If I could afford stuff right now, I might consider life coaching but my main goal is to make money & make up for all of it we lost in the crash.... probably doing something I really don'y want to do & might not like getting up to but I have been there before.. sucks but ya got to do what ya got to do.... :)

    Now to go back to the post I missed! :)

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    1. Thanks Jody, and "SO much info" is a VERY nice way of characterizing my long rambling meandering posts! Way too much blah blah blah blah. :)

      And hoping you find something that works out financially that fits in with your interests, or at least that you can find some joy in. You have so many talents!

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  6. I once had the idea of where a "great person" would come into the life of the lost soul and help them get their $hit together (my GYST center idea, lol)

    Someone once did it for me!

    I suppose now it's called life coaching.

    PS Do you think ADHD manifests as a variation of this word? I do.

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    1. The awesome thing about coaching Dr J, is that the coach doesn't have to be a "great person," just someone who cares a lot, is reasonably competent and curious, and isn't a total ass.

      It's the clients themselves and the process that are pretty darn magical!

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    2. hey dr j! found your comment and hadd to explain to my two readers what this was all about. thanx!
      about the magical "great person". in my life there were several. but the main thing was that they believed in me. that gave me the power to come out of holes many people stay stuck in.
      p.s. its really a shame i can not make jokes in english yet. just imagine a terribly funny line here!________________________

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    3. I suspect that "great people" are bestowed that title, never choosing it for themselves.

      Fiel Danke, furchtloserback!

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  7. Thanks so much for the blog love! Also love the name you chose - Cranketeers! I think we should all bond together, have some seriously amazing success reaching all of our goals and then we should put together a TV pilot! "Join the Cranketeers" each week and see them take on the world!" Something like that. :)
    Gaye

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    1. A TV pilot, love it! I'm sure the networks would love to snap that one up! :)

      I'll be the slacker version of Jillian Michaels and will be sure to have a glass of wine or a low carb cupcake in my hand as I don my horned hat and we kick ass on our goals in our own weird ways.

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    2. i just imagined you co-starring in one of jillians videos yelling at us to f!cking move..... that was fun! :)

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    3. Ooh I like that Puja! I'm gonna have to work on butching up my image a bit... :)

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  8. w00t! Kind of a frustrating day today, but this put a smile on my face! 'Scuse me a moment while I do the Snoopy dance...

    *snoopy dance* ... Ahhh, that's better!

    The couple of self-help books I've tried to read never really spoke to me; call me cynical but I get the impression they're all aimed at the same three or four groups of people (presumably the ones most likely to spend money on self-help books), and I don't really fit into any of those categories... So I'm kind of hoping that life coaching will turn out to be a self-help book written just for me. Or as Dr. J said, a great person coming into my life and helping me get my $hit (or in my case, £hit) together!

    Multifarious is a wonderful word to say, isn't it? Right up there with rhododendron, skedaddle and wheelbarrow... Great "mouthfeel", as they say in wine-tasting circles. #8-)

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    1. Yay Shadowduck, email on the way!

      And I love your version of coaching as a personalized self-help book, which YOU will be writing! Can't wait to see how it comes out.

      And see my reply to Dr. J re the "great person" notion.

      My next ebook, with the help of all you in the TOMA thread, is designed to be a self-help "mind-hack" sort of book specifically targeted to those of us who are die-hard skeptics. We need a special approach and in my mind, cursing and sarcasm are a necessary ingredient. :)

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    2. Yay for cursing and sarcasm! #8-)

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    3. Cursing and sarcasm always make the day better!

      Mary Anne in Kentucky

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  9. Congratulations, Shadowduck and Shelley! Trust me, you'll love it. (No, actually, she doesn't pay me to say things like that.)

    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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    1. Your check is on the way Mary Anne!

      Whoops! ;)

      Always cracks me up to hear your kind words about my first beginning efforts; YOU did all the work and took these giant brave leaps and took a really challenging situation and turned it around. Brava!

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  10. The word multifarious reminds me of the made up word "ambivious." A friend of mine had an SO who made up that word for her, because she was often oblivious to things, and when those things were pointed out, ambivalent about doing anything.

    Multifarious seems like it should be made up of a few other words.

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    1. I LOVE "ambivious" Messymimi, and as someone with a Ph.D. in spaciness and a bit indecisive as well, I think I'm going to have to start using it a LOT.

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    2. "Oblivalent" also has a certain ring to it...

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  11. OH I SO love me some GAYE, too.

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    1. Isn't she great Miz? And thanks for stopping by!

      Am way behind on blogrounds but can't wait to see what you're up to!

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  12. Thank you so much for the mention (my first time!!!). I'm glad that you enjoy my goofy videos!
    Now, I think I will have a glass of wine to celebrate a blog milestone!!! Oh, wait - not even noon - later for sure!!!
    And, thanks for teaching me a new word today!

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    1. can i just tell you quickly that you absolutely kick ass in your videos?! i found your site through this one and have been following you since! great inspiration and a great source against boredom when it comes to working out at home which i just started...!
      puja

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    2. Thanks Kim! I am learning SO much from your videos, and I know other folks are too!

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  13. congrats to shelley and shadowduck!!!!!! i did a trial session with the crab and looooved it! first i was sad, that i didnt win... but hey: the rates are really (too) low, so when i get my $hit together and still have questions left....here i come!....
    im defenitly in with the cranketeers and the first thing ill do before i go to sleep tonight is rephrase my goals so that they dont feel huge anymore. and could i share here that i wore a 46 size jeans for the first time today? im down from a german size 52! yay me!

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    1. Aw, thanks so much Puja, I sure wish you could have won too, but love the notion that some day you may check out some more coaching!

      And hey, CONGRATS on the new jean size, that's awesome!!

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  14. Just found your blog and glad I did! You are right on with the self help books. Great post!

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  15. I adore The Oatmeal. So much so that when I saw via Facebook that he updated his blog yesterday (or the day before, whatever, that's when I saw it) and linked to his girlfriend's blog, I was all "WAIT, THE OATMEAL HAS A GIRLFRIEND?!?!?"

    You know, because I'm NOT an already married gal or anything. Ahem.

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    1. OTF, you crack me up!!

      And how weird would it be to have people saying to you all the time "so you're The Oatmeals's girlfriend?" But I'm with you, the guy's a genious. Which I suddenly can't spell for some reason, as I'm clearly not!

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