 A few years ago I did a wonderful day of letterpress printing at my friend Thea Sizemore's studio (Kavamore Press) in Oakland. I was a graphic designer for 15 years and absolutely love everything about letterpress printing — setting the type, mixing the ink, the physicality of cranking a Vandercook press, and the tactile nature of the final product.
Thea asked that I bring some text to print and I instantly thought of this Mary Oliver quote. I’ve loved it ever since I first heard it. Whenever I come across this quote it takes me back to the fleeting preciousness of life. How, when we allow it to be, it can be glorious and filled with wonder. When I hear this quote it makes me think about how I’m approaching my day. Am I just checking things off my list or am I tapping into something bigger? Getting things done is great, but sitting in a field in the sun can also be a perfect way to spend the day. Mary Oliver’s full poem The Summer Day is below. Enjoy. The Summer Day Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean -- the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down -- who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass, how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields, which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? - Mary Oliver  Most of my career has involved fixing things. As a graphic designer, I solved creative problems for my clients, creating signage that clarified a shopping experience or packaging that communicated information about a product. As a professional organizer, I have done even more fixing, helping my clients create a functional closet space or filing system. It feels good to solve a problem and I love doing this with clients. I always assumed that fixing problems was in my job description. So when I was introduced to the concept of NCRW in the first coaching class I took, it rocked my assumptions. NCRW is the idea that our clients are Naturally Creative Resourceful and Whole. This concept accepts that people are inherently creative and, with support, have the resources within themselves to solve their challenges. They are not broken, not a problem to be fixed. They are whole in this moment, just as they are. NCRW is a revolutionary concept and the one that I and many of my classmates felt led to the single biggest shift in our thinking during the eight-week class. Of course, NCRW applies not just to clients, but to everyone in our lives, including ourselves. When I was introduced to NCRW, it challenged my assumption that to help people something had to be “fixed.” I started seeing how I was trying to “fix” everything and everyone. I always thought I had a better way, a more useful tool, and a better answer. Wow. It was humbling to realize that prior to coaching, I did not view myself or others as NCRW, I was in constant fix-it mode. To be an effective coach, it’s important to put aside the role of being a fixer and be present with your client. The client is in charge of the agenda, and the coach's role is to help them discover their strengths, passions, and motivations to create a more fulfilling life. Yes, we look at challenges, but we don’t dwell there. This approach is not about fixing something broken, but rather about helping the client create a life that fits. Embracing the concept of NCRW has been liberating both professionally and personally. My question for you: How does it feel to try on the idea of being Naturally Creative Resourceful and Whole? We so often focus on our flaws. Can you embrace that you are OK in this moment, imperfections and all? If you like this post then you may like What Coaching Is and Is Not.  Don't miss my newsletter, Find Your Focus. It’s full of useful and practical ways to bridge the gap between knowing and doing to help you reach your goals. Newsletter subscribers also receive special discounts and first access to upcoming group coaching offers and memberships.
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