You can write about who you are and what you do.
I am a life coach.
I help people be less “in their heads”.
I help people be more joyful.
I help people be more confident at facing their truth.
I help people embrace their divine discomfort.
I help people experience staying in the moment.
I help people feel connected.
I help people free themselves from their same old stories.
I help people have less frustration.
I help people have more of what they want.
I help people learn how to stay in their own business.
I help people learn how to show who they really are.
I help people unlearn how to push through to make things happen.
I help people reframe the way they talk to themselves.
I help people simplify the way they do everything.
I help people start doing nothing.
I help people stop doing nothing.
I take action towards relieving the world’s pain.
I understand that each person has their own answers.
I help people find the greatness inside them.
So then I followed the rules, and stuck to four sentences this is what it boiled down to:
“I am Ellen Yale.
I am a life coach.
I help people become more amazing at being themselves.
Because if you can figure out how to think, you can change the direction of your entire life.”That is what I do.
… be less ________________
… be more ________________
… become amazing at ________________
… become more confident at ________________
… experience ________________
… feel ________________
… have less ________________
… have more ________________
… learn how to ________________
… (un)learn how to ________________
… reframe the way they ________________
… simplify the way they ________________
… start doing ________________
… stop doing ________________
… take action towards ________________
… understand ________________
(Because ________________.)
I follow the wonderful writer, Alexandra Franzen. Not only does she write with heart, but also she helps others write with their own voice. And she makes business writing seem like a gift rather than snarky.
So I decided to use the writing prompts she offered to craft a four sentence “elevator speech” to use when someone asks me what I do.
I thought you might have fun playing on the home version.
You can write about who you are and what you do.
You will notice below that it is more than four sentences. What can I say? When she delivered a prompt, I just relaxed and put the first thing down that came to mind. It seems to work better that way.
I was only supposed to pick one of the prompts in the middle section. I narrowed it to 20. (What a rebel I am.)
I am Ellen Yale.
I am a life coach.
I help people become more amazing at being themselves.
I help people be less “in their heads”.
I help people be more joyful.
I help people be more confident at facing their truth.
I help people embrace their divine discomfort.
I help people experience staying in the moment.
I help people feel connected.
I help people free themselves from their same old stories.
I help people have less frustration.
I help people have more of what they want.
I help people learn how to stay in their own business.
I help people learn how to show who they really are.
I help people unlearn how to push through to make things happen.
I help people reframe the way they talk to themselves.
I help people simplify the way they do everything.
I help people start doing nothing.
I help people stop doing nothing.
I take action towards relieving the world’s pain.
I understand that each person has their own answers.
I help people find the greatness inside them.
Because if you can figure out how to think, you can change the direction of your entire life.
So then I followed the rules, and stuck to four sentences this is what it boiled down to:
I am Ellen Yale.
I am a life coach.
I help people become more amazing at being themselves.
Because if you can figure out how to think, you can change the direction of your entire life.
That is what I do.
That feels right.
If you want to try it here are Alexandra’s prompts:
(You don’t have to work for pay to have your what and why together. In fact it may even be more meaningful to have your “elevator speech” together if you are not labeled by a career. In fact, my next challenge to myself will be to write my elevator speech without focusing on work. Ha!)
My name is ________________.
I’m a ________________, ________________ and ________________.
Ultimately, all of my work is about helping people …
{choose one}
… be less ________________
… be more ________________
… become amazing at ________________
… become more confident at ________________
… experience ________________
… feel ________________
… have less ________________
… have more ________________
… learn how to ________________
… (un)learn how to ________________
… reframe the way they ________________
… simplify the way they ________________
… start doing ________________
… stop doing ________________
… take action towards ________________
… understand ________________
(Because ________________.)
That is what I do.
Have fun!
I am starting a series of the important stuff I want my kids to know.
I am perfectly healthy, but there are things I would regret if I didn’t pass on to them.
Today’s message?
I am just a floating head being carted around by a robot body.
Well, that’s how I have been acting. I haven’t listened to my body, and when it screams loudly enough for me to hear (like, “My back is aching, I need to lay down!”)
I treat it like a robot and command it to continue.
I make it work when it is sick.
I make it stay awake when it wants to sleep.
I feed it Krispy Kremes instead of crunchy greens.
Our society has taught us to let our minds rule our bodies. Look at doctors. When they go through their training, they stay up 36 hours at a time. Are their creature bodies telling them to sleep? To rest? To eat? You betcha. But their minds are tuning out their bodies.
It’s part of the culture.
You are a good person if you go to work even when you are sick. You are a good person if you work longer, harder, push through, starve yourself thin, run a marathon… the list goes on.
When was the last time you listened to your body? I mean really listened? Do you actually wait to feel hungry every time before you eat? Are you getting enough sleep? Are you really getting enough sleep? Why am I still using Photoshop if my carpel tunnel is barking at me?
I am slowly learning to turn my robot body back into the beautiful creature it is.
So here’s what I suggest. Pay attention to the signals your body is giving you. Your body never lies. Take it’s advice sometimes. If that works out, do it more of the time.
Get used to the language of your body then try this: Use your body as a tool for decision-making.
Listen to your body for an overall feeling of shackles on and shackles off.
For example, if there is a job you are thinking about taking, your mind will carefully consider the pros and cons, salary, commuting, challenge, etc.
Fine.
But then stop and listen to your body. Does taking the job feel like somebody is putting shackles on you, or someone releasing you to freedom?
Freedom or Trapped? It’s as simple as that.
Then follow your body’s advice.
That’s what they call mind/body connection. Instead of letting your mind be the dictator, let your mind and body work together. Your mind will let society sway it; your body is your true compass.
Now go to sleep, kids. Your body needs rest. J
I want to talk about the law of attraction. Please don’t freak out on me, because it’s not that icky cult-like law of attraction. It’s the kind that you have experienced.
You know – it’s when you stop looking for a boyfriend that one shows up on your doorstep. (I was planning a move to Australia when I met Whitney.)
It’s how people who don’t need money seem to get all the money.
It’s how the popular people have even more people calling them up to come play.
What I want to share is how to be one of those people who gets the good stuff.
Some people think the law of attraction is when you write down what you want on a piece of paper, stick it in a drawer and it comes true.
Hmmm.
That doesn’t work under any set of laws that nature, science, or the Supreme Court has instituted.
But, part of that strategy is good. The clarity you get when you refine your wants and write them down is good. Write it down, make a vision board and get in touch with what really makes you happy.
Now, take one of the things you want, and imagine getting it.
Mmmmmmm. Nice.
(I’m thinking of taking a bareboat trip with a bunch of fabulous women.)
What’s the feeling you imagine getting from what you want?
That’s REALLY what you want. It’s never the thing. It’s the feeling.
Most people think they want to win the lottery. It isn’t. What they really want is to have the feeling of financial freedom. Or of never having to worry if there is enough money to pay the bills.
People don’t want to be married. People want the feeling of a loving and committed relationship. Or the feeling of security they think a marriage brings. Or they may want the feeling of relief from not having to look for someone anymore.
So after clarity, step two is making your wish list a list of feelings.
Step three? Bring those feelings into your life now. Don’t wait for the big goal to be met.
Choose to feel like you don’t have to worry about money anymore. Because you don’t have to worry. You will always need money to pay for things. Even if you win the lottery. But it is your choice to worry or not.
Are you now worried that if you don’t worry you won’t bother making the money to pay the bills?
Ha! I’ve always loved your sense of humor.
No, we are not giving you a lobotomy, taking away your work ethic and sense of responsibility. We are just taking away the worry part.
Mmmmm. Feels good, doesn’t it?
The final key: releasing the “have to have it” feeling.
Whoa Nelly! Easier said than done. I’ve got you really wanting something, and now I am telling you not to want it so much.
The trick here is to fill yourself up with the feelings you want, but do it now. Fill yourself so much that the original goal doesn’t matter so much. You aren’t starving in the emotional desert anymore. You already have your cup filled with water from other places, so you have taken the edge off of your emotional thirst. Then if that goal happens, it’ll be great, and if not, no worries.
That’s the time you become a magnet and it comes to you.
My desire is to lead a coaching adventure on a sailboat to the Caribbean. What are the feelings I want?
Freedom.
Connection with people.
Connection with nature.
Peace.
Calm.
No daily baggage.
Deep play.
Living in the moment.
So I am finding ways to feel these feelings now. Why wait?
I’ll let you know when the trip is planned.