The Reiter Coaching Letter

For Creating the Life You Want

Issue 1

www.stevereiter.com

September 18, 2001

If we can recognize that change and uncertainty are basic principles, we can greet the future and the transformation we are undergoing with the understanding that we do not know enough to be pessimistic.

                --  Hazel Henderson
 
 

Dear friend, client, colleague...

One month ago, I made a commitment to myself to publish a regular newsletter beginning in September, and this is as good a time as any.  What was shaping up to be the first edition has been near completion for some time, but what follows I wrote today.

It is now one week after the events of September 11th.  My heart goes out to any of you who have suffered personal loss and to all of the rest of us, who have been brought abruptly into witnessing the world in a different way, indeed.

In the past week, we have all been saturated with grisly images which we will never forget.  Each day brings new revelations of the extent to which we, as a nation, are admired by some and despised by others.  As a nation, it is time for us to join in serious deliberation.

Some of the many questions that have raced through my mind:  What courses of action will reduce our pain, fulfill our desire for justice, and at the same time, increase the chance of a future without terrorism?  Is it possible for us to protect ourselves?  What costs are acceptable to us as a nation?  What are acceptable restrictions to the precious freedom and privileges that our open society has offered us?  How might we reduce the threat of future attacks without inspiring more people to choose to be terrorists?  How does our standard of living fit into all of this?  What would be valuable for us to learn about how we "show up" in the world?  Given our vulnerabilities, what does "being the most powerful nation on earth" really mean?

These and other questions will be before us in the coming days, weeks, and years.  Given the nature of our society, consensus on these issues is unlikely.  Yet, it is crucial that we choose to grapple with them... together.

As individuals, it seems like the time has surely come for us to invest (or reinvest) in the process of creating our collective future.  How can you do that in a way that is sustainable for you?

As reminders of our mortality and the unpredictability of our personal and collective futures, the devastation has given us all a mighty whack to the head and heart.  This is such an important time for us all to reflect on our lives, our connections, and what we are hoping to create in the world.  With each day come new thoughts and feelings: anger... pain... terror... hope... distrust... love... hopelessness... despair... and calls to action.  With each day, I have had a new sense of what I should be doing differently.  Sometimes in an obscure way and sometimes with clarity, I understand that my priorities have taken a sudden and irreversible shift.  More than ever before, I hear people around me mentioning that they have a renewed sense of what is truly important to them.  We have watched with empathy as grown men, having no way to hide from what is truly important, cry on television.

As you move through this period of time and those that follow, notice:
What is nagging to get done?
What is being left unsaid?
What has moved to a new level of priority?
What no longer holds importance?

It is easy to forget the nuances of our thinking on one day after we have lived the next.  So write down what you are noticing.  This might be a good time to start a journal to record your thinking, emotions, dreams, plans, and commitments to yourself and others.

Lastly, don't stay a secret!  Share yourself -- your fears, your hopes, your dreams, and your plans -- with someone you trust to listen without judgment and to support you without compromise.

I welcome your comments.

   Steve

Steve Reiter is a Life Coach.  He gets his kicks by helping executives, entrepreneurs, professionals, and other folks to create the lives of their dreams.  Interested?  For a complimentary coaching session, call 315-472-0504, e-mail to: mailto:coach@stevereiter.com, or visit his website at http://www.stevereiter.com or <a href=http://www.stevereiter.com>Click</a>

The Reiter Coaching Letter is published by Steve Reiter on the first and third Tuesday of each month.  The purpose is to challenge you and support you in creating success and fulfillment throughout your life.

The names of newsletter subscribers will never be shared or sold.

Unless otherwise indicated, all content is written and edited by Steve Reiter, MS, PCC.  You are welcome to republish any or all parts of this newsletter; I ask only that you honor the copyright by including full acknowledgment and a listing of my contact information.

The Reiter Coaching Letter
Copyright (c) 2001, all rights reserved.
U.S. Library of Congress ISSN: Coming Soon