Michael J. Marx's Blog, page 6

Tis the Season to be Jolly; but not Always

Good-natured, warm-hearted merriment is expected during the holiday season. Some folks, however, are grumpy by nature and find this expectation a bit daunting. How can you actually be happy when the world is in such turmoil and work is so hard? What you want me to have an optimistic outlook on life? Hum-bug.

A key to happy living is to surround yourself with positive and upbeat people. One of my favorite wise guys, Jim Rohn, has said: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most...

So What?

Ask any of the 100s of people I’ve trained as coaches: What’s the first thing you remember about Michael’s teaching? I’ll bet a dime to a quarter they will say “Don’t use SO.”

My aversion to SO comes from my coach training under Janet Harvey . She would say that SO is the death of the coaching conversation. At the time, I was unsure. So, I did what I usually do: I did extensive research.

What I found was that SO can have up to 19 different usages in the English language. At the time, I was li...

Accountability Allergies

The accountability question is often one people do not want to hear. In coaching we often like to ask: “Who is going to hold you accountable?” Or “What accountability do you need for this?”

People have always been resistant to have someone looking over their shoulder. Reporting to someone often induces feelings of stress and mistrust. Yet we are in a world where little gets done when we are left to our own devices. In school, we had to take tests for spelling, math, writing, etc. Few of us ac...

Direct, But Not Directive

Frank’s freight train boss barged into the office a bit flustered and perturbed. His gleam look told Frank this was going to be another dump of unwanted baggage.

“You are going to get a visit this afternoon from the Vice President of Marketing. He wants to talk to you about the Sullivan Project. I want you to review the stats on the initiative and be prepared to tell him how we allocate funds for PR and advertising. I need you to explain to him that we are conscious of public opinion yet con...

Don’t Talk to Me, Talk With Me

“I don’t want to hear your advice or about your experiences. Your prowess in the business field and your success on the sports field don’t impress me. What you’ve done is not as important as who you are. Don’t talk to me. Talk with me.”

People – especially younger people – are now better empowered to form their own way than ever before. We have become independent personas. If it’s going to be, it’s up to me. Adding all the possibilities together, we act as entities unto ourselves. Even though...

Could Jesus Have Been a Millionaire?

How much money do you think Jesus could earn for healing the sick, feeding the masses, preaching to thousands? What do you think would be the market value for raising someone from the dead?

It is truly mind boggling to think that the King of kings left heaven for a simple life as a trained carpenter and an itinerate preacher. Just as amazing is the thought that he could have monetized his work on earth.

Imagine a modern day Jairus (Mark 5:21-43) hearing about a Galilean who raised a man from...

Maximize Virtual Conference

Something is coming up soon that I want to tell you about. One of the most comprehensive meetings for Christian coaching will be happening soon. Over 27 experts in coaching will be part of this year’s CCNI eSummit entitled Maximize. As president I get to preside over the first evening of activities Wednesday, 28 September, from 7 pm until 10 pm Eastern Time. This evening is available virtually and at no cost. Listen to me being coached live by Tony Stoltzfus! http://christiancoaches.com/esumm...

My New Book is in Print

Well, it is finally here! May I present to you Ethics and Risk Management for Christian Coaches by yours truly.

I wanted to bring out the heart of coaching. At its core, ethical coaching has to do with relationships – relationships with clients, relationships with other coaches, relationships with the coaching industry. Besides discussing the do’s and don’ts of good coaching, I also want the reader to explore how deep one’s relationship with God affects one’s moral code of conduct.

As far as...

By the Removal of Your Mind

I had a Sunday School teacher who always like to say “by the removal of your mind” when he quoted this verse. Sometimes it just helps not to think. Not to think about the negative, not to think about the rejection, not to…think.

Romans 12:2 (NIV)
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

The brain consists of basically two types of cells; thos...

New Digs

Dog Truck

When we traded our camper for a dog truck, two sleds, and a dozen sled dogs, we really began to learn what flexibility meant. Living in an RV for three years had been challenging. Every location was an adventure in finding amenities and connectivity. The adventure continues. Last week we moved to a new place with breath taking views of the northern Colorado Rockies. The dogs are happy with their new digs and each has at least one private pine tree.

Mary under her tree

In my recent c...