Newsletter October 2011

The Transformer

Inspiration and News from the Center for Transformational Presence 

October 2011

Feature Article: 11 Keys to Transformational Presence

Certified Transformational Presence Coach Profile: Mary Riley—Continuous Evolution, Surprising Transformation

Video of the Month: Bodhisattva in Metro

11 Keys to Transformational Presence

Photo - Jos Rovers

We are The Center For Transformational Presence. We equip people to be who they need to be in order to most powerfully serve a world that is both in crisis and filled with opportunities. It is a potent time and more and more people are stepping forward to say, “How can I make a difference?” Making a difference begins with personal presence.

Presence is how you “show up” in the world—the energy that you radiate when you walk into a room. Transformation is a fundamental shift in energy, vibrational frequency, and pattern. Whether for an individual or an organization, it happens on the inside and is reflected through change in action, behavior, choices, and decisions on the outside. Transformational Presence is a personal or organizational presence that, by its nature, transforms situations, understanding, and perspectives. In other words, something shifts just because that person or organization embodying Transformational Presence is now present.

Transformational Presence is the theme around which my latest book, Create A World That Works, is based. The idea is that if we are going to create lasting change and, indeed, create a world that works, we must first shift how we think, our lenses of perception, and how we “show up” in the world. When that happens, the appropriate actions will follow.

In Create A World That Works, I wrote about five characteristics of Transformational Presence. Yet recently, as I was preparing a keynote lecture on this topic, I expanded those characteristics to 11 keys that can help each of us to more fully embody a personal presence that is transformational.

The first key is expanded awareness. We begin with two primary levels of awareness: 1) self-awareness and soul mission, and 2) a big-picture awareness. In the first, having a personal presence that is transformational demands knowing who you are at your core—knowing your soul mission or life purpose, what is important to you or what your values are, and why something does or does not work for you. It doesn’t mean that you have to be enlightened, but it does mean that you are very self-aware. Big-picture awareness means that you are able to lift up above the fray to see what is happening from a higher perspective. You are able to perceive a bigger picture of what is going on, the factors that came together to create the present circumstance, and the roles of the various players, including your own, in creating what is happening now.

Key #2 is intuitive thinking. Transformational Presence in part grows out of living, thinking, and acting intuitively. Living in this way comes out of a clear understanding that the intellectual or rational mind and the intuitive mind are not two separate things. The intellectual mind is actually just one small part of the much larger intuitive mind. To be in Transformational Presence does not mean leaving the intellect behind and crossing over to intuition, but rather expanding beyond the intellect into the larger intuitive mind and thinking process. The intuitive mind is the larger mind.

Key #3 is congruent living. Another way to say this is to close the gap between what you know and how you live. We know a lot, both intellectually and intuitively, but we don’t always live what we know. Congruent living means that our intellect, emotions, and heart wisdom are all in alignment. When one of them is not in alignment with the others, we need to press pause and find out what is missing, what doesn’t feel right, and do the work to come into alignment within ourselves. Otherwise it is like trying to drive with the emergency brake on. It just doesn’t work very well.

Key #4 is understanding energy. A part of what creates Transformational Presence is an understanding of how life works as energy in motion. One of the great gifts of our times is the amazing convergence that is now happening between ancient wisdom teachings, evolutionary consciousness studies, and quantum physics. Quantum physics is showing us the science behind what the ancient wisdom traditions taught and what evolutionary consciousness studies invite. The fundamental messages here are:

1. Everything is energy.
2. Everything is connected to everything else through a giant web or matrix.

The universe is fundamentally about relationships. The more we understand that life, business, and government are fundamentally about relationships and the way the energy is flowing within them, the more we are able to impact the world around us in a positive way through our presence.

Key #5 is intentional living. To live intentionally means being clear about why you are doing what you are doing. Taken another step, it is about holding intentional space—being clear about the energy you are inviting into a space, a relationship, an encounter, or a situation. In doing transformational work, it means holding the intention for the next breakthrough to unfold, for the greatest potential to manifest, for the people involved to realize their greatest potential and act from a place of clarity, honesty, and respect in service of a greater good.

Key #6 is visionary living. The person with Transformational Presence not only has a vision for their lives and a vision for whatever they are leading; they live in the energy of the full potential of that vision. And they are able to clearly articulate that vision to others. Beyond that, Transformational Presence also means being clear about what is yours to do and what is not yours to do. Just because you are good at something or capable of getting a task done does not automatically mean that you are the one to do it—that this will be the best use of your energy. Having this clarity and focusing on what is truly yours to do can bring great energy and transformation to a situation.

Key #7 is balanced living. This begins with a balance between doing and being. We live in a culture that focuses first on action before contemplation, fixing things before seeking out the root cause or issue. When we first pause to consider what might really be going on at a deeper level, to seek a fundamental cause, before taking action, we have the opportunity to then make a clear choice about what the situation is asking us for. And that request will most often be for a particular presence, perspective, or attitude before action. This key is related to Key #3, congruent living. The greater our alignment in who we are and the greater our clarity in who we choose to be in the face of whatever the situation may be, the more our actions will be constructive and productive. First the being, then the doing. Both are required, but Transformational Presence begins with the being and lets the being inform and inspire the doing.

Key #8 is reflective living. Having a daily practice or structure for reflection and introspection is a foundation for Transformational Presence. Transformational Presence is rooted in a deep connection to the greater Consciousness or whatever you wish to call the creative and sustaining intelligence and force behind all that is. That connection is supported and reinforced by some form of daily reflective practice. The form of the practice can be whatever serves you most effectively. It could be a daily walk in nature, doing yoga or tai chi, or a more traditional prayer or meditation practice. What is important is that you have some period of time each day to be in silence and reflection.

Key #9 is cathedral building. We live in an immediate gratification culture and have become focused only on the short-term view—the next quarter in business, the next election cycle in government, the next significant event or goal in our personal lives. We want to see results of our efforts immediately. As a culture, we’ve lost a sense of a big-picture and long-term vision. Transformational Presence includes holding a long-term view and realizing that big things take time. It took more than a hundred years to build many of the great cathedrals and sacred sites in the world. The artisans, craftsmen, and builders involved in those projects, especially in the early years, never expected to see the completed structure. They just were clear about what their part of the bigger project was and that they were contributing to something that would far outlive them. An integral aspect of Transformational Presence is the recognition that we are a part of a much larger evolutionary flow. Our job is to be a vital and leading force in the ongoing creation of a world that works and to commit to the bigger picture, knowing that the full results may not be seen in our lifetimes. And that’s ok. We do it anyway.

Key #10 is a discovery approach. In Transformational Presence work, we apply the Potential-Based Approach instead of a problem-solving approach. We approach life and leadership by first asking, “What wants to happen here?” We live in the intuitive mind and let the potential show us the path forward. Strategy and implementation then flow from that understanding. We avoid getting caught up in a purely analytical approach that is limited to the intellect. Transformational Presence comes from living in an attitude of discovery and then responding to what our exploration uncovers.

And finally, Key #11 is evolutionary co-creation. As we said in Key #9, we are a part of a much larger evolutionary flow. There appears to be an intelligence, acknowledged by many leading-edge physicists, that we cannot understand yet seems to be the organizing and sustaining force behind all that is. In Transformational Presence, you have an intuitive sense of the presence of that evolutionary intelligence, and you listen to it, follow it, and ride the waves of the evolutionary flow in co-creation with potential.

Tom Heuerman, Ph.D., leadership consultant, and renaissance man, spoke these words several years ago to a group of educators:

Instead of looking for heroic leaders to save us, each of us needs to be a hero or heroine. The call today asks for courageous and authentic people to connect with one another, to convene others, and…to bring form to the creative potential of the times in which we live.

In his own way, Tom Heuerman was inviting those educators into Transformational Presence. His words serve as a powerful invitation to all of us. Those who embody Transformational Presence have chosen to stand in courage and authenticity, to convene others, and to steward the great potential of our times into form.

And so I invite you to reflect on these 11 keys—to consider what Transformational Presence could mean for you in your life, work, and relationships. How can you develop a personal presence that is transformational? It’s the first step in doing your part to create a world that works.

All blessings,
Alan

Copyright © 2011 Alan Seale

Certified Transformational Presence Coach Profile: Mary Riley—Continuous Evolution, Surprising Transformation

by Johnathon Pape

Mary Riley’s life and career have been a series of unfolding opportunities, often unexpected, that have led her to new adventures and discoveries. Coaching, which she describes as her fourth career, has now opened the door again, and Transformational Presence Coaching has blasted her across the threshold into a new realm of awareness, connection, and capability. One of the newest Certified Transformational Presence Coaches, Mary has a keen interest in not-for-profit organizations. Her 35-year career (prior to coaching) spanned a variety of not-for-profits, with each job involving some kind of writing. She started out as a journalist for a weekly newspaper, and then worked in public relations for various K-12 school groups, eventually becoming a Director of PR for an education commission in Washington State. When marriage took her back to Oregon, she transitioned into grant writing for several years. When she and her husband moved to the East coast, she continued grant writing, and eventually focused on doing that work within the healthcare field.

Coaching came into Mary’s life as she and her husband moved their careers and lives to Long Island. “I did my coach training at NYU,” Mary explains, “ but it was a rather cerebral program. Intuitively, I felt I needed to broaden my training. So I went to the ICF website and looked at information about what to do after completing basic coach training, and found my way to Alan’s website. I liked what I saw, so I read Intuitive Living and participated in an information session he conducted for the seven-month coach training class. It was all very new for me. I knew I had intuitive capabilities, but I had no idea how one could manage intuitive intelligence or strengthen it. So I signed up for the Transformational Presence Coach Training. It surpassed anything I could have expected.”

In fact, it was during the TPC training that Mary came to understand the unique focus of her coaching work as an outgrowth of her experience in and dedication to not-for-profits. “It was right around the New Year, and Alan did a reality field exercise with us where we changed places with our future selves. From that vantage point, I saw a completely different path. It helped me get clear and pointed the way to forming a company that would offer coaching to not-for-profit groups. It was an idea I had had since I first started thinking about becoming a coach. But now the vision became clearer and clearer, and I suddenly started encountering completely different people—people that were in sync with what I was trying to do and could help make it happen. And many of the people who didn’t get it or were just full of ‘no, wrong!’ just started to fall away. All kinds of help began to unfold. As a result of this shifting energy in my new reality field, I have literally stepped into another world.”

Johnathon Pape: Congratulations on your Certification as a Transformational Presence Coach!

Mary Riley: Thank you. If someone told me five years ago that I would be drawn into Transformational Presence Coaching I never would have believed it. Having come up in the 1960s and 70s I knew lots of people who went through all kinds of self-actualization programs that were popular at the time. And when I was doing PR work for schools, I was often shipped off to clinics with motivational speakers and the like. They never resonated with me. But at the end of my coach training I started reading about all kinds of things that I hadn’t been into before—Deepak Chopra, Flow Theory, things like that. When Alan interviewed me before I went into the TPC training class, I said that I didn’t have much background in all of this, but I knew it was absolutely the right thing for me and where I needed to be. It was what I was looking for. I knew Transformational Presence would take me on the path to being a better coach.

JP: And has TPC training impacted your coaching?

MR: Absolutely. TPC training, specifically the call to Create a World that Works, has caused me to manifest my work, The Center for Non-Profit Coaching (CNPC), as a transformational—rather than transactional—model for shifting energy on the part of mission-driven leaders in the non-profit world. CNPC includes visionary coaches who work with passionate people and connect at the heart level. We support important missions of leadership and service.

JP: I love how you describe the process of shifting the reality field as being pivotal in creating your company. Can you say more about that?

MR: My early attempts at getting the company started involved conversations about the concept with local not-for-profit leaders and colleagues, and were all centered around starting a pilot project. My idea ran into numerous obstacles, both abstract and concrete. Eventually, through daily practice at connecting with the essence of myself and my project, aligning soul and ego, and receiving some fantastic peer and mentor coaching, I found myself shifting from preoccupation with infrastructure to becoming immersed in the actual work. Potential became apparent from what came out of the work itself rather than someone else’s blueprint of “what should happen.” At last, “what wants to happen” emerged. In other words, I learned a lot from partnering with the kind of clients I wanted to serve rather than designing a model that I truly hadn’t stepped into myself. My extraordinary experiences with Alan and my TPC classmates, my increased coaching volume, and a heart-centered shift in how to allow my new organization to emerge, led me to pursue certification from both the International Coach Federation and the Center for Transformational Presence. This professional development journey took me far beyond the transactional levels of compliance, outcomes, and accountability. I suddenly began to connect with individuals who became excited about my vision. Some of them—Catherine Blake, Peter Heinrichs, Martha Hahn, and Max Riley—have joined me as CNPC colleagues. The new community has begun to take shape.

 JP: Is there a website that our readers can visit to learn more about the Center for Non-Profit Coaching?

 MR: Yes. The address is www.centerfornonprofitcoaching.org. Our logo came about because we live in a bamboo forest. Someone a long time ago imported a large variety of bamboo and planted them on our property. It creates a shady and truly spiritual environment for our home and our center!

JP: As someone who has been involved with not-for-profit organizations for a long time, in both the arts and higher education, I know how badly coaching support is needed in this arena.

MR: The corporate world is a little ahead of us in understanding how coaching can be an asset to change. Non-profits are still trying to catch up to that idea, and coaching often is still considered a luxury. But the reality is that turnover is very high among Executive Directors and other leaders in non-profit organizations. And that usually isn’t related to low salaries; they expect the salaries to be lower than in a for-profit company. It has more to do with burnout, lack of support, lack of resources. It can be very taxing work. Furthermore, it is often difficult to see when you are making a difference, although the setbacks always seem apparent. Coaching can help immensely with this. There is often a very high commitment level among not-for-profit leaders. These are the kinds of people who know in their hearts, minds, and spirits when they have a wonderful idea or project, stick with it, attract human and financial resources, and see beyond immediate challenges. These are the kind of people and organizations we want to work with and support.

JP: Your journey has evolved over four careers and living on both coasts of the United States. Part of that journey, I know, involved the events of September 11, 2001. Since we have just marked the 10-year anniversary of that event, can you tell us a little about your experience?

MR: I’m originally from New York City; I grew up in the Bronx. But when I graduated from college, I moved to the Pacific Northwest and spent many years there. When I left NYC, the World Trade Center hadn’t even been built! Years later, when my husband and I moved back to the East coast, we settled in New Jersey where he was a Superintendent of Schools. I got a grant-writing job for a company that was based close to the World Trade Center. We lived in Trenton. I rode New Jersey Transit to Newark and then took the Path Train in to the World Trade Center for work. I got the job a few months before 9/11 and continued with it for a few months after. On the morning of September 11, right before I reached my building, the first plane hit. Our building and many of those around it were evacuated quickly.   I walked north, hoping to get a train out of Penn Station back home, and had actually boarded a train, but then they shut down all rail service. I couldn’t get home that night and ended up staying with cousins who are actors and live in Manhattan. I was able to get a train the next morning and it was a very somber ride back to Trenton. There were many people on the train who had also been stranded. I remember that they didn’t collect a fare at all, and during the ride they made an announcement honoring the dead. We couldn’t get back to our office for many weeks. I worked out of my home, and eventually another company donated space for us to use. Then, instead of riding PATH, I and thousands of other New Jersey commuters used a ferry from Hoboken to lower Manhattan. We continued in our roles as silent observers of tragedy as we rode past Ground Zero each day. After a few months, I took another job closer to home with the Small Animal Veterinary Endowment (SAVE) in Princeton. It was kind of a recovery period for me.

JP: Thank you for sharing that with us, Mary. You’ve experience many changes in your life, your work, and the world around you. How has TPC training helped you understand the difference between change and transformation?

MR: The relationship between change and energy makes sense to me. Change that occurs without an understanding of how to “stand on a wave” of potential can bring about tension and unhealthy discomfort, as opposed to the tension related to growth. Stepping into a flow of energy in how we live and work reduces the internal/external conflicts inherent in resistance to change—whether that change is desirable, as in fulfilling a long-held dream, or frightening, as in experiencing injury or loss due to a natural disaster. Before I studied Transformational Presence Coaching, I saw change from more of a limited-choice perspective, i.e. positive or negative. TPC has opened up an expansive view of numerous choices beyond one’s current situation, and the opportunities that ensue. At an intuitive level, I always sensed this, but I had no way of describing it in any coherent fashion. Transformation taps into the energy of change itself. The “once and for all” concept allows us to access, shift, and connect “what wants to happen” with what really occurs when we bring this potential into the three-dimensional world.

JP: What tools from TPC training have been the most helpful in your work and/or life?

MR: I use all the major TPC tools such as the DSCO model (Drama, Situation, Choice, Opportunity), vertical and horizontal planes, the three intelligences, and the potential-based approach. It is among the Hermetic Principles, however, that I find particular inspiration. I absolutely love the feeling of not being alone in my efforts on behalf of change. These ancient principles speak to something deep inside me that supports balance, wisdom, and love of life. I also really love the image of personal growth as the journey up a spiral staircase that keeps circling back even as it ascends and widens. That really resonates with me. Lessons repeat and they will continue to do so throughout time. We have the freedom to revisit learning and partner with it in new ways—going forward, repeating, subtracting, adding. These principles called out to me when I saw Alan’s syllabus for the seven-month class. They continue to provide a powerful connection for me to this work.

JP: What has been the greatest challenge to living your full, authentic Presence of Being, and how have you transformed that challenge?

MR: The re-emergence of old habits still occur, such as impatience, judgment, and unexamined emotional reactions. I seem, however, to have acquired a more tolerant attitude toward their resolution and a stronger belief in my own power to shift away from past patterns of unwanted behaviors. As a result of daily practice, meditation and focusing on my breathing have become more accessible to me. My motivation to become a better coach provides an impetus for recognizing counterproductive patterns when they occur, working on shifting energy, and “locking in” resolutions that come up.

JP: What is the most important thing you’ve learned about yourself since becoming a Transformational Presence Coach?

MR: At first I experienced surprise that I became so connected to this work and that it happened so quickly. But as I reflected on the intersections of my professional and personal journey until now, I realized that the reason TPC resonated with me had to do with its concepts already being present deep within me. I had powerful mentors during my years of work in not-for-profits. These were people that used many TPC concepts and ideas but without the specific language, for example, having a strong connection to a core purpose from which everything must flow, the importance of visioning to create a reality field for what could be possible, and allowing new work to unfold. The spark for becoming a coach probably ignited during those years. Now I continue to discover new ways to carry forward the threads from my cumulative life experiences. In my first coach training program at New York University, I learned that coaching emphasizes the present and the future, not the past. But until I studied TPC, I did not fully grasp how one goes about acknowledging the past without having to carry it all—the helpful and the not-so-helpful baggage—into the future. Clearly, I have discovered a freedom and creativity that contain unlimited potential for shifts in energy. I now seek to explore how I can best realize these new-found assets/gifts/blessings.

JP: What would you say to someone who is considering working with or becoming a Transformational Presence Coach?

MR: I would appeal to the person’s intuitive level. I’m not sure that Transformational Presence Coaching can be explained from a simply rational place; nor can coaching, for that matter. I would mention how TPC distinguishes itself from other coaching approaches in its emphasis on “once and for all” change. This is how I explain to my clients what it is that I believe about our work. Coaches drawn to TPC approach their life and work from a place of energy—deep inside their consciousness. They emphasize enduring and powerful shifts in themselves, and bring that presence to those with whom they work. It is not a job, a strategy, or a technique. It is life and world-changing work. Our TPC mentoring class that ended last spring has established a Coaching Circle where we continue to learn, to peer coach, and to deepen relationships. A quote that is currently making its way around the circle is “Who you are is how you coach.” TPC training helps us bridge the gap between what we know and how we live. Clearly, once one takes this work seriously, other coaching “methods” or “techniques” appear less energetic in comparison.

JP: Anything else you’d like to say?

MR: I didn’t have a chance to get a new photograph taken before the deadline for this article, so I’ve sent the old one. But what I hadn’t told you before is that learning about and practicing Transformational Presence has taken 25 pounds off of me, without even trying!

JP: That’s a fringe benefit we haven’t heard of yet! Congratulations! And thanks again for sharing your story with our readers.

Mary with her husband, Max; their dog, Angie; their son-in-law, Luke; and grandsons Leif and Eric

Video of the Month:  Bodhisattva in Metro

This delightful 6-minute video illustrates a playful example of Transformational Presence and how one person can shift the energy of a crowd. Enjoy!