Hello, it is so good to connect with you again! Certainly sharing in a newsletter isn’t as personal as sitting across a table enjoying a warm beverage together, but that is the picture in my mind as I write today. Recently I did a short series of three articles on how you can lower your stress. I did this because many of you share about the pace and demands of life and are looking for real answers. The three culprits we focused on were difficult relationships, understanding your own emotions and creating life balance.

Busyness and Distraction
While having a handle on these three areas goes a long way to reducing stress, another area that can be attributed to rising stress levels is busyness and distractions. Think about it. Perhaps you have a personal development goal, desire to get physically fit, or focus on certain skills to forward your business and career. Balancing these personal goals with expectations from work and family often lead to stress. On top of that, when unplanned life events come up and interrupt our already busy schedules we can experience anything from frustration to misplaced anger. I saw a story recently of a case of ‘road rage’ in a Las Vegas gas station where an elderly man was run down by a car just because he walked too slowly in front of it.

If you are experiencing stress due to busyness and distractions, I have some really exciting news to share. There is a terrific new resource available called “The Deeper Life: Satisfying the 8 Vital Longings of the Soul” by Daniel Henderson and Brenda Brown. Don’t be fooled by the title, although the book has a strong spiritual foundation to it, the 8 Vital Longings are actually answers to 8 questions we all ask. Questions like Who am I, Why am I here and What should I be doing? By completing the discovery exercises and answering the 8 questions, you will know what to focus your time and energy on.

In fact, here is an endorsement from Jeff Spadafora, Director of Global Coaching Services for Halftime:
“Every now and then a book comes along that is both theologically sound and practical. Daniel Henderson has his finger on the pulse of Christians who are saved and growing spiritually, but are missing the connections between their theology and an actual life of joy and purpose. They wonder: ‘Why am I missing out on the John 10:10 life?” Without being programmatic or too tactical, Henderson provides a sound process for people to live the life God originally intended them to live.”

Follow this link to download a preview of the first two chapters for yourself. Additionally, you can read more about the book, small group study materials and a coaching process I developed using the 8 Vital Longings here.

If you are interested in using the 8 Vital Longing questions in your own coaching practice email me and let me know. I’ve written a 50 page coaching guide and offer training to help you use the 8 questions in your own coaching business.

I’m so glad to be able to share this resource with you. I’ll be writing short articles on each of the 8 questions in the coming weeks so keep an eye out for them. As always, you can email me and let me know if there is any way I can support you in living an intentional, authentic life!