Author Archives: catelabarrecoach

Just say NO

When the topic of “boundaries” was introduced in my very first coaching training (with Debbie Ford and The Ford Institute in 2004), I was dumbfounded. It’s not that I had never heard of boundaries, I just didn’t understand how boundaries operated … Continue reading

Posted in Brené Brown, compassion, Debbie Ford, integrative coaching, life coach, self-acceptance, Uncategorized, understanding, vulnerability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Manifesting or Revealing?

I’m bombarded with messages about how to “manifest” dreams and desires.  It all seems so mysterious and out of reach, like there is some secret method to unlock the code and if I pay $$$ the code will be mine. … Continue reading

Posted in Brené Brown, Debbie Ford, integrative coaching, life coach, self-acceptance, self-compassion, stay engaged, Uncategorized, understanding, vulnerability | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Better than I was, but not as good as I used to be

My first true Adirondack hike, October 1998. I believed it was like walking in the woods, only with hiking boots. Halfway up Blue Mountain I was paralyzed in fear. Exposed granite, smooth rock, wet with recent rain and icy in … Continue reading

Posted in Brené Brown, hiking, integrative coaching, life coach, purpose, self-acceptance, self-compassion, Uncategorized, vulnerability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Never Too Late (until it is)

I have the great blessing of diverse circles of “girlfriends” in my life. Old friends, new friends, friends of shared interests, friends to share laughter and tears. Recently a new friends “pod” has formed from different circles. We get together … Continue reading

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In Difficult Times

Now and then over the last few weeks, I’ve been jogged by a memory of an interview I gave for feministing online magazine a number of years ago. I recall that it was after the financial downturn which left many … Continue reading

Posted in Brené Brown, compassion, Debbie Ford, integrative coaching, life coach, purpose, self-acceptance, self-compassion, stay engaged, Uncategorized, understanding | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Renewed Purpose

Sometimes I am amazed at how NOT in the moment I can be. For the last 18 months I’ve been waiting for the increasingly divisive and derisive campaign to be OVER, as though THAT was going to save me and … Continue reading

Posted in Brené Brown, compassion, Debbie Ford, life coach, purpose, self-compassion, stay engaged, Uncategorized, understanding | 8 Comments

Gluten Free, Scarcity and Enough

After a third suggestion by my nurse practitioner that I might like to try a gluten free lifestyle to alleviate some of my digestive and inflammatory issues, I decided to give it a try just after the new year. I … Continue reading

Posted in Brené Brown, compassion, food obsession, life coach, self-acceptance, self-compassion, Uncategorized, vulnerability | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Miracle and Mystery

My life has been profoundly impacted and contextualized by the fact that I contracted hepatitis C virus in the early 1970s. Diagnosed in 1995, this knowledge has weighed in on every choice I make. It has been the theme of … Continue reading

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Cookies and Silk

My husband was away last weekend, so off I went, farmer’s market basket in hand, alone for our Saturday morning ritual. After filling my basket with fresh organic vegetables, pasture raised meat and Anna Mae’s jam, I stopped at our … Continue reading

Posted in Brené Brown, compassion, Debbie Ford, food obsession, gift giving, integrative coaching, life coach, self-acceptance, self-compassion, understanding, vulnerability, weight watchers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Never Believe Your 7th Grade Art Teacher [unless the message is “You are spectacular!”]

Not long before Christmas, while searching a crafts store for a picture frame, I found myself wandering the paint supply aisle. I lingered over blocks of paper, fondled brushes and looked at colors. Suddenly I began picking up watercolor supplies … Continue reading

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