Direct Life Coaching

For awhile I have yearned to write a book that revolves around coaching - and if so, I think this would be the title:

All In: How a silly poker term transformed my life!


Now let me be clear. I have played poker maybe three times in my life - and let's just say I am not a card shark. For me, it was an accomplishment to know what cards beat what - and beyond that - I had no idea what I was doing. I know I am in the minority, considering the number of poker Web sites, weekly tournaments at sports bars, and television networks that have their own show - may favorite one being "The Poker Tour: Festa al Lago" on the Travel Channel.

Nothing says travel like poker!

All of that said, the one term and idea I do understand is when a player goes "All in!"

Essentially, going "All In" means a player is betting all of his chips on that one hand. If he wins, he wins big (usually) - but if he loses - his chips are gone - and he is done! At some point in most poker games - for a player to win he/she needs to go "all in."

High risk for high reward.

So as I was on my run today, I was praying and listening for inspiration and guidance. As many of you know, I am a life coach and an actor. I love both - but together - they don't make ends meet. That is just the reality right now. Doesn't mean it will always be the case, but right now it is. My wife and I have been grateful for over the past 3 years plus that we have been able to live and provide for our family, make radical life choices, without having what one would describe as a constant stream of income.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not a trust fund child ;)

So we are at a point in our life where things might seem to be a little "anxious." We are not panicking or getting desperate, but we have had to expand our openness to where we should be and what we should be doing. Those who know me know this is nothing new, but right now we are being more proactive.

Everyday I pray and listen for the right steps for our family. I pray to be led to do the right thing - and I try to get as much of my ego out of it as possible. This can be tough. On the surface, I have battled thoughts of frustration that things haven't always "taken off" like I would of hoped - or different opportunities didn't blossom better. Most of these lead back to the question of, "Am I doing the right thing?"

After much silence and prayer, the answer always comes back, "Yes, you are doing the right thing!"

All In!

So here I am on my run today, feeling a bit nervous and uncertain about the future, and this idea comes to me that "You need to be All In!"

"But haven't I?"

And as I listened to that question - the answer became, "No."

I haven't been "all in" - and I could clearly see how. For as much as I have claimed to be open to new opportunities and getting myself completely out of the way, I have been secretly creating parameters to what that must look like. I have been willing to be open, as long as it meant not having to get rid of "x." It also meant that my source of comfort and peace has been determined by things other than my true Source.

You are either all in - or you are not!

In poker, you don't say, "I am all in - except for these three chips I am going to keep under my palm - just in case it doesn't work out." It doesn't work that way. Yet, that is what I have been doing - and it was obvious!

A friend of mine sent me this quote from "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle, "Being one with life, is being one with Now. You then realize that you don't live your life, but life lives you. Life is the dancer, and you are the dance."

I am the dance - not the dancer! Bingo.

All this time I have seen myself as the dancer creating the dance - therefore making the decisions and outlining how the dance is going to look.

Not so. I am the dance. My opinion really doesn't matter - so my only job is to be the dance...the expression of the dancer!

Being "all in" means allowing the dancer (God, Love, the Universe, whatever you see as bigger than you) to call the shots - and all I need to do is follow - and dance!

So, for me, the big "aha" is seeing that I have still been holding on to things that have prevented me from actually being "all in." I haven't been "all in," but maybe 75%...or 90%...or 99.9% - none of which = "all in!"

In Science and Health, Eddy writes, "Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,--this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony."

Isn't that what I am looking for - ultimate harmony? So all of these attachments I am not releasing are the "old" preventing me from being receptive to the "new."

Not anymore - All in!

The point hit home even stronger today as I was reading for the first time "The Prayer of Jabez" shared to me by another friend (I have good friends). The author, Bruce Wilkinson, breaks down the short and often overlooked prayer of Jabez from I Chronicles. Wilkinson writes, "No matter how many sermons we've heard about God's power to work through us, we simply gloss over the meaning of that one little word through. Sure, we say we want God to work through us, but what we really mean is by or in association with."

Guilty.

So here I sit today - All In! For me right now, it means that I am asking for bigger blessings and opportunity to live the biggest life I can live, but more than anything, it means getting rid of any human attachment to any person, place, or thing that will prevent me and my family from experiencing "ultimate harmony." No more parameters or obstacles getting in the way.

I have no idea what is going to take shape or how it will happen - but that is really the point, isn't it! As the dance, it is not mine to figure out.

Do I feel like this has made a major transition in my life?

You betcha!

Much love,

Travis
561.676.4583

PS - If you need help getting "all in" - then give me a call!

Labels: A New Earth, life coaching, mary baker eddy, poker, Science and Health, The Prayer of Jabez, travis thomas