It is an amazing experience to be an educator because teaching is to giving like learning is to receiving. We teachers have the greatest learning while we teach. My meeting with John was living proof of this concept. I have told so many people about John and helped them find the answer to the big question in life that I would like to share it with you and thank John for giving me one of the best lessons in my life. I hope you take the learning from it too.

You see, coaching is the art of questioning one’s life. In this sense, I was a coach from the age of 12. Why do we do what we do? Why get up in the morning? Why go to school? I had hundreds of questions and I thought life was a journey of searching for the answers.

John was a man we met at our coaching stall in a festival. He was an HR manager and a musician in his spare time. About six months after we first met, he called us and wanted to ask us some questions about becoming a coach. He came with his partner and for over 2 hours, we talked about courses for coaching. Since Gal had researched the coaching industry to a scientific level, we had loads of information to give John and we did – names, prices, timing, web sites – the whole lot. John wanted a job related to his HR experience that would allow him to have some time to express his passion for music. I needed two hours of conversation to see myself in John. When he talked about music, his body lit up and there was a smile in his eyes. It was beautiful to see. I think he took me back to being 12. “Why do we do the things we do?” “What motivates us?” Many questions popped up and my inside coach woke up.

“What is the thing that makes you get up in the morning? What drives you?” I asked John. He looked surprised. “If you could choose the thing that is the reason you are here in this life, what would that be?” I kept asking. When I asked it, I knew the answer.

It was quiet as if I threw a bomb on the table. John thought about it for a while. We were all very quiet, trying to answer that to ourselves. Then John smiled and said without hesitation “Music.”

We all have a purpose in life. That’s the thing that makes our heart beat fast with excitement, the thing that haunts us, no matter what.

In this quiet moment, when all four of us looked for the thing that motivates us, I could feel my heart speeding. Writing and education can make me get up in the middle of the night. It is as if we all have a mission to complete. Knowing your mission is a very empowering feeling. But the more I thought about it, the harder it got. If just by asking the question we can find our purpose, why do we spend so much time, effort, money and energy on the way to achieve it?” We go to school to have good grades, to be able to enter university, to be able to graduate, to be able to get a good job, to be able to get a good salary, to be able to save some money, to be able to take some time off. Time off to travel, to write a story or sing a song, to draw a picture or play a flute. What a waste!!!

I looked back on life and counted the waste. If we get what we focus on, then no wonder we get the ability but not the fulfillment. We master the art of enabling ourselves to get things on the way and we are certainly able to enable, but not to reach.

I think that in some way I felt responsible as an educator. We focus on enabling the kids to take the journey, but we never teach them to reach the mountains. We teach them to practice their life, rather than teach them to live it. We promote never-ending rehearsals. Life is all preparation for a far away purpose that they cannot even see on the horizon. Then we are surprised that when they finish school they don’t know what to do with themselves. They know how to prepare, but don’t know for what. When they are older and want to put a stop to this never-ending quest, they need a lot of courage to stop using their greatest skill, the one they have been practicing all their lives, preparing. I think at that point, I realized the power of coaching. I looked at John and understood my purpose much better. In coaching, we help people to stop preparing and start playing the show of life.

John left and sent us an email that night (‘m writing this to thank him for the great lesson he gave me.

The questions that will help you shift from “rehearsal” to “live performance” are:

* If I had all the money I wanted, what would I do?
* What is the thing that excites me most?
* What drives me?
* What is the reason I get up in the morning?
* What is my purpose in life?
* On my deathbed, what will be the thing I’ll most regret not doing?

You need to answer these questions to yourself. If you find them hard, let them go and then come back to them. The answers will come.

When you make decisions, choose the “show” option over the “rehearsal” option. Ask yourself “will this get me to the destination?”

If you need some help with your purpose and your decisions, get some help. Remember: Happiness is a choice

May the force be with you!

Ronit

To view the original article and/or subscribe to the Be Happy in LIFE newsletter, visit http://www.behappyinlife.com/inspiration.

Ronit Baras is an educator, a journalist and a life coach, specializing in relationships and emotional intelligence. She has 21 years of education experience, working with children, teenagers and parents. She’s the author of the book “Be Special, Be Yourself for Teenagers”. Ronit has lived and worked in America, Asia and Australia and now lives in Brisbane.

Ronit’s purpose in life is to spread love and acceptance all over the world through article writing, book publishing, public speaking, education and coaching.

There are certain factors that strongly affect your chances of becoming pregnant. You can familiarize yourself with them and make them work for you rather than against you.

One of the first things that a woman should become familiar with is her ovulation cycle. As fertilization only takes place when the egg is on the way to the uterus, it is imperative that you are familiar with this process.

Typically, it occurs on day 14 of your menstrual cycle, if day 1 is the first day of menstruation. Typically, you will be most fertile around 2 weeks after your last period begins, for about 2 or 3 days.

Similarly, keep in mind that male fertility is decreased after repetitive ejaculations, so a short period of abstinence prior ovulation will result in a higher sperm count and an increased chance or pregnancy.

Another thing that both parents can do is to stop smoking. Cigarette smoke reduces the chances of conception by reducing the responsiveness of the ovaries to the stimulation of fertility medication stimulation. While smoking does not seem to affect sperm count, it is strongly suggested that the other partner stop smoking as well, both in a show of solidarity and to improve the health of the mother in general.

Also, keep an eye on what you’re putting in your body! Both parents should limit alcohol intake to no more than 4 drinks per week. Men who are known to have low sperm counts should cease drinking entirely. The partner carrying the child should limit caffeine consumption, as well. More than 2 cups of coffee a day can contribute to difficulty in conceiving, and after conception has occurred, more than 4 cups a day is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage.

While trying to get pregnant, it is also important to eat right. Being over- or underweight can dramatically affect the ability to get pregnant, as well as giving an increased chance of complications during the pregnancy. Adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet can help your chances, as can eating fish. Iron an and folic acid supplements are important during your pregnancy and can also be helpful in helping conception beforehand.

These are all good ways to help your chances when it comes to how to become pregnant, but if you have any doubts or concerns, remember that a visit to a fertility specialist can always reveal enlightening and important information. Having a child is one of the most rewarding –and occasionally nerve-wracking!- experiences life has to offer, so start off right!

Do you want to become pregnant naturally? Get my step-by-step method on how to conceive naturally, without any drugs or outside interference. Visit our blog now: http://how-to-become-pregnant.blogspot.com