As adults, we have about sixty thousand thoughts per day. Some of these thoughts are conscious, and many are not. Our brain is an amazing tool. We take what happens to us and get to decide what it means. We get to look at the events in our lives and decide what we believe about our circumstances.

The Life Coach Schools' Self-Coaching Model is a worthwhile cause-and-effect structured Coaching tool that provides insight into our thinking and helps us manage our thoughts. Understanding cause and effect helps us make the best choices for ourselves and our families as we meet the challenges of living in today's world.

Here are the five components of the Model:

Circumstances are things outside our control, including other people, our past, and the weather. Circumstances are neutral, meaning that objectively they are neither positive nor negative. While we can't control our circumstances, we can control how we decide to think and how we feel and behave. 

Thoughts are subjective. We each take what happens in our lives and decide what it means to us. It's not the events in our lives that shape us, nor the circumstances, but rather our thoughts about the circumstances. The good news is that although our circumstances are not always within our control, our thoughts are. We can maintain a stronger connection to ourselves and with our children by not making assumptions about the behavior of others. 

Feelings are the emotions or vibrations we experience in our body, directly related to our thoughts. When negative feelings come up, be present and feel them. It is essential to know the difference between feeling your feelings and acting out your feelings. Young children may have temper tantrums; however, that is acting out of feelings rather than feeling them. 

Actions refer to behavior, reaction, or inaction, and they are directly related to our feelings. 

Results are the effects of our actions, and we are responsible for those results.  

Better brain management, i.e., cause and effect understanding, makes it easier to open the heart to “life” regardless of global and personal circumstances.  Throughout life's challenges, lessons and blessings are always going to be present. So hold on to your dreams, be present in the moment, and consciously show up as the best version of yourself not only for yourself but in service to others.