Rules for Living a Life of Meaning: Intro to the iPEC Foundation Principles
Many of you already know that I received my coaching training and certification through the iPEC program. My knowledge and experience in the area of coaching is heavily based on the principles that the program was founded on and I continue to use these to improve my everyday life and help those I work with.
I say this to lay a little groundwork for you and give what I’m going to say next some context. The iPEC principles are extremely important to me, which is pretty obvious since I’ve built my business around them. However, they’ve become similar to background music. Think about how background music enhances your life, helps set your mood, and gives you an overall better base from which to operate. Now think about how many times you completely forget it’s there.
Yep, the iPEC principles are like that for me. Though they guide my thoughts and actions a solid base from which to operate, I sometimes completely forget about them. That’s why it’s so eye-opening when I go back and review them. “Oh, THAT’S the principle that helped me make that decision,” I’ll find myself saying. Or, “THIS principle is exactly what I need to share with my client right now who is struggling with X.”
Going back and reviewing the foundation principles is a bit like a Christian going back to review the Bible. Though you’ve never stopped living your life in accordance with the guidelines, a refresher is always nice.
I’m not going to expound on every single principle in this series of blogs (there are 33 of them, after all!). What I am going to do is pick out a few of my favorites that really seem to resonate with people. It was difficult to narrow my options down because who can choose between Principle 1: You Cannot Make a Mistake and Principle 23: A Purpose Can Be Found in Everything That Happens? Some hard choices needed to be made, though, and I’ve been able to pull out the five principles that really hit home:
Principle 2: Each moment describes who you are, and gives you the opportunity to decide if that’s who you want to be.
Principle 4: Our level of true awareness is directly related to our lack of judging.
Principle 12: Life is a perfect adventure; a game that cannot be won or lost, only played.
Principle 14: Each person we meet is our teacher and student.
Principle 20: Doing is work, Being is effortless.
I know that some of these are pretty self-explanatory, while others appear a bit more obscure. I hope you’re intrigued by the topics, though, and will join me on this journey of exploring these five chosen principles. They have the power to change your life, as I know they have changed mine. I look forward to introducing you to these concepts and reminding myself the role they play in my own quest for a meaningful life.
Trish Cody has over 18 years of experience consulting with some of the world’s top Fortune 500 Companies. Today, as an ICF and iPEC Certified Coach and Energy Leadership Master Practitioner, Trish works with clients to uncover their core values and beliefs, clearly see how they are showing up in their behaviors and impacting their success, and to shift their thinking to naturally attract positivity and success. For more information, visit www.TrishCody.com.
