Um, help me out a little here.

I believe that all human beings, by our very nature, are creative, and I mean creative in the most profound sense of the word. If you happen to take your cue from the Bible: It says that each of us was created in His image, in the image of the Creator Itself, who made of us miniature gods—creators—of our own worlds. That's what human beings are, that's what we do: We create.

I’m listening. Tell me more.

So, okay. By our very nature, what we do is create—and I mean create all the time, with every thought, every word, every action. And what we’re creating all the time is the landscape of our lives: our relationships, our work, our environment, our play. The fact that most of us are largely unconscious of it—sleepwalking, if you will, through the creation—only means that what we manifest will more often than not reflect random, rather than focused, thought, feeling, and action, and delude us into believing that we are victims of circumstance rather than makers of circumstance.

How can I know where I fall in that spectrum?

If you want to assess the degree to which you're unconsciously creating your life, then look around at that landscape and take stock of what you've made there.

How can I tell if I’m living in my big spirit or not?

Just ask. Whenever a circumstance arises that calls for a decision, ask yourself, What would my big spirit do?™, and see if that’s what you would’ve done if you hadn’t asked.

So this is life. Sometimes my eyes are opened, sometimes they’re closed. What difference could a coach make?

That depends on how serious you are about living the life you really want to live. The incredibly cool thing is that you have all the tools. All the knowledge, all the power, is already within you, waiting to be acknowledged and directed! A coach helps you to liberate what comes naturally. I guarantee that the transformations that arise from being intentional in your creating, rather than unconscious in your creating, can be profound.

But how, exactly?

I hate to talk about coaching—most coaches do—because the only way to really get it is to be coached. (For a complimentary trial session, e-mail Marguerite here.) It’s different for everybody, and part of the fun is making it up together as we go along. But, in general, coaching is an action-oriented collaboration, in which I am at your service in co-creating a life vision, and a strategy for manifesting that vision, that is unique to you.

Can you be more specific?

You may want to explore your life's purpose or "right placement" in a career. Align your choices in the outer world with your inner values. Finish unfinished business with close associates and family members. Figure out what "the next step" is. Or just have more fun. You may have a dream to start an international organization to advocate for human rights, as does one of my clients, or find a way to break into radio, as does another, or publish a nonfiction novel, as does a third, or switch careers, as does a fourth. The coaching process is designed to clear away from your life, bit by bit, all the stuff you’ve been tolerating that depletes your energy and disables your big spirit—and then to create the life you really want to live and that only you can live.

Take one more shot at it.

I’m here to help you figure out who you really are and how to get what you want based on who you really are. Then I hold you accountable to your visions and dreams and to the plans I help you devise to achieve them. I’m like a personal trainer for your life. You don’t depend on me so much as use me—as a resource and a presence in your life.

But what’s the real benefit?

We all have untapped resources, and when those resources are tapped, our work becomes more authentic, our lives take on a new meaning, and, in general, we feel a sense of ownership and freedom of choice. We enjoy our work and we enjoy our life, which is the whole point. If you don’t want that, then stay right there; don’t move.

So, give me an example. Who’s a big spirit?

It can be a captain of industry, but doesn’t have to be, because it's not about what you do, it's about who you show up as. A rock-and-roll star, a house painter, an actress, a teacher, a writer, a business owner. A friend of mine who’s a plumber is a very big spirit. So’s the woman who got me into coaching, a marketing consultant and onetime life coach, who uplifts every person she comes in contact with. The electrician who coaches my son’s baseball team has one, as does an old friend, a landscape architect, who, the last time I checked, was bound for Cambodia to help build an orphanage. Big spirit is a state of mind and being that is characterized by innocence, open-heartedness, self-awareness, courage, and the capacity to act immediately on intuition.

Who are your ideal clients?

Anyone who realizes they’re capable of much more and wants some alert company while they molt and then reinvent themselves. They can be people who have achieved great success in their lives and now want meaning; they want to stand for something and leave a legacy. Leaders who have discovered that the climb to the top has left them isolated, unfulfilled, and out of balance, with nobody to talk to. Entrepreneurs who need a sounding board. Creatives who have lost connection to their creative force. Basically, big spirits of all stripes who have decided, the hell with it, I’m going for it.

Specifically, though.

As a newspaperwoman and freelance magazine writer, I coached the subjects of my articles; as an editor, I coached reporters; as a college teacher, I coached my students. My clients have come from most walks of life. Most recently, they have included a poet, a newspaper columnist, an Ivy League professor, a public relations executive, a coach, a nurse, and a waiter.

What am I going to get from you that I can’t already get from my spouse, a family member, or close friend?

There’s a lot, so I have to use bullets.

Meanwhile, the idea in the back of my mind, all the while that you’re distracted with the crush of daily life, is how do I bring out the best you? A you that you can’t even conceive of, as you sit here right now reading this. Imagine having someone in your life who knows that you were born great, who believes in you and expects you to be great, and who will do whatever it takes to get you there. If you’ve got someone like that in your life, then no, you don’t need me.

What makes you think you’re any good at this?

Let me have others tell you. See testimonials.

Why not a therapist or a consultant?

There are key differences between therapy, consulting, and coaching, all of which have merit depending on the practitioner, the client, and the circumstances.

I already have a lot of people trying to influence my life. How are you any different?

Look, you’re the hero of your own life. The agenda is yours. I'm not here to tell you what you ought to be doing—I’m here to seat you in your own power. It’s kind of like this: You’re Princess Lea or Luke Skywalker, I’m Obi Wan Kenobe. You’re Lewis and Clarke, I’m Sacajawea. You already have everything you need; my job is to help you reveal it to yourself, and, in doing so, to arrive at a more effective personal process that will continue long after the coaching relationship ends. The answer really does lie within you. What you're paying me for is my access to your intuition.

I'm still not sure if coaching is for me. How can I find out?

You can contact me for a complimentary trial session. Call me at 215.884.7328, between 9am - 5pm Eastern time, or e-mail me here.