On this first day of a new year I have an announcement, and a request.

Today I am officially launching a private coaching practice dedicated to families, all families, across the spectrum of tradition, and within the world of business. These relationships are core to our humanity, have shaped who each of us are, and hold the potential to enrich our lives, build our communities, and strengthen our society overall.

I can’t think of anything more important for me to do with my life than this.

So that is the announcement, and now here is my request: please take ten minutes today to reflect upon one family relationship that is suffering from conflict. One family relationship where communication has stopped. One family relationship that has caused so much pain, that the best option was to close the door and walk away, at least for now, until someone agrees to change.

Now, here’s a wrinkle —

• What if the person who agreed to change, was you?

• What if you learned how your thoughts influence your emotions which affect your behaviors?

• What if you became aware of the energy you bring, on good days and bad — and understood how your energy affected everyone around you?

Then you would be a highly conscious individual, who is empowered by choice.

We can only control ourselves. However, when we master the energy that we unleash on our loved ones, we change how they respond to us.

Family trauma, to varying degrees, is a universal experience,. Sometimes, the right thing for an individual is to move on and create a new family of their choosing. Those are definitely real, but also comparatively rare, circumstances.

Thankfully, most of us have families worth investing in. I certainly do.

Many of the people who made up my family are gone now, which deepens my appreciation for the gift I was given. Losing those family members put me on a journey that so far has brought me here. I am ready to bring all I’ve learned to bear on behalf of you and your loved ones.

Life is our classroom. Family is our teacher.

Who is ready to work?