The Power of Silence: Can Quieting the Mind Unlock Your True Intuitive Potential?

In a society that thrives on noise, constant activity, and multitasking, the concept of silence often seems counterintuitive to success. However, in Radical Intuition, Kim Chestney argues that silence is a powerful tool for unlocking our deepest intuitive wisdom. In a world overwhelmed with distractions, learning to quiet the mind could be the key to accessing your true potential.

Chestney suggests that we live in a culture that values constant doing—whether it’s answering emails, making decisions, or running from one task to another. But in our relentless pursuit of productivity, we often miss the subtle, powerful messages that come from within. Our intuition, she claims, requires space to emerge. Just like a radio signal, it needs a quiet frequency to be heard clearly.

When we create moments of silence—whether through meditation, nature walks, or simply pausing throughout the day—we allow our inner wisdom to surface. This silence doesn’t just offer peace; it opens a channel to deeper knowing, creativity, and clarity. In those quiet moments, we may discover solutions to problems, gain insights into our personal lives, or receive guidance that we hadn’t considered before.

What if the key to your next big breakthrough isn’t more effort, but more stillness? Chestney encourages us to rethink how we approach growth and success. Instead of constantly pushing forward, we should create space for our intuitive voices to rise from the depths of our being. Embracing silence, she argues, could be the most powerful way to unlock the untapped potential within us all.

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Rediscovering All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days: A Sacred Tradition Beyond “Trick or Treat”

As autumn sets in and Halloween decorations appear, October 31 is often associated with costumes, candy, and “trick-or-treat.” But behind the masks and sweets lies a deeply spiritual season in the Christian calendar that many have forgotten. All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2) are rooted in centuries-old traditions, offering profound reflections on life, death, and the afterlife. These two solemn days have unfortunately been overshadowed by the commercialized version of Halloween, diluting their sacred meaning. Let’s rediscover what these holy days truly mean and how they can inspire us in ways “trick-or-treat” never could.

The Origins and Significance of All Saints’ Day

All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day, is celebrated on November 1 by Christians worldwide. This day commemorates all saints and martyrs, both known and unknown, who have reached heaven. The early church instituted this day to honor Christians who, through faith and devotion, became pillars of the Christian community. In honoring these saints, the Church emphasizes their exemplary lives and encourages the faithful to look to them as models of holiness.

For centuries, Christians have gathered on All Saints’ Day to remember these faithful souls and the “communion of saints,” a term that signifies the unity of the faithful on earth with those who have passed on. This celebration is an invitation to contemplate eternal life and aspire to live in the spirit of the saints. It’s a reminder that life has a greater purpose, extending beyond earthly pursuits and pleasures.

All Souls’ Day: Honoring the Departed

Following All Saints’ Day is All Souls’ Day on November 2. This day is dedicated to praying for the souls of the faithful departed who are believed to be in purgatory, undergoing purification before entering heaven. All Souls’ Day invites the faithful to remember deceased loved ones, offering prayers and masses for their souls’ eternal rest.

The practice dates back to the early Middle Ages when Christians would visit cemeteries, light candles, and pray for the dead. This tradition is a profound expression of the Christian belief in life after death and the importance of prayer in helping souls complete their journey toward God. It serves as a gentle reminder of our own mortality and the Christian hope for eternal life.

Halloween: From All Hallows’ Eve to “Trick-or-Treat”

The connection between Halloween and these holy days is actually historical. “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows’ Eve,” the evening before All Saints’ Day, when Christians would prepare for the holy celebrations with vigils and prayers. The custom of dressing in costumes originated with the medieval practice of “souling,” where children and the poor would go door-to-door, offering prayers for the dead in exchange for food or “soul cakes.”

However, as centuries passed, Halloween traditions evolved, particularly in the United States, where they merged with local customs and eventually became focused on fun, costumes, and candy rather than prayer. What was once a night of solemn preparation transformed into a commercialized celebration far removed from its spiritual roots. Today’s Halloween celebrations—with haunted houses, skeleton costumes, and endless candy—mask the deeper meaning of the season: remembrance, prayer, and a connection to those who came before us.

Rediscovering the Spirit of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days

As people enjoy the festivities of Halloween, there’s a growing awareness of the importance of remembering the deeper, sacred traditions. Here are some ways to reconnect with the true spirit of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days:

  1. Pray for the Departed: Take time to offer prayers for your loved ones who have passed. Attend a service or light a candle in their memory, honoring their lives and praying for their peace.
  2. Visit a Cemetery: This practice, especially on All Souls’ Day, brings a sense of solemnity and connection. Many people find peace in visiting their loved ones’ graves, leaving flowers, and spending a few quiet moments in prayer.
  3. Reflect on the Lives of the Saints: All Saints’ Day is a perfect time to read about the lives of the saints, learning from their courage, love, and faith. The stories of saints like Francis of Assisi, Joan of Arc, or modern saints such as Mother Teresa inspire us to live with purpose and compassion.
  4. Host an All Saints’ or All Souls’ Celebration: Some families and communities celebrate these days with meals and gatherings that honor both the saints and their loved ones. Sharing memories and traditions can deepen our understanding and appreciation for the communion of saints.
  5. Celebrate with Intentionality: While “trick-or-treating” can be enjoyable, try to keep the days after Halloween focused on family, faith, and remembrance, reserving a portion of this season for prayer and reflection.

A Call to Embrace the Sacred Season

All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days remind us that death is not the end, but a continuation of our journey with God. These holy days are an opportunity to reflect on what it means to live a meaningful life and the hope of eternal life in communion with the saints. So, as we enjoy the fun of Halloween, let’s also make room for the spiritual richness these holy days offer. In returning to the true meaning of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, we can embrace a tradition of remembrance, gratitude, and hope—one that “trick-or-treat” could never replace.


In bringing back the true essence of these days, we open ourselves to a more fulfilling tradition that celebrates life, faith, and the love that connects us beyond time and place.

Empower Your Life: How to Set and Maintain Healthy Personal Boundaries

Setting and managing personal boundaries is key to maintaining healthy relationships, ensuring emotional well-being, and protecting your time and energy. Here’s a step-by-step approach to help you establish and manage boundaries:

1. Identify Your Limits
Reflect on what makes you feel uncomfortable or stressed. Pay attention to your emotional reactions in various situations (e.g., feeling overwhelmed, resentful, or drained). These are clues that boundaries might need to be set.
Assess different aspects of your life where you might need boundaries: work, relationships, time management, emotional energy, physical space, etc.

2. Clarify Your Values
Determine what matters most to you. Your boundaries should align with your values (e.g., respect, honesty, time for self-care). When you know what you prioritize, it becomes easier to say no to things that contradict those values.

3. Communicate Clearly and Assertively
Express your boundaries to others calmly, directly, and with confidence. For example: “I need time to recharge after work, so I won’t be available for phone calls in the evening.”
Avoid over-explaining or apologizing too much. Be concise but clear about your needs.

4. Practice Saying No
Start small if you’re not used to setting boundaries. Get comfortable with saying “no” when something feels overwhelming or goes against your well-being.
Use phrases like “I can’t do that right now,” or “That doesn’t work for me.”

5. Be Consistent
Once you set a boundary, stick to it. Inconsistent boundaries can confuse others and lead to them being ignored.
Consistency reinforces your commitment to your own well-being.

6. Prepare for Pushback
Not everyone will accept your boundaries easily, especially if they’ve become accustomed to you not having them. Stay firm and be prepared to handle resistance calmly.
Remember, it’s okay to prioritize your needs even if others disagree.

7. Monitor and Adjust
Regularly assess how well your boundaries are working. Sometimes, boundaries may need to be adjusted depending on new circumstances or if you feel they aren’t strong enough.
Be open to evolving your boundaries as your personal and professional life changes.

8. Manage Guilt and Self-Care
It’s normal to feel guilty when setting boundaries, especially if you’re used to pleasing others. Remind yourself that boundaries are necessary for your health and well-being.
Practice self-care and prioritize your own needs to reinforce the importance of maintaining your boundaries.

By understanding your limits, communicating effectively, and staying consistent, you’ll build stronger, more respectful relationships and protect your mental and emotional energy.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities.

Visit www.dennisroberts.com.au

What does it mean failure is feedback?

The phrase “failure is feedback” suggests that failure should be viewed not as a negative end point but as valuable information or a learning opportunity. When you experience failure, it provides insight into what went wrong, which you can use to adjust your approach, refine your methods, or gain a deeper understanding of the challenges. Instead of seeing failure as a defeat, you see it as a form of constructive criticism that helps guide you toward future success.

In essence, failure is a natural part of progress, teaching you what doesn’t work so that you can get closer to what does.

What can i do then with failure?

When you experience failure, you can turn it into a growth opportunity by taking the following steps:

Reflect and Analyze: Understand what went wrong by breaking down the situation. Identify the factors that contributed to the failure. Ask questions like: What did I overlook? What assumptions did I make? What could I have done differently?

Learn from It: Treat failure as a lesson. Look for the key takeaways that can help you improve. Each failure teaches something—whether it’s about your approach, your skills, or the environment you’re operating in.

Adjust Your Strategy: Use the feedback from the failure to make changes to your plans or methods. This might mean refining your goals, improving your skills, or trying a different approach.

Stay Resilient: Failure can be discouraging, but it’s important to maintain a positive attitude and persistence. Resilience helps you bounce back from setbacks and keeps you moving forward toward your goals.

Apply the Lessons: Take what you’ve learned and apply it in your next attempt. Each iteration will bring you closer to success, as long as you continuously refine your process based on feedback from failure.

Embrace a Growth Mindset: Viewing failure as part of the learning process fosters a growth mindset, where you see abilities and intelligence as qualities that can be developed through effort, practice, and persistence.
Failure, in this sense, becomes a stepping stone, helping you progress toward success.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities.

Visit www.dennisroberts.com.au

10 Tips for Spiritual Living

… focus on cultivating mindfulness, inner peace, and alignment with personal values. Here’s a summary:

Practice Surrender: Let go of the need to control outcomes and trust in life’s natural flow.

Stay Present: Focus on the present instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

Cultivate Stillness: Take moments of solitude to connect with your higher self and intuition.

Honor Your Authenticity: Live true to yourself, aligned with your values and beliefs.

Express Gratitude Daily: Acknowledge and appreciate the things that matter most to you.

Practice Non-Judgment: Treat yourself and others with compassion and understanding.

Set Boundaries: Protect your well-being by establishing healthy limits in relationships.

Stay Grounded: Connect with the Earth’s energy through mindful activities like walking barefoot or gardening.

Embrace Change: See change as an opportunity for learning and transformation.

Seek Inner Peace: Use practices like meditation, yoga, and mindful breathing to cultivate peace.

These tips encourage self-awareness, acceptance, and intentional living. Do any of these resonate with your personal journey or goals?

About the author
Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities.

Visit www.dennisroberts.com.au

What is the most lucrative niche to be a coach?

The most lucrative coaching niches typically cater to high-demand areas where clients are willing to invest significantly in their personal or professional development. Here are a few of the most profitable niches in coaching:

  1. Executive/Leadership Coaching
    • Target Audience: Senior executives, business leaders, and entrepreneurs.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Organizations and individuals are willing to pay high fees for leadership development and improving business outcomes. It helps leaders enhance their decision-making, communication, and management skills, directly impacting company performance.
  2. Business Coaching
    • Target Audience: Small business owners, startups, and entrepreneurs.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Business owners seek coaches to help scale, optimize operations, improve marketing, or increase profitability. Business growth is directly tied to financial success, making clients eager to invest.
  3. Career Coaching
    • Target Audience: Mid-level professionals, career changers, and job seekers.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Professionals aiming for a promotion, career shift, or improved job satisfaction are willing to pay for tailored advice and strategies. Career transitions can mean significant pay increases, making coaching services highly valuable.
  4. Health and Wellness Coaching
    • Target Audience: Individuals seeking to improve physical or mental health.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: With growing awareness around physical and mental well-being, individuals are increasingly investing in health coaches for weight loss, fitness, stress management, and overall wellness.
  5. Life Coaching for High Net-Worth Individuals
    • Target Audience: Wealthy individuals seeking personal fulfillment, balance, or life transformation.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: High-income clients value personalized coaching to help them achieve greater balance, purpose, or personal growth, often paying premium rates for tailored support.
  6. Sales Coaching
    • Target Audience: Sales professionals, teams, and business owners.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Companies and individuals are willing to pay for sales training that boosts revenue and performance. This niche often involves ongoing contracts with companies.
  7. Relationship/Marriage Coaching
    • Target Audience: Couples and individuals seeking to improve relationships.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Clients often view relationship success as critical to life satisfaction. The deeply personal nature of this niche can lead to long-term coaching relationships with high fees.
  8. Financial Coaching
    • Target Audience: Individuals wanting to improve their financial health.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: Clients are willing to invest in coaches who can help them manage debt, build wealth, or plan for financial freedom, especially as financial success often leads to improved quality of life.
  9. Mindset and Performance Coaching
    • Target Audience: High achievers such as athletes, executives, and creatives.
    • Why It’s Lucrative: High performers are eager to pay for coaching that helps them overcome mental blocks and reach peak performance. These clients often come from industries where performance equates to financial gain.

Each of these niches appeals to clients with a high willingness to invest in coaching services, providing an opportunity for coaches to charge premium fees based on the value they provide.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities.

Visit www.dennisroberts.com.au

What are the key features of 360 diagnostic tool

The 360 Diagnostic (often referred to as a 360-degree diagnostic or assessment) is a feedback tool used in professional development and organizational settings to provide a holistic evaluation of an individual or organization. It gathers insights from a range of sources, including supervisors, peers, direct reports, and sometimes customers. The goal is to help individuals gain a well-rounded perspective of their strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

Key Features of a 360 Diagnostic:

  1. Multi-Rater Feedback:
    • Feedback is collected from multiple sources or raters, including managers, peers, direct reports, and sometimes external stakeholders.
    • This diverse feedback provides a more balanced and comprehensive view compared to traditional top-down evaluations.
  2. Self-Assessment:
    • Along with receiving feedback from others, the individual also completes a self-assessment.
    • This allows for comparisons between how they perceive themselves and how others perceive their performance or behavior.
  3. Comprehensive Feedback Categories:
    • Feedback typically covers various aspects such as leadership, communication, collaboration, emotional intelligence, decision-making, and other key competencies relevant to the role or organization.
  4. Anonymity of Responses:
    • To encourage honest and candid feedback, responses from peers and subordinates are usually kept anonymous.
    • This helps reduce bias and fear of repercussion.
  5. Developmental Focus:
    • The primary aim is not to judge but to identify areas for growth and improvement.
    • Results are often used to create personal development plans or performance enhancement strategies.
  6. Quantitative and Qualitative Data:
    • 360 diagnostics combine numeric ratings (e.g., rating scales for specific competencies) and qualitative comments (open-ended feedback).
    • This blend provides both measurable insights and richer, descriptive feedback.
  7. Customized to Role and Organization:
    • Assessments are often tailored to the specific competencies required for the role or the organizational culture and values.
    • This makes the feedback more relevant and actionable.
  8. Visual Reports:
    • The feedback is often presented in a user-friendly format with visual aids like graphs, charts, and summaries, making it easier to digest the data.
  9. Actionable Insights:
    • The feedback is designed to be constructive, providing clear direction for professional development.
    • This often includes recommendations for training, coaching, or targeted development programs.
  10. Follow-up and Continuous Improvement:
    • After the assessment, some organizations schedule follow-up assessments to track progress and measure improvements over time.

The 360 diagnostic is commonly used for leadership development, performance appraisals, and enhancing team dynamics.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities. Visit www.coachpro.com.au

What are the top 5 coaching skills?

The top five coaching skills that are essential for effective coaching include:

  1. Active Listening
    This involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the client is saying. Active listening helps build trust and encourages open communication.
  2. Powerful Questioning
    Asking open-ended, thought-provoking questions helps clients reflect, gain clarity, and explore their challenges and goals deeply. It stimulates self-discovery and promotes critical thinking.
  3. Empathy
    The ability to understand and relate to a client’s feelings and perspectives allows coaches to create a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Empathy builds rapport and trust.
  4. Goal Setting
    Helping clients define clear, achievable, and measurable goals is a crucial part of coaching. Effective goal setting involves aligning the client’s values and motivations with their desired outcomes.
  5. Providing Feedback
    Offering constructive, unbiased feedback helps clients recognize blind spots and areas for growth. Effective feedback is timely, specific, and focused on actions and behaviors rather than personal traits.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities. Visit www.coachpro.com.au

The five secrets to active listening

The five secrets to active listening are often regarded as essential skills to truly engage with and understand others during communication. Here’s a breakdown:

  1. Pay Full Attention: Give the speaker your undivided focus. This means eliminating distractions (e.g., phones, multitasking) and maintaining eye contact to show you’re fully present. It helps convey that you value what the speaker is saying.
  2. Reflect Back What You’ve Heard: Paraphrasing or summarizing what the speaker has said shows that you understand their message. You can use phrases like, “So what you’re saying is…” or “It sounds like you’re feeling…” This confirms understanding and clarifies any potential confusion.
  3. Avoid Interrupting: Let the speaker express themselves fully without cutting them off. Interruptions can signal that you’re more focused on your response than their message. Practice patience, and allow the speaker to complete their thought.
  4. Show Empathy: Respond not just to the words, but to the emotions behind them. Acknowledge the speaker’s feelings, and validate their perspective, even if you don’t agree with it. Phrases like “I can understand why you feel that way” can help create connection and trust.
  5. Ask Open-Ended Questions: Encourage deeper conversation by asking questions that invite elaboration. Instead of yes/no questions, ask “How did that make you feel?” or “What do you think about…?” This shows curiosity and engagement in what the speaker is saying.

These practices enhance connection, build trust, and foster better communication in personal and professional settings.

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities. Visit www.coachpro.com.au

The keys to improving your performance

When your financial rewards are performance based, you are confronted with a major challenge – How do you lift and sustain your performance levels?

As a real estate professional, you have to contend with  variables such as increasing competition for listings, margin squeeze, unrealistic reserve prices and mounting pressure to work around the clock and more. Yet, whilst they are valid concerns these issues are business issues and not true performance issues.

End Goals v Performance Goals

When setting goals many miss the fundamental distinction between End Goals and Performance Goals.

End Goals are the outcomes or results you achieve from doing something, for example sales turnover, commission fees, clearance rates, profit margin are all End Goals. They are measured ex post facto (after the fact). They are also known as lag indicators. End Goals are the rewards or the carrots that motivate you to achieve them.

Performance Goals, on the other hand, are the drivers that get you the results. For example,  property listings, outbound calls, open days, number of prospects, word or mouth referrals. This is where the hard yards are done. Your performance incentive schemes must incorporate these measures to encourage the right behaviour. Measurement of these lead indicators will give you predictive measures of future success. Success is the cumulative effect of doing the little things day-by-day.

“Performance Goals are the cause,
End Goals are the effect.”

Lead and Lag indicators form an integral part of what Harvard academics, Kaplan and Norton, call a Balanced Scorecard. Many of the larger real estate franchise groups use Balanced Scorecard measures, as do large corporations. They are equally applicable to small firms and are essential to driving performance to higher levels.

What drives Performance?

So, if performance drives results, what drives performance?

Two things drive performance:
– Skill (the learned knowledge of how to do a task), and
– Behaviour (the making of a conscious/subconscious choice)

To determine which you are dealing with ask yourself the question – Does this person know how or what to do? If the answer is yes, then as they have the skill and it’s likely to be a behavioural issue. If they answer no, then a training solution may be appropriate. With a well-trained sales professional I’d be betting on behaviours most of the time.

Behaviour is about choice. Given the circumstances, what choice did you make? Ok, so sometimes you make a good choice and sometimes you don’t. I’ll leave it for you to judge what is good and bad. In the process consider:

  1. Did I make a conscious choice? and
  2. Do I accept the consequences of my choices?

The one unescapable fact of life is that you will make mistakes and that’s ok. Just learn your lessons and don’t make them twice! Having said that, there does come a time where if you have a performer that just doesn’t cut it, then this is a great model to manage a poor performer.

I’ll assume you know what it takes to be successful. So, we have the skills. Let’s explore your behaviour. Aha, let me get this clear, you know what you need to do but you didn’t do it? Houston, we have a problem! What we may have here is a self-defeating behaviour. Short of surgical removing your frontal lobes what I’d suggest is that we explore what choice you made. By merely raising it to your conscious awareness we now empower you to, you guessed it, make a choice.

The Secrets to my Success

We enact our behaviour. Often we do so subconsciously. That’s why I emphasise making conscious choices to start. Most of us can relate to making the same mistakes. You know the one – the negative patterns we fall for over and over again. We repeat these behaviours because we have relegated them into our subconscious – the realm of our autopilot.

Yes, behaviours do run in patterns because you have essentially programmed them into your subconscious.

Now, for the good news!

These behavioural patterns apply to your positive behaviours too! You have your own unique DNA formula for your successes in life. Just as you repeat the same negative behaviours that cause you dysfunctional, the opposite is also true. You repeat your successful choices, as subconscious patterns,  too.

Isn’t it about time you balanced the ledger and paid attention to the good decisions you are making? If you can unlock and understand what works for you, imagine what you may begin to achieve in your life. You can have anything.

I encourage you to read up on Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) for it is the study of how to unlock your patterns of success. It is the basis of Anthony Robbins works a well as most personal development gurus. It is a must read topic.

Most business coaches rely upon a key principal of performance measurement. And to let you in on there secret, here it is:

“The very act of measuring something focuses
your energy and attention on it. You cannot help
but improve your performance.”

When you have clearly set goals, objective performance measures, regular performance reviews and take consistent actions to towards your goals you have an empowered model for sustainable performance improvement.

I’ll leave with these words of wisdom – if you accept that the universal Law of Abundance does prevail and you can have anything you want, there is really only one question to ask yourself – what do you want?

About the author

Dennis Roberts is a personal coach, small business mentor and founder of CoachPRO – The Coaching Professionals. His work has won critical acclaim in both the academic and business communities. Visit www.coachpro.com.au