Mark’s Own Personal Development Journey

Mark is a passionate, life-long learner. He became passionate about personal growth and the inner-workings of the mind early in life. In pursing his own journey to fulfillment, he has read and studied centuries of thought on the human spirit, the mind, religions of the world, self-awareness and personal growth.

He has gleaned ideas from many masters, distilled them, and conducted his own introspection and work in self-development. Through his intensive work, he successfully brought about change in himself.

For over 20 years Mark has been on a personal mission is to help uncover the roadmap for clients to become the person they are committed to become.

Winter skiing near his home in Lake Tahoe Winter.

Winter skiing near his home in Lake Tahoe.

Uniquely Mark

Bike

In warm weather, Mark gets out on his bike.


Clients value Mark for his exceptional ability to quickly identify psychological barriers.
They find that his flexibility and adaptability allow him to successfully coach them no matter what their learning style.

Mark guides clients in evaluating and examining their belief systems to determine their relevance, if any, to where they are today. As an insightful observer, Mark pinpoints where in the change process a client is and adapts the coaching program to help them overcome barriers in moving forward.

Over 700 clients have experienced Mark’s one-on-one coaching. That’s over 20,000 hours of coaching.

Core Values

Values provide guidance, direction, meaning and purpose in life.

By understanding and living in integrity with your values, you start to understand “Who am I?”

Here are Mark’s personal values in his words.

Integrity – I am committed to living a life of Integrity by honoring and managing the integrity of my thoughts, words and actions. I treat integrity as my only option because, in the end, it is. Integrity enables me to be in alignment with my life’s values and purpose.

A man is literally what he thinks,
his character being the complete sum of all his thoughts.
– James Allen

Integrity is the internal compass that provides us with guidance and direction in assisting us along our path of life.

Integrity is present and weaves its way through all of life.

Without integrity nothing works. One’s life will not work and falls apart without integrity.

Integrity is everything. It is the foundation, the fabric that keeps everything together.

Integrity is being congruent with my thoughts, words and actions – ‘walking my talk’. Integrity is saying what I mean and doing what I say.

Integrity is living into my values.

I am committed to honoring and managing the integrity of my word into the future, by being my word in action.

I am either strengthening the integrity of my word or I am weakening the integrity of my word.

Integrity is the means by which I create my life by being whole and complete.

I treat Integrity as if it is the only option, as in the final analysis, it is.

Integrity is based inside human consciousness and emanates from the heart.

Integrity is more than telling the truth. It is the body and soul of dignity, values, compassion, honesty and all that is good.

Integrity aligns my heart and mind with the essence of nature’s laws.

Integrity elevates and builds people whereas a lack of integrity diminishes one’s self-worth, value, image and confidence

This is truly a profound way to live.

Authenticity – I bring my authentic self to the world. Being authentic allows me to know myself, by being open, honest, truthful, transparent, vulnerable, genuine, real and sincere.

“This above all: to thine own self be true.”
– William Shakespeare

Authenticity is bringing forth my true self by being genuine and honest with myself, owning my vulnerabilities and accepting my humanness.

Being authentic is living my life to the ‘beat of my own drum’ and being in alignment with my life’s values and purpose.

Being open, transparent, vulnerable and courageous in self-disclosing and sharing with others who I am.

Being authentic allows me to know myself.

Ongoingly living my life in alignment with my personal core values.

50 ways to improve your Authenticity quotient
From “Authenticity” by George and Sedena Cappannelli

1. Do whatever you do as if it were the most important thing you will ever do.
2. Love yourself, love what you do, love who you do it with.
3. Follow your passion and your heart with courage and commitment.
4. Trust in your Higher Power or spiritual connection.
5. Exercise your creativity in all that you do.
6. Trust yourself and others.
7. Seek to leave every circumstance and person better than when you encounter them.
8. Laugh more often and out loud.
9. Play more—with your children, friends, family, co-workers, and yourself.
10. Seek ways to be of service to life.
11. Allow yourself to make mistakes.
12. Express your concern for others.
13. Compliment and acknowledge others and yourself often.
14. Say yes to life, new experience, and new challenges often.
15. Be compassionate to others and to yourself.
16. Be grateful for all experiences, events and experiences in your world daily.
17. Practice open and honest communication.
18. Look for the primary learning in everything you do.
19. Lead by example.
20. Look for things to celebrate everyday in all aspects of your life.
21. Practice empathy and forgiveness.
22. Take a lot more risks.
23. Learn to listen to others and to yourself.
24. Stop procrastinating.
25. Ask others what they need and then do what you can to serve those needs.
26. Develop greater self-discipline.
27. Seek to understand, not to defend.
28. Be generous—with your time, you ideas, your energy, your resources.
29. Speak your truth with sensitivity.
30. Seek alignment with your truth above acceptance by others.
31. Learn the differences between knowing and believing.
32. Set good boundaries.
33. Express anonymous acts of kindness and generosity.
34. Mentor others whenever possible.
35. Give without fear of consequences or expectation of reward.
36. Support vulnerable beginnings-ideas, efforts, risks.
37. Do something just for fun every day.
38. Acknowledge others.
39. Contribute to the well-being of your community.
40. Experiment with new behaviors and ideas.
41. Honor the earth and all life forms.
42. Be vulnerable.
43. Practice all things with a beginners mind.
44. Share what you know and admit what you do not.
45. Pay attention to your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs.
46. Express your love more frequently and fully.
47. Be grateful for every opportunity, experience, object, and person in your life.
48. View life as a school from which you never graduate.
49. Trust in the goodness of life.
50. Live each day as if it were your last day on earth.

Compassion – The essence of my coaching is from a place of compassion. My compassion comes from the heart by being kind, sensitive, empathetic and caring in understanding my own and others’ internal suffering, pain, hardships and struggles. Being compassionate in my listening allows me to be thoughtful, empathetic and respectful.

I learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how you made them feel.
– Maya Angelou

The essence of my coaching is generated from a place of compassion.

Compassion comes from the heart by being kind, sensitive, empathetic and caring in understanding my own and others’ internal suffering, pain, hardships and struggles.

Being compassionate in my listening allows me to be thoughtful, empathetic and respectful.

The same qualities of Authentic Love are applicable to Compassion.

Courage – My commitment is to have integrity with myself and others, live up to these values, accept and welcome change into my life, release negativity, hold myself to the highest standards, act as role model to others, and face my fears head on. I exercise courage in my willingness to relinquish the familiar, step into the unknown, take a risk without knowing the outcome and take a stand for what I believe in.

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak;
courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
– Winston Churchill

Being and doing what is integral for me.

Willingness to relinquish the familiar, step into the unknown, take a risk without knowing the outcome and take a stand for what I believe in.

This requires confidence, belief and a willingness to flourish in the face of the unknown/unfamiliar.

Having the will, self-discipline and commitment to follow through on my actions to completion.

Being bold and unreasonable by asking more of myself than I ask of others.

“Courage” is my commitment to having integrity with myself and others, living up to these values, accepting and welcoming change into my life, releasing negativity, holding myself to the highest standards, acting as role model to others, and facing my fears head on.

Truthfulness – I authentically express myself with honesty and not withholding. Being open, transparent, vulnerable and courageous in self-disclosing and sharing with others who I am.

Truth will ultimately prevail where there is pains to bring it to light.
– George Washington

Truthfulness is authentically expressing and self-disclosing with honesty and not withholding.

Truthfulness is being open and sincere with no disguise or secrets and sharing my truth with love, compassion, kindness, understanding, empathy and humility.

Truthfulness is listening to the inner voice and acting in accordance with one’s conscience.

Truthfulness is honestly and accurately sharing facts, reality or “what is”, with no distortion, embellishment, exaggeration, fabrication, falsification or lying.

Truthfulness is never lying or pretending – lying destroys and is destructive.

Truthfulness resides in my heart.

Truthfulness is:

  • humble and honest
  • candid and compassionate
  • respectful in how the conversation is delivered
  • being visible and transparent
  • sharing truth in a loving manner, compassionately with sensitivity and completeness [wholeness]
  • found and experienced in silence

Trust – I am congruent and in alignment with my thoughts, words and actions through my commitments, promises and agreements. The degree to which I trust myself is the degree that others trust me and that life opens up for me. I build trust by expressing myself authentically by sharing my weaknesses, doubts, vulnerabilities, feelings, values and purpose with others, which builds connectedness, relatedness and rapport.

“Without trust the leader cannot function”
– Warren Bennis

Integrity is the basis of Trust.

Trust is created by being congruent, impeccable and in alignment with my thoughts, words and actions – commitments, promises and agreements.

Trust is the emotional foundation that bonds followers and leaders together. It cannot be purchased or mandated – it must be earned.

Trust, based on my personal integrity, is the foundation of all my relationships.

By expressing myself authentically by sharing my weaknesses, doubts, vulnerabilities, feelings, values and purpose with others builds connectedness, relatedness and rapport which ultimately creates and builds trust.

Trust results in being able to share the inner most thoughts of my being with another individual knowing that he or she would not abuse the openness.

Building trust takes time, commitment, patience and respect for others

Building trust is as simple as making commitments, promises and agreements and keeping them with myself and others.

To build trust I must be positive, seek feedback, listen attentively, be open, vulnerable and supportive of others.

Trust must be earned and maintained by being believable, reliable, dependable and accountable.

To the degree that I trust myself (self-trust) is the degree that others trust me and that life opens up for me.

The leader inspires trust – the manager relies on control.

Trust is built by empowering and inspiring others to recognize and realize their full potential.

Secrecy is the enemy of trust.

Building Trusting Relationships:

  • To earn trust I must be a man of my word and character
  • Trust is built by helping others with a selfless attitude
  • By being truly authentic
  • By honoring my commitments with myself and others
  • Making sure my motives are pure and in alignment with my values
  • By treating and valuing others with respect and dignity
  • Being in integrity with myself and others
  • Being honest in all my interactions
  • Expressing confidence and provide others the opportunity to be responsible and succeed in their role and learn from their challenges.

Personal Development & Human Potential – I am committed to constantly bringing forth change within myself by striving to be the highest expression of myself. As a student of life, I have devoted my entire adult life to inquiring, researching, experimenting and identifying psychological processes that bring forth change within myself. This work is a life-long journey of constantly placing myself in deep psychological inquiries to identify, evaluate, self-examine, self-reflect, analyze and review how to create and live an extraordinary, authentic life.

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”
– Jim Rohn

As a student of life I have devoted my entire adult life enquiring, researching, experimenting and identifying psychological processes to bring forth change within myself by striving to be the highest authentic expression of myself.

This is a life-long journey of constantly placing myself in deep psychological inquiries to identify, evaluate, self-examine, self-reflect, analyze and review how to create and live an extraordinary, authentic life.

Through my practical insights, experiences, learnings, knowings and understandings, this has enabled me to coach others how to reinvent and become the highest authentic expression of themselves.

Authentic Love – I express love through compassion, kindness, acceptance, patience, understanding, forgiveness, selflessness and humility. I commit to bring forth authentic love by having integrity, honesty, and truthfulness in living into my values.

“To love is to live and not to love is to have nothing to live for.”
– Eknath Easwaran

Understanding, forgiving and being free of selfishness.

When another person’s welfare means more to you than your own, only then can you say you love.

Love never asks what it can get, only what it can give.

Loving the unknown and be the space for the miraculous.

Freedom from needs, wants, cravings, appetites, addictions, likes and desires.
Being truly authentic

Having integrity, honesty, and truthfulness by living into one’s values and purpose.

Some of the qualities of Authentic Love are:

  • Acceptance
  • Beauty
  • Caring
  • Compassion, kindness and understanding
  • Contentment
  • Conviction and courage
  • Detached from the outcome
  • Fearlessness
  • Forgiveness
  • Free of judgment, criticism and gossip
  • Fulfillment
  • Gratitude
  • Harmlessness, boundlessness, limitlessness
  • Honesty
  • Humility
  • Inner peace
  • Integrity
  • Joy
  • Patience
  • Respect, dignity and empathy
  • Reverence for life
  • Selflessness
  • Sense of sacredness and holiness
  • Sensitivity
  • Trusting
  • Truthfulness
  • Unity, wholeness and oneness
BridgetMark_working

Mark with his wife, Bridget.

Contact Mark today to discuss a coaching partnership to transform your life.