Mark's Story of Life's Changes
Mark has learned firsthand, what it takes to dare to look at one's life, to look inward as well as outward, and to make changes to live the life of your dreams.
His life is full of years spent with people whose lives were devastated by their choices and inability to move beyond tough situations. He has also been inspired by the strength of amazing people to overcome adversity and move through changes to a better life.
He learned and lived what he now calls his iGPS: 8 Points and Principles for Change in creating the life one dreams. His Dancing on the River, Navigating Change book offers, in a workbook style, uniquely piercing and insightful questions he used to transform his own life. But it was not always so...
Change of View - and A View of Change
In the 1960s, times they were a'changin.
Newly minted criminal attorney and president of the San Francisco Young Democrats, Mark was part of social change shifting the face of America. Because of the social impact and high profile of his legal cases, Rolling Stone Magazine wrote about him in three different articles, in less than 18 months. During this time, the young attorney had a life-transforming experience.
He found himself in the company of a woman with a presence and depth of inner quiet and peace he had not before encountered. He realized that for all the 'worldly success' and accomplishments he enjoyed, it takes more for one to realize true equanimity and happiness. In subsequent years, Mark began his 30+ year lifelong commitment to make meditation and yoga part of his daily life.
Today, many corporate employees are finding themselves beginning mindfulness and meditation practices, as part of another social wave - a 'New Competitive Edge' moving through corporate America. And like them, Mark started and kept up his daily practice along with a busy social life, a successful law practice, a family to care for - which came to include 3 children - homes to care for in both Marin, California and in Kauai, Hawaii. He even found 'spare time' for hiking the trails of Hawaii and Marin and for his lifelong passion for playing music.
Riding the River of Change
Mark's life has been dedicated to helping people make changes to better their lives. On the large stage that has meant taking stands, even risky ones, for social change. He started helping those at very high risk as a criminal defense attorney.
Time after time he saw extreme examples of how a person's ability to make changes could have a positive or devastating impact in their lives. He spent years advising and counseling clients on how to turn their lives around, for the better and learned about the many kinds of obstacles that can keep one stuck on a downward spiral.
Eventually, he realized that he needed to work with those who have different challenges, yet more ability to make positive changes. This led to his first major career change, to representing clients suffering from physical injuries. He studied his injured clients and observed how some became stuck in damaged lives.
He also saw how others moved through their changed life circumstances, refusing to be limited in spirit or accomplishments. Again, Mark realized that the quality of life is directed by one's capacity to meet the unexpected changes that are part of daily living. Navigating changes, such as injury, can become a valuable life skill.
Changing Direction
In 2000, unable to ignore his own inner voice any longer, Mark took the year to consider making another career change to become an Executive Life Coach and Life Discovery Guide. He came to see that he had unconsciously been a Change Agent and Advocate his entire life and that it is the fabric of his own nature.
Mark really does know change; social changes. criminal justice system changes. quality of life changes. Indeed, this is what Mark had been creating for himself, iteration after iteration, through the blend of:
- Listening to his inner self.
- Working in a 'worldly life' as the field for inner skill development
- Facing the need to make changes
- Taking the steps to make it through the changes, to the other side-the positive side of change.
Conscious Change
Finally answering that inner call, to help others directly with living life to the fullest as a Life Coach and Life Discovery Guide, Mark made his career change in 2001. The lessons, insight, and reader work-pages with piercing, unique questions, are provided for you, in his book Dancing on the River: Navigating Life's Changes.
Fourteen years later, Mark is happier than ever living the life he dreamed. He continues his work to reach and inspire more people through radio interviews, blogs, a new book on Leadership, corporate training, keynote speeches -- and of course his passion - one-to-one life coaching and discovery.
