Christi Davis Coaching

I remember my first real wake up call as a mom.  My sweet little baby was maybe 3 weeks old.  My mom had gone home, and my husband and I were both back in school full time.  My little bundle of joy would only sleep if she was in physical contact with me, and insisted on eating every two hours, around the clock. One night, in the middle of the night, I lost it.  My baby was wide awake, and I desperately needed sleep.  I panicked, and for the first time I understood why a parent would want to shake a baby.  It scared me.   I started sobbing, wondering what in the HECK was wrong with me!  I was obviously not qualified to be a mother. Thankfully, I had a husband who was willing and able to take a night shift.  I left the baby crying in the front room and went to wake him up, explaining that I was in no condition to take care of another human. After a few hours of sleep, and after the panic had worn off, I spent some time ponder...

Yesterday I was listening to my mentor, Brooke Castillo, as she was coaching someone.  She was trying to help them see that feeling love is always an option.  Intellectually, I know this to be true.  Since feelings are always created by thoughts, I believe that I can feel love any time I choose a thought that creates the emotion of love. Brooke said that she often chooses to think the thought "I love her," even when her brain initially tries to offer her a different thought. I thought that was interesting enough that I wanted to test it out.  Usually I wait for someone to DO something that I love, and THEN I think the thought "I love her."   I decided to try it the other way around. So when my sister called later that day and my brain thought "I wonder why she's calling?"  I consciously chose to think "I love her."  And when I did, my body was immediately filled with a warm, full feeling.  That is what love feels like to me.  It work...

I remember being in a yoga class a few years ago.  I had been attending regularly, so I was feeling strong and capable.  I was rocking the yoga pants and tank top, and even had my own fancy mat.  I felt like a real yogi. After one particularly satisfying downward dog, I looked up and caught a glimpse in the mirror.  The first person I saw was young and thin.  Her lines were straight and steady.  She looked just like you would expect a yogi to look. The second person I saw was a less-than-thin, middle aged lady.  Her messy bun was not the cute kind, and her pose looked a little awkward and strained. I realized with a little surprise that the second lady was me!  In my mind I looked just like the cute younger girl next to me, but the mirror said otherwise.  HA! I had a choice to make.  Should I let that image discourage me?  Should I use it as evidence that I wasn't as good as the girl next to me?  Should I choose to ...

Going to the post office is not usually my favorite.  But I had postponed mailing my nephew’s birthday card so long that I was left with no choice today.  I was out of stamps, and it needed to go out today in order to arrive on time. I stood in line and waited, and finally got called up by the big, jolly guy at the first window.  I always love a “job enjoyer,” and he seemed to genuinely enjoy what he was doing.  He showed me all of the stamp options, and I picked the colorful popsicle ones.  He seemed pleased with my choice. “Those ones are even scratch and sniff!” He announced, with a big grin.  What a bonus! With my transaction completed, I waited for my receipt.  As I was packing my stamps into my purse, the jolly guy couldn’t hold in a giggle.  “You’re going to be sniffing those pretty soon!” he predicted.  My response of “You know I will!”  turned his giggle into more...

A few weeks ago, I was having a rough day.  You know those days where you have the BEST of plans, and nothing seems to go like you thought it would?  It was one of those days. I had a long list of things that I was excited to get done, and it just wasn't happening.  One of the kids had stayed home from school sick, and needed some attention.  One of the teenagers was home at lunch time, and was in the rare mood to chat.  Some things came up with my church calling that needed my attention.  The hours were ticking by, and nothing on my list was getting crossed off. Now, since I know that I get to choose my thoughts and feelings, I kept trying to tell myself that this was not a problem!  These were all good things that were demanding my attention.  A to-do list is never more important than people.  Those things on my list will still be there tomorrow.  I kept telling myself that there was no need to be irritated or frustrated. It ...

I've seen this quote all over social media this week, and I love it.  I believe wholeheartedly that light and love are the solution to the conflicts in our world. I also believe that they are the solution to the conflicts in our homes, and even the ones within ourselves. Right now in my home, we are in a stage of conflict.  Two of my little boys are going through a stage where they fight ALL. THE. TIME.  It's like they would rather be fighting with each other than doing anything else!  Of course they try to involve me in it.  They would like me to be a referee all day long. My knee-jerk reaction is to try to discipline the fighting right out of them.  Time outs, extra chores, stern voices and threats. But the problem is... "mean-ness" will never drive out "mean-ness."  What this situation needs is more light and more love.  I am finding that the more time I spend engaging in play with them, the less they are interested in fi...

Think about how you talk to your little ones when they are learning something new, like learning to swim.  "Good job!  I can see you trying so hard!  You're so strong.. you'll get it!  I'm so proud of you!" Now think about how you talk to yourself when you are learning something, like how to be a mom.  Or how to have more patience.  Or how to balance all the things you have going on.  "What is wrong with me?  I'm not making any progress.  Everyone else seems to be doing this better than me." What if we talked to our kids the way we talked to ourselves?  We would squash the confidence and the love of life right out of them!  That would be so sad! Everybody responds better to praise and encouragement than they do to criticism.  That includes YOU!  Why do we think we are going improve by beating ourselves up?  That harsh voice inside our heads is likely to squash the confidence and love of life right out of us!...

Joy is an emotion.  That means it's created by our thoughts.  That is great news!  We don't have to wait for anyone or anything to change.  We can choose to create JOY right now! I create JOY by choosing not to feel too busy.  I like to plan time in my day for pondering and planning.  Time for enjoying the sun on my skin and noticing the little details in nature.   I create JOY by loving people as they are.  When I focus on who I think my kids should be , or my husband... or the lady in the front office of the school... I just feel frustrated. Then I'm critical and impatient with them, and I end up not being who I want to be.  We all feel better when I decide to love and enjoy them exactly as they are right now. I create JOY by being patient with myself, and by choosing to see myself with an eye of faith.  I know I'm not anywhere near perfect, and that's ok.  I love myself anyway, just as I am righ...

If you know me personally, you might be surprised to hear that.  Let me tell you how I came up with it. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to my sister that I was in the market for a new hairstyle.  She smirked and answered,  “I feel like you’re always in the market for a new hairstyle.  You’ve never really nailed it.” As I thought about it, it’s totally true!  I’ve never really had a hairstyle that I loved.  And yet, looking back on pictures, I think most of my past hairstyles were nice;  I just never really love the one I have. I realized that I have been expecting too much from a hairstyle. I have had this subconscious idea that if I found the right hairstyle, I would be magically transformed into someone cuter and more fashionable.  It sounds ridiculous when I say it out loud!  So of course every time I go to get my hair cut, I come away disappointed. It’s always st...

I love the lessons I can learn from kids. This guy was working on the skill of buttoning his own white shirt.  As you can see, he hadn't quite mastered it yet...  but that didn't stop him from feeling really proud of his efforts! Every time he pushed through the frustration and got another button done, he considered it a pretty major success! What if we all did that?  What if, instead of thinking "I yelled at my kids twice today, I'm the worst!" we decided to think "I didn't yell at my kids 19 times today when I could have!  Good job me!" Wouldn't that feel so much better?  Wouldn't being the mom be so much more fun if we felt successful at it?  Did you know it's an option to feel successful right now ? I think we subconsciously believe that we need to beat ourselves up so that we will do better next time.  What if that is backwards? We would never tell this cute little guy "You're the worst.  Ye...

This morning I sat at my kitchen table, looking out the window at the pecan tree.  It’s  massive , and its branches shade a huge portion of my back yard.  This time of year the branches are starting to hang a little lower, heavy with nuts. I sat thinking what a miracle it is that trees just know how to make fruit!  I don’t have to do anything to make sure the pecan tree makes pecans, or that the peach tree makes peaches.  I provide the soil and some water, and they just do their thing. And they do it beautifully!  I just get to enjoy the fruit.  The world is a better place because there are peaches and pecans in it! I feel like people are the same way. We were each born with amazing and unique potential, and the world needs what each person has to offer.  My job as a coach is just to provide a little soil and water- to help people choose the thoughts that will allow them to be the person they we...

This group of ladies may not look like what you imagine a battalion to be, but let me explain: Not long ago, President Russel M Nelson (prophet and president of  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints  ) spoke to all the youth of the church in a worldwide devotional. He talked about how the youth have been sent to earth at this time for a very specific purpose, and they have an important job to do.  As I listened, I totally caught his vision and his enthusiasm!  I was ready to "enlist" to be in what he called the "youth battalion." In my prayers that night I told Heavenly Father how excited I was.  I told him that I want to be in the youth battalion!  Immediately I had a thought come clearly and calmly into my mind that said "You are a part of my women's battalion." Oh my gosh!  I had never thought of it that way!  Of course there would be a women's battalion!  And I have already enlisted! I believe that now, perhaps...

Recently I had to reset my phone, and everything went back to the original default settings.  I have spent the last few days trying to customize my phone again- putting my own pictures on the screen, finding the ringtones that I prefer, getting the displays to look just right.  Without taking the time to personalize my settings, my phone just doesn't feel like my phone. It just feels like a phone . Our brains have "default settings" too!  We have thoughts that we have been thinking for so long, that we sometimes don't even know they're optional! "I'm not good enough.   I'm not doing enough." "I'm pretty ordinary.  Nothing special." "I can't function with a messy house." "My life isn't where I  thought it would be at this point." Did you know that all of those thoughts are completely optional??  Those (or other negative thoughts) may be running around unchallenged in your brain because you...

Don’t you sometimes wish you had a quarter for every little question you answer during the day? How many more days to my birthday? How many teeth do sharks have? How long does it take to count to a million? Who would win in a battle between a ninja and spiderman? Why does it look like you still have a baby in your tummy? One time my four year old asked me “Do scientists have smoke coming out of their ears that smells like toast?”   HUH???  How do I even begin to answer that? While sometimes I feel like I might just explode if I have to answer one more question, the truth is that asking questions is a healthy and important part of a child’s brain development.  Even as adults… our brains love to answer questions!  One of the brain’s main functions is to find answers to questions and solutions to problems.  Our brains will either find evidence or create evidence for anything we tell them to look for. That is...

Not long ago I was having a discussion with a dear friend about different "gifts" that we read about in the scriptures.  I mentioned how, with so many health issues in my extended family,  I wish I had the gift of healing. My friend seemed surprised at my wish.  She said "But you DO have the gift of healing!  Your healing is through words."  She told me how some of the conversations we have had have helped her to think about things in new ways.  Those thoughts have helped her find healing and peace in her life. I do have that gift.  And I find so much joy and fulfillment in helping to guide others to a place of joy and peace in their lives.  I'm grateful for my gift. I love the truth that we each have something unique and valuable to give.  And the world needs what each of us has to offer! Her words were a gift to me. Christi

Every year, instead of a long list of New Years Resolutions, (which I tend to forget,) I like to pick just one word to focus on.  This year the word I picked is  ALIVE. When I picked it, I envisioned myself saying yes to more things.  Living bigger!  Enjoying the moment.    I envisioned being healthier and more energetic.  Laughing more.  Being more curious and more spontaneous.  Feeling the sun on my face and the wind in my hair... that sort of thing. I love the way that vision makes me feel!  Just by thinking "I'm ALIVE !"  I can summon all of those feelings of freedom and energy and wonder! I started off the year with a bang , too!  My first step into the world of living bigger and saying yes to more things came on New Years Eve.  I decided to wear silver stretchy pants and sequin high heels to the family New Years Eve party!  I'll spare you the picture, but my outfit was a big hit!  My five ye...