This Very Moment

This Very Moment is a collection of essays by author, executive coach and leadership development expert Andrea Chilcote. Many of them have appeared as blog posts on erikshope.wordpress.com or thespiritedwoman.com. The central theme of this collection is relationship. Each builds upon the relationships we enjoy with ourselves, with key others and our animal companions, as well as that oh-so-important relationship we have with time – the present moment at hand – as that is where the magic of a purposeful life begins. The book offers insights from Andrea’s life and work. She shares true stories from her daily interactions with family, friends, clients and colleagues to help others along the way. Each piece invites reflection from the reader, and includes space to make this a personal journal. The common denominator that defines Andrea’s work is the connection we have or seek, and connection is a primal need. That’s why there’s so much distress in organizations when personal agendas and misplaced hierarchical boundaries trump inclusion and collaboration. It’s why, in one-on-one relationships, we seek to be heard and understood first and foremost. The basis of trust is the feeling that one is safe with the other – and trust is required for engagement of any kind. Perhaps most important is a connection with ourselves; an eyes-wide-open type of awareness that stems from honest self-examination and leads to two things: a state of being called “settled in self,” as well as on-purpose action. Andrea created this collection to spark readers’ own insights, and encourage them to share their own stories and reflections to spread the spirit of connection among all of us.