about

 I am Sam Ashford, a health coach in Memphis, Tennessee.

Welcome aboard! 

I realize my services are not for everyone. In fact, while I believe we all desire the best of health, in my experience there is a great difference of opinion on what that means, and how we get there.

If you are among the few with whom my approach resonates, I look forward to offering my lessons learned in life, and the best ways I've found to secure and maintain wellness. 

Below are what I consider to be the pillars of my approach. Please read these first. If these strike a chord with you, and you're interested, continue on with the other pages in the services tab. When you're ready to sign up, just look go to the sign-up page.

EMPOWER YOURSELF, EMPOWER OTHERS

Highest on my agenda is free agency and belonging. These could be viewed as opposites, but I do not. Together, they lead to growth through individual and mutual empowerment. Individuals are endowed with natural talents, but when combined with the talents of others within a team they help create an environment of lifelong growth for everyone involved.

KNOW THYSELF

Individual care is key. I use the term care because as humans we thrive in an environment of needs fulfillment. In my experience we spend far too much time on individual amusements and excess of comforts, not on individual needs. Our bodies and minds require needs to be met in order for optimal health and happiness. They do not require luxury and amusement. When we ignore self care and fulfillment of real needs, especially when displaced by things non-essential to life, we suffer needlessly. This is self-imposed suffering, often masked as fun, but in fact is self-destructive. While play is an essential need for humans, tilting the scales in favor of endless amusement at the cost of personal care not only deprives us of the value we could be adding to our own lives, but the value we are withholding from everyone who could benefit from the best version of ourselves.

So what gives? How can we know the difference, and figure out what serves our own self care and well-being, and what is really a liability and dead weight for us?

Some are easier to determine than others. It's rather easy to know that procrastinating over doing a needed task is taking place due to lack of self-control in watching a show on Netflix. Not hard to spot.

But a deep dive into personal inventory of one's life, carefully examining the long-term trajectory of where I am now, where I've been, and where I dream to be... this is not always so obvious and easy. 

Doing the work of truly knowing yourself may be second nature to you, and no mystery. It is not so easy for some. Whatever the case, having a firm grasp on your identity is crucial to making the most of your time on the blue ball. So we'll spend some time on this one.

Remember: you can do anything, but not everything. Let's find out what you were built for.

WORK

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, let me help.

It will be simple, but not easy.

We like things to be easy. We like having plenty of everything.

SUBTRACTION

Get used to cutting out instead of piling on. More times than not we are simply stretched too thin. My approach is about cutting away what is not the sculpture, and letting the work of art emerge over time. My philosophy is quite simple: we spend much of our lives in the pursuit of accumulating things instead of wisely choosing and curating along the way. Let's learn to write a story that is truly ours, instead of acquiring or adopting everything in our paths. Cut away what does not serve life, and help your story emerge.

LEADERSHIP

Leadership is happening all the time.

As your coach, I have a limited role as a leader.

I am no guru.

My job is to train, not possess authority.

The coach needs a coach. I struggle like everyone else. 

What is my take on coaching? I am more like a tour guide.

be your second set of eyes

provide more involvement than a general practitioner (PCP)

help you learn how to learn

help figure out what fits YOU, and get the ball rolling

DISCIPLINE

"How do you get up at 4:30 in the morning? What is your tactic?"

"I set the alarm. And then I get up."

Can it be that simple?

We make life too complicated.

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