Hi there! I’m Mike Bundrant.
Since 1992, I’ve done little in my career besides therapy and coaching. At age 22, I saw my first client in the living room of my studio apartment, and that was all it took to know this is my calling. Ten years later, I took a break from private practice to manage a top-tier engineering firm, but I took that opportunity at age 30 to gain real-world corporate experience. I figured I’d be a better coach in the long run because of it. As it turned out, I wasn’t a great manager, but I learned a ton!
At the beginning of my life coaching career, my focus was Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and hypnosis. From there, I expanded into a multitude of other tools. I also trained NLP students in Tokyo from age 25 to 45, which was one of the greatest adventures of my life. All in all, I’ve accumulated many thousands of hours as a coach and coach trainer. I’ve written five major certification courses and one book, and I have been featured on hundreds of blogs and podcasts and trained in organizations like Microsoft, the US Department of Defense, and several midsize companies.
Now, I am semi-retired and living on a private island in Washington. I’m single, have six children, and am happier than I can remember. I enjoy a simple, remote life surrounded by the most beautiful blend of forest and sea. When I’m out of sorts, I take a walk. Out here, nature speaks to you and the message is pure serenity. Everything is going to be okay. I know that for sure!
Coaching Perspective
Has your life turned out the way you once imagined? Over the years, I have been impressed by how many claim it hasn’t. Many people acknowledge that life is much harder than expected, requiring more patience and willingness to do whatever is necessary to survive, often at the expense of lifelong dreams. What can be done? How can we adapt to reality without compromise?
Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.
~ John Lennon
The shift that made all the difference for me came on September 2, 2021 when I was sailing in San Diego. No words can adequately describe what happened. Suffice it to say that I experienced a spiritual rebirth. Lying on the bow of my boat, I was “caught away” in a dreamlike state. In the midst of the reverie, I felt myself wash onto the shore of an unknown beach, as if some part of me were emerging from the deep. At that moment, I felt a peace beyond what I thought possible – a sense of total renewal within. I was also informed by a calm, quiet voice within that I would soon be taking a new path, different than I’d ever expected or planned for, and that I was to eliminate toxic relationships from my life.
Looking at my relationships through a new lens, I realized that a few important personal and business connections were indeed toxic. I had been just going along trying to make things work and figured the chronic stress was normal. Little did I know. Sometimes I think we are here for the sole purpose of figuring out what is going on!
The approach I took to eliminating toxic relationships was to commit to healing them. If they healed, the toxic relationship would no longer be toxic. I set about making amends, drawing boundaries and speaking up, and generally trying to be at my best. None of these relationships survived the healing process, as you might imagine, which caused significant losses in my family and business. Reality descended upon me in shocking ways, and my life, 25 years in the making, dismantled right before my eyes.
Spiritual enlightenment, if that was what I experienced, is no picnic! Yet, while the inner changes might cause outer disruption, the inner peace and perspective that accompanies is more than worth it. The external disruption, when encountered, is temporary. The inner peace and sense of purpose is ongoing.
The Most Important Goal
Enlightenment is the most important goal. It is the tool that makes every other tool work. From an enlightened stance, we accept life with equanimity and feel motivated to improve our circumstances without the self-criticism, procrastination, toxic interactions, pressure, and fear often accompanying materialistic goal pursuits.
Moreover, when you reach materialistic success goals, the rewards are greater if you’ve also been pursuing enlightenment. Accomplishments are more appreciated. You don’t suffer from temporary happiness when a goal is reached, feeling desperate to accomplish the next thing, sometimes within hours of reaching a goal. Enlightenment is a different animal altogether.
This is where Inner Dynamics, my specialty, shines. Read about how it works in coaching.
Let’s talk! Schedule a free consultation.
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