Whether you are single, dating or coupled, it’s time for YOU to begin the journey to experiencing more of what you want in your love life!   To help you continue your journey to a more amazing love life, I want to invite you to an exciting new tele-seminar I’m leading called

Coach Sappho’s ‘Secrets to Creating the Love Life You Deserve’ Tele-Discussion

You see, I’m sure you know success in anything requires more than reading a book, taking a quiz or, even chillin’ and having fun.  Success happens when we learn not only what works, but when we learn how to DO what works. Easier said than done, right?  All of this can seem pretty daunting, especially when it comes to love and relationships.

I also received an email yesterday from my friend Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, who reports that they’ve got a case very similar to New Jerseys, that will be heard by Maryland’s highest court, in December!  So, stay tuned.

Eventhough the righteous right blows alot of hot air and, there remains, in most places in the US, discrimination against gays in terms of their relationships and jobs, things are continuing to improve.  We’ve got a long way to go so, do what you can, every day, to move equality forward!  And that doesn’t mean you have to get active politically, you can do it right in your own backyard by being more authentic with your family, friends and, if you judge it safe, co-workers. 

Even if you aren’t willing to ‘be out’, for example, at work, (because you work in a state that doesn’t protect gays from being fired and your company doesn’t have gay-positive policies), you can still advance equality by speaking up if someone is expressing bigotry on the subject.  You can speak up and/or defend someone else who you know is out and gay in your company.  You can educate others about sexual orientation when you hear misinformation being spread.

And, ‘push the envelope’ with those in your family who are the most ‘neutral’ about supporting you to be who you are.  Or, if someone in your family is, lucky you, very supportive, take some time to thank them and, maybe ask them what the two of you can do to make it more ‘hospitable’ for you to be more yourself with your family.

Believe me – it’s worth it to your own self esteem and physical health.  The results are amazing – those who courageously speak up not only help themselves, they help the world become a more loving, better place for everyone.  Really! 

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Sign up for individual or couples coaching between now and 12/31/06 with Barb Elgin and Barb will donate 10% of your fee to the Juno Foundation, a non-profit helping lesbians with Cancer. 

That’s right!  As this is still Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I want to do something to help.  This past year, I started building a relationship with the ladies over at the Juno Foundation, a non-profit based in Orlando, Florida, whose focus is supporting lesbians with cancer.

Every February Juno holds a wonderful dinner and auction event at a nice hotel in Orlando.  This annual dinner is their major fundraiser for the year.   I attended my first one this past winter and had a great time.   I was honored to donate coaching scholarships for the silent auction.  I hear that attendance has been growing each year and it’s becoming quite the ‘dress up’ event for lesbians in Orlando/Central Florida! 

During the event, attendees got to meet one of Juno’s beneficiaries, an African American woman whose cancer put her in a wheel chair but didn’t deter her from coming to tell us about how Juno was helping her and her partner.  I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place.

This summer, I held a charity raffle at St. Pete Pride and named Juno as my chosen charity.  Juno provided me with some wonderful, informative brochures to pass out during the event and I believe many had their consciousness raised as to the prevalence of breast cancer in the lesbian community, and what to do about it.

So, it’s a natural that I would continue to support Juno’s work.  If you’ve been ‘sitting on the fence’ about signing up for coaching, perhaps 10% of your fee towards this worthy charity will get you off the fence!

Just be sure to mention you want 10% of your fee to go to Juno when you sign up for coaching!

Want to learn more about coaching and how it can help you?  Click here, here and here to get started!

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Coach Sappho? coming to a town near you in 2007?

Over here at Coach Sappho? we are continuing to prepare for 2007.  And, we need your help doing so.  I plan to bring ‘conscious dating and mating’ for gay and lesbian singles and couples to a town near you in 2007.  I will go where the interest is, so, let me know if you’d like me to come and speak or do a seminar. 

In fact, one of the events I am ready to roll out right now is a two day singles workshop on attracting your soulmate!  Sound juicy?  Let me know what you think.

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FREE Relationship Resources from Coach Sappho?:

Barb Elgin’s article series – For Women-Who-Love-Women: 10 Secrets to Creating the Relationship of Your Dreams by the Holidays - at many gay and lesbian web sites!

Don’t know if you noticed, but several gay and lesbian web sites have picked up my five part series, “For Women-Who-Love-Women: 10 Secrets to Creating the Relationship of Your Dreams by the Holidays”.  Right now you can catch Part Two at Lesbian Nation!

Coach Sappho Releases New, Five Part E-Course:  How to Find Your Life Partner and Her ‘Creating A Life I Love’ private website to the public

This past week I’ve made available to everyone two new, complimentary relationship and relationship-related resources, so, be sure to grab them while they’re hot:

• my intriguing, five part e-course ‘How to Find Your Life Partner’
• Coach Sappho’s Creating a Life I Love Club member site (which was previously for members only).

The e-course comes to your email box five consecutive days and the website is available anytime, using the password you will receive.  The Creating a Life I Love Club site is chock full of personal, relationship, career, financial, etc., life improvement resources.

Click here to sign up for ‘How to Find Your Life Partner’ now.

Click here to receive the link and password to Coach Sappho’s ‘Creating a Life I Love’ Club website now.

Catch Coach Sappho on Internet Radio Live!

And, don’t forget to listen in at the Lesbian Lounge at ‘Gay Internet Radio Live’ next Wednesday night (November 1, 2006), where I’ll be dishing some delectable advice during the ‘Just Say No to Lesbian Bed Death’ portion of the show.  I come on between 9:30-10p ET, but be sure to tune in at 9 to catch all of the fun.  The two show hosts, Donna and Denise, are a hoot!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Barb Elgin

I don’t know if it’s their ‘schtick’ or not, but Donna portrays herself as the committable type – she says she’s been in a committed relationship for four years now.  And Denise, who is a standup comedian, says she’s commitment-phobic.  Together, they are so different, down to their voices (Denise’ voice is deep and I told Donna she’s the one with the ‘lilted’ voice, which she loves to repeat!), all of which adds up to loads of chemistry between these two!

Anyhoo, as I mentioned in a prior post, I met D&D at GayDays in Orlando this past June.  Donna asked me to come on board as their guest lesbian relationship/life coach.  Currently, I have a spot between 9:30-10p ET on the first Wednesday of each month (although I was on the other night and I will be on next Wednesday as well…surprise, surprise!).

So, how do you date if your goal is a lasting, satisfying, committed relationship?

I know, does this question sound radical?  It should.  Afterall, gay or straight, most of us have had little to no support around the issue of how to best form a lasting, rock solid relationship with another human being.

How you date has everything to do with the type of relationship you end up forming with another person.  For example, how many of us have been in what we thought was a committed relationship only to find out our partner didn’t believe or act committed as well?  Could we have saved ourselves much time and grief had we gotten clear about our partner’s intentions earlier on in the relationship?

Being in a committed relationship with an attitude of pre-commitment is common amongst married couples in our society.  That’s why the divorce and breakup rate is so high.  In our culture we tend to go from falling in love to making a commitment, even though each has very little to do with the other!

So, if you are single or dating someone but not yet committed to them, THIS is the time to learn more about how you can make the dating process work FOR you, long term.

Don’t see someone exclusively and hold an exclusive mindset with him or her if you are sure he or she is not a potential life partner.

You see, dating should be fun, but, woven into the dating process is a process – if your ultimate intention is seeking a life partner there are definite steps you can follow to ensure you succeed at that goal.  Want to learn more?  Just go to Coach Sappho, a unique relationship resource for singles and couples.

And, be sure to stop by the Lesbian Lounge this coming Wednesday night, catch a love tip or two from me and laugh with D&D.

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If you are single and seeking your life partner, this is the only book you need…

If you have a single friend or family member that you care about, I invite you to get them this book…

If you would like to learn a bit about how to help your single friends or clients, this book is a great place to start…

Conscious Dating: Finding the Love of Your Life in Today’s World by David Steele (HARDBACK VERSION). The gold standard for single men and women! If you buy any book, make it this one!  Buy it here and get the ‘Conscious Dating’ CD.  $32.95 (includes shipping and handling) AND, while supplies last, the free CD, Conscious Dating for Relationship Success ($14.95 value).

Conscious Dating: Finding the Love of Your Life in Today’s World by David Steele and forward by Barb Elgin, MSW. (PAPERBACK VERSION).  $24.00 (includes shipping and handling). 

Below are some comments from counselors and professionals who have read the book…

“In Conscious Dating, David Steele provides a new concept for dating and insightful advice, effective exercises and useful illustrations that will help anyone who uses them make their journey to love successful. We recommend this book to anyone looking for love.”  — Harville Hendrix, Ph. D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt, Ph. D., co-authors of Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship by Letting Yourself Be Loved

“Unconscious dating can lead to disaster. Given the serious effect of relationships gone awry, Conscious Dating is a must-read for singles who want to make better relationship choices. David Steele provides sound guidance and practical advice for today’s singles.”  — Pat Love, Ed.D. Author, The Truth About Love and Hot Monogamy

“David Steele has made a significant contribution to the world of relationships by mapping two previously foreign countries- consciousness and dating, bringing them together at last in this customized guide. Packed with practical strategies that really work, Conscious Dating is THE book for helping singles navigate the dating world.” — Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, authors of Conscious Loving and the new Spirit-Centered Relationships

“This book is filled with practical strategies that work. Packed with solid advice, assessments and exercises, as well as interesting stories, Conscious Dating is a book that will completely change the way singles view dating and relating. A must-read for anyone who wants to create his or her next great relationship.” — Eve Eschner Hogan, Author of Intellectual Foreplay and How to Love Your Marriage

Here are some comments from singles about Conscious Dating…

“Conscious Dating is the most enlightened book on the topic of dating that I have come across.”
–Joseph Dunn, Rockville, MD

“I just love this book, it makes so much sense to me. ” –Elaine Kurtanich, Carnegie, PA

“Conscious Dating is MUST HAVE for singles. It is a complete, bullet-proof guide to finding your life partner that gives hope and clear step by step instructions of what to do and what not to do.” — Hilde Weimann, Bowie, MD