Life coach Phyllis Levinson discovered a few years ago that the Japanese Haiku form of poetry was an abbreviated yet effective method to communicate a meaningful thought. She penned her first haiku a few years ago when she had a moment of feeling incredibly grateful. She wrote:

Shelter? Check. Food? Check.

Clothes? Check. Healthcare? Check. Love? Check.

Cup runneth over.

Haiku is a Japanese poetry form in which each very brief poem is made up of 17 syllables. In English, these 17 syllables are divided into 3 lines. The first and third lines are 5 syllables each and the second line is 7 syllables. A haiku presents a surprising observation about an ordinary experience that leads suddenly to an insight. Usually written in present tense, haikus are contemplative and leave the reader with something to think about. They are impressions that do not rhyme and often juxtapose two things that are very similar or opposites.

Levinson, a Kentlands resident, is a certified life and executive coach. Previously she worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Her book, "Life-Ku: 101 Life-Coaching Tips 17 Syllables at a Time" was self-published this year and is full of essential advice for life. Levinson said, "It will leave you feeling understood, hopeful and ready to change your outlook on life."

"I'm not a poetry expert or aficionado," said Levinson. "I have always liked the haiku format and love and appreciate poetry. I wrote one haiku and it was fun, and thus I started writing them almost daily. I became serious about turning my writings into a self-help book of life-coaching tips. I went through the hundreds of haikus that I had written, looking for an efficient way to organize them."

She found that organizing the chapters based on themes of life-coaching was effective. Thus, her chapters are: Journey, Confidence, Gratitude, Glitches, Take Charge, Tools, Relationships, Parenting, Self-Image, Compassion, Presence and Insight, Simplify, Aging and Love and Joy.

"I love this form because there are so many self-help books out there," she said. "I wanted one that readers would not have to wade through. My book can be read in order — or randomly. The poems trigger thoughts in the readers for various reasons. My goals in writing this book were twofold. First, I wanted to share the life tools, tips and practices that have helped my clients since I began coaching in 2002. Second, the book had to convey this knowledge and experience with brevity focus and simplicity. Hence the haiku format."

She continued, "Life coaching consciously and purposefully moves us toward being as happy, joyful and fulfilled as possible. It is my honor to help people answer the questions we all ponder, "Am I in the right profession for me?" "How do I manage my career and have the personal life I desire?" "How do I deal with a difficult boss/friend/family member?" "How can I better parent my children?" "What if I'm not as smart as people think I am?" Levinson hopes that her readers will read and reread these haiku and gain a flash of insight or a shift in perception.