Lying in bed and it is 6.50am on the 22nd of December, nearly Christmas and the first real day of our holidays. I roll over determined to have a lie in. I try to get back to sleep but my mind and body wants to get up. Ideas always come to me at the weirdest of times and I suddenly have an urge to write this blog about seeing a life coach.
It was November this year when something inside me told me I wanted to talk to a Life Coach. I am usually able to self-reflect, make changes and steer my life positively. However, for many reasons I was finding it difficult. I’m not going to go into the reasons, but I want to tell you the signs that alerted me to search for the right life coach.
What signs alerted me?
It was when I called my mum for one of our chats that I found myself feeling angry and irritated with what she was saying. Everything she said (with the best intentions) made me feel worse. My mum is a fixer and she was trying to fix me, I just didn’t want that at that time. I talked to Rich, my husband, and he didn’t seem to be able to help me either. I just felt sad and stuck.
Even a blustery walk in Lyme Park with my dog Pepper didn’t take me away from this niggle and sadness. It came to me whilst looking over Manchester. I wanted someone to talk to, someone who doesn’t know me, who won’t assume what is best for me and who doesn’t love me. The search for a Life coach began.
My first life coaching session
It didn’t take me long and within seven days I had my first session over Skype, because the person of my choice didn’t live near me. It was a liberating experience as I sat in the other chair. To be really listened to by someone with no objective other than to understand and guide me. My life coach asked many questions and delved deep into places I hadn’t for a long time. I liken it to being poked with a big stick of disturbance. The disturbance didn’t feel good at the time as it highlighted some things that brought out some negative feelings. However, this disturbance was extremely beneficial because it evoked these emotions and caused me to ask myself powerful questions. I hadn’t done this for a long time.
You see, being a life coach, you sometimes forget to think about yourself as it is habitual to be the listener. It was amazing to be the talker, reflecting on my emotions in a safe space. Emotions are what drive us, they are what make us happy and sad. However, many people won’t allow themselves or don’t know how to explore them. Fortunately, I believe wholeheartedly in the power of talking and being truly listened to. Seeing a life coach helped me to think clearly about my situation so that I could make some positive and powerful changes.
The power of EMOTIONS
My husband gave me some great insight when he came back from a brilliant training course called ‘Still Moving’ https://www.still-moving.com/. It was facilitated by Deborah Rowland who is a leading expert in change and how to lead mindful change in companies. Part of her ground-breaking research is to help individuals experience and understand the importance of emotions. If you take the E of the word emotions, you are left with motion. Emotions are the fuel for change. They are what drive us forward and should be what we are in tune with.
My experience with my Life coach allowed me to honestly talk about my emotions so that I could find my own way forward.
Life coaching isn’t rocket science. When people are willing to talk about and be honest about their emotions, they can find their way to an even better place. I was able to change my perspective on a situation. I noticed something about the way I was operating daily and I now realise what changes I want to make.
Thanks to my life coach
Thanks to my life coach and my own determination to change I am now practicing this new way of thinking. As I said at the beginning I am still working on it.
