I Choose To Be A Coach

Spread The Yellow - I have a knowing that this is my Soul Purpose. 

Spread The Yellow is a choice.  Today, it is in the moments of laughter with colleagues, it is in the interest and enthusiasm that I show to Customers on the phone, it is in time and interest I offer to the friendly woman at the dental surgery.  I am Grateful when I feel others Spread The Yellow to me - I am touched that a friend from College sponsored me in the 'Relay For Life' - so Grateful - and I am happy to receive the small acts of loving and giving from my Man when he helps me and my Parents in organising their phone, when my Man puts hot water in my bath and when he steams broccoli for me and organises dinner.  Spread The Yellow is sharing excitement and Joy in beauty - in the simple - in our Organic Fruit and Vegetable box that was delivered again tonight - we have placed a permanent order for Monday nights - I love it - I love the surprise and I am so Excited to explore the contents and imagine all the wonderful Vegetarian dishes I will Create.

I have started reading 'Soulcraft' by Bill Plotkin (I have 3 other  books on the go - and yet I am called to start reading this book).  It is a wonderful book.  I love the definition of Soulcraft "the skill needed in shaping the human Soul towards its fulfillment in its unity with the entire Universe".  As A Coach - a Tranformational Life Coach - it is my desire to be a witness and Honour the Soul and offer Soulcraft.

It is 3 days until I start my Coaching Business. The common question I am getting asked is "Have I got my first Client organised?". Now if I was in my Corporate Business world, entirely in my Yang, I would be overthinking my Business, or racing around getting all my Marketing organised - yet in my Yin-Yang, I feel comfortable and relaxed.  My Yin-Yang is my new way of being, it is definitely new to me and I am just learning to be in this new way - trusting my Intuition, being in the flow and then taking Inspired ACTION.  I love in the first few pages of 'Soulcraft' that the author writes "I heard the Soul's call again, this time as an urgency for wilderness solitude, to look inwardly as far and as innocently as possible, and to wait until some truth rang out."  

Normally in Yang style I would be driven and writing lists and getting everything done and writing Business Plans and a Marketing Strategy - yet I want to enjoy the flow of this Journey. I was intuitively guided to the Bookstore where I will now be working, I listened to my Yin and my Yang took the ACTION necessary to confirm the agreement and pay the rent. I just want to take one step at a time and see where that leads and then another step will follow - feeling into my Intuition, my Yin being the wanderer and then my Yang will take the necessary steps.

My Yang has been working hard for his beloved Yin - the two parts of myself working together to create my business. I am Excited that I am getting my business cards and Flyers printed and I will receive them during the week. I am Excited that I will be able to put some Flyers at the Clinics of my Physiotherapist, my Chiropractor and my Doctor. I am really Excited that when talking to my Doctor last week, he was very interested in the work that I do and asked me to drop some Flyers and cards to him, that he thought he would be able to definitely refer people to me that needed Support. I am also Excited that the Owner of the Doctor's Clinic has also offered me space at the Clinic.

Wow... the Universe is Very Wonderful.  My Doctor showers me with compliments, tells me and my Man how happy I always am, and how I brighten his day. We then go to the shops and while getting groceries I see from a distance a Doctor that I used to visit years and years ago - probably over 7 years ago - what is interesting is that I had visited this Doctor a long time ago when I was suffering from Depression, when I was at the bottom of the dark hole. It is ironic, coincidental, synchronistic - that I should see both Doctors in one day and that their experience of me would be quite different.

This experience allows me to reflect on Why I Choose To Be A Coach. A long time ago, seems like a lifetime away, or someone else's life, I experienced Depression. It was a very Dark time for me and my Family. I remember the lead up to the Depression - I was in a job that I didn't feel was right for me, I lacked confidence in my role, I didn't feel comfortable at all, I didn't feel like I belonged in the workplace, my Marriage wasn't working, we had put ourselves under huge financial strain, I was an insomniac and would go days and nights without sleeping. I wish I had have worked with a Coach - or had someone to catch me before I fell down the BIG, DEEP hole. All the signs were there, I was so stressed and anxious and felt trapped. Luckily for me I had a wonderful Mum, Dad and Brother who loved me, sat with me, helped me - and two great friends who listened and sat with me in this black space. Miraculously I eventually saw some light and found the strength to live again, without medication, just time and support.

Thinking back on this time is still emotional for me. It was so difficult for my Mum and Dad and my Brother and Sister-In-Law. Sadly, my Marriage ended - although I know my ex-Husband is a very good man and our Marriage was not supposed to be. My Marriage ended because we didn't have Connection, we didn't have enough heartfelt Conversations.

I am definitely a cheerleader personality (99% of the time) - I am positive, happy, friendly, motivated, I get Excited. Had I not been through Depression, I never would have understood or had the level of Compassion and Empathy that I now have for others. My Mum and friend Ann were wonderful to me - they would just sit with me, they did not try to rush me, or talk their 'sense' into me, or give me advice, or give judgements - they just accepted me and gave me space to talk and be myself - in Counselling and Coaching we call this Unconditional Positive Regard - and allowing Attentive Silence and Space.  Had I not experienced Depression, I would have been more inclined to motivate people or cheerleader them in a new direction - and now I have learnt the power of just sitting and holding the space for someone as a witness and in Honour of their Journey.

I have always been interested in working with others, and since I was about 27 I was considering studying Psychology. I also remember around this time seeing an article in the Sunday magazine about Life Coaching and immediately I was interested and wanted to become a Life Coach. And after my experience of Depression, I know that I want to help people - I want to catch people before they fall into a black hole - help people find the steps in their lives to keep them moving. 

And not only moving, in terms of just going through the motions of life - but to live in a state of Joy and Happiness. 

I am fortunate in that I know the signs in myself - I know when it is okay to just surrender and sit with the feeling and I also know when I need to take ACTION. 

As well as being in the depth of a dark Valley, I have also been at the top of the Peak of Mountains.  I am fortunate, through hard work, to have won the major Awards at University, graduated with a High Distinction.  I was also selected by my company to live and work in Atlanta for a major Project, which was an incredible experience.  I have excelled as a Manager and Motivator with a love of bringing out the best in others.  I have done well in Sport - loving being the Club Captain of a running club and loving competing, winning and achieving places in running events.

For me now, the Peak Moments are when my Nieces were born, being hugged by them, seeing them dancing, loving them - as well as times with my Mum and Dad, especially when we receive good news that Mum is healthy and well.  Another Peak Moment was falling in love with my Man - and being in love everyday - choosing Love, honouring our Love.  I have been in some very difficult and heartbreaking relationships, I have made mistakes, I have stayed too long in the wrong relationships, and it was only when I made the decision to Honour myself, and Honour what I deserved, that my Man showed up in my life.

I Choose To Be A Coach - and I Choose To Be Authentic.  I am on My Own Journey.  And I have the training, skills and the capacity and an open heart to Support others on their Journey.

At College the other weekend, we did a great Coaching activity - which involved reflecting back on what you have loved about your career - the highlights - the pieces of Gold - while the Client speaks, the Coach writes down the responses to the questions - here are some of my highlights - which also show that my Career is moving in the right direction - I've always loved:

- Hearing people's stories

- Genuine Conversations

- Conversations - hearing about people's lives - joys, excitement, challenges

- Seeing the Greatness in others

- Creating Community

- Getting to know others

- Celebrating with others

- Creating structure for others to grow

- Believing in others

- Helping people find solutions

- Sitting with people in Connection

- Making people feel Valued

- Bring out the best in others

- Charity work

- Coming up with ideas

- Being free to make decisions

- Working with other people

- Harnessing the energy of others to Make A Difference

- Bringing people together for the Greater Good

- People

- Connection

- Nurturing

- Journeying with others rather than teaching them.

The Power of Coaching is about the relationship, about the Connection.  It is helpful and wonderful to read Self-Development books and Journal and yet there is something very magical about the Coaching space and Connection between Coach and Client.  Friends and Family are very wonderful and I am blessed to have such wonderful Support -yet the Coaching Connection offers a difference - offering a Space where there is no advice giving, no judgement, no opinions - just a space dedicated to the Client.  The Coach offers confidentiality and total Support and the freedom for someone to be themselves and just be.  The Coach walks beside a Client on their path, enables awareness of the right steps to help them walk towards their Vision, acknowledges their Client's greatness, their uniqueness, celebrates their Client's Wins.  I am Excited to Spread The Yellow in my Coaching.

I Choose To Be A Coach - I Love Being A Coach... 

I Love to see people SHINE - hearing people speak with Passion, seeing their eyes light up, people doing what they love, people loving their life.  My Passion is that through the Process of Coaching my Clients will feel:
- Successful
- Happy
- Inspired
- New
- Empowered.