What Is Life Coaching?
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A growing trend in the self development industry is Life Coaching. For many of us, the obvious questions are: what is Life Coaching and what does a life coach do? Recently, I was pleased to discover the answer.
An old friend of mine, Rosemary Bogan, recently became a “life coach.” I had heard of these motivational professionals working with superstars in business, entertainment, and athletics - clients who need to operate at the “top of their game” at all times. But coaches who promoted themselves to “regular people” like myself made me wary.
I could tell, however, that Rosemary did not suddenly or rashly decide on this new career. Having known her for thirty years, I trust her judgment. Besides, she had come from a background of several executive positions in human resources. She knows what motivates people and how to provide that motivation.
So I asked her more about life coaching and the philosophy of the organization with which she works, Accomplishment Coaching. As she explained it, coaching is not therapy. Therapists help people when they have problems; coaches help people increase their ability to do what they want in their lives. A simple but crucial distinction.
Well, my life was working but surely could have stood improvement. I decided to give life coaching a try for a few months - and now I don’t want to give it up! Rosemary and I are entering our sixth month of working together. I wanted to continue beyond our initial arrangement so I would not lose momentum on the progress I’ve made, both in attitude and accomplishments. We’ve all read or heard motivation materials that emphasize the importance of attitude when pursuing our goals. But only through the active encouragement and exercises that coaching provides have I come to truly understand how attitude and accomplishments intertwine.
I have always been an “accomplishment” oriented person but had not realized how “rudderless” I was. Through all of the activities that Rosemary has given me, I have come to a deeper understanding that I am my own rudder. My rudder is either my “essence” or my “survival mechanism”, but it is always and only me.
Rosemary once told me, “We are innately brilliant, but we operate from our survival mechanisms.” This statement reminded me of what I have learned from religious teachings. We have two natures – the spiritual, or higher, nature, and the human, or lower, nature. The more we focus our energies on spiritual matters, the more we will operate from our spiritual nature. Similarly, the more we become aware of and focus on our brilliant essence, the more we will operate from that essence instead of from our survival mechanism. I am not suggesting that coaching advice verges on sacred teachings. Instead, life coaching can help individuals identify and define personal “essence.” It then provides concrete, specific strategies for operating from that essence rather doing whatever necessary to survive. Regardless how individuals perceive essence, to operate from your “best” surely surpasses getting by on your “good enough.”
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