I first discovered my love of coaching in April 1992 when I participated in a human potential course called the Landmark Forum. From the first experience, I became mesmerized by the clarity and communication skills of the Forum Leader. He would interact with one participant and get to the heart of the matter without once offering an answer, strategy, or a “way” to do anything. Rather he would ask questions and challenge their beliefs and the resulting “AHA” moments weren’t only experienced by the person directly working with the leader, but by many of us in the room as well. It was called a transformation. This inquiry into “what is it to be Human” was compelling, energizing, disruptive, and challenging. It woke me up to my life and what truly might be possible that I had either previously written off or forgotten.
I remember feeling strongly that this transformation spoke to me and touched my heart. I believe the seeds were planted that day for me to be a coach. Or perhaps I was reawakened to my true purpose. Either way, my purpose is to wake people up to their true selves so they may thrive and positively impact the world. My mission is to help people rediscover who they are, and create their lives deliberately, authentically, and joyfully. Coaching is the vehicle and expression through which I choose to fulfill this commitment.
When I am engaged in coaching I am alive, excited, inspired, and connected. Coaching is a joyful experience where I can make a profound difference in peoples’ lives. For me, the client coach relationship is a sacred dance of collaboration and creation, where trust and courage meets love and service to produce results that aren’t predictable or even imagined. The relationship that is created between the two is one of connectedness and acceptance, because judgment, pretense and artifice will not get it done.
The results are often magical and profound! When self-limiting beliefs are recognized for what they are and the client reconnects to their true self, watch out. This subsequent emergence brings with it joy, love, and creativity allowing for magic to happen and anything becomes possible! Imagine…the moment of the insight, the client’s eyes widen, they stop talking…and you can see the weight lift off their shoulders and years drop from their face as they break into a big smile and light up. This is the true payoff for me; I get to experience their breakthrough with them as it happens. That’s why I coach.