Life Coaching

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Laozi (Lao Tzu) the ancient Chinese philosopher and often referred to as the father of Taoism said "A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step."    Life coaching is about creating positive change and moving forward one step at a time. Often the change we want to achieve seems so far away that we do not take this single step.

A Life Coach can help you take those first steps and map out the journey so that it's enjoyable, stress-free, and life transforming.

With your Life Coach you will learn more about yourself, your values and strengths and also beliefs.  Its not that you don’t know this about yourself, it's more that you have forgotten about it, that fear may get in the way or that your ego will tell you otherwise.  For example our egos are very good at telling us that we are not good enough to do something.  Life Coaching is related to creating goals and attaining them step by step. 

Lau Tzu regarded action as something that arises naturally from stillness.  When we connect to the stillness within we are one with the present moment.  Creativity emerges, calmness may arise, we connect to our true self.  

The life coaching that is embodied in this website has a tendency towards creating greater change in ones life in the long term by getting to know your true self.  Who you truly are and not what your ego tells you.  It contains content on spiritual growth and awareness, stress management, anger management, and judgment. 

Much of the teachings here point to the teachings of more recent spiritual teachers like Jon Kabat-Zinn, Byron Katie, Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle, Gangaji.    Life transformation and evolvement embodies identification and inquiry into negative thoughts and beliefs, and connecting to your true self in the present moment.

Here are some questions and answers that I am often asked by prospective clients about Life Coaching

Who contacts a life coach for coaching?

Anyone who wants to commit to changing some area of his or her life or career and wants to work together with a life coach towards achieving this.    My clients have come from all walks of life.   What is common is a strong will to create movement and reach either a known or unknown goal.   (See answer to : What if I don’t know what I want.)

What happens in a typical coaching session?   

A client telephones the life coach at the exact agreed upon time or meets the coach at their office.  The coach asks the client what he/she would like to work on in that 60-minute session and what he/she would like to achieve by the end of that session.  The coach then asks the client questions designed to help raise the client’s awareness of him/herself or their present and future desired situation. 

The life coach will reflect back to the client according to the coaches understanding in a language that is empowering and always seeing the greatness within the client.  As a coach I may challenge my client if necessary and feel the client needs it.  When fears arise we deal with them.  

It is not uncommon that when a client comes close to his/her dream negative thoughts and disbelief in oneself and the goal may arise.  It is my task as a life coach to reflect this to the client.  This is also another reason for the value of a coach. 

When an individual comes close to his/her dreams a situation or circumstance that occurs may set the person off course.  A Life Coach will keep the client motivated and believing in him/herself that he/she can achieve that to which he/she so wants/The life coach usually will ask the client what they would like to do between now and the next session.  In this way the client moves towards his/her goals.  The aim of each session is always to assist the client to move forward.   

What is the difference between a Life Coach, a Consultant and a Therapist or Psycologist? 

A life coach is not a consultant, therapist or psychologist.  

Life Coaching is about creating positive movement and achieving goals that the client sets.   A consultant will tell the client what and how to do something.   A Life Coach will explore together with the client what is right for him/her.   A Life Coach may be trained or have experience in a certain area that the client seeks.  

For example if a client wants to open a business then the Life Coach may have done this himself or may also have a MBA, but this is not a rule.   Often I find my clients naturally seek me because of common interests or my life experience and knowledge.  

A Therapist or Psycologist will delve into the past and treat a client for a certain problem.   With a Life Coach you will hardly go into the past.   Perhaps for some short background information that is used to discover your strengths.   In fact life coaching is about looking into the future and working on goals in the present towards creating the future you desire. 

Why do I need a life coach if I can get help and encouragement from my family and friends? 

This is an excellent question I get asked.   A life coach is often sought after for various reasons. One of them is that you find that you don’t get the support that you need from your family or friends.   You find that you need something more as you are somehow stuck in a certain area.   You may not know how to move forward or you may find that you have so many ideas that you are not focused and keep jumping from one thing to another thereby not moving forward enough in any one area.  

As a life coach I keep you focused on a path forward while reflecting on your successes along the way.   We also handle any areas that are not moving forward as you would have liked, something a family member or friend may not do as eloquently.   

A coach will be non-judgmental, challenging, believing in you, ensuring you reach your goals.  

What if I don’t know what I want? 

You heard about coaching and intuitively something clicked.   My clients that do not come with specific goals know the kind of direction for example health and wellbeing or career.   I may ask them what area if they worked on would they feel the most significant positive change in their life?  

We look into the clients envisioned future using various exercises designed for this and then work on bringing this into the present by defining small concrete steps to move forward towards the chosen future.   In coaching terminology us Life Coaches call this creating a Vision.   It is a corner stone of   life coaching. 

What are the benefits I can get from Life Coaching? 

I love this question because the client is often surprised how many areas of his/her life start to improve simply by the clients commitment to him/herself.     My clients report to me how they had forgotten things about themselves that I had reminded them (positive characteristics).   The client is re-united with his/her strengths and values and learns that when he/she lives according to these life flourishes and is great. 

What are the benefits I can get from Life Coaching?

The benefits are multifaceted and evolve throughout the coaching journey and also thereafter. The life coaching I do is often life transforming as we touch on areas related not only to body and mind but also to your spirit or your soul which for me is your true essence.