There has been a big misunderstanding, judging to your reactions, due to my last post. As I found out, many of you assumed that since I am a life coach, since I have a nice smile on my photo and I write about happiness, fulfillment and other things of this kind, I am myself a happy and fulfilled person- at work and in life.
Well, the shoemaker’s children are ill-shod, meaning I want to give happiness to people, allow them to reach their dreams, feel satisfaction in life, etc. but I have little of all these things. In fact, I am not happy at all at the present moment (exception: precious moments in my personal life when my husband’s smile makes me smile and feel better than ever).
I am seeking happiness just as other people do. I am well aware that this kind of sincerity can discredit me as a coach. Just check other coaches’ websites- they all seem so happy, fulfilled in life, radiant smiles on their faces (maybe this is really how they feel?), they seem to have everything we are looking for (I’d better talk only for myself- what I am looking for), to have the secret key to this door to Happiness that remains for me more or less closed.
Next question: “how can you tell people that they can be happy and achieve their dreams if you’re not happy and you didn’t achieve your dreams (yet)?”. The answer is quite simple, if I’m still out there, willing to help people, willing to learn more about helping them, reading about it, interested in the positive psychology, etc. it’s because I still believe in coaching and it’s power to give us back our power and strength to change.
I also think that if one can’t have an understanding of sadness, difficulties, of what struggling with life is, this person can’t be a good coach (it’s the moment- just crucify me…). And even though I’m far away from perfection, I find it much easier to help others, be effective in this process, than to actually make myself happy (this might be why coaching works- because it comes from others and not just us, we are not on our own anymore, which makes the process of change much easier).
So here I am, smiling on my photo, grasping every piece of joy I can find (and I do find it sometimes), seeking my personal satisfaction and other things that hopefully will make me a happy person.
Now, if you think you wouldn’t want a coach like me- it’s ok. But if you look for sincerity, objectivity, a professional approach to the client combined with sensitivity and simply… humanity, just email me…
Dear Ola,
As a life coach (but through Yoga path) I completely agree with you and being sincere and honest with ourselves it is also a virtue to the people that we can help. Because of we are alive (as human beings) we find ourselves in a constant process of change: growing in order to be every time more alive and achiving our personal and professional aims. But, the difference among us (as life coaches) and the other people is that we experience emotions, possitive/negative situations, feelings… being aware of all these processes. We face up to our experiences with a high comprehension and leaving the struggle aside. Thanks to this attitude we attain clarity and sensitivity to find out the solution to any situation; thus, contributing people’s life satisfaction.
Best!
fátima