As a life coach my experiences over the years with my clients comes with many learnings. As each life is unique and so are their circumstances. To get any further into coaching it’s important to understand where they are and for them to acknowledge it
Creating a safe space is a prerequisite.
There is a simple yet empowering and activity that can be used… Its called ‘What makes my heart sing? It is a powerful exploration into what brings them joy and fulfilment, it helps create safe and supportive and active listening space by building trust It’s quite simple to facilitate Begin with introduction to explain the activity. Ask them to reflect on life moments, they felt in a flow state or felt truly alive_and iovful.
Then as a life coach you help facilitate how these experiences are interconnected to their values and discuss how they can begin to incorporate more of this into their lives And finally also help them create an action plan towards the same.
A writers soul emerges through the words written . A painters soul emanates from between the colours in the canvas The potters soul is afire in the fingers shaping the clay. The singers soul breathes in the sounds created by the voice. The dancers soul flows through in every movement in the moments.
The Soul is a restless wanderer It breathes free not in captivity, But in every movement of creation. It cannot be fathomed or even sensed Other than in the light of passion in the being. For then the soul shines in its own light For it has found its purpose of being.
You can never give from an empty cup. So keep refreshing knowledge and understanding Make sure to breathe easy so that you are not getting engulfed in trying to find solutions for another. Exercise equanimity and trust yourself to deliver. Most importantly take care of yourself. Enjoy the work you do! And give your very best. It will certainly bring results.
How to keep refilling your cup…to stay updated.
Many ways.
. Be open to possibilities and perspectives
. Stay humble and sense your foot on the ground… Remember anyone can be a teacher.
. Choose to balance work and play. Respect your time and use it wisely.
. Stay curious. Keep your inner child alive
. Pause to rest and recover when you feel overwhelmed.
As a Life Coach one has the opportunity to positively impact and influence another life and its ripples can be felt miles around. It is huge responsibility.
Thriving as a Life Coach
Every life is unique and a life coach needs to keep ideating and integrating approaches and interventions that make way to transformative changes. It can challenge the very best.
To thrive as a life coach and be effective it is necessary…
Approachability : To be approachable and open to feedback, which helps to foster trust and respect within the clients
Patience : To empathize with others and understand their perspectives before offering solutions
Resilience : To adapt & to bounce back, no matter the challenges.To be able to bend and not break under pressure.
This calls for a great amount of emotional intelligence, consistency, creative thinking & resilience. A resilience that comes from experience and one that is honed in flexibility & adaptability.
What matters most is how a life coach can instill confidence and trust in another to make a meaningful difference.
Do you sense love for yourself Do you feel respect for yourself Do you feel your sense of self esteem
Do you feel a sense of self worth
What is your self worth tied to? Is it your education Your fancy degrees Your knowledge Your partner? Or your beauty? Your abilities? Is it to your achievements? Your skills? Your bank balance? Or is it to your designation Your children Your home? Your cars? Your phone?
If you have answered yes honestly to any of the above please think again Work on your independence Free your mind free your heart Free yourself from chains Practice unshackling Try to detach your self worth From material things. Others cannot always be around We are born as unique beings We are complete in every way No one can latch on to us Nor should we latch on to another Self awareness is crucial For true self confidence Self Confidence creates self esteem Self esteem develops self worth Value the life you have Understand your truth Explore your potential You are worthy.
Unconference, the word piqued my curiosity for a while until I checked it up on the internet, only to find that the idea has gained tremendous momentum across the globe.
The idea of un-structuring the ingrained structure seemed interesting to say the least, in creating spaces and possibilities to honour the learning.
Suffice to say recently, when I came across an Unconference event in the local newspaper I decided I must make a visit.
The venue of this Unconference was the well known Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts in Pune. I reached just in time for the proceedings to untold.
A customary registration ensued and I was greeted by a few volunteers with a relaxed warm and welcoming attitude. Clearly, the Unconference had started right there.
The word Conference kind of stiffens people up. There is a formal attitude, a thick air of competition to perform at their very best. There are fees and strict rules to adhere to. There are super busy organisers scurrying through and tension is writ large on their faces and their bodies as well are stressed out with expectations of the outcome of the event. Suited men and women whizz through looking super important. And yes there would be a Chief Guest of honour and a coterie of important people who need VIP handling… Adherence to their whims and fancies and most importantly their speeches which may or may not be of interest to any. But all must endure as to get up and leave is an offence to the speaker.
On the contrary here, there was a prevalent free-spirited feeling in the first place that all were in it together. The sense of community always takes time to build so I stood in that room with a small group of people waiting for the (informal introductory practice,) the opening circle.
The Opening Circle :
Someone from the group had taken an initiative to design a pretty pattern made of flowers in the centre of the space and light a lamp there.
A few introductory rounds later which turned out to be icebreakers with a few games to let loose and get into the flow.
There was a board set up with a mention of few rooms and a time slot to boot. The participants were encouraged to choose to attend or conduct workshops or just wander around and network.
A few people got up to mention their workshops and claim their slot. On a moment’s impulse although I was not exactly in the right attire for a dance workshop I simply decided to go with the flow and offered a Dance connection workshop by me.
Encouraged by a decent number of participants I let the moment take the lead. As I began teaching I witnessed the flow of the energy in the exchange.
I spoke about the dance, hold, frame and positioning and started introducing them to partner dancing and some basic steps. Bit by bit people shed inhibitions as they were getting tuned into the moves.
The moment strangers began to hold hands and face one another… for many, there was harmony to be found in the mirror imaging. For after all the lead and follow were simply an extension of each other dancing as one unit.
The energy in the room turned up a notch with the Achy Breaky Heart country cha sounds of Billy Ray Cyrus for company.
All started sensing the tuning in to the rhthymic expression of music & movement with their partners at that moment.
After the dance workshop I asked what they felt in that moment and here is what they shared immediately…
Pablo Picasso was born in Spain. And lived in France for most of his adult life. He is a prolific artist with varied interests, his early naturalistic painting gave way to his famous modern art in his adult years. He is known for his ‘Artistic Versatility’ and also for painting from imagination. He is renowned for his unconventional & radical life & art and is influential for his development of Cubist style.
A few musings…
On Art & Acceptance
If Picasso was born in the east Perhaps he would have had it tougher to touch the height of success. For he was best born in the west And live in the heart of liberalism Where his technique was acknowledged and given wings. He passionately painted his spirits strokes in freedom.
The eastern world has always been more traditional Conservative & restrained in art and life Somewhere it took a long time Catching up with the possibilities of creativity Where chaos becomes art.
In chaos there is disorder But in disorder is the arising of new creative possibilities Envisioning in the unconventional a restructuring in the flow Every stroke of the brush or ink on paper Is indicative of thoughts and emotions in the brain behind the brush. Of the development of hand eye brain integration That creates art out of simply anything and everything. And then, there is the viewer critic and the art dealer who see hope & possibilities in both the artist & his art.
Art is born in the mind of the artist
Art channels itself in the flow
Art is honed in the perspectives of critique
But art is realised and enjoyed in the acceptance of a patron
Shine your light The light of you That comes through you Your truth in your voice Your speech in your words Your work, your authenticity Your moves, your way Step into your light Step into your place Fill it with all of you For none can fill this space There is no other quite like you For you are unique In your own way Shine on.
Savvy Raj 
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