story


When bits and pieces come together in a full picture 1

In today’s guest post Veronika Lennartsson describes her journey of becoming a coach.

"When bits and pieces come together in a full picture"  by  Veronika Lennartsson

When bits and pieces come together in a full picture

by Veronika Lennartsson

Finally last autumn I took a leap. For me it was the leap. I signed up for a coaching education. It might not sound like a big leap to some people, but for me it was a big leap.

It was like daring to let go of the foothold on the top of a cliff just to see if I could fly. I still wasn’t sure by then that this was going to be my mission in life, I just knew that I needed a change, my job was not given me the sense of fulfillment I needed.

There is a quote from Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work one day in your life”. This quote used to be like a slap in the face, taunting me as I couldn’t see how this was possible at this stage.

For me, a job was a job. Yes I got my money, and I had a nice time at work and nice colleagues, that was it. But nice is not good enough any longer, I want more to life.

The search for a meaningful job began, and I’m not joking when I’m telling you that this journey has taken me about ten years. When I realized that I have spent so many years of my life studying something that I don’t want to continue to work with I had a lot of frustration and sadness.

The sadness of not making the insight earlier, preventing me from working so many years with something that doesn’t speak to my heart. But on the other hand I feel gratefulness beyond words for this experience now when I’m home again. Because that’s exactly how I feel, I have found my way home again. Finally, it feels like I’m at the right place doing the right things.

Oh dear, how long I have been searching for this!! I’m convinced that coaching is my mission in life. This is what I have been aiming for my whole life, I just haven’t been aware of it until now. Now when I see all the bits and pieces from a different perspective, I can finally see the big picture. Everything makes sense.

My natural interest in yoga for example, has given me the opportunity to practice presence for years already. I can now easily utilize this gift during the coaching session.

Many years ago I started reading books on how my mind is influenced by the thoughts I choose to think. This has made it natural for me to see the potentials in my clients, I choose to think and believe that my clients can do anything. I choose to believe that we are all heroes that take responsibility for our own lives.

As a person I’m straightforward. This has not always been an advantage for me. I’ve realized that sometimes I become more successful if I’m a bit more diplomatic in my communication, not everybody appreciate honest and direct answers at all times.

But being straightforward has also given me great possibilities. I can bring things up that are inconvenient for others, and hence reach clarity. This ability is useful both in the direct communication but also when creating awareness with the clients. And most of all has this developed my intuition even further.

I also take leaps in the coaching, I dare to challenge my clients, I dare to be silent, I dare to dance with the clients, and I dare to feel the trust. All these talents serve me when I coach.

The joy of finally having found something that is meaningful to me, knowing that I can fulfill my need of having a meaningful job, and at the same time help other people find a deeper and clearer meaning in their lives – that’s just breathtaking!

You can’t even imagine all the energy I feel now when I have realized that coaching is a part of my life’s mission, how many possibilities there are and how fantastic life is. It’s amazing when bits and pieces come together in a full picture. I can see clearly now and hear the fantastic voice of my inner guidance!

So when you get the possibility to take a leap, gather all your courage, take a deep breath and just go for it. There is so much to gain and so little to lose. I took a leap – and now I can fly, and not only can I fly, I don’t need to work another day in my whole life either. What if you find out that you can fly too?

About Veronika Lennartsson

Veronika LennartssonVeronika Lennartsson lives in Sweden, Helsingborg, together with her husband and son. She has an academic and professional background within logistics and is now about to start a new journey towards becoming the best coach she can be.

Currently she is studying to get a diploma in coaching and will thereafter continue towards becoming an ICF certified coach. In the past she has coached and facilitated a group of people in self managed learning, which resulted in that within a year, more than half of the group had brought on new assignments. For the future she is looking for jobs within coaching and is open to both being employed and/or starting her own business.

Her objective is to change the world by passionately helping people to realize their immense potentials and inspire them to use their individual talents to reach their goals. She has a fundamental positive view of life, the glass is never half empty. She treasures to laugh a lot and has loads of energy and love movements in all aspects. She lives according to her values which are characterized by honesty and faith.

Pls feel free to contact her via email or Twitter. There is also a website that will be up and running within short if you want to know more.

Email: co***@ve*****************.se

Twitter: @VeronikaLennart

Website: www.veronikalennartsson.se


Coaching Quote of the Day 7th March 2013

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” (Maya Angelou)

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

(Maya Angelou)


The Single Story You Need To Coach 2

Philipa Davies shares her experience, expertise and thoughts in today’s guest post.

the single story you need to coach

The Single Story You Need To Coach

By Philippa Davies

We make sense of the world through two main ways: how things are similar and different – and stories.

You’ll know this as a good coach.

You’ll be skilled at getting stories out of your clients which explain how they arrived at where they currently are.

Your clients will have ‘defining stories’ in their accounts of their lives – turning points where something significant shifted and their autobiographies took a distinctive direction.

Just like in great teaching, stories can be used in coaching to ‘show’ more than ‘tell’.

We are likely to have much more impact on a client via a vivid, appropriate and identifiable story than directing them to do five things differently in their lives.

Why? Because stories touch our imaginations and emotions – the real agents for change in our psyches. All stories involve some sort of transformation. And our beliefs about the world come from media stories, stories others have told us, and our own histories.

Your Core Story

But what about you as a coach? Do you have a clear and vivid idea of your own most powerful story?

I’d like to suggest that for all of us who coach, there is one core story we have which can act as professional ballast or an anchor. To be lodged in a memory vault of our own for when the going gets tough for us personally – worrying about not having enough clients or money, maybe.

And this core story will be our own personal experience of being able to influence other people for the better, and produce change.

All stories share some of these elements:

  • Something happens
  • Someone wants to do something
  • There is a complication
  • Struggle and battle arises
  • There is a crisis
  • And a reversal in fortune
  • Then a resolution

My core story involves an all-girl singing group I launched, called Les Bon-Bons. I had this idea for a kind of (very!) alternative Spice Girls, where we performed saucy songs from the 1950s. In my dreams, I knew of two women I admired greatly who I wanted to join – and they agreed.

It was a real struggle to get musicians, rehearsal time and commitment and gigs. But six months in, when we were playing to packed pubs in South London, I got a huge and exhilarating sense of ‘wow, this happened’.

So what is your ‘wow, this happened’ story? What did you change that makes you know you can help others? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments section at the end of this post.

For many of us drawn to coach, it may involve helping family members, friends or people at work.

If you feel you’d like more direction currently, then writing down or sketching this story or retelling it vividly in your mind’s eye can be deeply restorative.

And yes, it’s a vitally useful tool for work with clients, too.

About the Author/Further Resources

Philippa Davies is a psychologist whose clients include UK Olympics Performance Directors and Head Coaches. She blogs at mrsmotivator.com

You can find Philippa on Twitter at @mrsmoti

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