Life Coaching… My WHY for becoming a Certified Life Coach
I’ve clarified what is a life coach?
I’ve shared a general prospective about Life Coaching… How does the process work?
Now, I want to share with you MY WHY of becoming a Certified Life Coach.
When I was in high school I had thoughts of being a mental health practitioner, however they were only fleeting thoughts. I began cosmetology school, to be ended by an ATV accident leaving me with medical advice that long hours on my feet and my arms elevated it would not be the career that I would physically be able to do. My heart was shattered in a million pieces. I loved the idea of helping others feel good about themselves and everyone loves getting their hair cut, colored, or done up for a special occasion. It just gives you that little “boost” and I was going to be able to do that for others.
A few years later, I became an advanced EMT and certified fire fighter, continuing on to paramedic school. This was a very fulfilling “duty”. I was helping others, and in some cases, after our job was done could only pray for these individuals not always knowing their final out come. After having my two daughters, choosing to not put myself in harms way, so I could be there for my girls. I was offered an opportunity to continue my education further, becoming a certified Whole Health Counselor. Providing me the ability to be of greater help in understanding and caring for my girls, and extended family members with chronic illnesses.
In 2004 I choose to leave my marriage that I had fought long and hard to keep, and believed in my heart could be made to work for our family’s sake. Ending up with a significant hospital stay due to stress related issues in 2003, marriage counseling, individual counseling, etc. I had to accept that “letting go” was the best and only option. One of the hardest things in life sometimes is letting go of what you feel and believe was the “dream” come true for your family.
I finished my schooling and graduated as a single mom. I spent the next 11 years focused on my priority of raising and advocating for my girls. Working in the health and human services field, and in an agriculture based job as my primary employments and several part-time jobs a long side to make ends meet. I continued keeping up with my whole health research, and continuing education to stay current not to loose what I’d worked hard to accomplish as I felt it was an answer to a prayer. I just wasn’t always sure what I was to do with it, knowing I needed to wait until my girls were graduated from high school before perusing a career change.
I consciously choose to challenge myself to always be the best me/mom I could be in any given moment, in any given circumstance or situation. To always try to be a better me/mom today, than I was yesterday. If that didn’t work out for me on any given day, I knew in my heart that I was doing my best! At the end of the day I “let go”, praying for forgiveness, and the grace to have the opportunity to give it my best shot tomorrow.
NOW! Now is when that answered prayer from many years back, has became VERY CLEAR to me! 15+ years I have had the time to “see” what my life’s journey to this day has been preparing me for, and a moment sooner would have been, a major life detour. During these years of learning and struggle, there has been an intense discovery of my life and purpose. Looking back, all the tears, struggles, doubt, literally screaming “WHY ME”?, hearing and saying “when there is a will, there is a way”, crying myself to sleep at night and more days than not feeling as though I was a failure to myself and my girls. The relationships that didn’t work out, the friendships I’ve been hurt by, the friendships that I have been blessed with, and the knowledge and experience is more than any text book can or ever will provide.
I discovered the Who, What, When, Where, and HOW of ME! I discovered my family of origin issues, faced them, dealt with them for ME, learning it wasn’t because of me it was what they knew best in dealing with situations and it wasn’t my place to take it on and/or fix it. This in turn allowed me to discover the why to my relationship issues, and that I could not rescue, enable, love others to their happiness, nor save them. I discovered that I was more than capable of taking care of myself physically, emotionally, environmentally, and spiritually. I was (am) a good mom and that my choices may not always of been the right ones, but they were the best ones I could make in the given moment. I have raised two amazing daughters, who are very authentic, strong willed, independently interdependent, and successful. They are full of Love, Compassion, Empathy, Care, and capable of conquering anything they set their mind to.
In 2016 post my second daughters high school graduation, I enrolled in my CE classes for whole health counseling. I was offered the opportunity to apply to Life Mastery Institute and was accepted into the Life Coach certification program. I can say I have literally traveled coast to coast to get the signed papers stating that I am educated, qualified, and accredited to provide professional services to and for others. However, the true education comes from the life experience that has been laid before me now behind me to fulfill a God given mission. I take on this mission with much passion, as I have spent my life HELPING others, and I will be the first to admit, it has not always been in the healthy means of helping.
I have learned through my life education, verified through my academic education, that I am here on this earth with a deep passion to EMPOWER others. Providing others with the knowledge, resources, belief and empowerment to be the best they can be in any given moment, circumstance or situation. Resting assured that there is no circumstance nor situation that is greater than themselves!
We can label, name, blame our situations and circumstances that have put us where we are today in this very moment. However, labels can possibly create some understanding as to the how we got here and why we are where we are. Naming can possibly give some clarification. Blaming, truly isn’t an option. Blaming is only displacing the issue that WE HAVE, and in reality we are the ONLY one who has control over the issue. The ONLY reason we Label, Name and Blame, is because we are HURT and uncertain how else to attempt to overcome, get rid of, or move on from an these issues that comes from dealing with others. Weather family, partner, co-workers or friends.
My Life Coaching mission and passion is to EMPOWER others to live A SPLENDID LIFE NOW! Teaching others how to UNSHACKLE their happiness, being happy who they are right now! Utilizing what they have went through or are going through to know they have been planted in the garden of grace and they will bloom! Living from the inside out.
When we live from the inside out, we can live with grace and peace no matter what we face. We allow ourselves to be all that we can be and allow others to do/be the same (in their own garden). We will learn that just because they may have weeds in their garden doesn’t mean they are/can/will plant weeds in ours, nor is it our responsibility to keep the weeds out of theirs. We know we will always have enough grace and peace for ourselves, we will know how to take care of our garden, harvest our supply when we need it, and know there is always more growing. When we take care of what we sow, we will always have a bountiful harvest when we need it.
It is when we become unshackled, we are free to pursue who we really are, what we are truly passionate about, and fulfill our purpose here on earth. After we unshackle ourselves from allowing others to hold the key, we are not always clear what or how we should “move on”. What we are truly capable of. What that looks like, with or without the support of our spouse or family.
I would love to share my garden harvest and my belief in YOU! Teaching and guiding you, empowering you, supporting you, and walking beside you in this journey of discovery. It is with great honor that I have been gifted this journey in life, and it would be of great honor to walk along side of you guiding you in your unleashing/unshackling process. Email me I would love to hear from you!!
If you would like, I would love to share 30 minutes with you unshackling, shoot me an email and we will set up a time that works for you!!
Here’s to UNSHACKLED HAPPINESS!!
Holly
Life Coaching… How does the process work?
My previous post Life Coach? what is a life coach? provides understanding of what a life coach is, now I will share some of the different methods that Life Coaches use to help their clients. I’ll briefly explain a few of them here.
- One-on-One Coaching
In this method, a life coach and client connect one-on-one, either in person, through phones, or over the internet (Skype, face-time, etc.), usually for 60-90 minutes each week.
Together, they discuss where the client is in their process, what results they’ve gotten from their efforts so far, and how to fine-tune those efforts and take the next step so they can continue to make progress in the coming week.
Life Coaches also teach their clients how to understand and apply the principles of success so that their efforts bear fruit more quickly than they could without that knowledge.
This method is useful for diving deep into a client’s life and mindset.
- Group Coaching
This style of life coaching takes place on a conference call with a group of clients, spending a portion of the call teaching the clients about the Principles of Success, and then taking time to have open discussion with answering any questions.
This method is a bit less in depth than one-on-one coaching, but it allows the clients to learn from each others’ questions and journeys, and to network with each other. It increases the energy that everyone receives through the calls, because they’re gathering in a community of passionate, like-minded people.
Group coaching allows a life coach to serve more individuals, create a passionate community for their clients.
- Live Events
Live events allow Life Coaches who enjoy interacting in person, wanting to help a lot of people get a fast start and learn a great deal in a short period of time, a live, on-stage event is an incredible way to do this.
These events can be one, two, even three days. This type of event gives a room full of individuals detailed guidance on how to create the life of their dreams, as well as assignments, action steps, and group exercises as needed, so that they can learn the material as quickly as possible in the time together.
- Pre-Recorded Curricula
Pre-Recorded Curricula is another way Life Coaches help their clients, this allows the client to consume the material at their own pace. The Life Coach will generally pair this type of coaching with group coaching calls to ensure that their clients are never left wondering how to use your teaching or what to do next.
- Combinations of the Above
Many Coaches combine two or more of the above methods in order to give their clients the best possible results.
Regardless of which system a Life Coach uses, it should include all four of these elements:
- Teaching the Universal Principles of Success. Without this element, the clients will never be able to create the results and transformations that they are looking for, so the Life Coach must be able to give them the training they need in this area.
- The system should help the client get clarity on what they truly desire, on their purpose in life, and on who they are at their core.
- The system should help the client form a practical, actionable, step-by-step plan to reach their goals. It should also teach them how to formulate future plans, so they can create success over and over again in every area of their life.
- The system should give the client ongoing support, so they never have to handle the changes they’re creating, or the obstacles they encounter, alone.
In my next post I’m excited to share my ‘why’ to becoming a Certified Whole Health Counselor and Certified Life Coach.
SMILZ2U!!
Holly
A Splendid Life NOW! LLC
Life Coach? what is a life coach?
Life Coaching… What is a Life Coach?
A life coach is a professional mentor who helps you to:
- Identify the dreams and desires that are aligned with your soul’s purpose, and that will make you feel authentically happy and fulfilled.
- Remove the mindsets, habits and other obstacles that hold you back from activating and realizing those dreams.
- Create a plan to turn your dreams into reality.
- Take consistent, productive action on that plan, improve the plan when necessary, and overcome any setbacks or obstacles that appear along the way.
- Master Invisible Laws of Success, so that reaching your goals becomes practically inevitable.
A life coach is someone who finds joy in using their gifts to help people create the lives of their dreams. Your life coach is the light that helps you see the answers you already have inside yourself and find the courage to pursue those answers, even when your circumstances tell you to just give up.
Life Coaching… What it is NOT!
- A life coach is NOT like a Self-Help Book!
Self-help books often offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Even if they do allow some wiggle room for people to implement their teachings in a way that fits their personality and life, very few of them effectively help their readers implement the process in a way that creates real change. Self-help books become ‘shelf-help’: things that people read, are impressed by, use just a little bit, and them put away on the shelf without ever fully applying the tactic or strategies to their lives.
Even if people DO use their teachings, many books also fail to guide their readers through the process of coping with the old wounds and new obstacles that inevitably arise when a person attempts to change the status quo.
The ego and mind seldom allows the familiar to change without a fight, so life coaches provide their clients with ongoing support and tools to prevent them from slipping back into their old patterns, and to help them through the sometimes frightening transition from who they are right now to who they want to be.
- A life coach is NOT a Therapist!
Therapy emphasizes getting people to talk about their problems, repeatedly bringing their focus back to their wounds, and trying to heal them. It doesn’t usually teach them how to stop the behavior that leads to those wounds, and to attract the life they want to live instead.
Life coaches help people understand why they went through the pain that they did, why they’re still suffering, and why the same bad things keep showing up in their lives, but they DON’T focus on the wounds. Instead, they help their clients heal their emotional scars, regain faith in themselves, in the world, and change the habits and mindsets that have continued to attract that pain over and over again.
- A life coach is NOT a Psychologist!
While both professions help people understand the human mind, life coaches go far beyond that. We use our understanding of the mind to unleash our clients’ inner power and creativity, to help them tap into wisdom that they didn’t know they had, and to turn their minds into powerful magnets that attract the people and circumstances they want, with far less time and effort on their part than conventional thinking would believe possible.
As Henry David Thoreau once wrote:
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
We understand that the human mind works in conjunction with powerful and universal laws, and these laws govern whether you’ll succeed in any area of your life. Because of this, it is vital to know how to make your mind work in your favor, and life coaches show their clients how.
What IF… I AM?
I Am NEW, I Am FREE, I Am STRONG, I Am a LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, I Am an OVER COMER, I Am a CHILD OF GOD, I Am CHOSEN, I Am RIGHTEOUS, I Am LOVED, I Am an AMBASSADOR, I Am REDEEMED, I Am COMPLETE, I Am PROTECTED, I Am a CONQUEROR, I Am PROSPEROUS, I Am THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, I Am ROOTED.
When you look in the mirror who do you see?
YOU ARE good looking, YOU ARE smart, YOU ARE strong, YOU ARE valuable!
Do you sometimes think differently than this? before you answer this questions, take a moment and think about where any other response may come from. Why would you think otherwise? Where would these thoughts come from? Have they been spoken to you? Have you pondered these thoughts secretly? Are they rooted in doubt and insecurity or in confidence and truth?
We often tend to conform to the opinions of those around us, and use comparison to build our self-worth. We are whipping up a recipe of disaster for ourselves doing such a thing. Leading to a life being very fickle, and unhappy.
Comparison is a double-edge sward, too often leading to destruction! Stressing to fit in, wanting to stand out and the pressure to be perfect. These are all self induced afflictions, robbing us of our peace, joy and contentment. The bible warns us; “But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding” – 2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV
WHAT IF… YOU based your identity and self-worth on something other than the opinions of those around you or even your own opinions?
WHAT IF… YOUR value was based on something that never changes? Something that is fixed and decided for all eternity NEVER to be UNDONE? God determines WHO YOU ARE, and that is the ONLY “opinion” that matters!!
God NEVER changes in His thoughts towards YOU! He does not look at you as a lump sum of your decisions, nor does He judge you based on your worthiness. The moment you surrender to HIM, and confessing HIM as your Lord and Savior, is the moment God places a new identity on you, in you and for you!
He sees you as His child, He delights in YOUR HAPPINESS, and it is His firm desire to encourage and affirm your true identity—
I AM entitled to have passion, happiness, and healthy confidence. I was born to have, and live a life of passion, happiness and healthy confidence.
Send me an email at hollystevenswlc@gmail.com or message me https://www.facebook.com/ASplendidLifeNow to discover what Authentic Confidence is and how to feel safe enough to speak and act on our truth. We will learn the importance of connecting with the Infinite to expand our awareness and experience the life we would love to live. The very fact that we are alive and breathing means we deserve Confidence and this will help begin to restore trust in ourselves.