Your greatest gift - a coaching perspective
There are some moments that force you to stop and think. About life. About choices. About your gifts & talents. About the real priorities in life.
As a coach, this happens rather often. Sometimes, there needs to be a wake-up call...
The wake-up call
Today, a pedestrian jumped in front of my car. Honestly, it almost felt like he ran into my car. A man in his early 40s dressed in a Mickey Mouse costume. Yap. The cartoon character found at Disneyland. He had a red light and just dashed between cars. The most shocking part (even more than the Mickey outfit) was that he didn’t stop when he saw a car coming toward him. Medium-sized car, red and shiny. Pretty visible I would say.
Thankfully, the breaks were on point. The car is new and I was 100% attentive to the traffic after just having a coffee. Even more so, I was driving pretty slowly because I was preparing for a left turn. The conditions were just ideal and I managed to stop at the last possible minute.
The coaching analysis
The first thing that popped up in my mind was why? Why would one act so carelessly with their own life? Doesn’t he know this is the greatest gift anyone can receive? Because right here and right now you have the ability to improve, to create something new. Why would you waste it?
Life is so beautiful and magic. It always has another surprise as a plot twist. A fortunate plot twist. Maybe the most unlikely solutions are the best ones. Maybe that thing you really like can be turned into a side hustle. Maybe you will meet someone new on your next trip. Maybe that school reunion will help you get in contact with an old friend and reignite the relationship. There are infinite possibilities and when you take the actions needed, you create a better life for yourself.
So, why would someone risk their life so foolishly? I came up with 3 possible answers:
He simply didn’t see the car (nor the one coming on the opposite side)
He thought he could faster than cars in a city world-renowned for its crazy traffic (Bucharest, RO)
He wanted to commit suicide
Now, for each, I have a corresponding coaching question.
What else aren’t you seeing in your life? Just take a pause and look.
Do you often make this type of estimate? Almost superhuman-like.
Oh my, what would you leave behind and (more importantly) who would you leave behind? How would they feel? If you feel like it would help, reach out – to a friend, to an NGO to whoever can help you the most.
And the most important question of all:
What is worth risking your life for?
The takeaway
I imagined that he might have run for a bus or a kid’s party. Yet, what are 5 minutes when you compare it to the rest of your life? And funny enough there are so many moments that we make choices that don't support life. When our diet is lacking nutrients, when our sleep pattern is a mess, when we stay in toxic situations or when we simply compromise because we are just too scared of getting out of our comfort zone. Every time we are living someone else’s life instead of our own, we are making a choice against life.
So, my dear reader, are you living your authentic life?
Some food for thought (read some coaching questions to inspire your self-reflection):
Are you living on your authentic life path?
What area of our life are you most proud of and which one needs the most adjusting?
If you were 100% free, embraced by the public and clients, what would you create?
What beliefs do you have? Are they supporting you and making things even more complicated?
If you could improve any area of your life, which one would you pick?
Each day that you wake up, you are given a magic wand that enables you to create everything and anything you might desire. How are you using it today?
I am more than happy to inspire & accompany you as a coach in this wonderful journey called life. This is exactly why I am giving everyone the opportunity to start by testing coaching. That means the first session is "pay what you want".
