Stepping Outside of The Bubble With Coaching

Since starting the coaching journey three years ago I’ve found myself increasingly surrounded by people open to exploring their own journey. I live in an incredibly liberal city in the UK, I base myself in a creative mecca of a building and tend to hang out with coaches and development specialists. My social media is even populated primarily with Huffington Post, Mind Body Green and The Guardian updates. I see openness and hope all around me.

When the Conservative government got elected into British parliament in May this year I was left feeling confused. With all of this collaboration, community, sharing and openness, how had we voted in a government that many were dubbing the ‘self-servatives’?

But last week, as I assisted my partner at an event in a different part of the country, I was reminded just how many arenas in society still exist on a basis of separation, competition and fear. I experienced customer service that consisted of distracted and distant individuals, I spent some time at events with emotionally armoured attendees, I was cat called and objectified as I walked down the street in one particular place, something that I just don’t experience in my open, accepting, liberal city.

Instead of making me feel hurt, upset or separated I find myself feeling driven. I, in no way, believe everyone should be like me, nor be like the city I live in or the people I hang out with. But I do believe society as a whole could benefit hugely from more openness, connection, vulnerability and less fear and separation. I feel driven to share that message as much as I can.

We have an important job to do as coaches; we are shining the light on peoples’ brilliance. Sometimes my internal gremlins will have me believe my coaching work isn’t useful, it doesn’t help. But last week was a reminder that it really does. The way we are being as coaches, simply showing up for people, seeing them, sending the message that they are awesome beings and deserve to feel joy is crucial, and it’s scarce.

What I invite all of us to do is to write ourselves reminders; that what we are doing and how we are showing up as coaches is rare, it’s needed and slowly but surely it is changing the world to be a little more connected, a little more collaborative and a little less scary.