Today I celebrate the 5th Anniversary of my Life Coach Certification. Happy Anniversary What Now? Life Coaching! Six years ago, my life was going off the rails—at least that was what it felt like at the time, and coaching literally rescued me from physical and emotional destruction. ‘Not even exaggerating.
One great skill (amongst the many) I’ve acquired is the ability to see things in my life as creative metaphors. This simple story wrote itself while I was out on an adventurous bike ride a few weeks ago.
Once upon a time a girl mapped out a path and set off happily upon her bike. The route seemed a safe and relatively easy one and she was certain she would enjoy it. As she went along, she discovered she was being accompanied. One companion she called The Voice. The other she came to call The Knowing. The Voice chatted the most and the loudest giving her many instruction. The Knowing communicated in a more subtle but definite way.
The girl came to a fork in the road. One path lead uphill and was rough. One path lead downhill and around the corner. It was paved. She consulted her carefully documented map. The Voice told her it was obvious that the downhill, paved path was the logical way to go. The Knowing seemed to want to go right. The Voice ridiculed and mocked and stressed that the paved path was logical and easier. The girl chose to listen to The Voice and off she went, left on the paved path.
It was just around the bend that she saw the path ended. All that lay before it was a deep valley and many bushes and trees. The Knowing leaned in. The girl acknowledged The Knowing, turned around and went up hill on the rough path. Again she came to a fork in the road. This time both paths were paved and she could not find either of them on her carefully drawn out map. This time she ignored The Voice and listened deeply to The Knowing. This happened two more times. She’d have a choice, she’d stop and wait for The Knowing to lean in. Around one more bend she saw her path. She recognized where she was. The Knowing had lead her back to it.
The girl continued her journey, but now with more enjoyment and strength, even though the path was not easy and sometimes uphill. She sang along the way, realizing that The Knowing would always lead her home.
The End.
No matter how carefully I plan, life does what it does. Like you, I have obstacles and challenges before me. But, because I practice listening to The Knowing more often than The Voice, my life is an enjoyable adventure.