Coaching is about ‘Seeing Clearly’

In my first career I practiced as an Optometrist. I helped people with their sight every day for 16 years.

I often joke that I got the message to work with people’s vision when I was 14, and after I took it figuratively for years, I realized that it was actually the vision of one’s life that I was meant to support people in bringing clarity, focus and action to.

I would call myself a student of Pema Chodron’s. In addition to reading many of her books, I receive her quotes of the week and the one that came through today describes meditation. It also describes what I now do with clients through coaching. As you read the quote below, meditation and substitute it with coaching.

Seeing Clearly

Meditation is about seeing clearly the body that we have, the mind that we have, the domestic situation that we have, the job that we have, and the people who are in our lives. It’s about seeing how we react to all these things. It’s seeing our emotions and thoughts just as they are right now, in this very moment, in this very room, on this very seat. It’s about not trying to make them go away, not trying to become better than we are, but just seeing clearly with precision and gentleness.

Pema Chodron – The Wisdom of No Escape

Thank you Pema for articulating, so accurately, what I have been trying to find language for, for several years – particularly language that is quite fitting for a former Optometrist, now Coach.

Coaching is like a verbal meditation, a practice in mindful conversation. As we sit together, I partner with my clients to get to know themselves more and more, to be in wise relationship with themselves so that they can find their own answers and define and design their own vision and path for their life.