I get asked all the time, “Why are you a Life Coach?”… a valid question, and one you need to be able to answer yourself.Why, indeed, are YOU a Life Coach or consultant?Are you in it for the money? Probably not; there are much better ways to make money.Do you want to “help people”? That’s better, but much too general.What do you – as a coach – really want to accomplish?This again leads to the why? Answering this question may take a little thought.Not so long ago, I didn’t have an answer to this question. When asked why I did what I do, I only answered with a general “because I love helping others,” or “I want to transform the world.”While those answers were true, they didn’t cover a very important element that is implied in that question, I.e., what is my story?I’m not talking about telling them my “life story” and covering elements that have nothing to do with them. No. The story I’m talking about involves something much deeper…
It involves being.Here are the questions you ask yourself: “Who am I at the very center of my being?”… And “how does this unique desire or talent affect the lives of others?” I saw my Being as a visionary, teacher and healer. Consequently, I had to do more than merely transform lives; I had to make it possible for hundreds of others to do what I do so that the whole world is transformed! This, in turn, will produce a world filled with more love, joy, happiness and abundance.That’s MY “why”… I simply assumed the role of super hero in my own comic book! And you can do the same thing.Sound simple? It is… but it’s not easy.You see, for my why” to come together, I need to share with more and more coaches ways to reach and transform more and more people using more and more powerful methods. Despite the difficulty I’m up for the challenge because – in the words of Nietzsche – my “why” is strong enough to overcome any “how”!If you are a coach, are you seeing and helping all the clients you want?If not, look to your “why,” and whether or not there is even a market for what you want to share. Without a strong demand you will soon be looking for other jobs just to put food on the table and pay the rent.Even if you want to create the market for your services, that’s great. Is your “why” strong enough to take you through the struggle period? If so, go for it. If not, you may need to do some more market research and self-reflection before setting out on a fool’s errand.What’s The Story Behind Your Why?You need a story. Without one, your customer or client will find it hard to relate to you. When you tell your story, you become the hero or central figure of a journey. This, in turn, leads you down the path towards your Why.Don’t think you have a story? Or don’t think others will be interested? Think again. You are a human being, and human beings have stories…
… Even if it’s the story about your quest for meaning or purpose in life…. Even if your story starts out with “I was lost, without a clue on how to proceed.”Provide the story about how you overcame one or more obstacles along this path, even if the journey is not yet complete… that IS your story, and others can relate! By eliciting stories from others, you also help them discover their why. This is the essence of life coaching, I.e., helping others discover that they have everything they need to succeed! Life coaching, in fact, may be the most powerful way to provide real value to others while paving the way to your own success!The fact is: others can only succeed when YOU do… and you succeed even more when they do!So get busy on that “why”…