The term life coach has become so ever more popular during the past decade or so. I know that growing up I’ve never ever heard the term life coach (in English or any other language I was speaking back then).
So why are we hearing and reading the term life coach or life coaching all over the place nowadays, and is it a good thing? But most of all, how can a life coach help you? To begin answering those question let’s go in human history in order to understand why life coaches have made their appearance in more recent time.
The Human Race Has Evolved
One thing you are probably aware of is that the human race evolves as time goes on. We don’t stay the same centuries after centuries. Just go down history lane and you would easily understand what I mean.
Back in Biblical times people had to kill a lamb in sacrifice for their sin; aren’t you glad you don’t have to do this anymore?
More recently in human history you would be burned alive if you were hearing and speaking to spirits, yet it was OK to ship human beings like cattle from another continent to enslave them. More recently still you could be hanged for a simply theft case. Any very recently in history, as recent as when you were a child, you may remember that it was OK to inflict corporal punishment on your children or even your school students without getting in any trouble with the law.
Looking at our history, needless to say the human race was more mentally primitive and has evolved greatly. That’s why when I hear people regretting the old days I always say, well, not everything was better in the old days, was it? I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t care too much to have lived in the 17th century, do you?
So, yes, thankfully, the mind of the human race as a whole has evolved to the point that we have become less animalistic and more spiritual. Because of such higher spiritual level of energy floating around the universe we are attracting more and more spiritual/mind development information such as this blog and hundreds of others, and we are creating the need for life coaching. Don’t you love living in this day and age? I know I do!
Reaching a Spiritual Maturity like Never Before
People are more interested in their mind and spirituality than ever before, and that’s one of the best things that has ever happened to the human race since its infancy. Yes, they are still some group of people who are still leaving in some type of mental stone age, being tyrants by today’s standards, but over all people are becoming more and more aware of their higher self, and therefore, are more and more attracted to personal development materials. Thus the rise of life coaches.
What I like about life coaching is that people don’t come to us like they would to a doctor. I mean by that that you go to a doctor because you’re sick or because you want to prevent some potential illnesses.
In the case of a life coach, the only people that would come to you for help are people that are already “up there” mentally and aware of their potential power, abilities, and talents to get where they want. Sometimes, it might still be a subconscious awareness, but it’s there. If it weren’t you wouldn’t even look for a life coach. In other words, a life coach attracts his or her clients naturally, according the universal Law of Attraction, and it’s beautiful that way.
Reaching for Higher more Spiritual Grounds as an Individual
If you have reached the mental maturity that is given to mankind nowadays, you might be looking for reaching a higher ground of spiritual insight.
Note: When I say spiritual, please, do not confuse this with religion. Religion in itself is another topic of its own, and has nothing to do with the spirituality I am talking about. I don’t have anything against religion in itself, but the spirituality of a person, their awareness of self, is almost never linked to their religion or lack of it.
To give you an example to illustrate this, I am presently reading a book by Kelvin Cruickshank a well known psychic from New Zealand who was relating how he started seeing spirits when he was only 4 years old. When you’re 4 you have no attachment to any religion and most likely no religious beliefs of your own, anyway. Yet, it’s interesting how the spirituality of a little boy that age was already letting itself known. Just a parenthesis to make sure we are on the same track here, when I use the word spirituality.
Can we Make our Mind Grow?
Some people have asked me the question, can I make my mind (the higher self part of me grow?) and my answer to such question is yes, of course you can.
Just like you can bury a natural ability of the mind such as a “psychic gift” you can also develop natural spiritual abilities and higher understandings. But it all depends on what you do. What I do know is that preventing your mind to grow doesn’t give good results. On the other hand, increasing your mind by empowering it opens many doors to a better you.
To give you another example of what I’m talking about, my aunt (my mother’s older sister) also had psychic abilities as early as 3 or 4 years old. However, my grandmother got so frightened when my aunt used to tell her that she was seeing a little pig on the ceiling or some children in her bedroom that she did everything in her power to make my aunt (then just a small child) bury that psychic ability. The funny thing is that my grandmother had psychic abilities herself.
Did it work? Yes, it did. My aunt never had another vision after age six. Not once in her life, and she is 81 now. However, if you knew my aunt as well as I do, I’m sure you’ll be able to tell that something is ”missing” in her. I didn’t know it all these years living with and around my aunt, but today, as a life coach, I am pretty sure that it has something to do with that buried spiritual gift of hers.
How can a Life Coach Help you?
Bringing your God given gifts back to life, or developing some gifts you didn’t know you had, or helping you seeing what’s blocking you from achieving what you want in this life; that’s what a life coach can help you accomplish.
As I always say, a life coach can’t take steps for you, but they can help you to get on the right path or discover a path you didn’t know was even there.
People have questions about their health, their financial situation, their job, their relationships and everything in between. Most of the time, it’s almost impossible to clearly see the whole situation you’re in yourself, but a life coach being an outsider to such situation can see something that was right there, totally blinding you.
It may be some very deep down subconscious beliefs that you may have due to your upbringing. We all have them, but when it comes to our own we are often times totally blinded by them, not conscious that they even exist and standing between us and the success we are trying to reach for.
A very common denominator we all have is called “mom”. For most people what mama said and did has stuck with us all throughout our lives. Many things you’re probably able to find out yourself, but some other things are so much part of your subconscious programming that you can’t see them, unless someone point them out to you. That’s what a life coach does.
I will never forget a story that famous life coach Harv Eker tells in one of his books. One day a man who came to one of his seminars was telling him that he made very good money up to 5-6 figures a month, yet, he always managed to dilapidated it all until he was broke by the end of the month. Then, he made another big fat check at the beginning of the month and started the money-wasting game all over again until he was broke.
The man understood he had a problem, but didn’t know what it was. So life coach Harv Eker started to ask him some basic questions about how he was raised and what he was taught as a young child. Then the man said a key phrase. “My mother always said that rich people are pigs”. When the man said that, Eker knew instantly that he had found the root of the money problem that this man had. Eker said; “Consciously, we all want to be rich, but most of all, subconsciously we never want to disappoint mom and no one wants to be a pig”.
Consciously no one would waste all their money in order to be broke at the end of the month, but subconscious we do. As I said in many of my posts before, the subconscious mind doesn’t reason logically, it just makes us act based on our programming. The subconscious mind says “pig is bad. “Mom says it bad. Must lose money asap in order not to be pig”. That’s as simple as this.
This is an area where a life coach can help you greatly. This man was helped by life coach Harv Eker, until he was healed from his money issue.
So, there you have it. Those are areas where a life coach can come handy. This is how a life coach can help you.
Over to you know. Please, leave your comments or question down below!
Beautifully explained Sylviane!
After reading your post, any question anyone of us would have about who is a life coach and how they can help you would be solved – you did such a commendable job with this post. 🙂
I think a life coach helps you understand your hidden skill better and brings out the real you from your sub-conscious. I loved what you shared about your aunt, and also about what Mom says to be true, and yes indeed, that’s how most of us are tuned – to listen to what mama says – always. We can never think beyond that when we are young specially, and that’s also where a life coach helps – to make you think beyond your boundaries – isn’t it?
Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful post with all of us 🙂
Harleena Singh invites you to read..12 Steps to a New Beginning in Life
Hi Harleena,
Thank you so much for what you’ve said about my post. My goal was trying to give a very thoughout explanation about what a life coach can do, and I have to say, I was totally inspired to write this post so it became this big 1600+ word post. (Sorry for those who like short articles), but I know you are OK with long posts yourself, Harleena.
I noticed that you seem to have a new post, so I’ll be there soon 🙂
Thanks for your visit, as always.
Hi Sylviane,
I had hired a few life coaches several years ago and they really helped me get my life and priorities back on track. The sad thing is people believe they can’t afford a life coach, I always remind them they cannot afford to not have one.
Even the wisest of people get off track in their lives and that is where a life coach becomes invaluable in my opinion.
Take Care.
Justin invites you to read..The Rise of the Feminine and the End of the Patriarch Systems
Hi Justin,
That’s right. We could say that a life coach is a very good return on investment. Imagine if someone tells you why you’re broke and show you how you can reprogram yourself in order to get better in that area. That’s a great return on your investment, right?
HI Sylviane
I was not completely aware of the concept of life coaches, after reading your post now I can say their role is very important in our life, they play the role similar to what doctors paly in our lives.
The story of life coach Harv Eker is really appealing.
Thanks for sharing this great post.
Sapna
sapna invites you to read..A Naive Bloggers Day Without Electricity
Yes, Sapna,
Actually I’d rather have doctors play no role in my life, and that on of things life coach can teach you too. Yes, the story of Harv Eker’s client has always stayed with me since the day I read about it. We can say that life coaches can change lives. I love that!
Thanks for coming, Sapna 🙂
Life coaching is a new concept in India, Sylviane and one I find rather difficult to explain at times. I’m going to bookmark this post of yours and direct people to it when I recommend they find a life coach.
Corinne Rodrigues invites you to read..Friendship Redefined?
Hi Corinne,
Wow, thank you so much for sharing my post.
I did put a lot of time into it and I know I’ve put a lot of information that I’ve never seen (online) before about coaching. That’s also probably why someone just took my whole content and created two brand new sites with it. I am still figuring out if I should report this or not 🙂
Thanks for your visit and see you around
Hello Sylviane
What a awesome article. Life Coaches are valuable in that they are like a compass and the help clients navigate through storms, detours, and help the clients re-think their beliefs.
Again thank you
Hi Gladys,
Thanks for coming here and leaving your input about this post. Yes, indeed, we know how valuable life coaches are valuable don’t we?
I love your explanation Sylviane!
I hired a spiritual life coach a few years back to help me understand why I wasn’t moving any further along then I was. It’s funny because she told me that most people hire her because they want to know how to be happy. That, of course, was never an issue with me.
It ended up being my self confidence which lead back to me feeling stupid because I never did good in school. My parents telling me that you’ll never amount to much unless you get a college degree which I knew would never happen. There is a lot of “stuff” buried deep down inside that we don’t even know is there because I certainly never thought about any of that stuff on the surface.
Life coaches can definitely help us understand our thinking and how we can start working on being the person we know we can be.
I love this and this was an excellent explanation. I’m definitely sharing this all over the place.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne,
What you explained you’ve heard from your parents is typical of what many people have heard the same type of things from their parents. This is so strong, Adrienne, that I know extremely smart and gifted people who haven’t done much in their life just because of the negative programming they’ve received by their parents. Programming which was done mainly because of ignorance. But ignorance and subconscious programming don’t go well together.
You and me Adrienne do not need anyone to teach us how to be happy, but someone who could teach us how to bring in the dough 🙂 People who can’t be happy have an even deeper problem, but that’s curable too, just a bit tougher 🙂
Thanks for you feedback and thanks for sharing it. I put a lot of my spirit in this post.
Hi Sylviane,
I didn’t really know much about life coaches, so found this very interesting. I assume there are all different types and styles of coach, and I’d think it would be important to find someone who’s on the right wavelength for your particular needs, personality and beliefs.
I’m not sure I completely understand the difference between life coaching and counselling – are they completely different things or is there an overlap, do you think?
Sue
Sue Neal invites you to read..Writing Tips: Is this habit stifling your creativity?
Hi Sue,
I’m glad you asked the question about the difference between counseling and life coaching. Well, this is my answer.
Counseling is more for people who are seeking help for some type of practical actions for their issues such as anger management, problem with drug of alcohol abuse, or marriage troubles, for example.
People having such type problems usually seek counseling. However it doesn’t mean that a life coach couldn’t help them, but such patients might not be “ready” to understand how to reach the subconscious root of their problem, yet. So they seek help from someone who is going to give them more “conscious type” advice.
The best example is being overweight and looking for weight watcher to be your life savior, when you could actually lose weight using your subconscious mind, with no specific diet program.
Some people are not ready to hear that their subconscious mind is affecting their lives, they are looking for more “outer” actions, then “inner” work. Not sure it’s a clear enough explanation, but that how I can explain it best.
Thanks very much for that explanation, Sylviane – I think I understand. What you’re saying is that counselling is more for people who have an identified psychological problem, whereas a life coach is for someone who is basically ‘well’ but wants to explore ways to enrich and develop their life – is that right?
Sue
Sue Neal invites you to read..Writing Tips: Is this habit stifling your creativity?
Yes, Sue, something like that.
You see, the example I gave you about the man who was making very good money, but who managed to waste it all by the time the month was over and ended up broke?
He could have looked financial counseling, (maybe he did) and they may have given him some saving tips, but that wouldn’t have fix the “root of the problem” would it?
What life coach Harv Eker did is NOT showing him how to SAVE his money but WHY is was getting ride of that money.
This really demonstrate well what the difference is between “concealing” and “life coaching”.
Thanks, Sylviane – that explains it very well – a kind of ‘root cause analysis’, looking at your underlying motivations and reasons for your behaviour – I think I get it!
Sue
Sue Neal invites you to read..Writing Tips: Is this habit stifling your creativity?
I can identify with this subject so well Sylviane.
Born “psychic,” I seen visions, knew what was going to happen before it did. Seen auras and thought there were blue people, red people and so on. To make a very long story short, my parents and grandparents were frightened. They took me across the street to the church. I can vividly remember the tall fat priest with the red face. I knew he was drunk and I was only 7 years old. lol
He kindly put his hand on my head and said to me that I was seeing the devil and my parents wanted to protect me. So when I see what I thought were angels in the sky, it was the devil and I should not pay attention to it.
Was I shocked? Absolutely not! I felt sorry for this big fat man and didn’t want to hurt my parents, so I stopped talking. I started to ignore things. It lead me down a long road of unhappiness….UNTIL….I had an awakening (too long of a story)
By working with parapsychologists and The Association of Psychical Research, I gave my left brain permission to unlock my ability via scientific proof. That was years ago and I’ve been helping people ever since.
The subconscious messages had to be dealt with though a series of many therapeutic sessions, DBT, NLP, EMDR….etc.
Is everyone Psycic? Intuitive? You bet and there is proof in the pudding if you do the research.
Donna
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Ah Donna, I knew that this post would speak to you. So, when are you writing this book of yours? I would be your first reader 🙂 You know!
I am actually reading Kelvin Cruishanck’s book which talks about his own journey and helping people develop their own psychic abilities, because, yes, like you he is saying that we all have them.
This is just an example about me who is not a psychic. One night I dreamed that my then fiancé had been sexually assaulted in his childhood. When I work up, I just knew that it wasn’t a dream. I can’t explain it, I KNEW. He had NEVER told me anything about it, not even to his parents. EVER.
So I cannot even tell you his surprise and shock when I told him that I knew what had happened to him. He said, how do you know? I said I dreamed it, but I just know it’s not a dream, it’s a fact. He understood that there were not denying it, so he confessed that it was in fact true.
So, yes, Donna. We all have psychic abilities.
Very nicely done. I have always loved the analogy of superior athletes. They always have coaches and that is expected. Why do people wonder that if you really wanted to grow as a person, you need a coach? I certainly don’t know.
Thanks,
Dr. Hale
Hale invites you to read..Becoming a Well Known Blogger – You Pay in Time or Cash
Hi Hale,
You’re right, top performers a seeking coaching guidance and help, why not anyone do so? Fortunately more and more people are now hiring life coaches and it will only increase with time.
Thanks for coming 🙂
HI Sylviane
After our discussion on the length of this post I found myself getting through it very easily and it did not seem so long.
You did an excellent job of explaining the role of a life coach and also of the difference between spirituality and religion.
That is sad about your Aunty burying her gift but sadly I think it happens a lot. I know of several people who have done that.
I personally have done so much one on one work over the years. I now have a monthly session with a spiritual hmm not sure what to call her – worker I guess. It has really helped me transition from the crazy world of traditional business to working from home.
Great post thanks Sylviane.
Sue
Sue Price invites you to read..Debunking the Myths of Empower Network
Hi Sue,
Yes, I agree that my aunt’s case is not a single type case in this regard. Many people had to bury such spiritual gifts because they were told they were crazy, or because of fear. This is due to the fact that we live in a world that believe mostly in matter and not spirit, but they are so darn wrong!
Fortunately, our world is awakening to the spiritual side of it more and more 🙂 I am glad that you’re seeking spiritual guidance on a personal level, Sue 🙂
HI Sylviane,
Can we Make our Mind Grow? I love this part of the blog the most. I totally agree with you that of course we can!
You are spot on about how many people’s programming have blocked them in achieving their goals in life. It is sad that many people are not aware that they can DO SOMETHING to the subconscious mind (and grow the mindset into Prosperity Thinking). I am glad that there are professional life coach like you who are consistently sharing the message that there is hope!
Keep up your good work, Slyviane! Keep helping and sharing 🙂
Viola The Business Mum
Viola Tam invites you to read..Mistakes Magic
Hi Viola,
I am gald you came here again and enjoyed this Viola.
You know how it is, sometimes you’re totally inspried to write about a specific topic and this post was one of those times. I kinda poured my guts out there with the hope that people will benefit from this and learn what a life coach can do for them if there ever feel they could use one. Yes, indeed, our mind can grow.
This was a lot of fun to read, Sylviane. All the stories you told were interesting and I’m always fascinated by human behavior and psychology and how our brains work (or don’t, as is the case for some people!)
it’s interesting how you say that only the more “evolved” people mentally will look for a life coach. You might think it would be the other way around – people who are having a hard time would look for the guidance. But I can see your point, because people at that “low” level would not even recognize that they needed or wanted help.
Like you, I only started hearing that word recently. I don’t think such a think existed before, but to your point, as people grow, they begin to look for other avenues and new ways to grow even more.
I think back in the day, we might have called them “psephologists” because when you wanted to work on something in your life, you sort of treated it like an illness that you had to get through. I can see why that evolved! There is nothing wrong with people who want to expand their lives, but that doesn’t mean they can always do it themselves. It helps to have guidance and a spiritual adviser who can come along with you.
Thanks for sharing this, I really enjoyed the topic and your examples!
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Hi Carol,
Yes, that’s right. You would think that people who need it most would seek for that type of help, but they don’t. Of course they don’t. They have no idea it’s even there. I know it and I see “those people” everyday.
People who are looking for a life coach are people who are into personal development and more people aren’t still, but I’m like a coach friend of mine, I truly believe that it will increase. It’s already in the process and it will keep increasing. In any case, I wouldn’t want to work with someone who is not ready, so to speak.
I’m glad you had fun reading this. I had fun writing it 🙂 Thanks for coming.
Hi Sylviane I never knew about this site. It looks very nice. Many people do not realize how much a life coach would help our lives.
Unfortunately, most people still ascribe to the non progressive ways our parents taught us about dealing with everything ourselves.
Michael Belkopm invites you to read..The AIG lawsuit decision against the U.S. government.
Hi Michael,
That’s what I thought, you’ve never been here. Well I have 3 babies (blogs :)) and this is one of them.
Dealing with everything ourselves makes no sense. Tell a pregnant woman who is about to give birth to do it by herself and see how she reacts!
That’s quite the opposite. We are ALL connected and here to help each other. I know there are a lot of “non progressive ways” as you call it that we need to rewrite, so to speak. Right?
Thanks for being here 🙂
Hi Sylviane,
This is a great post Sylviane. I had to say that I didn’t know much about life coaches although I hear about them a lot but I didn’t know exactly what is their role.
This post really clarified the picture for me and I loved the story of life coach Harv Eker. It really put the whole thing about Life Coach into perspective for me.
Thanks for sharing this information Sylviane. I really enjoyed reading it.
Be Blessed,
Neamat
Neamat Tawadrous invites you to read..The Importance Of Defining A Target Market For Your Business
Hi Neamat,
I’m glad that this post could help you understand better what a life coach does. Indeed I can see even more clearly now that still a lot of people don’t know about life coaching and what it can do for them.
Thank you for coming here, Neamat, and sharing your thoughts on this post.
Hi Sylviane,
This life coach thing has become prevalent in the last few years. I’ve been tempted to obtain a life coach myself and I’ve heard of good things and benefits but I’m not quite ready yet for the plunge mainly because I want to find the right one. You’ve given me a better understanding and I appreciate that. Thank you.
Barbara
Barbara Charles invites you to read..How My Life Really Began In My 50’s by Adrienne Smith
Hi Barbara,
Yes, just like any other thing, one life coach will match better your needs and personality than another, so shoping around may help you find the right one for you. Actually asking God and/or the Universe to guide you to the right one is a good thing to do as well.
Thanks for this imput 🙂
There are certain people who we know that are concern towards are benefits. Those people are like our parents, grandparents, siblings friends and others. These people maybe a good coach in life.
jun invites you to read..Materials in Soils that are Beneficial to Plants
Hi Sylviane,
Interesting share .Like many people I also did not have much idea what a life coach could do but after reading this share I have gained lot of insight about it . If a life coach could explain us why we are unhappy it can be truly relaxing . Enjoyed the share .