A few years ago I had my hands in my hair. I didn’t know what to do with my career anymore. I was still half a toe in the legal profession, so to speak, and yet I kept saying: “I know I’d better do something that suits me so much more, but I can’t do that, can I? It’s going to cause me so much misery, I’m going to disappoint my family, what are people going to think? I can’t allow myself to want this, can I?”?
It is striking how many people come to ask for advice, while they already know the answer deep down. After all, their question often gives away the answer to the same question, just like my question a few years ago. I knew all too well what to do, I just didn’t dare to say it and put it into practice. How glad I am that I finally did that with the help of a coach.
And now I’m here myself as a career coach, with the main task of helping my coachees understand what they really ask for. To make them see what they secretly already know and at the same time are afraid to know. Afraid to speak their truth and thus give it the right to exist. It is therefore exactly what we were taught at an early age: telling the truth is dangerous, it causes problems, you hurt others with it, so do.it.especially.not!
And yet. By not (daring to) face our truth and not acting on it, we let ourselves down. We are going to suffer, caused by the belief that a lie will keep us safe and hurt the truth.
And yet. Only when we are able to speak our truth can growth and change take place. And that’s what coaching is all about. Facing the music.
With all the love in the world and without any judgment, I occasionally confront my coachees with some tough questions. It’s exactly what the great Cheryl Strayed* puts it so well: “I am someone who says: ‘I will hold you, I will see you, I will say to you it is okay to be the truest version of yourself and to live out that truth”.
Anybody have a map?** It’s time to stop walking the paths that others have mapped out for you. It is your life, your life path. Draw your own road map, speak your truth and the rest will go by itself. It’s a promise.
Can you use help with this and/or do you have questions? Request your introductory quarter today on ✨ www.growthlab.be ✨ or contact me via the known social media channels. I look forward to meeting you!
* We Can Do Hard Things Podcast Ep. 119
** 📸 Anyone who has been following me for a while knows by now that I appreciate a good musical. This one comes from the musical Dear Evan Hansen. I’ll leave it up to you to explore.
