Why I Became a Life Coach
Do you ever have that sense of restlessness? You’re going through life, getting up, going to work, doing your thing, and everything is fine, but you’re not fine?
That was me. For a number of years.
On paper, I had it all. A great job as a graphic designer. Awesome co-workers. I even had Fridays off. But, my Inner Self was unhappy. There was something more that was calling out to me.
That inner restlessness caused me to launch The Gratitude Rebel, an online platform that would talk about mental health—particularly mental health for Christians who felt that the regular “methods” of Bible reading, going to church, praying, or expressing gratitude weren’t “working” to help diminish their struggles. The reason I was passionate about this was because I, myself, had had a long and turbulent journey with depression and anxiety—amplified (ironically enough) by being a Christian. I had learned a boat-load through that journey—and I had come out the other side—and I now wanted to help others experience freedom by sharing bits of my own story, so they could know they were not a lone.
One day, however, at a BBQ, an acquaintance asked me about The Gratitude Rebel, and when I told her it was about mental health, faith and the power of self-acceptance, she asked, “Oh, are you a mental health professional?”
And I felt a little sucker-punched. I mumbled something about having a lot of “lived experience,” but, I have to admit, her comment stuck.
Did I need more education in order to talk about mental health? I didn’t know. Personally, I felt like I had an inside scoop on depression and anxiety, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to look into getting some additional training.
And so, what began as a simple task to change the credentials behind my name to “Certified Life Coach,” turned into a passion that changed my thinking.
Yes, coaching changed my thinking.
You see, I’ve always felt like a bit of an Eeyore. My brain would often plummet into the negative. It’d see the glass as half-empty. I’d get depressed or really anxious.
And I often got stuck there. But week after week, as I immersed myself in the coaching curriculum, I noticed a shift in my mind: I started catching my negative thoughts. I started reframing them. I started choosing a more positive approach. I forgave myself. I began to stop my Inner Critic and turn on my Inner Compassion.
Seeing my thinking shift towards the positive was a miracle in itself.
But the other crazy part was that I found I loved coaching. Like nothing I’ve ever loved before. In fact, coaching has become a passion. In my spare time, I read coaching books; I study coaching methods; I take mental health webinars and courses to better myself.
I love coaching, not only because it is such a positive and different approach towards one’s health, but also because I started seeing the difference it was making in my coaching clients. My clients weren’t just “talking,” they were “doing.” They were working on goals that were long overdue. They were creating habits that were changing their every day life with stress and anxiety. They were allowing joy to enter their lives again.
You see, coaching is a very positive endeavour. Whereas many people who seek help come from the stance of “something is wrong with me,” coaching is always looking at what is right with you. It doesn’t assume something is wrong with you. It assumes you have everything within you to begin healing.
And that was a mind-flip for me.
I like to call coaching “healing through the backdoor” or “physiotherapy for your mental health.” Because, as you work on important-to-you goals week by week, little shifts begin to happen. You start to see what you like and don’t like. You begin to become aware of what works for you and what doesn’t. You begin to make space—for you. Most importantly, you begin to get unstuck from the stress and anxiety that’s been holding you back and unleash a life that’s calling you forward.
And so that’s the story. It began as credentials and ended up as commitment. A commitment to deepen the work I originally started through The Gratitude Rebel by now offering coaching to women: helping them to get “unstuck” from stress and anxiety so they can begin to become more confident, more fulfilled, more empowered versions of themselves.
“It began as credentials and ended up as commitment. A commitment to help women get “unstuck” from stress and anxiety so they can begin to become more confident, more fulfilled, more empowered versions of themselves.”
Are you restless, like I was? Are you tired of letting stress and anxiety have the last word in your life? Is there something “more” calling out to you? If you have even an inkling of curiosity about what coaching all entails, I’d love for you to reach out.
And, who knows? Maybe that curiosity may be the very key that unlocks the next step of your one precious life.
