Answering the Calling
I came across the idea of coaching many years ago during a session I was having with my therapist at the time. We had been talking about what goals I wanted to set for myself, where I wanted to see myself next. I wasn’t sure. I was in a place where I no longer really wanted to climb the corporate ladder, I didn’t feel like there was much more potential for growth where I was unless I wanted to go into management and I wasn’t sure that was where I saw myself. I mentioned the idea of becoming a therapist because I've always had a desire to help others. I've always been fascinated by people. I naturally find myself wanting to understand them, support them, and help them grow. My therapist mentioned becoming a coach, she planted a seed years ago that would eventually grow into my new path.
I really had no idea what a coach was until I started on this path and I got curious about what coaches actually do. Although I had heard the term “life coach” before it didn’t register that it was an actual career path. I had worked with many coaches in the past through the fitness community I built on Facebook and my own fitness journey when I competed in 2019. When I thought of “coach” fitness was really what came to mind. I didn’t realize that I had been doing my own version of coaching, both fitness and life, through many different points in my life. I have often been the one people have come to for support, a listening ear, a safe space. My world expanded when I realized this is something that maybe I was called to do.
About a year ago I started looking more into coaching, what the different schools had to offer and stumbled upon the ICF (International Coaching Federation). I was so impressed with the values, ethical standards and credentialing process. They aligned with my own values of wanting to be of service to others, believing in making a change for the good of others, operating with ethics, equity and integrity. This industry that, in my mind, had maybe been a little woo-woo was actually a movement for the betterment of mankind. I felt like these visions/values that I have carried with me had a place and a path I could continue to grow alongside others. It’s a world where I can show up authentically, use my natural skills within a frame that offers growth and support for others. It was a puzzle piece that felt like a perfect fit.
Coaching has taught me many things, but maybe the biggest lesson wasn't about learning a new profession at all. It was recognizing something that had quietly been present throughout my life. The instinct to listen, to understand, to hold space, to believe in people before they fully believe in themselves. For me, answering the calling wasn't becoming someone new. It was finally giving myself permission to become more of who I had been all along. Discovering my kindness isn't a weakness, it's one of my greatest strengths. And perhaps the most unexpected gift of this journey has been discovering that there are others who see the world the way I do.
