As coaches we provide ‘distinctions’ that help our clients turn ‘stumbling blocks’ into ‘stepping stones’.  Let me give you an example: When one of my clients came to her first coaching session, she was ‘stuck’ in an almost intolerable situation.  The situation was dragging her down, she was anxious and life seemed full of ‘doom and gloom’.  

At our second session I asked her to describe any beautiful experience she’d had recently.  At first she was quiet and suddenly her face lit up as she told me about her visit to the ‘butterfly farm’.  A butterfly had settled on her hand and she had felt great peace.  We explored this further and the butterfly became her ‘distinction’. 

I searched internet and found a brilliant ‘fast forward’ YouTube video of caterpillars freely climbing the branches.  They then seemed trapped in the cocoon for a while before breaking out of the cocoon and each emerged as a beautiful butterfly.  This metaphor described her situation.  She used to have freedom of movement.  She was now trapped in that cocoon.  But she acknowledged that like the butterfly, there was a set time for her to break out.  She became curious about the changes taking place inside the cocoon during the incubation period and she began to realise that this was not a period ofstagnation, but rather of hidden activity. 

What actually happened during the coaching process?  This distinction expanded the invitation and created further possibilities.  We both had great fun linking this to all aspects of our coaching programme. For example, we spoke about getting the ‘butterflies to fly in formation’.  She began formulating her book, using ‘the butterfly within’ as a theme for her writing.  The coaching programme enabled her to focus her ideas.  The new balance in her life also enabled her to spend time re-establishing parts of her garden and she has incorporated tiles with butterfly motifs.  

She excelled during the coaching programme.  The ‘butterfly distinction’ helped her to turn her ‘stumbling block’ into a ‘stepping stone’.  What are your ‘stumbling blocks’?  Often we have ‘blind spots’ and can’t see our own situation clearly.  And we don’t know how to change the patterns in our lives.  Through self-observation a good coach can help us to identify, self-correct and self-generate and thus improve our ‘way of being’. 

For more information on our coaching services, please contact me - brenda@146.66.90.172,  Phone: +27 33 3425432, Mobile: + 27 82 4993311.