I love my job as a coach and trainer. It’s so interesting what I learn about my clients and from them. It was a client of mine who taught me that horses are very sensitive animals. So, when she was in a bad mood, her horse would turn its back to her and left her standing alone. Another client of mine took most amazing photos of horses, like horses lying on their back as a person would be draped over the horse. But he always had to watch them, especially the stallions, as they could attack him at any time, had he overstepped the mark.
When we do job coaching, I get to know a different side of my client, something you sometimes hadn’t expected. One of my clients is a marketing specialist by profession. So, when I asked her what she does in her free time, she told me about the cakes she makes, or should I rather say creates? From listening to her I could figure out that her cakes were special but she always kept a low profile, and it often was more about what she couldn’t do than what she could do. This client has definitely no lack of self-esteem, quite on the contrary, she’s pleasantly self-confident but she’s also German;-), so things are never good enough. So, when she e-mailed me a link with her creations, I had been expecting nice-looking cakes but nothing extraordinary. I was absolutely overwhelmed when I saw her creations, I fact I love them so much that’s why I’ve put her link on my website (of course, I’d asked her permission first☺). Look for yourself:
https://www.facebook.com/Karos.Backkunst (she speaks very good English:-)
But I’m not just writing this because her cakes are sensational but also because it’s her beautiful and unique way to unwind and to plunge into her own world. Baking is like immersing herself in a different world and, very important, it gives her self-confidence, something she can hold onto, also in difficult times.
My client is a person who seizes a chance and doesn’t wait for a second time. During a holiday she fell in love with South Africa. Upon coming home she made up her mind to go to the country for half a year. It was not easy for her to hand in her notice as she loved her job as a marketing specialist but don’t just dream your dreams, realise them, that was what she did. After a fantastic time there she’s just come back home and now she’s trying to find a job. Well, she hasn’t been here for a long time but still when you’ve always worked it can worry you when you’re between jobs and yes, being at home can be lonely at times, especially for extraverts. Of course, money is tight when you live from unemployment benefit so going out is not something you can do on a regular basis.
In those times even reading a “dark” book can drag you down. We were talking about how good it does you to surround yourself with positive things and, very important, with positive, supporting people. Reflecting your situation is important but don’t dwell on it. And do things you can do well to boost your self-confidence.
It’s in those times that your resilience shows. Sometimes painfully slow, though, but as long as it’s temporary it’s not a problem; feeling down ist part of our lives at times. In fact we can’t always have ups, there not light without shadow. From a Chines client I once learned that most Chinese people live the yin-ganz principle naturally. It’s about being connected to yourself, thriving for balance and listen to your inner voice or to the voice of a good friend. It’s in those times that you know who a friend is, people who are there for you when you need them.
My client is well equipped, so to say, and that’s beautiful to watch. If you think that you need a little bit of support, you might want to have a look at my tab “Resilience”. The listed resilience factors there together with a short story may help you when you feel stuck.
