Life Coach Training

Lesson 19

Preparing for Your Session

      You can ensure the quality of your coaching experience, and that of your client, by beginning it well. The beginning starts before you get together with your client, whether by phone or in person. Your conscious preparation will establish the energy and results of the call.

      For many years I have been using an affirmation/prayer from A Course in Miracles before my coaching sessions, lectures, and meetings. It is simple and easy to remember, and can be employed in a minute’s time. At first it is better to delve into it for a longer time in prayer and meditation, and when you become attuned to it, you can tap into its essence very quickly.

    (The Course uses patriarchal language, and if you prefer you can substitute “She” or “It” for “He.” Those terms are less important than the essence and purpose of the prayer.)

I am here only to be truly helpful.

I am here to represent Him who sent me.

I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do, because He Who sent me will direct me.

I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes there with me.

I will be healed as I let Him teach me to Heal.

I am here only to be truly helpful.

      The key words in this phrase are “truly helpful.”  Consciously applying this phrase could be the meditation of a lifetime!  Ask yourself, “How in this coaching session (or this moment in the session, or this moment in any situation in life) can I be truly helpful?  What does my client really need?  What would bring the greatest healing, peace, or relief?” 

      You may have an idea of what help should look like, or the client has an idea of how he should be helped, that may not be truly helpful. The client may be set on a course that will bring him more pain or give him what he thinks he wants, but not what he really wants or needs on a spiritual level. Or perhaps the client is not grounded and has a lofty ambition that overlooks being present and effective in the now moment. If you can tune into where true help lives, rather than the presenting form of help, you will truly help your client.

      If you are not sure what true help looks like, remember that real healing is inner peace, and help your client to find that.

I am here to represent Him who sent me.

         You are not the healer. The healer is the Great Spirit, or pure life force. That Force is expressed as love, joy, well-being, connection, and inner peace. When you are aligned with those attributes, you are a clear window through which the light of truth can shine.

      You are not here to represent your limited self, fear, attention to yourself, conflict, or your worldly career goals. You are here to represent Higher Power, Which is eager, ready, and willing to work through you.  When you put the small self aside and let Higher Power guide your coaching session and your relationship with your client, you are sure to succeed.

I do not have to worry about what to say or what to do, because He Who sent me will direct me.

      You are not alone as the coach in your coaching session or practice. You have access to the wisdom, power, and grace of God. At any time you feel stuck, insecure, or at a loss for words or wisdom, turn within. Ask your Higher Power what It wants you to say or do in this moment, and you will know.

      If you are not sure what to do, do nothing until you get guidance.

      Your client has been sent to you for a reason and purpose. The same Power that sent your client will give you the wisdom to help the client It sent.

I am content to be wherever He wishes, knowing He goes there with me.

      You might wonder, “What am I doing in this situation or with this person?” You might think it is a mistake that you got together. This is never so; there are no mistakes in the design of life. If someone shows up for coaching, or in any life situation, there is a reason. That reason always has to do with mutual learning. If you feel stuck with a person or in a situation, ask yourself, “What is the message for me here?  What is the gift?  How can I be truly helpful?  How can I apply spiritual mastery to this moment or situation that will make it a win for everyone involved?”

      This affirmation does not mean that you must stay in unhealthy or unkind situations that would hurt you or another person. Every relationship has a life cycle. Some relationships are momentary and some last a lifetime and beyond. If a coaching (or other) relationship has run its natural course, you will be guided as to how to complete it with grace, dignity, and love, and in a way that everyone wins.

      Use this affirmation whenever you are required to be in a situation that you do not understand or that you believe you would not prefer. If you are there, raise the experience to the highest level possible.

I will be healed as I let Him teach me to heal.

      Coach and client always enjoy a mutual benefit in the coaching relationship. You will gain as much as your client (sometimes it will seem like more) through being a channel of service to her. Your coaching practice is as much for you as it is for the client. Never believe that you are there just for the other person, and there is not a blessing that moves in both directions simultaneously.

      This affirmation also reminds you that Higher Power is showing you how to deliver healing in any situation, which will always increase your own healing.

Exercises

1. At your first opportunity today, take at least 15 minutes to be with and meditate on this prayer, line by line.  Read each phrase, then close your eyes and go inward to ask and recognize how you can apply this affirmation to your coaching practice, to any particular clients, and to your life in general.

2. The next time you are in the position of coach, teacher, or helper, say this prayer before you begin. Stay with the prayer until you absorb its essence. Then notice how well your coaching or teaching goes.