live life on purpose

Per the ICF (International Coaching Federation), "Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential."

"We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience."  - John Dewey

A coach is a strategic, accountability partner who helps us to think about the way we think. By acting as a mirror, the coach reflects our thoughts and feelings back to us and encourages clarity and the ability to see ourselves in a new way. Once we are able to see and reflect in this way, we glean new insights and confidence and utilize our own resourcefulness as we journey to promote change. 

SOMEONE WHO

• has a goal/clear idea what they want to get through
• has time and resources to dedicate to their success
• shows up physically and emotionally
• is committed, ambitious, creative, intuitive
• is interested in being a lifelong learner
• takes responsibility for feelings, actions, decisions
• lives with integrity

Initially, I liked the idea of the tree because of the connection to the Tree of Life. But the more I thought about it, the more it began to take even more meaningful shape. 

Trees have roots, and roots represent strength and stability which is what we may be seeking as we venture into the coaching journey. They also represent growth and the choice we make to invest in our own growth in this process. 

Finally is John Dewey's idea that "in the suspense of uncertainty, we metaphorically climb a tree; we try to find some standpoint from which we may survey additional facts and, getting a more commanding view of the situation, may decide how the facts stand related to one another."

The reflective inquiry in a coaching scenario enables us to climb a tree from which we can look down and see ourselves from a new vantage point. This new vantage point in turn results in a broader understanding of a situation and allows for a new perspective and, hence, new solutions.