Why do I need a Coach?

Life is about perspective. The same event can happen to two different people and the reaction can be completely different.

Why? Because of our choices.

We always have choices. And in a difficult situation, strong leaders will step back, slow down their thoughts and make the best choice. The best choice is the one they believe in, but it’s not reactive. It’s the one they can match to a memory or experience that guides them to the right decision.

But, what happens when you’re traveling down a road you’ve never been before and you haven’t had that experience yet?

Like, literally a road you’ve never driven before. How do you know where to go?

It’s scary without a map, but it can be done. It just might take you a little longer.

This reminds me of a time I was on vacation with my family headed to the beautiful mountains in Conifer, Colorado. I'm sure most people would have to look it up on a map because it’s so small, remote and at an altitude where you should be carrying around oxygen.

It was the first time my family went to visit my brother, Jimmy, at his new home. (He’ll always be Jimmy to me, but his adult name is Jim - so weird when they try to do that ). My husband was driving a minivan (the best on vacations!) whileI was in the passenger seat and our three kids were in the back.

I was navigating Google Maps on my phone as my husband drove through the most scenic, gorgeous, breathtaking mountains I’ve ever experienced.

But, as we continued to drive up the mountains, the weather started changing and it began to rain. We were so high up in the mountains that it felt like we were in the clouds. All the homes had lightning rods on their roofs so they wouldn't get struck by lightning. That’s how high up we were. It was scary, but we had a map, so we were fine. Until we didn’t.

We lost service - like completely lost service. We couldn’t call my brother, the map completely stopped working and we panicked. We didn’t know where to go, it was heavily raining, there were no homes to be seen, and we were lost in the middle of the mountains.

No one prepares you for this. We needed help.

We drove for miles and miles without seeing any homes or any stores, but were elated when we ran into one of those general stores that sell everything. I’m not from the country, so these stores are so exciting to me. It’s a little bit of everything you need. Probably all we need, but that’s a subject for another time. But, what they did have was a person who knew these back roads well and could guide us.

Her directions were something like this:

⁃ Go down this road for about 6 miles and you’ll see a fork in the road

⁃ Go right

⁃ You’ll need to make your third left which would be about another 10 minute drive

⁃ Then his house should be around there

“Ok, thank you Ma’am”. Gulp.

I prayed so hard during that drive, but I was scared. We had the general directions, but one wrong turn would have gotten us even more lost and at this point, there was one house every five minutes it seemed and it was just the wilderness and us. If it was just my husband and I, I would have felt more calm, but we had our kids with us and this mama lion would never let something happen to them. But, I kept my brave face on because I now had guidance and just needed to go through it.

Of course, we did come across turbulence. Because of the heavy rain, there was a runoff pushing big rocks into the middle of the road and we were completely blocked. My husband jumped out of the van, removed all the rocks and we were able to keep going. 

We kept following the guide’s directions and it was really helpful. It gave us enough to keep going and to figure out how to get there.

About 25 minutes later, we found my brother’s house. What a relief. It was quite an experience, but we did it. And boy, did that feel good when we made it to our destination.

Who was the hero in this story?

The hero of this story was not the guide. That person just had experience and was happy to help (the Coach). The true hero was my husband and I who knew to ask for help when we didn’t know the road ahead, kept going even in the face of adversity and used our resources to get to our destination.

The woman with the directions knew the backroads, so it was easy for her to share her wisdom and guide us. And this is exactly what a great coach does. They (we) are a guide on the side, a person who has trekked through the destination you’re about to climb. And you can certainly do things on your own, but it sure will be a rockier road alone.

We all need Coaches at some point in our lives. Some are too stubborn to ask for it (the old me) and others are really smart and know that an experienced person will help you get there faster. In fact, nobody in the history of the world has ever maximized their ability alone. It's actually impossible.

And this is why I love being a Coach. I love being able to take a perspective of something difficult I have been through and use those experiences to help others. Most people with a heart to serve others will feel it’s a privilege to help. It lifts them up by helping others.

Coaches, teachers, nurses, police, military, fire fighters, doctors, and so many other incredible professions usually go into these professions because they feel called to serve. (Hello, my people!) We can’t explain it, we just know who we are and it’s what we are meant to do. And the interesting thing is, every one of these professionals need each other too. We all do.

It’s my belief that we are all here on Earth to serve one another. This is just life school. And the more we open our eyes and just see that we are souls on a journey to evolve, we can all find peace and compassion for one another. Some souls have never started to evolve and others are a lot further along. It all starts with being conscious and aware of where you are in your journey.

Perspective is a choice - yes. But, if you haven’t walked down the road you need to travel, you likely could use a coach. Your journey will be faster, better and stronger when you do it together.

Meet Coach Elisha

I am a certified Business and Life Coach supporting women-owned business owners and leaders. My mission is to support women on their road towards mastery. Why? Because strong women need support too, and I believe your influence and impact on this world is exactly what we need more of . I specialize in developing The Business Trifecta: The Leader, The Culture and The Customer you serve. Our coaching practice focuses on developing and improving this ecosystem from the inside out. Experience the Unleashed Life with Unleashed Life Coaching.