What joy is when the ball at the bowling alley drops all the bowling pins! That is the joy coach and the client feel when the client is able to succeed in all his goals.
I have found metaphors to be one of the best ways to understand anything fuzzy or abstract. So I did some research and here I have the gist of a few metaphors:
- Hot air balloon
Many people carry heaviness or emotional baggage for months or even years.
If you compare humans to hot air balloons, positive thinking is like giving fuel at regular intervals to keep it up and floating. This is unsustainable in the long run and exhaustive.
Humans are like gas balloons where the lift is already there. But the sand bags are negative beliefs, negative thinking which keeps us from soaring high. We are born optimistic, curious and driven, proven by the fact that a child never gives up on learning to walk, no matter how many times it falls. It is the conditioning that happens over the years that starts to create unhelpful thought patterns. When you realise these let go of these unserving thought patterns, you start to rise.
A coach, being an external observer acts like a catalyst helping you get rid of the sandbags.
- Bowling duckpin
Coaches are like the bumpers in the gutters that put the client(ball) on track to reach their goals, when they start to go off track.
- Scaffoldings
Coach provides a framework for the house. The final house is built based on the vision, strengths and abilities of the house owner. Coach provides structure around goals, and helps to build, shape and manage goals.
- Merry go round
You can push yourself on the merry go round. But once you run along to gather speed and hop in, the merry go round slows down because of weight. You need someone to help you.
If you have an external person to push you, you can focus on what matters to you the most – the spin and the thrill of speed. We all need supporters from time to time. It is no wonder that most of the sports have supporters. Coach is a person who can bring objectivity and clarity into our thought, putting words to our fear, dream, hopes.
- Cocoon
Cocoon is more of a metaphor for safe space the coach holds for the client. The caterpillar goes through a big transformation to emerge as a colourful butterfly. It is a difficult process where you let go of your holding beliefs and emerge with a
Attribution:
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