Coaching Moments


“Coaching Moments” takes a thoughtful look at how coaching can be interwoven into our daily lives. 

Track of Light
by Janice Hunter, IAC-CC

“I will not wish thee riches, nor the glow of greatness, but that wherever thou go some weary heart shall gladden at thy smile, or shadowed life know sunshine for awhile. And so thy path shall be a track of light, like angels’ footsteps passing through the night.” ~ Blessing from a church wall in Upwaltham, England

The road to our nearest big town winds through hills and valleys. As I drove my daughter to a class today, I felt we’d entered an enchanted fairyland of frosted branches, hedgerows and fields. Morning mist lingered in the hollows, unwarmed by the winter sun, low and dazzling in a pearly sky. Only the brightest red berries and the occasional flash of a red STOP sign stood out against the muted shades of pale green and silvery greys.

As we reached the town and drove through the suburbs, the roads were treacherous with black ice. The heater—on on full—made it harder than usual to tune into the engine noise. My fingers and toes, frozen even in gloves and hiking boots, felt less connected than usual to the steering wheel and pedals.

I focused, senses alert and concentrating, until we arrived outside the community centre where the class was due to take place. I parked with relief, switched off the engine, wrapped myself up in a fleecy, plaid travel blanket and waited for my daughter’s class to finish.

As I sat, watching the cars go by, I was struck by something strange and worrying. Because it was sunny and eerily bright for winter, no-one had their headlights on. Yet every car that passed seemed to blend like a silvery wraith into the frosted monochrome of pearly skies and glistening concrete.

Driving home, along a busy section of dual-carriageway, I saw folk driving one-handed, shading their eyes from the glare, but once again, I saw very few cars with their headlights on. I saw bumper-to-bumper near-misses, and with every animal instinct in my body alert and aware, I kept the lights on full, the heater off and my bare hands fixed firmly on the wheel until I got my precious daughter safely home.

For many of us, all over the world, these are troubling times. Fear can close us up like frost-blackened petals, leave us feeling as if we’re standing on thin ice, an indifferent river flowing beneath our cold feet. It’s tempting to curl up and swaddle ourselves in layers of security, shutting ourselves off from bitter blasts, harsh truths and the risk of ruin.

But maybe the safest way to navigate through these tough times is to trust our gifts and our instincts, to shine as brightly as we can, not just to illuminate the road ahead or carve a swathe of light for others to follow, but to stand out, really stand out, like the bright red berries on frosted branches that carry the promise of spring, or a beacon of hope on the summit of a distant hill.

How will you brighten the world with your gifts today?

Janice Hunter is an IAC certified homelife coach who lives in Scotland with her husband and two children. She created and co-wrote Sharing the Certification Journey: Six IAC Coaches Talk About Their Journeys, and her blogsite, www.sharingthejourney.co.uk, provides soul food and support for coaches, writers, parents and home-based workers.

Janice has compiled all of her Coaching Moments pieces from the last two years into a free 46-page ebook, ‘Coaching Moments: A Collection of Articles about Coaching in Everyday Life’ which can be downloaded here or from her site.

5 thoughts on “Coaching Moments”

  1. Thank you, Jan. Linda let me know she’d revisited this piece so I popped over to reread it and found your uplifting comment. Metaphors are so powerful in every context of our lives, aren’t they? I guess the one that sums up what I’ve been doing over the last few seasons is letting myself heal and refilling the well. I’ve been AWOL from my blog for a while and have missed writing for VOICE – often with a terrible, overwhelming feeling of loss – but I vowed I wasn’t going to write again until the writing came out fresh, sparkling and spilling over uncontrollably like it used to. Linda’s email,your comment, and those that Connie and Angela left earlier in the year remind me of what I loved most about VOICE and the IAC – the connection with like-minded folk. Thank you.

  2. Janice, your use of the language is inspiring. I am realizing that by increasing my ability to speak with precision and to use colorful metaphors, I am able to reach hearts and minds more powerfully. Thank you for modeling excellence in a coaching context.
    Jan O’Kelley,
    Tucson, AZ

  3. You’re very welcome, Angela! Lovely to hear from you. I often wonder if the pieces reach you and how you feel about them. I enjoyed your insights and feedback when you were my editor; it was a great working relationship that brought about some of my best pieces.
    Thank you, Connie. Even though it’s tempting to curl up and get frugal in all kinds of ways, I really believe with all my heart that this is a time for coaches to shine. We owe it to ourselves and to the world to align ourselves with our unique gifts so we can do what we were born to do.

  4. Janice, thank you for your eloquent, gripping call to stop, look, move along with care!
    I especially appreciate your acknowledgment of the challenges in our times as you invite us to shine our ‘lights’ and use our instincts and gifts to nourish ourselves and others.
    Connie

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