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.