The term ‘life coach’ always made me cringe. I recall meeting several of them on my journey as a nomad. On most occasions it was the 20-something traveler with little life experience and ungrounded positivity who was hedonistically spending their parents money. Or it was the scantily clad woman gaining followers on Instagram by showing more and more skin. Generally speaking, the term ‘life coach’ has already been polluted, corrupted, and desecrated. And what arrogance on my part to assume I know about something as expansive and complex as ‘life’. Because of these things, in launching Artists of Life, I had a lot of resistance with pushing this initiative forward. Even after unofficially doing it already for a couple of years.
It began by being stranded overseas during the pandemic. Flights to return home to Australia were over $20,000, and so I was stuck in Europe with very little money and no real home. This was a low point for me, but I discovered that once you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up. I signed up for a language learning platform to teach English online, and began working for pennies in a market completely saturated and full of digital nomads. But this changed quickly. My services became more and more in demand, and in a miraculous turn of events, my online business began thriving. Before long I realized that I was actually an impostor. My gift was NOT in actually teaching English, but in the art of conversation itself. Many clients were thanking me for helping them find clarity in their minds, movement towards their goals, and getting through difficult periods of life.
The reality is that it is actually extremely useful to have a mentor or a coach. This is a person on the outside to keep you accountable and on-track in your movement towards your goals. Someone in your life that does not have any ulterior motives for you, other than your progress and goals. Someone with the skills to help you acquire a deeper understanding of your own mind, habits and behavioural patterns.
The world is becoming a confusing place to live. The paradoxes of modern life mean that it is becoming increasing difficult to find your own path forward and maintain your trajectory without being derailed. We live in more ‘comfort’ than ever before, and yet mental health issues are increasing worldwide. We often allow ourselves to be inundated with distractions and stifled by fear and anxiety. This can lead us off ‘the path’ and perhaps in to places that we don’t want to go.
Beneath the anxiety, doubt, and fear that we ALL experience is the real you. You just have to peel off the layers. Having a mentor that can actually hold a metaphorical mirror up for you can bring you significant benefits. Develop clarity and understanding of your own personal path in life through guided conversation and empower yourself to make the changes in your life which are necessary for fulfillment.
