What is a Life Coach?

The first step in spotting a qualified life coach is knowing what a life coach
really is. The job description of a life coach is someone who aims to help
people determine their goals as well as achieve them. A life coach practices
life coaching which uses techniques developed in executive coaching.

A life coach uses several different methods and techniques to aid people. These
techniques were developed from leadership training as well as from management
consulting.

Common Misconceptions About Life Coaching

People have several misconceptions about life coaching. There are those who
think that life coaching is synonymous to therapy or consultation. But life
coaching is neither of those things. It is not targeted to treat anyone with
mental or psychological illnesses. It is all about coaching (as its name
implies). As coaches, they train and guide people about being goal oriented.

But these misconceptions though can credited to the different inspirations of
life coaching. The practice of life coaching, as well as its principles, is
rooted to different disciplines. These include the disciplines of psychology,
sociology, career counseling, positive adult development, and mentoring.

Qualified Life Coach

Now that you have an idea of what a life coach is and what it is not, you
already have the basics of spotting what a qualified life coach is. He or she
is someone who aims to help people with their goals and he or she is not a
therapist nor somebody who treats a person with mental and psychological
illnesses. But these are just the basics and will not suffice in determining
whether a person is truly a qualified life coach.

Life coaching has no official regulatory standards and no governed training or
education thus anybody can call themselves life coaches. The lack of these
standards would also mean that no certificate can prove that they truly are
qualified life coaches. This also means that no life coach training will give a
person any standardized certification. So what do you do?

There are two ways to go about this. First is by word of mouth and the other is
training experience. Word of mouth means that a lot of people are saying good
things about that certain life coach and they are eager to recommend his or her
services to other people. They will also be the persons who can tell you about
the effectiveness of that life coach.

Another determinant of a qualified life coach is training experience. This is
different from an "unstable life coach certificate." You should remember that
life coaching uses methods like values assessment, mentoring, behavior
modeling, behavior modification, goal setting and other techniques.

Since these are the tools of his or her trade, a life coach should have
training in at least one of these fields.

Last but not the least a qualified life coach is someone who you can easily
communicate with. Even if a life coach possesses everything stated above but if
you do not "click" with each other, then that certain person is "not" qualified
for you. This though is speaking from a subjective point of view.

Life Coach 101: How to Be A Life Coach

Being a life coach can be one of the most fulfilling jobs in the world. You can
help people with their lives and make money at the same time. But being a life
coach is not an easy job.

A person aspiring to be a life coach needs to have proper training as well as
the heart and determination to help people. For those who want to be a life
coach, here are some tips and pieces of advice on how to be a life coach.

Definition of Life Coach and Life Coaching

You may already have some personal ideas of what a life coach is and what he or
she does. Some information of this may be true and some may be not. To remove
any misconceptions of the job of being a life coach, it would be good to learn
what a life coach and what life coaching really is all about.

Life coaching is rooted in the methods of executive coaching which were derived
from techniques that were develop in leadership training and management
consulting. It also forged its principles from different disciplines like
psychology, sociology, mentoring, career development and positive adult
development. Because of these though, it has been a misconception that life
coaching is a kind of therapy but is actually not.

A life coach is someone who practices life coaching. He or she is someone who
helps other people determine and achieve their goals. They use different
methods to do this. Methods of life coaches include behavior modification,
mentoring, behavior modeling, values assessment, and goal setting. They may
also modify existing methods depending on the client to make the coaching more
effective. Again, life coaches should not be considered as psychologists or
therapists.

The Willingness To Help

One of the most important traits that an aspiring life coach should posses is
the willingness to help people. If you are
just in because of the financial benefits of life coaching then it would be
better to look for another job or business. In life coaching, you should always
think of helping first before thinking of the profit.

Communication Skills

Life coaching is communicating. In this job, you will always be interacting
with people of different behavior, attitude and backgrounds in life. As a life
coach, it is very important that you have good communication skills. You should
know how to convey the ideas that you want your clients to hear.

Communication skills is not only about talking and conveying your ideas. It is
also important for a life coach to know how to listen. In this line of job,
listening is a skill that is critically important for its success.

Undergo Training

The willingness to help and communication skills are definitely crucial to
posses but they will not be enough. As have been stated in the definition, life
coaches make use of different methods to help their clients. Of course these
methods will not just occur to anyone.

As an aspiring life coach, you need to undergo different training programs as
well as related seminars. This will provide you with the skills on how to help
your future clients. With the help of training, you will be armed with the
tools of the trade.

These are the 3 most important things you should consider on how to be a life
coach. And not just any life coach but a life coach who can effectively help
other people.

Becoming A Life Coach

Becoming a life coach is not as easy as it seems. And the truth of the matter
is, life coaching is not for everybody. A person needs to posses some
particular characteristics or traits required before he or she is considered to
have the potential of becoming a life coach.

Why A Life Coach

Why indeed do people want to become life coaches? There are two possible
answers to this question. First is that being a life coach is very rewarding
when talking about money. If you are an effective life coach with a constant
stream of clients flowing in then you can rake in a lot of money.

The second answer on why people want to become life coaches is that life
coaches can get a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction. As a life coach, you
have the ability to make lifestyle changes on your clients. You can help them
develop and improve. You become a part of your client's growth and achieve
great results in his or her life.

Characteristics of a Potential Life Coach

As have been stated life coaching is not for everybody. A person must have
certain qualifying characteristics for him or her to be able to become an
effective one.

First and foremost, the most essential characteristic of a potential life coach
is the eagerness to help people. In the job of life coaching, a genuine urge to
help will be very important for the effectiveness of life coaching. Without
this eagerness, a life coach will just easily lose patience and give up on
their clients.

Second, a potential life coach must be a good listener. If you are the type of
person who talks and talks 24/7 then life coaching is not for you. As a life
coach, it is very important to listen to your clients. You will get all the
information that you need through your conversations and if you do not know how
to listen, then you will not be able to make an effective program for the client.

Third, a potential life coach has the characteristic of the willingness to be
trained. A person can't just become a life coach just because of his or her
eagerness to become one. A life coach will have to undergo several trainings to
be able to learn different methods that can be utilized during sessions with
clients. The training process takes time and may take some fair amount of money.

Get Back In The Race: Get A Life Coach

Life has a lot of uncertainties; you'll never know what you're going to get the
next day or the other. You make decisions that slowly complete the masterpiece
of your life. However, things don't always go smoothly as expected.

If you're feeling lost in the track of your life, or just simply unsure of what
to do, getting someone trustworthy that can help you is a wise decision. On the
other hand, if you feel like you've already got everything that you need yet
that one little thing that keeps you from feeling complete, on either case a
life coach can help you for personal development.

How Does It Work?

By getting a service like this, you are given a personal coach with whom you
are given scheduled meetings either by phone, email or personal meetings,
depending on the service available of the service provider or what you prefer.
These sessions run through a period of time, where you can bring up your
personal problems or those areas in life that you are a little lost with.

Work is done by the coach by focusing on you and targets your needs
individually. You get to develop new skills and habits that you would integrate
into your everyday life. This change in behavior is for the improvement of your
personality and the betterment of your daily struggles. In the end a much
improved you is what you'll see in the mirror.

Areas Of Improvement

In a program like this, you are helped on different areas of improvement. These
areas include different aspects of life such as mental, emotional, physical,
social, aesthetic, spiritual and professional. With having the right skill, you
will be able to cope up with the every day stresses these areas give. You can
also concentrate on a certain area if the situation asks of it.

Going Professional

In the buzz of your professional life, an example of how a coach can help you
are by making decisions like, starting out a new business, or even taking it to
a higher level, and making a career move. Be able to answer yourself honestly if
you are truly happy with your job or maybe it's not fit for you after all.

Social Wellness

By getting into a program, you can improve your socialization skills too. You
get to learn how to improve your behavior when around other people and so that
they can like you. Or if you have other socialization concerns, your coach
would be open to talk about it.

Setting Your Goals

Not only do coaches concentrate on those areas but on goals and dreams as well.
He would help you to be able to set your goals and achieve them. You can see
your dreams much clearly and turn them into reality.

Getting Physical

Your coach will not be a physical trainer, but instead he will be your
motivator. He can refer you to a professional physical program if you need one.
He can help you by encouraging you to stick to the regimen for you to achieve
that goal you are aiming for.

Moving Forward

In whatever area in life that you are having a problem with, your life coach
will be there ready to help you. If you feel stuck at some point, he would make
you take the step to forget and move forward. Just remember, that he is not the
one that will do the work. It's still you that can change your life to the best
it can be!

Life Coach: Do You Need One?

There is a certain point in time when a person becomes dissatisfied with his or
her life. He or she might be thinking that there is something more for him or
her out there. It could be about the job, about love, about financial
disposition or about life in general. If you feel this way then you may be in
need of a life coach.

Life Coach and Life Coaching

A life coach is the same as a baseball coach, a basketball coach or a football
coach. The coaches teach and train the players to change faulty habits, develop
and improve so that they may become better players. A life coach is similar to
them. He or she coaches people to change faulty habits, develop and improve the
different aspects of their lives for them to determine and achieve their goals
in life.

Life coaching is the process of developing and improving a person's life. It is
a partnership between a client and a coach for a certain period of time. The
partners will have sessions that will focus on the client's needs and other
issues.

Through these sessions, the life coach will help the client develop different
strategies and solutions to improve. This is an interaction between two persons
and it is not only the life coach who will be making the decisions. The client
will be actively involved especially in the decision making process.

Why Do You Need Life Coaching

The point in time when you want change (as have been mentioned in the
beginning) can quickly come and go. But this will be recurring from time to
time which can become a bother. So what are you going to do about it? Is it
okay to let this happen for the rest of your life? Is it okay not to do
anything about it?

Is it okay to feel dissatisfied? With a life coach, you will be given a helping
hand that will guide you to take that big leap and change for the better. He or
she will be there to aid in determining the right path for you to take to
improve and feel satisfied with your life.

Benefits of Having A Life Coach

A life coach will help you ponder on what you want, why you want it, and how
you can achieve it. He or she will aid you in taking the steps from where you
are now to where you want to be. A life coach will give encouragement and
provides support, confidence as well as motivation for you to achieve your
goals.

Will You Really Benefit From It?

Anyone can benefit from life coaching. It does not matter where you are or who
you are, for as long as you want changes and improvements in your life, you
will benefit from having a life coach.

Life coaches have been effective when it comes to the different aspects of
life. This includes financial success, career, health, personal skills &
confidence, happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment. It all depends on you on
what aspect of your life you need help with.

Conclusion

So do you really need a life coach? The only one who can answer this now is
yourself. The basics of life coaching and life coaches have laid down before
you and it is up for you to decide whether you need a life coach or not.

How To Look For A Life Coach

The term life coach has become a household name. People have started to accept
the importance of life coaches in their lives.

All of us will experience difficulties and hardships at least a few times in
our lifetime. And when these events happen, a person can either succumb to the
difficulties and bury himself or herself in it or overcome these difficulties
and rise above them. A life coach can make that difference.

But with the number of life coaches growing everyday, how do find the right
life coach for you? In this article, you will given the basics of how to look
for a life coach.

Determine What You Need

Just like choosing a life coach over baseball coaches, football coaches and
basketball coaches, you also need to choose what kind of life coach do you
want. Life coaches also have specializations meaning there are certain areas
that they are really good at.

First thing's first, you need to know what you need. Do you need a life coach
that will help you determine your goals and achieve them? Do you need a life
coach who will help you with your career path? Do you need a life coach who
will help you in your business? There are a lot of different possible aspects
and you need to know which one.

Life Coaching Style

Life coaches do things differently from each other. They all have the same
goals but they differ in methodologies. You can make the life coaching style a
criteria when looking for a life coach. There may be certain methods, styles
and techniques that you are not comfortable with so better know them as early
as possible. You can also ask a life coach before you start your sessions so
the both of you can make the necessary adjustments if there is a need to.

Somebody You Are Comfortable With

There are times that even though it is just the first time you have a met with
a person, you already have that uncomfortable feeling towards that person. This
could be an indication that you are not compatible with him or her. You can also
apply this when looking for a life coach. You can try talking and testing the
waters.

If you do not feel comfortable with that life coach, then do not go through
with it. An uncomfortable environment is not conducive for development and
improvement. Any session you will have will be futile in such an environment.

Certification

Anybody can claim that he or she is a life coach. You need to be careful with
this people. When looking for a life coach, it would be good to ask whether he
or she has a certification or proof of life coach training. But do not just
accept any kind of certification.

There is a self-appointed body that tries to set standards when it comes to
training programs. This group is called International Coach Federation. The ICF
provides training programs certified to be effective for implementation.

In fairness to other life coaches, there are those who have no certification
yet really are great life coaches. They are usually known by word of mouth. If
you encounter anyone life coach of this status, you may know more information
on the effectiveness of his or her services through the feedback of clients.

How To Become A Certified Life Coach

Being a life coach is one of the most fulfilling jobs in the whole world. A
life coach has the ability to make life changes to another person. As opposed
to the common notion, life coaching is not for everybody and not just anyone
can become an effective life coach. If you have the potential of becoming a
life coach then pursue this career path. Also you should know how to become a
certified life coach since it will help you gain the confidence of potential
clients.

What are the Advantages of Becoming A Certified Life Coach?

After your high school graduation what do you get? A high school diploma or
certificate. After college graduation what do you get? Another diploma or
certificate. When attending seminars, what do participants get at the end?
Certificates. So in life coaching, what does it mean to be certified? Does it
have any advantages?

In high school or college, diplomas and certificates are proof that you have
complied with all the requirements needed to pass high school and move on to
the next level which is college. The same goes when a person graduates from
college. The diploma and certificates signify that that certain person has
completed all the necessary requirements and is ready to move on to the next
level.

You may observe that some job applications require you to be either a high
school graduate or a college graduate and with your diplomas as proof. The same
thing goes with life coaching. More people will flock to you if you have
certification.

The advantage of having a certificate is that it stands as a proof that you
really are a life coach. In the world today, there are a lot of "not so good
people" who take advantage of other people. Anybody can claim that they are
life coaches when in fact they are not. A life coach with a certificate will be
more comfortable saying that he or she is a life coach since there is proof to
back this up.

Getting Certified

So how do you become a certified life coach? Although life coaching has no
official governing body that approves standards, there are 3 self-appointed
organization though that take on the job. These organizations are the
International Coach Federation, European Coaching Institute, and International
Association of Coaching.

When you go for your training as a life coach, it would be best to choose a
school or institution that provides training programs which are certified by
the International Coach Federation. This will ensure you that you will really
undergo a training program of great quality which have been proven and tested
through time.

There are life coaches though that, even without certificates are really doing
their jobs effectively. They have built their name through referrals and good
feedback from their client. But even with this kind of status, it would still
be best to get certified.

This will not only give you a certified status but through the certification
training one will be able to get new information and knowledge regarding life
coaching.

Starting Your Life Coach Career

You have always wanted to become a life coach ever since you were a fetus. And
now, after months or even years of preparation and training, you have become a
certified life coach. Now what? It seems like you have hit a wall and do not
know what do to next. Well, here are some tips and ideas that may get your
engine going.

Target Market

The first thing you could do is to determine who your target market is. Do you
want to be a corporate life coach who helps corporate businesses and their
employees or do you want to be a life coach for individuals only.

Next is to determine who you want as are your clients. Do you want your clients
to be men or women? Age ranging from 25 to 40, 30 to 50, or 200 to 300 years
old? These are the decisions that only you can make. It is all about your
preference. You could start out by choosing clients who you can work
comfortably with. If you are more comfortable working with men, then do so. If
you are more comfortable working with women, by all means, do so.

Slowly by slow you expand your targets. You can start life coaching other than
those you are comfortable with. You may have started with men but now you can
start with women and try to accustom yourself working with them. You try to
become more comfortable.

Be Confident

You have worked hard to achieve what you have achieved and you should be proud
of it. Show your self confidence in the kind of work you are doing. You should
see yourself as a polished professional that is very effective in the line of
work you are doing.

By being confident, you are also building self esteem and more belief on
yourself. Once you feel this yourself, you emanate this to your surroundings,
environment and other people which include your clients.

Market Yourself

A life coach is not a coach when who or she has no one to coach. As a beginning
life coach, you need to market and make yourself known to other people. There
are several ways to market yourself especially over the internet. You can write
articles and you can even make your own blog site. Content should be about life
coaching and other information related to it.

You could also write things about yourself and the services you provide. A tip
when writing about yourself is knowing what your strengths and weaknesses are.
But you do not want other people to know your weaknesses so you write all about
your strength. But one thing you should keep in mind though is to never go
overboard as to lie about your weakness and turn it into a strength. The key
here is to always tell the truth.

Join Activities for Life Coaches

Every once in a while there will be activities like seminars for life coaches.
As someone who is just starting out in this career path, joining these
activities will be greatly beneficial.

You can meet other life coaches who have been on the job for years and have had
accumulated valuable experience. You can ask them for some tips or pieces of
advice regarding your current situation.

Faith: The Invisible Life Coach

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

There are times when we are at our lowest and become desperately in need of all
the right answers. Even how much we try to think straight, we are just so
overwhelmed by our troubles that we allow it to just fade us away from our
capability of being a thinking being. We succumb to the woes of despair when we
have nothing supporting us.

We lose belief in ourselves. We need someone or something to bring us out of
the dark, lest we yield to death. When all else fail, we are held by one last
effort to preserve our sanity. An entity we can not even see or touch or hear,
we call it faith -- the invisible life coach.

We are dependent on many things in order to live peacefully and in harmony of
ourselves and with others. According to Maslow, a theorist during the 2nd World
War stated that there are levels of motivation which drives a man to be
productive and positive.

Humans start with the basic Physiological needs like food and shelter, then
seeks safety with socialization, then seeks love and belonging from the social
group, then proceeds with self esteem security from the outcome of the previous
three items, then reaches the pinnacle of harmonious human thinking which is
self-actualization, being able to integrate all the areas of needs into the
self.

It is true that man has a way to gather these needs and actually make it his
basis for self contentment, but one major flaw in this is the possibility of a
deficiency in getting all these which results to a breakdown of the whole
hierarchy of needs and puts the person back in the shadows of gloom.

Though the first five needs are ever present for the individual to gather and
integrate, it needs a binding base and a holding top layer. Whenever the
hierarchical needs crumble, the person can still hold on to a thin but durable
layer to work his way back up, and when he is able to reconstruct until self-
actualization, he is able to hold it in place with the same layer.

This is where faith comes in. A sturdy belief in the unseen and believing that
it will keep sanity in place is something more than self-actualization as it
goes beyond normal human thinking and tangible comprehension.

The souls alternate type of fuel

We have learned to rise above the ashes time and time again. Others may have
failed and allowed themselves to be destroyed totally. Yet until we are
breathing, we have the capability to turn things around and hurl ourselves back
into wellness.

We are given a mind to think of what to do, a heart to keep us strong against
pessimistic events, and a body to perform the necessary actions. The soul is
the collective being of our mind, body, and heart. It can still exist with a
lack of the other, and is seated in the mind.

This altered existing entity no one sees drives each one of us to simply exist.
We do not see, hear, hold, or comprehend it, but we know it is there. We know
that each of our souls need its own motivation, and it needs a fuel which is
ethereal to suit the ethereal life of our spirits.

Faith, among all others is the belief that we could hang on to when the
material world fails us. Faith is the food to our soul to keep our most basic
existence in place, may it be with something, a deity, or any other unseen
object. It participates in our day to day living just like a life coach, only
this time; it is invisible, yet stronger than any other life coach that we may
encounter.

Driving Your Life On Its Way To Its Purpose

People live to exist and with existence along comes purpose. It is that one
inevitable thing that every one yearns for. It is usually the only thing that
is left missing in a lot of people's lives. That's why a lot of people now days
cease to live their lives, and the main reason is? -- They don't have a purpose
to do so.

You may think that finding that sole purpose in life is very much impossible.
Then if that's the case, you better think twice. There are ways to find what
you are looking for if you look at the right places. It's not that easy to find
that purpose, but it is possible and having a life purpose coach would be of
great help.

Defining Roles

In this kind of coaching program, you are able to sort out your life and seek
out your purpose. It won't be your coach who will find it but of course it
would be you, because you are the only one capable of doing that, but you would
need your coach to guide you through the process to see a clearer perspective of
things.

No Arrows To Lead You

Sometimes you may feel that you are lost. You do daily tasks and activities
just out of routine. There's a big intersection ahead of you and you don't know
which direction to take or pursue.

In situations like these, your coach would be your guiding path. He would let
you see the different routes you can take, the pros and cons of each direction
and your means of going through that path.

When Everything Gets Stuck

On moments that you feel you are stuck with your life. When all aspects have
seem to be successful yet there is no feeling of contentment or fulfillment at
all. When you think that there is no more steps to take, your coach will be the
one to show you that little extra step you need in finding what you are looking
for.

Being Who You Really Are

Purpose is not dictated by the things that you do. Each of us has our own, and
this is in our system from the day we are born. Sadly, a lot of factors in our
lives are culprits on why it got lost. Factors such as family, peer, social,
academic and even media influences us and makes us be unable to find our point
of living.

Here, you get to honestly appraise your life and see what factors are over
shadowing that purpose in you. In the process you get to know yourself even
more. You see in a new light your beliefs, joys, sadness and what matters the
most. It can be a scary process but in the end you get that enlightenment like
no other.

You will be able to see what matters most. You get to set your real goals and
aspirations. In a gradual process led by your coach, you can achieve them in no
time.

Your inner dreams and real wanting in life could be revealed and trying to
achieve that would lead to that sense of contentment for you. A new lay out of
your life will be formed and this would bring you back the joy in living. That
excitement that was lost would be found once again and you can start existing
the way you are supposed to!

Coaching Lives by the "Big Guy" Up There

The Realization

I remember that day when my girlfriend and I parted ways almost two years ago.
For a couple who had been together for almost 6 years, it was very disturbing
to think that I would be starting the next day being single. I did not know
where to start. I had been accustomed to having her beside me all the time,
being with her practically almost every moment I was not engaged in my
academics and extra-curricular activities.

I didn't know who I was anymore. Six months of grief and feeling of loss
passed. I had been constantly seeking refuge and solace in my church as I
attended midweek and Sunday services, but none seemed soothing and assuring. I
had no one to rest my weary shoulders. I needed someone coaching lives and
telling me what I should do.

It was only when I had started to practice my Quiet Time (personal talk and
devotion with God) did I find the answer. I woke up at 5:30am to devote my
personal time to Him alone, and in that moment I opened up the Bible, a message
struck me and moved me intensely. The message was always there waiting for me to
read it and understand His message. The message was all about me. It said that I
am His child, who was created in His image, love and glory.

It knocked much sense into me. Here I was, all too busy to find a very shallow
meaning of how I would be able to carry myself being apart from what I was so
used to that I forgot Him; that all things that I am was about Him; that what I
have and what I should be doing should be for Him. I realized that I am His son,
who is a manifestation of His glory and greatness.

I realized that I have to seek Him first and his righteousness. With that, I
would be given what my heart desires in His good time. I was able to know now
my purpose of existence.

The Inspiration

A new desire for Him instead was born from within. In order to know myself
better, I would have to know where I came from and what my purpose was. That
would be recognized and renewed each day that I seek God. With it I have a
purpose: to be an instrument of getting others closer back to Him and spreading
His word of the beauty and wonders of having passion and faith, and His promise
of everlasting life and blessings far more abundant than what we, as humans are
limited to comprehend.

It didn't take much time to seek Him. He was there -- always was. He was just
waiting for me to stop and actually look His way and acknowledge His presence.
The rest was history. Sometimes we already have the answers but we fail to look
at the places nearest us.

We tend to look for something quick that we forget that when we speed up our
pace, it becomes harder for us to focus on things that whiz past us quickly.

By living our lives with Him and his righteousness do we become life's coaches.
We may not know it but as long as we have inspiration of Him in us as our fuel,
it wouldn't be that hard for us to actually go about and not notice that we
ourselves are becoming instruments in coaching lives.

Coaching in Life for Honor

Oriental Value

Whenever I get to watch Japanese-inspired samurai movies, it catches my
attention that the main character has a purpose in undertaking what he is
supposed to do, even if it means risking and sacrificing his own life. This
purpose of finishing a certain task is not only bound to duty but to something
more important, something deeper.

I usually am able to discern that the purpose of being is rooted in honor and
self respect. My conscience gives me a coaching in life for honor to be sought.

A samurai is not only concerned with his personal objectives but it is
intertwined with a sense of self preservation which is more than what can be
perceived tangibly, even by other people. Honor for the samurai is his most
cherished and well kept treasure. Without it or losing it would mean shame and
a loss of dignity.

It is the pride of the samurai to continue to exist in this world of
interaction. Honor is the badge of self respect he commands from other people.
It is indeed important.

There was also a time which I remembered during one of my previous jobs wherein
I was administering a myriad of online gamers who paid for gaming service. Each
day that I worked as a game master, I made sure that there were no exploits or
cheats done by the players that would compromise the integrity of the game, as
well as the other players.

Self Implication

However, it couldn't be avoided that there would be anomalies and corruption
even in such an ideally conceived work. I was not the only game master working.
I had colleagues, some of which had different sets of principles. It came to a
point that some sort of dishonesty happening between unethical players and
immoral game masters. I was knowledgeable of the "under-the-table" transactions
of some of the players to have their online gaming characters hyped up.

Even if I could also make easy money from joining the bandwagon, money was not
important to me, and so I confronted these colleagues of mine and talked with
them about it. It seemed that there would be no compromise that is going to
happen so I decided to resign because I couldn't blindly work in an honorable
manner when my colleagues wouldn't.

It just implies that I value my sense of self respect and honor. I would rather
go do an action if it would mean that I would gain the two before mentioned. Of
course there are times when I make the wrong decisions, but not because I
deliberately compromised and gave up my honor for something shallow such as
money or fame or the like. Honor, like that of a samurai is important to me. It
is my badge of respect that I can command others to impart with me as I do with
others as well.

I shall preserve and maintain this treasure that I have, and that which others
may never get or steal from me. It may diminish with mistakes that I do in my
life, but as long as my sanity commands to strive for the betterment of this, I
shall remain internally self fulfilled.

If there would be something I may do to increase it, I will do as long as I am
able to carry out the task properly. Honor will be one of my root principles as
I live in this earth. Honor as a coach in life is intangible yet, it is one of
the most concrete things speaking of my identity.

Coaching In Another Level

Spiritual life coaching is one field of life coaching that concentrates on
uplifting the spirit of the client. This method is widely common now days. This
approach affects the different material aspects of life by dealing first with
its immaterial aspect, the spirit.

Spirituality may be a vague term. Its meaning can be subjective, depending on
the person who uses the word. It can either be religious or not. But definitely
it comes from within a person. Coaching in this field is tapping that inner
spirit to become active and in turn change a persons' life.

Mechanics

This type of coaching focuses on what is essential in your life. Your
inspiration to live may have died or you are dried out due to the toxicity and
stresses of everyday life. This approach would fill up that yearning inside you
once again and the revival of your spirit is achieved.

Its product being tranquility, peace of mind, motivation, fulfillment, and
simply the balance in life can be achieved.

Evaluation

At the beginning of the process you will be asked to evaluate your life. Here
you get to see the vital areas of your so-called life and rate it on how
exactly you are doing along with it. Your coach will guide you through this
process of evaluation in order for both of you see what would be the best
approach for you.

Discovering Yourself

After you evaluate, you would discover a lot about your life that you didn't
consciously know before. Here you will see the waterloos of your life. You get
to discover your highs and lows, those points to work on, your personal assets
and characteristics.

You would also get to see your behaviors that you need to get rid off, improve,
or keep. Self-awareness is achieved and a sense of individuality is gained. In
this process, it is not your coach that discovers you, but it is of your own
doing that you discover yourself.

Guiding Points

Your coach won't be the one to answer your life's problems. He is just there to
guide you through it by pointing out the problems that you have to work on.
Thought provoking questions is asked to you to analyze and see the real deal of
your difficulty. He layouts the different alternatives or solutions, but then
you are still to be the one to decide.

Renovations And Innovations

Lastly, a spiritual coach can help you renovate your life, in the sense that
your old spirit that has acquired damages can be repaired. It is really hard to
get rid of old habits especially if you had them for years, but with having a
life coach this is very much possible.

Innovations can be done too, in which your broken spirit isn't just repaired
but also improved to the best it can be. You can acquire new behaviors that are
actually good for you. You get to improve on different fields in life. In effect
of having a renewed spirit is the price of having a new life too.

Spiritual coaching is not relying on your coach to pray for you or do mantras
or perform spiritual ritual acts on you. It is your spirit that is worked on,
thus your own willing participation is needed. Basically, it is making you see
the diamond behind the coal of your spirit.

Coaching for Life

The Social Thinking Being

Human beings are social beings, living out each of their lives in the company
and presence of others. There is no known claim that a person can live on his
own without degrading himself less of a human being. Each person, being social
as he is interacts with the people he comes into contact with.

The normal process of learning would be for each person to impart something, a
thought, a practice, a belief, a philosophy, or the mere absence becomes the
learning experience for the other to start seeking for answers to be properly
integrated into the self.

Throughout the lifetime of a human being, he will be able to share himself and
be shared with by others. The influences that subtly change a person into what
he is during the present is what he got from coaching for life by those he had
been with.

Coaching for life is quite simple to comprehend. It is the way an individual's
personality having an effect with those people in his environment. The closer
they are physically, and socially will probably have a greater impartment and
thus would have a greater change in the attitude and behavior.

Though not necessarily impertinent in the sense that it overshadows another
person's fundamental behavior, it deviates and shifts the behavior of a person.
It becomes a two way process for the involved people, and a two way process to
the individual.

The Paired Two Way Process

Coaching for life could cause either positive or negative results to the other
individual. The same goes for that same person by the people around him.
Depending on what is more influential; a specific mindset is subjected to a
myriad of possible outcomes in terms of belief, attitude, and philosophy in
life.

Morality is only a supplemental factor in determining what type of person
arises from the many interactions he may get throughout his lifetime.

Like a river run dry, any new rainfall will definitely fill up the dry
riverbed, but the water that would fill the riverbed may be murky due to the
accumulated dirt when it dried up. Over the course of time, water coming from
the mountains, filtered and cleansed will start to replace the murky water that
once occupied it.

Our characters are analogous to this dry river bed. We are always an empty
vessel in constant need of social interaction and the quality of character
building depends on the people who carry the "water" that would fill us.
Coaching for life is an essential part of staying human, being able to think,
feel, reason out, and take action with the events that come our way.

It Never Ends

Even those who have physically passed away still have their philosophies
immortalized by those who have been affected deeply. Coaching for life may
extend beyond the grave through the legacies these dead personalities leave
behind for others to ponder upon. A classic example would be the teachings of
faith by Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, and similar religious entities to
their followers.

Several hundreds, perhaps thousands of years have already passed and yet, their
words and teachings are still kept as guides for spiritual growth and personal
contentment.

Coaching for life for these personalities have been immortalized to such extent
because of their great impact to the people who accepted their philosophies and
beliefs as their own.

Choosing A Life Coach School

A lot of people want to become life coaches. Life coaching is both a monetarily
fulfilling as well as an emotionally satisfying job. But becoming a coach is not
as easy as it seems. You need to have the right attitude and the proper training
to become an effective life coach. Most often than not, someone who is
interested to be in this line of job need to attend a life coach school. So how
do you choose a life coach school?

Life Coach School

There is a myriad of life coach schools all over the world but only a
percentage of them can really be considered as schools that provide quality
training. There are certain criteria that you should consider when choosing a
school to train in.

First thing that you should consider is its training program. Although there is
no governed education and training for life coaching, there are certain
self-appointed groups that are recognized all over the world. These are the
International Coach Federation (ICF), the European Coaching Institute (ECI),
and International Association of Coaching (IAC).

These organizations provide different training programs of great quality. The
school you should choose is an institution that adheres to the standards
provided by any of these organizations.

Another aspect that you should consider is experience. How long has the school
been in the life coach training business? A school that has been established
for quite some time would have had the experience as well as the expertise to
train their students effective life coaching techniques.

Feedback is also another factor that you should consider when choosing a
school. Know what are the advantages and disadvantages of the school from the
points of view of their trainees. Most often than not, feedbacks are unbiased.

Last but not the least, when choosing a life coach school, you should take into
consideration the training fees. Life coach training can range anywhere from
$3000 -- $6000. Make sure that the fees you may incur for the training can be
accommodated in your budget. It would also be good to inquire whether the
school provide scholarships or other programs that may help their trainees
financially.

The School Can Only Do So Much

No matter how good a life coach school is but if a person does not have the
right attitude to become a life coach then everything becomes meaningless.
There are a lot of people who wants to become life coaches but some of them are
there for the wrong reason -- money making. Yes it is true that life coaching is
a lucrative job and a lucrative business. And yes there is nothing wrong with
money making.

But you should keep in mind that in life coaching, you are holding the future
of a person in your hands. If you are doing it just for the sake of money
making there is a big chance that you will just do the job half-heartedly.

To become a life coach you need to have the proper attitude. You need to have
the passion as well as the heart to help people. Make the money making part
your secondary goal. Helping people should be the top priority.

With good training from a life coach school plus the right attitude, then you
can be a very effective life coach who could make a positive change in other
people.

Spotting A Qualified Life Coach

The problem with people nowadays is that they do not have a goal in life. This
is true not just for the younger generation, but is also true for the older
ones. Fortunately, there are now people whose job is to help people determine
their goals in life and aid them in achieving those goals.

These people are called life coaches. But with a lot of people calling
themselves life coaches, how do you spot a qualified life coach who could truly
and effectively help you?

My Enemy is My Friend: the Unwanted Life Coach

The Veridical Paradox

Is there a possibility that something unwanted is in fact needed? Is there a
possibility that an enemy is a friend at the same time? Also, is there a
possibility that a contradiction is a contradiction in itself in an endless
loop? If any of those yield an answer of affirmation, then there is a
possibility that a needed life coach may be an unwanted life coach in the first
place.

Usually, trends in society nowadays favor an individual seeking for a deep and
personal connection of co-participation with another peer referred as a life
coach. In this aspect, that individual is in need of something he wants to be
inculcated in his lifestyle. The individual sees the necessity of having
someone guiding.

Even with the presence of a personal coach for the existence and sanity of a
person, a human being's way of thinking is that he will utilize what is needed,
when needed, and wherever the need could be applied with. And that which is not
needed is discarded or shunned away.

People, being social creatures have always been bent in preferring to be with
people they want to be with. It has been a stereotype that only friends are of
value to each other and enemies are of the opposite value to be discarded. But
the fact remains that in order to meet and value the meaning of friends, there
should have been enemies to compare friends with. Now doesn't that contradict
it? Here are enemies being of help; unknowingly interacting in order for
individuals to treasure friendship connections with others. So if that is the
case, aren't enemies the first friends of the affected individual?

Capability and Potential

It is quite hard to defend the statement "Which came first, the chicken or the
egg?" Some might answer that with chicken due to its capability to lay eggs,
while others would choose the egg for its potential in becoming a chicken
someday, and since the chicken currently in check came from an egg.

Friends and enemies are no different from the chicken nor the egg in this
chaotic world. Friends may have been enemies from the past reconciled, and
enemies may be the friends that had taken a different path in life against your
own.

So how exactly do enemies become a friend? We could put it into perspective
that en enemy is already an identified negatively social person. An enemy is
already expected to be a cause of unconstructive outcome when interacted.

An enemy has already made us cautious of what to avoid so that we do not
experience the same unpleasant things. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try
to think that they are not capable of doing the same thing again, the fact that
the person has already experienced doing it may carry it out again

By logic, our enemies have already been teaching us pointers in life to learn
from those things we do not wish to experience again, and to overcome such
pasts and be much stronger in life. They have indirectly been capable of
inflicting a painful encounter and have potentially warned us of what may
happen again.

Whether we like it or not, each of our enemies has been an unwanted life coach
in our lives. They have been unforeseen friends amidst the disagreeable
encounters. My enemy is my friend, and my friend may be my enemy.

Life Coaching Through Experience

Everyone is in a Routine

Morning breaks, people start their routine, businessmen begin thinking of the
day's itinerary, students begin packing their books, others think of anything
under the sun, and even those without anything to actually do stand by and wait
whatever happens. One thing is common among all these: they are waiting for
something to happen for them to react beyond their routine.

It wouldn't be a surprise if ever the events in their lives would have a change
in their way of thinking, or if the events would just be a normal occurrence for
them to shrug off and move on. These events will be experiences, and these
events would be life coaching for them.

When Dire Events Become Life Coaching Events

The normal routine for people to go about and do what they have been accustomed
to do may not bear any weight in their character building since it becomes
automated.

However, given a situation where a bomb explodes, a car collides, or even be in
an accident because one has been so busy crossing the street holding a cellular
phone and talking instead of concentrating on crossing would definitely be
traumatic enough to teach a lesson to the individual.

Unexpected events become life coaching incidents, especially if it teaches
people what to do to avoid being involved in an unfortunate accident.

When Rewards Become Life Coaching Events

On the same note, when a person is rewarded by something he did or contributed,
and the reward is significant enough for that individual to cherish, there is a
tendency that the individual will keep in mind what things are supposed to be
done to be rewarded with the same thing. Life coaching in this manner is done
by inputting certain actions for rewards and keeping in mind that good things
come when certain actions are done in a situation.

When Experiences in General Complete the Life Coaching Process

So throughout the day, a person may encounter both positive and negative
events. Some may have so much good events and rewards that it boosts his
self-esteem, and it becomes his motivation and drive to do even better. Some
unfortunately get more negative events and ill-timed occurrences that it may
demoralize the person and lose interest in what he is supposed to do.

Life coaching process in this manner is a double edged sword and is dependent
on the person's mindset. A person who is passive may succumb to hopelessness
when faced with negative events, while proactive people are challenged to
overcome it.

A person's mindset is an incomplete life coaching method since it depends on
the previous attitude that he was brought up to be. This is but a small problem
since there is an easy solution for this to help the individual cope up with it.

This is where supplemental life coaching from people and professionals are
needed. These supplemental life coaches will enhance the positive and proactive
mindset of the individual in order for him to look at things positively even if
faced with a negative one.

Experiences are good if the person has been molded into a proactive and
optimistic person. Nonetheless, being optimistic and having a good life coach
perspective needs a constant maintenance of both experiences and supplemental
life coaching from other people.

And that is why socialization experience is also an important form of life
coaching.

Life Coaching And Business -- A Match Made In Heaven

Although life coaching is a great and lucrative business venture, this is not
what the article is all about. This piece will be discussing on the effects of
life coaching in businesses. Can it really bring upon changes and improvements
to a company?

What is a Life Coach and What is Life Coaching

A life coach is a new breed of professionals aimed at helping people in any
aspects of their lives. They are there to aid people change and make
improvements in their lives. It can be anything from careers, love, sex,
relationship, weight control, business, etc. A life coach will also focus on
determining a person's goals as well as achieving them.

As the word "coach" implies, a life coach is their to "coach" and not to direct
as opposed to some beliefs. He or she is not there to say, "you do this and you
do that," instead, the life coach will create for you foundations or lay down
different paths for you.

It is up for you to decide which is the best path for you to take. Everything
is all about you and it is also you who makes all the decisions and not the
life coach.

A life coach, as some may believe, is actually not a therapist or a consultant.
He or she is not there to treat psychologically ill or mentally unstable
patients. A life coach is there for the healthy (physical and mental) person
who wants to implement changes in his or her life. With the help of life
coaching, a person will be able to achieve these changes.

Life coaching is the process practiced by life coaches. It has stemmed from
other executive coaching with techniques rooted on leadership training and
management consulting. Life coaching is also based on different disciplines
which include psychology, sociology, career counseling, mentoring, and positive
adult development.

In life coaching there are several techniques that life coaches use to help
their clients. Most of the common techniques are behavior modification, values
assessment, behavior modeling, goal setting, and mentoring. Techniques and
methods also vary from client to client. It is based through the assessment of
the life coach whether which method would be best utilized for a client.

Improving Business Through Life Coaching

A life coach can make improvements in a business by coaching the employees that
work under it. This is usually the trend of companies nowadays. It has been
observed that employees, especially those who have been working under the
company for a long time, experience a downfall in performance. This can be
caused by different reasons which include low motivation and stagnancy.

With the help of a life coach, these employees, including the bosses, can be
revitalized to work more efficiently. And people working efficiently would mean
better business.

A life coach will slightly use a different method when handling groups. Most
often than not, activities will be based on groups and team work which will be
geared towards the kind of business or industry the company is in.

But it is not only during the downfall when life coaches become needed by the
company. They are also needed when a new departments are formed, inspiration
before presentation of a proposal, or for team building.

It can't be denied that life coaching does have a big impact in the corporate
world. Life coaching and business truly is a perfect match.

Life Coaches Come in Small Packages

Life Coaches Without Words

Some of the most successful therapies did not come from professionals like
psychologists. Some haven't been acquired through paid services. Some actually
have not given any advice. These successful therapeutic life coaches have just
been present, and their mere presence are the things that helped people cope up
and overcome even the deepest regrets, depressions, repressions, insecurities,
and stressors. These are what we often refer to as pets.

When Life Coaches Other Than Humans are Needed

Articles and similar life stories relating to couples who can't have any
offspring are faced with a heavy burden of being labeled in society as
incapables. Many couples find fulfillment in family status as soon as they
start having children: someone calling their own. Unfortunately, physiological
limitations and imperfections hamper reproductive functions. Couples in this
situation seek something else to provide them the comfort and security of
loving someone -- or in some cases something.

Many other individuals who have been left by their loved one, been physically
hurt, in emotional distraught, or alone in life like some elderly seek the same
calming effect by these small life coaches. Even in hospitals where ill patients
are down and burdened suddenly come alive with hope and improvement because of
these pets' presence.

Pets Like Humans

This is where you would see dogs or cats, or any other pet so well pampered,
and taken care like they were humans. One would see them living in their
owners' houses, eating the same food, being groomed, given baths, being brought
around and placed even in strollers! Many see this as utterly weird and
nonsensical, others may even refer to this practice as absurd and radical.
However, these small life coaches are keeping the burdened couple together and
away from depression of actually having a real baby.

It is when these pets act like humans giving compassion and love and helping
troubled people recover and have a better outlook in life do they become life
coaches. Like real human life coaches, pets in this manner have the unspoken
ability to impart the same comfort and self assurance to those in need of care.

And since they are living side by side with their owners, eating with them,
sleeping under the same roof as them, looking after them, and being there to
share their presence filled with accompaniment, they are perfect examples of
co-active life coaches.

The wonderful thing about these pets is that they don't have to say anything,
or advice any words of wisdom and impart philosophical ideas for the troubled
individual to think about. These pets are life coaches in a way that they allow
the person to reflect and see the beauty and wonder of being loved and having
someone stay by their side in times of loneliness or need.

This is the same method that some human life coaches try to implement. By
keeping quiet for some point in the healing process, they allow the person to
have and conduct some self searching while being offered the presence in case
these individuals would need actual assistance.

These pets that are acquired just for the mere idea of being preoccupied and
happy is already a small way to distress us before it could get any worse.

They live with us side by side as we mature ourselves. Pets are more than just
animals for fun and leisure. They are life coaches that come in small packages.

Life Coach Specialization

There are different forms of life coaching available to meet the needs of their
clients. As a life coach, you can specialize on a certain field that you think
you would do best. Each field is unique from each other, but interconnected
too. Sometimes, you have to integrate one field to the other to make your
coaching successful.

Relationship Coaching: Dr. Love

This involves helping your client deal with relationship issues in their lives.
May it be a past love, present relationship, or even making decisions on
choosing a life partner. A lot of people nowadays have love as their biggest
problem. Teenagers and adults of all ages have this waterloo in their lives.

This type of coaching does not only include romantic relationships. It may also
tackle family, friend, colleague, and neighborhood relations. The client is made
to realize that keeping the quality of relations to other people is important
for their own personal growth.

Business Coaching: Doing It The Professional Way

Here, you help your client to become successful in their business life. You
help them make decisions that are vital to their advancements. Clients in this
area probably face problems such as lack of confidence on themselves to run
their business or to face the problems they encounter regarding the field.

As a coach, you help them see the clearer framework of the business world. You
suggest on strategies for them to evolve into a confident and successful
businessmen. You can help them start a business, take it to the next level,
advertise effectively, finance wisely and set their priorities.

Management Coaching: Creating A Leader

Here, managers are the most common clients. They are coached on how to be
effective and efficient managers. You coach them to hone their leadership
skills to the fullest. They usually face problems on decision making, relating
to their inferiors, co-workers and superiors. In the end, they are able to cope
up with the stresses of having a managerial position.

Spiritual Coaching: Uplifting The Spirit

This field deals with the less materialized problems. It involves uplifting
your clients spirit, may it be religiously or not. It can be beneficial not
only to the client but also to the coach. The product of a renewed spirit waits
in the end.

Life Balance Coaching: Learning To Juggle

Clients who need to know how to balance all those different aspects of their
lives whether physical, emotional, social, business, academic and the likes,
usually need someone like this. They get to learn their priorities and see
clearly what is really important and what truly matters in their lives.

Health And Fitness Coaching: To Live A Long Life

Clients that have health problems, most commonly weight problems enroll in this
kind of program.

As a coach, you do not play doctor or a fitness trainer here, but instead
you'll be the one to refer them to one. You are there to motivate them to make
changes with positive effect on their lives and keep them going until they
reach their goal.

Being a life coach means aiming for the holistic development of your client. So
whatever form of life coaching you are in or planning to go into, remember that
you shouldn't forget to look at the whole picture and see whether there are
problems in those other areas of your client's life.

Life Coach Objective

The Requirements

There are a lot of academic institutions which offer courses, trainings, and
seminars on how to become a life coach. Many of these contemporary schools of
thought and practice are situated in UK and adjacent countries like Scotland,
Denmark and other European countries. Including the United States of America,
the thought of life coaching has easily spread and gained popularity in every
corner of the world.

So what does it take to become a life coach? One may actually try and seek for
courses offered in the internet and access institutions offering them. Some may
even try and think that there are set authorities in determining what a life
coach student may have, feel, undergo, and train for in order to become a
licensed practitioner.

Fortunately, this social science is not considered to be the basis for self
stature in relation to commerce and industry, or any other thing. Life coaching
is more than that.

Being a life coach does not require anything obligated to academics. Training
to become one is more of guidance from previous successful life coaches like
Judge, Cowell, Whitworth, Kimsey-House, and other similar personalities.
Requirement to become a possible life coach is just a sane, sound, and an open
mind. Starting with the self in preparing to be a sponge eager to be filled
with life's experiences as if it was water, a potential and successful life
coach is about to be molded.

The Objective

Sure it is easy to be a mentor, adviser, confidante, consultant, and a friend
whose purpose is to help out someone in need of a certain thing. A life coach
does all that as well. Now you may ask what differences set life coaches apart
from mere consultants or advisers.

Objective. Life coaches have an objective to deal with in seeing to it that the
one they are coaching would get to what goals are set prior to the coaching. In
contrast to just confidantes who give support, life coaches are there to go
along with the success of his pupil.

The life coach becomes more than just a teacher imparting words of wisdom and
encouragement to his pupils. He becomes a pupil himself to know how things work
with the people he is coaching. It is co-active coaching. The objective of the
students become the objective of the coach himself as if he was the actual
person needing coaching.

Training with the experts may have brought about all the knowledge and
techniques to properly conduct life coaching, but there are still many
instances wherein experiences in real life become the solidifying agent of all
the dust we refer to as learnings in life. Our objective as a life coach begins
with the self.

After we have set our personal objective to be a sponge ready to absorb water,
we then start dealing with other people's objectives and help them reach it
through active participation. It may sound silly but as social people, we need
to participate in other people's affairs.

Bushido Life Coaching

Intelligence

Life coaching is a relatively new method of teaching people and helping them
achieve their goals. Some use it for business while some use it for personal
gains. Nevertheless, the endless pursuit of human achievement and contentment
has proven a very important thing to ponder.

Man has ever been in constant inquiry of what to do in life, finding a reason
of existence and using words of wisdom to live by. Sages and wise men have
sprung from the center of civilization, imparting declarations of thoughts for
other men to inculcate in their way of living.

One of these wise men is Takeda Shingen, a well known samurai of the mid 16th
century. He focused on the mere existence of a human being as a thinking being.
In one of his famous lines, he said "Intelligence is the flower of
discrimination. There are many examples of the flower blooming but not bearing
fruit."

This gives rise to a concept reaching beyond mere intelligence of man just
being able to think clearly and do the right responses in adherence to society.
The intelligence he speaks of is a proactive intelligence, a type of
intelligence in which humans are able to go the extra mile in using his mind.
This is the kind of intelligence wherein man is capable of applying his
knowledge and having that imparted thought bear fruit.

Man here is tasked to have an objective of being productive. Many people think
well and think fast and straight, but many fall short of thinking why he is
thinking over something. Had it been that people use their minds and help
others think better as well, then it becomes quite different. There is now a
co-active coaching done and that both help the helper and the beneficiary in
terms of learning from each other.

The Modern Samurai

Whenever someone thinks of a samurai, one can not help but conjure a thought of
lightweight armors, sword fighting, and honor system, all of which is in
preparation of the upcoming battle. The enemies are always present to bother
and pester, but the thought of being prepared for battle and meditating that
each day is a day to die makes the samurai a strong person emotionally and
spiritually.

Modern times include all the people from all walks of life, living in this
contemporary setting where almost everything is automated and makes manual
labor almost non-existent. Because of this, the people are pitted to use their
minds in order to survive this competitive world where even friends have the
tendency to out learn and outmode other friends.

A modern man who thinks that he should only interact and complement the
society's demands definitely needs proper intelligence to communicate. That man
may have thought of the right idea, but the real question now lies as to how
they would implement it in their lives and to be good sharers as well.

Like a samurai who is a servant to his master. He is guided by his principles
to maintain his honor. The modern samurai is a person living amidst technology,
serving his own type of master: himself. Without application of his intellect,
he will still be able to serve others but will not be able to find any meaning
to his existence and why he is doing something for others.

He should first learn how to serve himself to know that the self has been
taught. How can someone coach others if he cannot learn to coach himself first?
That is the way of the modern samurai -- learning to teach the self to be aware
what to teach others. That is bushido life coaching.

The Life Coach Therapy

The Situation

Many people who get stressed seek the professional help of psychiatrists,
consult with psychologists, and depend on medication prescribed and handed upon
payment by pharmacists. It becomes a trend in very busy people, either
emotionally, physically, spiritually, or mentally.

A successful psychiatrist will cost several hundred to thousands of dollars
throughout the program, and will actually be stressful enough on the budget.
Those who are well off and can afford this type of help are fortunate compared
to those who are conscious of their budget. Life coach methods are not utilized
in this manner.

The bad side of professional help in this manner is that it is not deep enough
to leave a lasting effect that could enable the individual to actually help
himself and be independent.

This may temporarily help alleviate the causing stress for the individual and
resume work or chores, but sooner or later stress would build up again and
soon, he is back into the psychiatrist's office, propped on the sofa, and
cashing out hundreds of dollars again.

The Approach

The life coach therapy is more than just guiding the individual to self
realization and acceptance. Life coach by profession is more of a guidance
counselor, seeing to it that the problems causing the stress to an individual
is not only handled properly, but looked upon as a positive sign that these
problems are and will always be present, and that the individual's
responsibility for better stress management is to include the problems into
daily routine.

This life coach therapy is a co-active approach wherein the one helping is also
immersed in the situation as if he was actually part of it. This is needed to
understand the level of healing a troubled person needs for recovery. Instead
of just being a spectator to the events of the individual, a life coach would
actually inculcate the way the same stressors trouble the client.

The Cheerleader

A life coach is a cheerleader in a way that he is there to initially place the
client in a positive mood in preparation for a more positive outlook throughout
the conversation. Proper communication techniques are employed wherein the life
coach allows the client to speak out freely of his woes and troubles and
concerns.

A life coach in this manner becomes your morale booster in the initial phase of
the healing process of the person in trouble. A life coach has the
responsibility to initially maintain the little morale that is left in the
person in need.

The Big Difference

This may be so much similar with psychiatrists and psychologists but a life
coach goes beyond just a client -- doctor relationship. It becomes more of a
friend -- friend relationship, with the life coach following up on the status
of the troubled individual, offering philosophical advice rather than
diagnosing the problem of the individual.

This manner helps the individual feel less like a robot just waiting for repair
parts to be given, and make them feel more of a human being, being cared for and
being given concern.

Rather than direct scientific approaches are administered to them by
psychiatric and similar methods, a more personal and social approach of life
coach techniques are instead identified.

There is a broad range of life coaching techniques, from personal to business
type of coaching. Whatever the objective a person in need has, different
approaches may be utilized. It is similar to having a best friend guarding and
supporting your back whenever you feel down and hopeless.

Taking A Big Step: Coaching A Life

At your first encounter of the term 'life skill coach' you may think how absurd
it is to be able to coach some other persons' life. But it is definitely
possible to do that. There is more to coaching than the term it self. A lot of
people are in the limbos of their lives now and they need someone to put them
back on track and that's what life coaches do.

Being The One Not just anyone can call them selves a coach and go leading other
people. To be one, you have to undergo training of a Life Skill program. Once
you are certified to have the knowledge and the experience you become a
professional on the field.

There are personal characteristics that are important to be a successful coach.
First off, is that you have to be mentally and emotionally stable to help
others. You should be able to deal and get along with different kinds of
people. You should be accepting to them and is able to express your self
clearly to convey to them what you really mean in order to avoid confusion.

It's not that easy to coach, since you would have to be socially detached to be
objective but sufficiently involved to be able to 'feel with' your client. You
must gain a balance between the two so that whatever comes out from your mouth
would not be biased and lead them to some decisions that aren't well thought of.

Being The Light Coaching does not mean you tell the person what exactly to do
in his life. It is more of guiding him and making him see the different facets
of his problem. You help him with all aspects of life whether spiritual,
physical, mental, emotional, social, professional and even aesthetic.

You don't answer their problems but instead you ask them thought provoking
questions for them to be enlightened and see the possibilities of their
situation. It's like lighting up the path for them so that they may see the
clearer picture that they are in. You help them achieve their goals and dreams,
but that doesn't necessarily mean that you do it for them.

You aren't their attorney, doctor, maid, professor beautician, priest,
accountant, fitness trainer and the likes. You don't do therapy either. You
play a much different role from the list. What you do is help your clients make
sounding decisions in their lives. Recommending clients to other professionals
such as those above is done too in the case that they need to see one.

At The End Once you have successfully coached, it may not seem obvious to you
but you actually have given your client skills that he needs in life. They get
to think more effectively and make decisions wisely than before. You also give
them a sense of companionship throughout their struggles. This companionship is
basically enough to keep them holding on but you give more than that.

They achieve self-awareness and a sense of fulfillment. They acquire a balance
of the different aspects in life that used to be like an unsolved jigsaw puzzle
for them. All of these are possible because of their participation and the
little nudges you give them to bring them back to their personal tracks in life.

There's nothing comparable to the fulfillment you get in helping out others at
the same time its not that easy for you either. Are you ready to coach a life?
Now it's about time for you to make the decision!

Your Future As A Life Coach

If you fit all the criteria above then you have the potential to become a life
coach. So what is in store for you when you become a life coach?

Monetarily speaking, life coaching is a good source of income. Being a life
coach is a very lucrative business. In fact, a lot of people make a living out
of being a life coach. But before taking that leap there some things you should
consider:

- Is it worth leaving your current job and become a full time life coach?

- Can life coaching maintain your current way of living?

- Are you willing to take the risk of running your own business?

These are the 3 questions that matter before becoming a life coach. But if life
coaching truly is your passion then by all means do not let anybody stop you and
soar high.

Affordable Life Coach Training

Anybody with the passion, the willingness and the heart to help people can
become a life coach. The problem though is that they are not enough to make you
a qualified more so an effective life coach. You need training and mentoring.
But life coach training can cost with range of $3000 to $6000.

What if you do not have that much money? Does this mean your dream of becoming
a life coach is over? Well, not quite. There are ways of having an affordable
life coach training.

Scholarship

Just like in schooling, you can also avail of a scholarship to help you pursue
your dreams of becoming a life coach. There are different companies out their
who are willing to help you as long as you are qualified and have the eagerness
to be one.

One approach is if you are currently working as an employee of a certain
company. You can inquire whether you have scholarships or programs that would
provide you with what you need. Most companies nowadays provide such privileges
to their employees since the whole company can benefit from life coaching.

If a scholarship program or training is not existent in your company, you could
bring it up with your boss or bosses and suggest the need for one. Most often
than not, these programs will be 100% free of charge.

Another approach to this is applying for a scholarship to any of the top
coaching academies. One of these institutions is the International Coach
Academy.

International Coach Academy is one of the world leaders when it comes coach
training. They provide quality, affordable and accessible training. The
Professional Coach Training Program they have is certified by the International
Coach Federation. Best of all they provide scholarships to people who deserve
it. Their scholarship program gives scholars a 50% off from the training fees.

Looking For A Mentor

Another way of having an affordable life coach training is by having a mentor.
If you are determined enough, you can look for somebody, a life coach, who is
willing to take you as an apprentice. This may not be formal training but it
does not mean that it will be less effective. Always remember that experience
is better than any teacher or trainer and your life coach mentor has this.

Of course it is not that easy to find someone who, in just a snap of your
fingers, would jump in and become your mentor. You need to gain their trust as
well as you need to show that you really are determined to become one. A "real"
life mentor, once has seen that you have the passion and determination, will
help you in any way he or she can.

Self-Training

If none of the above works for you and you still would not want to give up,
then this is your last resort -- self training. Self training would require you
to have different source of information one of which are the books. There are a
lot of books that pertain to life coaching but you need not to buy one. These
books are readily available in your local libraries.

Another source of information is the Internet. The information superhighway has
a plethora of information regarding life coaching. You just need to be cautious
though of which information you would use or not depending on where you got
them. Choose sources on the Internet that are credible.

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