SOUL-CENTRED TRANSFORMATIONAL COACHING: for people who want to invite more happiness into their lives

Come home to yourself. Observe yourself. … After a while you don’t have to make any effort, because, as illusions begin to crumble, you begin to know things that cannot be described. It’s called happiness.

Anthony de Mello

Happiness can seem like an elusive will-o-the-wisp. The more we chase it, the further away it gets. The secret is to stop chasing and 'come home to yourself'. The Sufis talk about the Jewel in the heart. When we connect with this Jewel within ourselves, we connect with our soul, with our better more expansive self and with our spark of divinity. We feel 'in the flow', in our 'sweet' spot and have a sense of peace. From there, we can allow ourselves to expand, listening to our heart's wisdom.

But how do we actually do this?

The answer for some people and perhaps for you may be soul-centred coaching. A soul-centred coaching program gives you spaces of dedicated time where the focus is on you and your heart's unique wisdom. Your welfare and happiness are the most important considerations. You receive ongoing input, encouragement and challenging to:

• become more in touch with your heart and your happiness
• clarify what is most important to you
• set realistic and meaningful goals
• develop action plans to achieve your goals
• monitor your progress to ensure you stay on track
• develop and leverage your strengths
• deal with weaknesses, obstacles and the events that come at you from left field
• explore new aspects of who you are to create a more fulfilling and enlightened life

For some people coaching seems like a luxury they can't afford. I know it can be very hard to stretch the dollar these days. But sometimes, thinking of something as a 'luxury' that 'can't be afforded' can actually be a symptom of a mindset that limits what you can allow yourself to have.

I know because I've been there myself and I still find myself challenged from time to time to explain to myself why I 'can't afford' something. Is it because I don't really want it? Or is it because I would like it but feel that I don't really deserve it? If it's the latter, then this a life issue that needs to be addressed for me to move on in my personal growth. Part of the soul-centred coaching process is facing and dealing with self-limiting beliefs that hold us back from enjoying more happiness.

Other people feel that coaching is only for wimps. It's an expression of weakness.

But think of John Donne's words, 'No man is an island'. The words may be nowadays politically incorrect but they express the important and fundamental truth that we are all parts of the whole. We are all in relationship with each other in some way and at some level. This doesn't mean that we should off load our troubles on others. It does mean that it is perfectly OK and in fact an essential part of being human to ask for help from another person from time to time.

Another area of exploration in soul-centred coaching process is relationships. Being able to give and take in relationships in a balanced way supports us in taking more control of our lives.

Other people feel that this approach is very 'airy fairy'. All a bit abstract and unrelated to 'real life'. This is far from the case.

Soul-centred coaching always has an intention that is agreed between the coach and the person being coached. The intention relates to something real and concrete in that person's life.

For example, one of the areas I have recently started to work in is business website development. That may seem a very far cry from soul-centred. Yet if a person is running a business, that business is, or should be, an expression of that person's soul and purpose in life. I work together with business owners and independent professionals, to help them find the words and the structure that enable them to 'be themselves' on their website in ways that 'work wonders' for their business.

Another transpersonal coaching area of life is with people in transition.

Some of these are in their twenties and early thirties, others are in their fifties or sixties. Whatever their chronological age, they find themselves questioning the next step in their career or work life. Together we set an intention to explore and allow to happen whatever will be for the highest good of that person and also for all those in that person's circle of influence. We often underestimate the effect that our actions can have on others. The process of soul-centred coaching encourages us to develop a bigger picture of what our lives are about and take steps to bring that into the present in ways that have a positive ripple effect on others. One of my clients remarked that she felt she had two brains!

A third transpersonal coaching area relates to loss and grief. We all experience loss at various times in our lives - loss of a job, a relationship, a dream, an opportunity, a loved one. This is one of the most challenging and difficult of the life experiences we all encounter. There are no easy answers to finding meaning and happiness in the face of a major loss. However, a soul-centred approach offers the light of hope in the midst of darkness and a supportive relationship with someone who has travelled the path themselves.

Soul-centred coaching is not for everyone. The people who benefit from it most are often those who:

• have been searching for several years for a more meaningful life but just can't seem to crack the key.
• are willing to make a commitment of time – between three and six months – to giving the process a go. Remember the saying that it takes at least 10 years of solid effort to become an overnight success? We are all at different stages in our life path. Sometimes the time is right for the 'overnight success' to occur and other times we are called to practise living in the moment and loving every minute of it. By loving what we are doing in the now moment, we find the expansion that takes us to doing what we love – paradoxical but true. They are open to changing their minds and taking on board new ideas.
• are ready to learn and practice the laws of happiness. This can take time – a matter of hours to a
life time.

Life is like a 10-speed bicycle. Some of us have gears we never use. - Charlie Schulz

I love that quote from Charlie Schulz. It is so true. We all have resources of wisdom and experience that we seldom think of using or don't know how to get in touch with. The answers may be 'within us' but where exactly? And how do we get in touch with them? Where are these extra gears? Many of the people I work with are searching for these other 'gears' and want to learn how to use them.

How Soul-Centred Coaching works.

We have 12 one-on-one sessions together over a period of six months. The sessions are usually spaced at fortnightly intervals and last about one hour. Most of the sessions are conducted by telephone but if you live in Melbourne and want to come and see me, that's fine too. At the end of each session I will give you some activities to complete before the next session. The activities will be designed to help you manifest whatever intention you set at the start of the program. In betweeen sessions you may contact me by email if you have a question. Depending on your individual needs, we may together decide to use tools such as the Strength Deployment Inventory, the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test, or the Multi-Factor Leadership Questionnaire to assist you to clarify your strengths and areas on which you may wish to work.

Some of the areas I usually cover with clients include:

• Being your authentic self
• Learning to trust your intuition
• Finding ways to express your heart's wisdom
• Handling challenging relationships
• Resolving conflict
• Clearing emotional and spiritual blocks to happiness, abundance and success
• Getting in touch with your passion
• Unleashing your creativity
• Clarifying your purpose and mission in life
• Developing systems that strengthen your spiritual resolve and backbone
• Finding and polishing your Jewel
• Setting priorities – how to integrate the spiritual and the practical aspects of your life

If this strikes a chord and you think we might work together to invite more happiness into your life, then please contact me.

Transformasia Pty Ltd
ACN 097 139 725
PO Box 1037
Caulfield North
Vic 3161
Australia
Tel: +61 0400 156 069
Skype: justusl
www.transformasia.com.au