What are you focusing on this year? What you want from the world—or what the world needs of you?
Many of us make resolutions or intentions that move us towards what we like and away from what we dislike. We aim for more money. More fame. More power. Or perhaps better health and better relationships. Some of us are inspired by a life with less stress, less struggle, less scarcity. Some people prefer to help others experience some specific “more”, “better”, or “less”.
Do not do what you like—do what the world needs. Doing what you like is not freedom. Likes and dislikes are compulsive.
—Sadhguru
For me, last year was about finishing my book on coaching. What motivated me was observing that some of the leaders I was in conversation with didn’t really “get” the possibility of coaching. They had listened to others talk and write “about” coaching techniques and styles and approaches. But they still had no sense of what being coached was like or what it could be. They didn’t know what they needed to know to even begin to consider whether it might be valuable to them and their organizations.
I felt drawn to write something that would help them see coaching from many perspectives. From the perspectives of all kinds of coaches. From the perspectives of coachees who, like them, have approached coaching with questions, hesitations, and doubts. And from my perspective as a coach and coachee.
The Blue Pearl went live on Amazon a couple of days ago. It will, I hope, help people make informed choices for themselves about whether coaching is for them at this time. And also reflect back to coaches what mastery looks like in their work.
I feel exuberant at finishing the work of producing a book.
And now another adventure begins: the exploration of what the world (and perhaps the book) needs of me next.
Stay tuned…
This blog post by Shae Hadden is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Image from qimono on Pixabay
Writing this book is an exercise in being with emergence. Patterns emerge out of the multiple conversations I’ve been having with coaches and coachees. Out of those patterns emerge multiple threads of ideas. And as I write those ideas down, a structure emerges from within the writing. It’s as if I could step aside and let the cosmos of the book grow into being.
My conversations this week with several high-performing executives weave together desire and humility. Take a sincere desire to learn and grow in service of something greater than yourself. Add the humble wisdom that you need to have someone you can trust showing you what you cannot see about yourself. Shake and stir—and you’ve got a powerful aperitif for coaching.