As a Coach, while I speak to people from all walks of Life, one thought that constantly linger on my mind is about adding value to anyone who I end up speaking with , this is something I consciously practice and also to hone my craft, read extensively, look for insights from various aspects of life, including nature, and thus today I come to you sharing an anecdote from my life which inspired me and gave me the needed strength when I was about to give up, tired of my own conflicts and complexities of Life.
No, don’t be surprised, even a Life Coach, has its shares of ups and downs of Life, because of the fact that we are as just as human and vulnerable as our clients, regardless of our experience or expertise.
It was one of those warm balmy days of South Indian summer, which when gets humid are all the more unbearable, as I sat down to review my work from the previous quarter and plan new for the upcoming one is when I realized that I had not only missed many goals and deadlines, I was doing equally bad at completing a long pending assignment which was deferred to no end.
My frustration grew further when I reviewed my time logs and found most of myself only held up in the kitchen, running around household chores for my family with no productive outcome.
The very thought of making the next meal now seems like a task, for I found it suddenly to be too mundane and boring , (if you ever find yourself in such a dramatic shift, don’t worry, it happens) we do slip into such state of minds especially when we are compelled to do things and somewhere deep down we know how much we are missing out on our main work.
As a student of Yoga, I took a deep breath and told myself that before anything I need to find help for myself, and the search began, fortunately, my neighbor’s domestic help reached out and said there was someone in dire need of a job and can also join immediately, our needs were common and so I said yes even without inquiring on any further details .
Immediately the next day I found a petite, shy girl waiting for me in the Kitchen ,I was in for a complete surprise ,she was barely 15 ,but instead of enjoying her summer vacations she was looking for a job ,and was in dire need of it ,when I further inquired I found she was an orphan, eldest of the 3 siblings and was living along with her siblings independently, because the grandparents did not want to take hold of their responsibility and were more than happy to let them go !
I spoke to her for just 20 minutes, she addressed me as “Didi” (elder sister) but these same 20 minutes moved me profoundly, I was amazed at her confidence and willingness to fight the cruel world, even though she barely understood what she was up & against.
This brief encounter with a young growing girl child, not only inspired me, it gave me the required nudge to move along in my journey which I was not an easy terrain to cover with never-ending responsibilities back home and at work.
If we deeply reflect ,sometimes even the ordinary has a lot to teach ;
Mehnaz Amjad.
Sharing my lessons learned, with the hope that maybe can come as handy, a help or a mere idea to anyone else who is looking for a way out in a similar conundrum of life, because what we share it always benefits!
- Life is Unfair, just get used to it.
- Adversities bring the best out in each one of us.
- Our will and commitment can change outcomes ,therefore it is better to rely on it than our past experiences
- Look around and reflect, and you will find the answers are available.
- Let’s be grateful to what we have, rather brooding on what we could not gain.
- Choosing to respond than to react, is completely our choice.
- Change is the only constant, therefore one needs to adapt to be flexible enough to constantly change with time.
As on today, she is with me, hired her full time, a quick learner and wonderful support, providing me enough time to balance both my work and life.
Conclusion: Keep your mind always open to learning, you never know, who, what, where and when can end up teaching you something valuable
Keep learning ,
Until next time…………
Best Regards,
