As a young person I was constantly told I was stupid and lazy by my schoolteachers. When I asked them if they could teach me in a different way I was told I was disruptive and challenging.
I learned lots of positive things from this experience, I am actually dyslexic and have an auditory processing condition. Also sometimes people do not want to hear what you have to say because it means they have to think outside the system they work in. All helpful things to know as I moved out into the world.
There was one very negative thing that remained with me, lurking in my subconscious and was triggered every time I was told I needed to sit an exam. This would send me back to those days of being made to feel foolish and inadequate. Even now, when I tell this story, it sometimes makes me cry as the feelings can be so raw.
So, imagine my relief, delight and excitement when studying Mastering the Coach Approach with Pamela Richarde and Ian McDermott last year when they said four little words that resonated with me so strongly that it made me realise I could choose to think about this experience, my story, in a completely different way.
Now I am passionate about being the best I can be, this includes being the best Coach I can be. Continuously learning and developing to ensure I can provide the highest quality Coaching and this led me, last year, to choose to become an Accredited Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, a very exciting opportunity but to my horror I realised I needed to pass an exam! I could choose to sit in the feelings of shame, knowing that I would fail the exam because I am in fact stupid or I could choose to grab hold of those four words of wisdom:
Create a Different Story
And that is exactly what I did, I explored what I wanted success to look like with two amazing coaches, Yana Richardson and Nina Griffiths. I chose to notice my triggers, quieten my inner critics, compassionately put them to one side, recognising that they did not serve me at this point. I worked with the amazing Mentor Coach Clare Norman who challenged me consistently about my practice, sharing her understanding and expertise. I did the research, put in the hours, worked really hard, gave it my best shot and am very proud to say I achieved an 87% mark and am now an Accredited Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation. I am proud that I have changed my story at 54 and created a new one that serves me well and supports me in my learning and development and moving forward into an exciting 2022.
I am grateful to all those people who supported me in this journey; my family, friends and wider circle of allies – you know who you are, you are amazing.
If you are interested in hearing more about how to Create a Different Story and how coaching can support you create the life you want, I’d love to hear from you so please connect here or visit https://lnkd.in/eCY2dEpv