“Stories can conquer fear, you know. They can make the heart bigger.” – Ben Okri
How do stories and coaching go together?
Stories and metaphors are how we make sense of the stuff that happens to us. Traditionally, stories have been used by humans to pass on wisdom, experience, ideas and beliefs from one generation to the next. Some stories are very powerful, that is: they have the power to move us, to shift our perspective, to tap into our own power source, to give us courage, to wake us up. To make the heart bigger.
We use stories to frame our experience. And like other frames, some can be more valuable or constructive than others. Through the coaching process you get the chance to:
- look at your own story from a different perspective
- try on different frames for size
- become aware of the metaphors that help shape your life
- identify the resources that you have and will need to move on in your story
- open up new possibilities for what happens next
It is an opportunity that you might rarely get to:
- become really familiar with your own story
- find the elements that have the real meaning – for you
- shape how you want the story to be in the future
And you might find stories and metaphors playing a part in the coaching sessions… you might find some on these pages… and you might start to listen to the stories that other people tell… and that you are telling… and you might find that you are starting to tell a different story… but that is something only you can tell…
“There is not one big cosmic meaning for all, there is only the meaning we each give to our life, an individual meaning, an individual plot, like an individual novel, a book for each person.” – Anais Nin