“Thank you” she said as she handed
me a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card. It was our last night of swimming lessons and
the mother of one of the little swimmers in level one decided she needed to
thank us for spending some extra time with her scared son. Then she continued
on saying that she had asked him if he remembered our names and he had said
“well, there’s Miss Jessica. She’s our life coach” we all laughed, he confused
a life coach with a lifeguard. But then I stopped because, little did he know
how accurate he actually was. I don’t claim to be the go to person to talk to
about your problems. I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I do strive to
be a good friend and that is almost the same thing. I started thinking about it
and realized we are all life coaches in one way or another, or at least we should
be, even if we don’t claim the title.
A life coach’s job is to be there
to help someone through their problems. This job should be everyone’s job. We
were not put on this earth to live alone. Whether you are a grandparent, a
parent, a brother or sister, a mentor, or a good friend, you are someone’s life
coach. You are the person who is there for them when they need you most. And if
you need help, they will be there for you too. It doesn’t always work this way,
especially in today’s society where people expect help but don’t want to give
any. We need to change that.
Whether you call yourself a “life
coach” or not, you should always be there for the people in your life who need
you. Everyone has problems and we do have the ability to fix them or help them
through them. Whether you give advice, or you are the shoulder to cry on, or the
encourager of a much needed laugh, or are the person to talk to, you are acting
as a kind of life coach. Whether you sacrifice your time to a late night conversation,
simply let someone know you’re thinking of them through a quick text, or give some
extra time to a scared swimmer, just being there is the best way to be a good life
coach. This life is hard. Everyone has problems. We must all help each other
through this difficult life. I suggest you go be someone’s life coach today. Let
them know you’re there for them. We weren’t meant to get through this life
alone.
