| Are you fed up with feeling overwhelmed or | | | | creates a conduit through which the favors and love |
| unfulfilled? Are you ready to transform the life you just | | | | of friendship can flow outward. It's only when I trust... |
| live into a life you just LOVE? Changing your life can | | | | that magic happens. Magic is full of wonder and life is |
| feel scary and unattainable when you try to go it | | | | full of magic. It happens when you need it the most |
| alone... so bring a friend, a mentor, or better yet, bring a | | | | and when you expect it the least. In fact, it happened |
| life coach! | | | | just this afternoon. |
| Making significant changes in your life is best facilitated | | | | As I worked in the garden, I considered how to |
| by true partnership. That's what the co-creative nature | | | | introduce the essential friendship of life coaching to the |
| of coaching is all about. A coach is like an objective | | | | millions of people who confuse it with therapy. I was |
| friend with the expertise to guide you on journey of | | | | pruning back the overgrown rhododendrons and the |
| self-discovery and self-realization. If life's lessons teach | | | | blackberry brambles and thinking to myself. The light |
| you anything at all, it's that you don't have to go it | | | | was growing dim as I moved closer and closer to the |
| alone. | | | | mailbox. I set down my rake, crossed the street and |
| About a week ago it became very clear to me that | | | | pulled out my letters. Among the junk mail I discovered |
| the theme of this article would be friendship. After all, | | | | a card with a return address of a very dynamic |
| friendship is critical to success. When you combine | | | | woman I'd coached over the summer. The envelope |
| challenge and togetherness you get effort, but | | | | was torn and taped and oddly postmarked twice. I |
| challenge and solitude is an equation for struggle. And I | | | | could see that the card had become lost along the |
| don't know about you, but I've had enough struggle to | | | | way, trying to keep up with me as I'd made two |
| last me a lifetime. | | | | moves in just six months. The letter had come from |
| Friend is an old English word which means "to love or | | | | across town and had started its journey in the middle |
| to favor". I can remember a time during my junior year | | | | of July. Here it was the last week of September, but |
| of college when I really needed a friend. I was at a | | | | the timing of its arrival couldn't have been more |
| new University with a new major in a new town and I | | | | perfect. |
| didn't know a soul on my first day of class. Midway | | | | I opened it to find a sweet illustration of Winnie the |
| through the day, I mustered my courage and walked | | | | Pooh and Piglet having tea with honey. The caption |
| right up to a girl sitting across from me. With a big | | | | read "It's so much more friendly with two". Inside, I |
| smile, I cheerfully said "Hi!" | | | | found a beautiful heartfelt inscription: "Thank you for |
| To my total dismay, she said nothing. In fact, she didn't | | | | your guidance and light as I continue my journey |
| even look up at me, but stared straight ahead as if she | | | | toward abundance, prosperity and joyful living. Woo |
| hadn't seen me at all. I went back to my seat | | | | hoo!!!" |
| confused and embarrassed and tried my best not to | | | | I smiled with my whole body and I marveled at how life |
| look hurt. That was almost 20 years ago, and yet I can | | | | gives us such magnificent surprises and support in |
| remember it vividly. Like a majority of painful memories | | | | ways you could never imagine. I was reminded that |
| it was based on lies; the lie that I was invisible and the | | | | true friendship is an invaluable exchange of a joy that |
| lie that I was essentially alone. | | | | encourages all life. |
| So much has changed since then. I've grown and | | | | In the words of Donna Roberts: |
| evolved and discovered the truth that I'm never alone. I | | | | "A friend is someone who knows the song in your |
| learned that what's most important is to be honest and | | | | heart and can sing it back to you when you've |
| be myself and understand deeply that that is enough. | | | | forgotten the words." |
| And I learned that by entrusting others with the truth, it | | | | Until next time, I leave you with abundant peace. |