Seeing, Hearing And Understanding

Originally published July 8, 2020

“What a person desires is unfailing love” – Proverbs 19:22a (NIV)

​Let’s start at the beginning….

Well here it is, my first blog post. I figure it makes sense to start my blog, and my first post, with a little bit of info about me. I mean, after all, you didn’t land here by accident. You must be here because you know me or of me and heard I was starting a life coaching practice and figured… what is that about? And so, here you are. Reading my blog from the very first post. Welcome!

I was struck at an early age by the idea that people need to know they matter. We all need to be visible, to express ourselves and our feelings, and to know that what we are saying makes sense. We need to Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Understood.

I noticed this, as a child, because I was living the opposite. I felt invisible, my need to express myself was often discouraged, squashed, mocked, or punished. Very few people seemed to care about, let alone understand, what I was going on about.

When I did find my place, in a church, where I felt I belonged and mattered, I was hooked. An addict craving their next fix. Every night and twice on Sundays. It wasn’t so much the church that fueled my habit, as it was the idea that God loved me, accepted me with all my faults, and put value on my life.

Now I realize that is a message you don’t hear in a lot of churches. Many of us are made to feel that we must look and behave in a certain way or follow a list of rules perfectly to be acceptable. But that was not the message I received from God. What I was reading in the Bible were verses like “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” (Isaiah 49:15) and “Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” (Ps 27:10). Heady stuff!

What does this have to do with life coaching you ask? Well, having found someone (or something if you prefer) that would accept me and love me no matter what, I have found myself drawn to helping others find their value as well. We all need to Be Seen, to Be Heard, to Be Understood.
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Although I do not proselytize in my coaching practice, the message that God loves us and accepts us unconditionally is always there behind my care for you. If God can accept me, in all my mess and failures, if God doesn’t reject me even when I am rejected by those closest to me, then how can I reject, condemn, or judge anyone else?
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I firmly believe each of us craves unconditional acceptance and that offering a safe, non judgemental space where you can be seen, be heard and be understood, is the first step to your being able to move forward in your life. I am always honored to be able to provide that space, to help you realize your value, and to help guide you through whatever is keeping you stuck.