Developing a rhino's hide

I have been into coaching professionally for about a year or so. It's not an easy career to set up in KL, where most people attach a stigma to needing help towards achieving their goals and to better themselves. What's wrong with me? I don't need no help...That seems to be the general feedback when we talk about coaching. However, that said, those open enough to give it a try are usually impressed with the results.

Recently, after attending a very inspiring conference on coaching I have decided to try my hand at using the coaching model to benefit parents. After all, if hard nosed corporates can benefit from it, why not parents?

I have been meeting up with people and trying the theory out, just to see if parents can see the benefits as clearly as the corporates can. I've been talking about this to many of my friends to see what they feel about it.

I have a friend who clearly told me that he doesn't think people will want to get advice from a divorcee and I have no authority to coach people on parenting. Besides going into the entire premise about what coaching is like, how we are process experts as compared to subject matter experts, how bloody insulting?!

I felt slapped.

Then I thought about it. Being single parents are kind of like wearing our scars on our faces. It's the first thing people see, and most people will attack us based on that. I examined my feelings of hurt and anger. I did not really mind if he thought my business plan will succeed or fail, I felt attacked based on my lifestyle choices. And really, what business is it of anyone's?

So my point today is take heart. Everyone has scars, some of us wear ours in front and some of us keep it buried deep. The key to it is to develop some smart alec answer to these insults and if you bother to, outline clearly to the person involved that what he or she said was not acceptable. It's interesting when you don't resort to yelling and shouting. I think the message comes across a lot clearer.

Also realise that what that person says reflects more on their thinking and perception than of you. So, be confident and know who you are. Never let people take that away from you. Be strong... like the rhino! Did you know that his tusk is only made up of hairs? So you can turn something fragile into something strong if you know what to do with it.

And today's post will end with an offer. If you are a parent looking to up your parenting game, let me know. I will be more than pleased to spend some time with you to prove the theory that coaching benefits parents too.

Drop me a line here or email me on fb... we will take it from there.

Cheers!