Looking at the Stars

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” - Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde produced memorable quotes at an astounding rate.  Many people are familiar with the above and it nicely describes one of the tensions of life that coaching can help with.

Looking at the stars; a vision of something beautiful that we can head towards.  This might be our future, an ideal, or some other form of purpose.  Whatever it is, without it life may seem void and directionless.  However together we are we might ask, ‘So What?’.  One of the goals of coaching can be to help the coachee find that vision, the purpose and meaning that will take them forwards in their life.

But to get to the stars you need a rocket ship.  You can have a wonderful vision, a sense of the sublime, God, or the beauty of science or a cause.  But unless you have practical ways to get there and deal with pragmatic daily life, the task may be overwhelming.  The vision can become an escapist daydream.  So coaching also helps deal with the practical world, its pain, triumph and mundanity; plans, small steps, learning from experience.

So one way I think of coaching is Stars + Rocket Ship = Successful Journey.