Having a Guide - a Coach!

What’s on my mind this morning? Having a guide - a coach! Many of you may already know, or at least have suspected, that I am an independent person - sometimes fiercely so. As one who has been single, and not lived near family for the majority of my adult life, I’m not inclined to ask for help. At least, I wasn’t before I began doing the hard work of going inward, becoming more aware of my ‘ways’ and the areas of growth that needed attention, and healing.

Self-awareness has helped me come to the truth about myself. It’s helped me own my own stuff - helping me take responsibility for my own actions or inaction. It’s helped me go on a spiritual journey that is helping me learn to live from the inside out. It’s not my circumstances that have me stuck in certain places - it’s me. I said not too long ago that “sometimes, I’m the only one in my way.”

When I’ve gain this awareness of my need, that’s exactly the moment when I/we need a guide - a coach - a helpful companion to walk with us on our journey. This is like the moment when a child begins tinkering on the piano - there is an awareness, an openness, an interest that is signaling a readiness to learn something new.

I love the Proverb that says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This is true whether we’re talking about friends and family members, or doing the hard and significant work with a counselor, personal trainer, or spiritual director. When we need a guide, it’s really good to ask for help. The very act of asking, I believe, is a spiritual practice that leads to transformation.

Today, I want to focus on the blessing of having a physical coach. I’ve been faithfully working out three days a week at SparkFit in downtown Little Rock since January. In January, I spent time developing a list of ways to nourish myself in order to live life more wholeheartedly from the inside out. Two particular areas of nourishment that I need are movement and community.

That nourishment lens helped me decide to spend an additional $30 per month driving from Maumelle to the corner of Main and Daisy Bates three times a week - movement and community…or rather, movement IN community. Who we choose to be around, especially when we’re putting our bodies under ‘good’ stress, is essential to our overall wellness.

I love my 6:15 a.m. group! This is a group of people who look forward to working hard together and who cheer each other on when we see each other doing something we KNOW is hard for them to do. This group inspires me with their dedication and their willingness to submit to the process for the purpose of growth - growth in strength, flexibility, endurance, and inner awareness - all within the context of community - iron sharpening iron.

While we are working as a group, our coach keeps a keen eye out on each one of us. He encourages us and gently pushes us when we don’t feel, or even know, we are ready. Yesterday, the workout included Pull Ups. Everyone loves a good pull up, right? For me, this is a movement that I’ve been working on all year. When I KNOW I can’t do something, there is a huge inner struggle. Lots of self talk and chatter. One of the beauties of the leadership at SparkFit is that they always have a modification for everything. If the movement being asked is not available to you, then here, here’s another move that accomplishes the same purpose.

Thus began my journey towards a pull up. It began on a box where I held on to the bars above and pulled up as hard as possible against my weight, assisted by my feet on the box. Then the coach invited me to see if I could lift my feet off the box, then adding some hang time with my feet, followed by pulling up while standing on one leg and then the other. Once those particular muscles were awakened and charged, we moved to the reverse gravitational pull, where I stood on a high box and lowered myself down to the next one. This allowed my muscles to experience the lowering movement.

Yesterday, our workout had three different sets of pull ups in it. Not feeling confident about how to modify, and with lots of people working through this, I placed myself ‘out of the way’ and moved over to the rings where I did a variation on the pull up with assistance. I hadn’t been there one minute, when the coach came over and asked me if I was ready to try using the bands to assist me with the pull ups. This involves starting up on a bench and stepping into strong flexible bands (huge rubber bands), and then letting them assist with the lowering and raising of my body while I guide this movement with my own pull ups - the full movement. I said, “Sure.” And there it was - the significant moment when I was invited into a particular space of growth and I said “yes.”

Soul work comes in all kinds of packages, but yesterday, the soul work came by way of an invitation to go deeper, try something new. And that invitation came from someone who has been companioning with me for a long time. My coach noticed what I was doing and knew I was ready to try something new.

Whatever soul work you are investing in, or even if you’re just beginning to consider what that might be, remember that you don’t need to go it alone. In fact, it is when we partner with someone who is trained to notice what’s happening in and through us, there is tremendous potential for transformation. There are so many wonderful guides and coaches to walk with you on your journey. I would not be anywhere near where I am on my path to wholehearted living without those who have invested their gifts and talents into my life.

May you discover where you need nourishment and diligently seek after someone to companion with you on your journey. There is no doubt in my mind that movement is key to transformation. Getting ‘into’ the body awakens the heart, mind, and soul. They are all connected in the body and when the body wakes up, the others follow. Spend time talking with God about what truly nurtures your soul and who might help you along your way. Much love and blessings!!