My story or why I chose coaching ?
A few years ago, I had an identity crisis. It came out of nowhere and without a warning. I used to be someone with a very strong identity as a humanitarian worker, crisscrossing the world, saving lives, dealing with some of the most catastrophic humanitarian crises in some of the most exposed areas, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Central African Republic. You name it, I have been there. Then, one day, I found myself in London. In the middle of the banking district, surrounded by the most sophisticated cultural, technological, and social advancements. The distance between these two worlds could not have been wider. True, I knew that in London things would not be the same, but I had no idea just how different. I did not expect to enter a spiral of existential questions: What does an aid worker do in London…? What is my purpose here? What do I really want in this life?
A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear, who has you see what you don’t want to see, so you can be who you’ve always known you could be.” Tom Landry
Fast forward a few weeks later. I started to work with a professional life coach who helped me to put all my questions into a perspective and more importantly, answer some of the crucial ones. I quickly realized the huge potential and the transformative character it had on me. I took some crucial decisions in my life as a result of this coaching. Over the years, I have worked with several coaches. They have always held my best interest as their priority, challenged me, and held me accountable for what I set out to do. They guided me towards my highest potential, helped me to see a bigger picture, encouraged me to live a more authentic life; simply be more honest with myself. They challenged my small fear-based vision of myself and accompanied me through tough choices. The more I worked with a coach the more I loved the work, up until that day that I decided to become one. Moreover, I could use all the skills that I have accumulated from my 20 years of experience working with people in the humanitarian sector. In 2019, I formally set out to study coaching and in 2020, I successfully completed the certification process.