Do I need life coaching?

Or do I need something else?

We all need support in our life journey. Whether it comes from within ourselves, our friends, families, colleagues, community leaders, and so on, there will be people around us that push us to grow.

There are a number of professional services available as well. However, these can be confusing as their function is similar, which is to help people:

• TRAINING: transfers knowledge and expertise from master trainer to novice trainee
• COUNSELING: diagnoses the patient for poor cognition and behaviors, e.g. mental health
• MENTORING: gives advice based on the mentor’s experience to novice mentees
• COACHING: focus on using the individual potential to effectively achieve goals

With coaching, there are many types as well, from sport-based (e.g., rugby), skill-based or knowledge-based (e.g. financial, entrepreneurship) and life-based, among others.

With heart-centered life coaching, the focus is on realizing the heart’s full potential toward leading a good life. This involves:

• Clarifying visions of the heart
• Activating virtues of the heart
• Gaining small wins to re-energize the heart
• Sustaining for the long journey ahead!

So, what is the heart?!

The heart analogy has always fascinated scholars and practitioners alike, and is often used in management and organization studies literature. However, definitional issues to the term arise as writers, researchers, and politicians use them loosely, and can thus cause confusion.

The most common association is ‘emotion’. The infamous tripartite ‘Head, Heart, and Hand’ is often equated to cognition, affection, and psychomotor, and can be traced back to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, a Swiss education reformist, who called for a more holistic approach to education. Association between the heart and emotion is common, but they are not the same and should be made distinct. There are also other definitions and associations of the heart Including core, habits, mores, purpose, vision, virtue, and so on. Despite the multitude of the heart, it has played central roles in many traditions and religions.

Heart Intelligence > emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is well-known, but often over-valorized. It is crucial, but not as vital as heart intelligence! The heart does not only relate to our emotions but so much more. Research from the Institute of HeartMath has shown many of the heart’s potential, including:

• Essence: The heart is our core essence of being. We are not defined by our emotions, but by what is within our hearts.
• Perception: With our sixth sense in the heart, we can perceive the world in a different way. Emotions may block perceptions, e.g. anger leads to irrationality.
• Knowledge: The neurobiological heart stores knowledge, and works in tandem with the brain. Emotional intelligence similarly has relation to knowledge.
• Emotion: As we know, emotional energy is derived from within the heart.
• Unity: Hearts can find coherence and be united with one another. Emotions alone cannot achieve this.

In summary, heart intelligence is superior to emotional intelligence!

“Ask your Heart!”

Another important function of the heart is its ability to make intuitive and moral decisions. Every day, the heart makes numerous decisions in life that are baby steps toward happiness. Instead of using our Heads, we let our Hearts guide these choices.

The Heart is the king of the body and the primary decision-maker, and the Head only offer advice to the Heart. This is also evident in modern science, business administration, and numerous religions.

Sharing one prophetic tradition on asking our Hearts:

Wabisah bin Ma’bad (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I went to Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he asked me, “Have you come to inquire about piety?” I replied in the affirmative. Then he said, “Ask your heart regarding it. Piety is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart, and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart, even if people pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again.”

Example from a CEO in Thailand

I coached a CEO based in Thailand. Indecisive about a potential merger for the past two years, I invited him to close his eyes and imagine the possibilities. At first, I asked him to picture of the merger. What came to his mind was more bickering and disharmony among the employees. This mental picture is contrary to what the data has shown for the past two years! The data showed potential growth, but his heart was showing a different picture.

Then, I asked him: “What does your heart tell you now?”

What happened afterward was a breakthrough for him. The answer was so clear and profound, that it surprised him so much. He now knows with conviction that the company does not need the merger, and can grow organically with great confidence!

You can gain clarity in your heart too!

If you need to gain clarity in your heart, book a heart-based life coaching session with us!