Something Greater Is Within You

By Laurel Elders

As I look back at me in kindergarten, I'm amazed. I was the only one in a corner playing the 80s version of Qubits all by myself. I looked at the other kids with longing but never felt like I fit in. I was more than shy—I was painfully shy. 
 
How can the me now, who teaches, advocates for equity, speaks up, coaches, takes a stand for positive impact, and holds workshops, be the same person? That kindergartener is the paradox. She was me, but not yet me. She was the underdeveloped me, the potential of me.
 
The mentor and coach who had the most prominent positive impact on my life was Sandy Hogan. Sandy was like listening to an integration of Ghandi, Oprah, and Dr Phil. The ideas she shared with me as she mentored me into "the potential of me" were some of the most profound insights I'd ever come across. And, as a Five (Investigator) on the Enneagram who had been researching insights on human potential since my obsession burst open at the age of 15, locating new insights was like being a kid with a bag of replenishable candy.
 
I loved the quips that spontaneously erupted every time she was asked a question. Before she passed away, I had the honor of helping take care of her. This led to an invitation to interview her one last time. That is how our relationship started. A colleague and I would buy her lunch in exchange for asking her anything we wanted to about coaching (we were new coaches back then). 
 
I gladly accepted the opportunity to ask Sandy to share more glowing wisdom in hopes of capturing as many Sandy-quips as possible. One of these days, we discussed the concept of coaching and callings. 
 
Her first response to callings cracked me up. She said, "When your calling calls, don't hang up!" How many of us hang up the phone on our "potential me"? Is it too scary? How can we trust what is on the other side of "me as potential"? 
 
Sandy also shared with me, "People come to coaching when something inside of them is ready to awaken. Sometimes, they know exactly what this "something" is. Other times, it is an inkling or felt sense that something greater is burgeoning."
 
I discovered coaching in 2005. Since then, I have found that Sandy's sentiments carry great validity. People come to coaching, either as a client or as a student (many times both), when the burgeoning is getting stronger, and they step into the courage to follow it.
 
"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is truly ready, the teacher will disappear."  - Lao Tzu
 
There comes a time when we must self-discover, self-trust, and self-empower ourselves into our greatness. This is where coaching takes us—deeper into the "potential me" that exists as a possibility for my unique greatness. Coaching is a roadmap to answering the Spiritual phone for our inner callings and inviting others to answer theirs.
 
I'm curious what Sandy's ideas spark within you. What have you been putting off that you now are ready to invest time in and trust? What within you is ready to awaken? Will you pick up the phone call from your "potential you"?

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