The greatest gift you can give to someone....

Today’s article is triggered at the back of a coaching conversation I had sometime back

My client is a senior leader in the financial services space, with a very successful career track

We had engaged for a 6 month coaching journey and this was the 3rd session

What was interesting about this session was that while it was for 90 minutes, I barely spoke for maybe 10 minutes max

The rest of the time she spoke

Towards the end of our session, she said?“I think you really understand me. Thank you for being there”

I felt humbled and honoured at the same time with this acknowledgment

You see….

If you can?“be there”?for someone when they need you, that can be very?powerful

And it is probably the need of the hour, with so much going around us, right ?

Our lives have become much more complex than ever before

And I believe that everyone has something to say

We all want someone to talk to

But unfortunately,?we don’t have enough people who can listen to us, right ?

Infact, what I have also realized is that people are not always looking for solutions

They don’t want you to solve their problems always

They just want you to?be there?for them

Listen to them. That’s it

And in my coaching experience, I have seen that many a times, that helps immensely

The fact is that you are carrying so much in your mind and on your shoulders everyday

..Things from both personal and professional lives

..Things which impact you and people around you

But you are not able to talk about them with anyone freely

And in most cases, you actually don’t have anyone to talk to, right ?

But once you are able to express yourself and how you are feeling, without the fear of judgement?

Once you have downloaded yourself of whatever you have been carrying on

..Your mind becomes lighter

..You feel relieved

..You create more space

..You can think more clearly

Ofcourse, the problem or the challenge does not go away as such

But once someone has listened to you, you are usually in a better position to deal with the situation

Sometimes, it helps in reflection. Sometimes, if helps in reinforcement

And in many cases, you know exactly what to do, right ?

So what does?“being there”?for someone really mean ?

Simply put, it means being available for someone -?physically, mentally and emotionally

When they need you.?When they are ready

That’s the key

NOT when you are available

It also means creating that level of trust and comfort for people to open up to you

Be it your team member, your partner, a friend or your child

Being there means being fully present. No distractions. Nothing else is going on in your mind

You are paying full and undivided attention to that person, with true intent

You are there to understand them, what’s really happening with them

But not to react, judge or offer advice. Just to be there?

Remember….

People don’t want you to solve their problems always

Sometimes, they just want you to?be there?for them

And being there for someone can be the greatest gift you can give to them

I am there for my clients.?What about you ?

So go back and reflect :

1) Is there something you have been holding back, but you want someone to really listen to you ?

2) What’s really holding you back from reaching out to someone ?

3) If you had to reach out to someone today, who would that person be ?

4) Can you be the listening partner for someone ? Can you?“be there”?for someone ? It could be someone from your personal or professional life

5) If yes, how can you offer your support to that person ? What do you need to do ?

I would be interested to know about your thoughts, so keep writing

Till then

Stay safe and stay healthy

Have a great weekend !

Harsh

www.harshjohari.com ???

P.S.?

1) For all those who have recently joined this community, my previous newsletters are available here (My Blog ). I strongly encourage you to take some time out to read some of the articles and engage in the reflection at the end of each article. It will be like a a self-paced coaching exercise for you

2) PLUS, whenever you are ready to take the next step for your personal and professional growth, you can book a short exploratory call here (Book Your Call )