Ms. Frizzle & Kermit
My gift to me: Ms. Frizzle. My gift to you: Kermit
Oh, these two!
Ms. Frizzle has always been that girl, but as I started to understand who I am as a person and who I want to be as a coach, she very quickly became my girl. The Frizz, as her students lovingly call her (I’m a student of her’s as well…), is so uniquely herself and she uses it as a tool, rather than a display piece. She always prioritized making teaching fun for her and learning fun for her students. She had the answer to their questions, but instead of telling them, she forced them to explore to figure it out for themselves. Not just any exploring though! She did it through emersion. She brought them out of their comfort zone, out of their safety so that the unknown can be known and experienced.
That fantastic example of teaching is in the very bones of my practice and my coaching style. Yes, our goal is very practical, but there’s something about getting there using a unique route that causes us to re-engage in the process. Autopilot is our friend in components of our life, but change, growth, evolution, learning, they all require your full participation and who isn’t at least a little curious and tempted to participate in the fun stuff?!
In that same way, I’m exploring with you, so I show up just as I am because on these adventures, you don’t need supplies, you need space. I create space by keeping unnecessary limitations out. I don’t need to dress differently, speak unnaturally, or stiff arm you to care about you, and care for you appropriately. We never step out of the realm of professionalism, instead we invite in all the whimsy, curiosity, comfort and familiarity that we can.
Tweet by @timescanner
Now, Kermit… I’ll start by saying I love The Muppets. Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that at several points in time, I will reference those living… things (???). Kermit is far from my favorite, though I like him but his leadership skills can’t be denied. That tweet above completely changed how I look at him and how I look at my coaching style.
Those who are familiar with The Muppets know that each {I refuse to call them puppets} has a uniqueness to them that makes it nearly impossible to not see them as real individuals. While Kermit is eternally distraught, one thing it never stops him from doing is encouraging each Muppet to be the best versions of themselves. Don’t conform, stand out. Be all of who you are.
In my practice, I strive to do the same. I’m not the person you need to talk to if you want to turn down the volume on your identity, only on certain behaviors. I will always lead my clients toward the core version of themselves and then build outward. No, none of us are perfect at our core, but do you actually know who you are at your core? Let’s find out and build something beautiful upon that foundation.
