As I listened to the story I contained myself – until she came to the end.
In our previous coaching session we were working on the success story she might envision; eventually guiding us to her two main goals and corresponding supportive strategies. It was as I set the stage for her to articulate this story when she declared, “I don’t have a story.”
Nothing I could say seemed to convince her otherwise. Consequently, we struggled through that session.
As our next session began, I stated we would forego our planned conversation and relax into the moment. After the previous session where she had made the declaration, I sent her several things to read about story. As we reconvened she told me about “the moment” she was having prior to that last session. And then she told me the story.
It seems not too long ago a manager had actually told her that she did not have a story. His case for this assessment, in his mind, was that others in her race had come from tough times to make something of themselves. Because she was not raised in a ghetto from which she had to pull herself out of, she did not have a story.
That is when I could no longer contain myself as I said, “Now you hear this; that manager was just stupid. You have a story. It is your story and it is good.”
She will be fine as she moves away from self-judgment and embraces the reality of her own story. And I will be proud of her and for her.
And maybe one day I will meet that manager and …
