The Tricky Business Of Giving Advice

A mom is a consultant, counselor, teacher, trainer, advisor, mentor, and coach. Our children prepare us for entrepreneurship more than we sometimes care to realize or acknowledge. No wonder we call it MOMpreneurship.

When I embarked in the business of having babies, I set the intention to raise conscious individuals. As a free spirit myself, known to have given my mom more than a few headaches because of my defiant forward thinking, I want to make sure my children know who they are, love who they are, and express who they are.

This is tricky. Sometimes we want for our children what we want for our children… and we want for our clients what we want for our clients. We see their potential, we see the possibilities, we see the path to their imminent happiness, and they …um … just don’t. Ugh…

In those [now brief ] moments of frustration, I remember a quote from Socrates that helped me understand the meaning of being a teacher, a coach, a trainer, a mentor, and a happy mom:

“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.”

As infopreneurs, mentors, and experts, we can inspire hope, instill a love of learning, and bring to our pupils’ imaginations what transformation may be ahead, but we cannot choose for them.

There Are 3 Key Characteristics Of An Outstanding Coach and MOM:

1. Presence – Be present and make your time together count. Listen intently. Listen to learn their questions, fears, hopes, and dreams.
2. Acknowledgment – Acknowledge and appreciate their condition, situation, position, asking questions to open their ears, minds, and hearts. Meet them – and love them – where they are at and for who they are NOW.
3. Perspective – Offer perspective rather than advice. Paint various “cause and effect” pictures so they feel empowered to make an informed, inspired decision.