I found this quote by Amy Tan:

“I did not lose myself all at once. I rubbed out my face over the years washing away my pain, the same way carvings on stone are worn down by water.”

People ask if you are sad or tired. I could say yes to those but neither is quite right. I am worn down, like a stone in a river. I try to hold on, be stoic and strong but I'm eroding all the time.

I feel this way more often as I get older. None of us are getting any younger of course. But, I don't think we should have to feel worn down. Does it happen from others or do we do it to ourselves. I'm trying to figure that out for myself.

I found this quote on an old site by Laurie Pawlik. She writes about writing, relationships, travel and living in a camper van. I started reading that post, first.

Life coaches help you achieve goals and get past whatever is keeping you from taking action to reach your goals A life coach can help you focus on what really is important to you. It's not therapy or counselling exactly. A life coach doesn't focus on solving issues from your past but on taking action in the here and now.

Is there a life coach for you?

Once you get looking at life coaching you will find there are life coaches in various niches. I have a friend who is a life coach for writers. Most life coaches do have a focus on career, business, entrepreneur, leadership, small business and career orientated goals. It makes sense when most people feel successful when they are meeting their goals and finding success financially - of course, most people work at something to make that money to become successful financially. It's all a big circle.

However, you can find a life coach to help you with your life beyond the career, business or executive parts of it. Life coaches include: health and wellness, youth and parenting, diet and nutrition, spiritual, cultural, grief and loss, dating and of course, sports coaching. You can find a life coach in any niche you need someone to help you.

Does it matter if a life coach is certified?

A life coach is not someone with a university degree or certification, necessarily. If you need something on paper then you might stick with the more traditional and official counsellors and therapists.

Life coaches can be certified by coaching associations (The International Coach Federation) but you should not think of them as a trained professional, like a psychiatrist, or psychologist. Don't go into a life coach if you just think you can save money or get help sooner than being on someone's waiting list. For instance, a life coach can not prescribe medication or determine that you have a mental illness. A life coach is for generally healthy people who want some extra inspiration or encouragement - a coach.

How important is it for a life coach to be certified? That is a personal decision for you to make really. It will depend on your own values.

Meet the life coach, see how they speak and what they say. What do they have to offer? Most of all, you need a life coach who makes you feel good. Even hours later when you think about what was said and the ideas they gave you. The purpose of a life coach is to help you. A lot of people can help you, but you need someone you have faith in, someone you will listen to and someone you trust to listen to you too.

Certification may not mean that much to you, if you find a personal life coach you can count on. One thing you can do is ask for references or testimonials from past clients. Ask if you can contact any of the people who gave a testimonial.

• International Coach Federation
• Certified Coaches Federation

You get punished for the things you do wrong. But seldom are you rewarded for the good things. Instead, the things you do right are taken for granted. I think that's one problem in parenting. Kids who do well are over looked for the kids who do wrong. Thus kids are not rewarded for good behaviour, honesty and etc.