The Core Story: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Greetings Friends,This beautiful fall season is a wonderful time for reflecting on and expressing gratitude for all the experiences this year has given us. In 2018, Coaching: Life Matters has traveled the world bringing hope and compassion to those in need of emotional and spiritual healing.On this Giving Tuesday, I want to invite you to take a moment to reflect upon the times in your life when you have felt seen and heard—and responded to with love.Do you remember what it felt like to experience being truly seen and heard for the first time? Do you remember what it felt like to experience being responded to with gentle love and compassion?Feeling truly seen and heard is the beauty of the Core Story tool. When an individual, a couple, or a group of co-workers process their life journey through the Core Story tool, real transformation can happen. And when a person is responded to with love and compassion for perhaps the first time in their life, the world can change—and broken hearts can heal.This is what Coaching: Life Matters is all about! Our mission is to see, hear and love each person for who they are as a beloved child of God, no matter what the circumstances in their life may be, no matter what their Story is.My observation, after serving in the counseling profession for over 40 years, is that the key ingredients for a human being to experience emotional, relational and spiritual healing is actually quite simple.It’s my belief that human beings simply need safety, good information, and time—and then, they can process any trouble they may face. Whether a person is facing the effects of trauma, PTSD, loneliness, fear, guilt, shame, despair, or depression; I believe any obstacle can be overcome once a person becomes aware of their intrinsic value and understands that love is always present and hope is eternal.As my work with Coaching: Life Matters has taken me across the globe this year, it has been remarkable to witness people in Israel, India, El Salvador, Nicaragua (and here at home in Nashville) discover how they are larger than any circumstance they face. For example, Coaching: Life Matters has spent a lot of time this year working with female inmates at a local Nashville prison. Observing the female inmates as they experienced the Core Story tool has been nothing short of miraculous! By telling their stories in a group setting, these remarkable ladies processed the love of God together and they were set free.For those of you who have experienced the Core Story tool, I hope you’ll share with others how this tool helps a person to be seen, heard and responded to with love. And as we look forward to all of the opportunities in store for Coaching: Life Matters in 2019, we are asking for your continued help.On this Giving Tuesday, would you please consider joining us by making a tax-deductible donation or becoming a monthly donor? It is through your kindness and generosity that Coaching: Life Matters is able to continue onward with our mission of spreading love and compassion to the world.For more information about our work this year and our plans for 2019, please visit our website at donatelifematters.com.Joyfully,Terry S. Smith Photo by Kira auf der Heide on Unsplash