From Page-Turner to Powerhouse: How Mystery Novels Shaped My Coaching Journey?!

Can reading mystery novels make one a better coach? Let me tell you a story.

I found my escape in those books. I traveled the world, lived multiple lives and experienced emotions that I knew nothing about. Decades later, when I first visited Chicago, I told my husband who'd been living there for a few months, that the iron bridges in downtown Chicago were movable. He didn't believe me and once we verified that they in fact open up at night and go back down In the morning to allow traffic, he asked me how it is that I knew? 'I must have read it in some book' I replied.

I started reading novels when I was 9 or 10 years old. A Perry Mason mystery was my first one. I grew up as the granddaughter of an author - My paternal grandmother has several books to her name written in our language, Marathi. My grandmother wrote and published in Marathi but devoured English novels. So did my father. Even in our small flat in Mumbai, India, a majority of the space was occupied by shelves of books.

Books acted as an escape because the world around me was chaotic. I had well-meaning adults around me but they were too caught up in their own mess - I was surrounded by alcoholism, witnessed a lot of verbal abuse, loud disagreements and fights bordering on violence. I remember being scared of evenings and nights. With no adult to truly rely on to take my fears away, I retreated into the world of books.

Two things happened as a result of this environment - My trust, even as a child, was internal. I did not tie it to anyone outside of me. Secondly, because I experienced emotions through books, my concept of what it meant to be 'ME' was also an defined more due to internal factors than external inputs. Now as an adult who is confident and self-assured, I think it is having this inward facing radar that has helped shape me. This is not to say that I haven't gathered limiting beliefs from my environment or the trauma that I experienced didn't affect me, it did and I am still processing it. However, in times of doubt I tended to turn inwards, relying on myself more than others. This was a defense mechanism at the time, now the same thing feels like a super power. I have immense faith in myself, I am confident that no matter what life throws at me or what situation I find myself in, I will be ok. I will come out of it, scarred but not broken.

As a parent today, I am uber aware of the messages - both verbal and non-verbal, that my son is receiving. As any parent, I want him to know first and foremost that he is safe and loved. I also want him to know that we are there to catch him should he fall BUT never to fear the fall itself or worse give up even before trying. As he grows up, I want him to understand that the world and life is not always fair but that's ok. Nothing can break you if you don't give it the power to. I want him to understand that limits are self-imposed, roofs are self-created - you create them and hence only you hold the key to break free of them. He should know that empowered people, empower others. But above all, I want him to witness that kindness begets kindness.

As a coach, I carry forward some of the same sentiments when I coach my clients. Not only do I want them to be able to achieve their goals but through my coaching, my clients experience powerful breakthroughs that will empower them to continue their growth and be able to help themselves in the future. I believe that the point of coaching is not that you will continue to need a coach every time you hit an obstacle, but you have the necessary tools and mindset hacks to help you keep moving forward even after the coaching relationship has ended.

Are you ready for your breakthrough? Book a free discovery session with yours truly.

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