I love gardening and do a lot of it in our home in Greensboro. As I worked on the flower bed in my front yard I noticed my neighbor’s river birch was badly in need of pruning. Being a perfectionist tree lover (and a good neighbor) I began to happily prune away.

Halfway through the project I thought about the fact that in some ways I knew more about how the tree would grow more effectively than it did. But the birch had a great deal of evolutionary training behind it. Was I being presumptive? No, I knew that trimming the dead limbs would give it more energy and space. Removing branches that would not grow well because of placement would allow it to focus on growing in other areas. How did I know more about the tree than it did? Education, experience and perspective.

It then occurred to me how this observation is a perfect analogy for how coaching and counseling helps others. I have two coaches now and they give me tremendous insight and guidance. They aren’t me and can’t do what I do. But, they have what I need to help me to grow better, and my business is flourishing because of them. I’ve learned how important the insight of a coach is and I am very grateful that I offer this coaching or “pruning” service to people, as well as trees. We gain so much when we work together and allow ourself to take in another’s perspective, knowledge and experience.