Another compelling post. After exploring various Substack entries, I consistently find myself drawn back to your writing. It resonates with a depth and authenticity that's increasingly rare.
It struck me--perhaps in continuation to another conversation I was having on Substack--that serendipity, then, might be less about chance and more about the readiness to perceive and embrace the unforeseen. In this light, a coach's role becomes pivotal in preparing for such a readiness.
That bit about creativity being a patient engagement is so true. I was reminded of a David Lynch interview where he talks abut a good idea being like a small piece of a jigsaw that you need to hold on to. You need to know that all the pieces are there in the other room, but they will only come to you one piece at a time. " "In the other room, the puzzle is all together... but they keep flipping in just one piece at a time." https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=8815712078551580
I found this to be such a wonderful way to look at the creative act as putting together a jigsaw puzzle underscoring the importance of patience and trust in the creative journey.
Thank you so much, Sudipto. I’m honored and grateful that you keep returning to the writing here, and especially for the way you engage with such care and insight.
That David Lynch metaphor is such a gem. I hadn’t heard it phrased quite like that before, but it resonates completely. The idea of holding one piece while trusting that the rest are waiting in the other room... that’s exactly how the creative process often feels. A slow unveiling. A kind of intuitive patience.
And yes, your framing of serendipity not as luck but as readiness. Yes, that feels exactly right. Readiness to perceive, to receive, to be open when a piece presents itself. Without that presence, we miss the pattern entirely.
Your mention of the Lynch clip sent me down a beautiful little rabbit hole, and again serendipitously, I ended up revisiting the full Leonard Cohen speech quoted at the start of that clip. My aunt had recently shared it with me, and it holds such resonance. There are so many worth moments and quotes in that speech and a good one to watch in it's entirety. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIR5ps8usuo.
Thank you again for extending this conversation. You always offer such rich threads to follow. I’m so grateful for your presence and your depth.
Hi Glenn. If you have readers who don’t know where to start with finding and hiring a coach, I wrote the book on it, “Get What You Want: How To Hire A Life-Changing Coach.” It’s an e-book, it’s free, and I don’t even ask for your email. I just think people and the people around them win when coaching is in the mix. Here’s the link:
Thanks for reading and sharing this, Dave. It’s so great to see your passion for helping others find the right support through coaching. It’s also very generous of you to make your book freely available. What a thoughtful way to identify and connect with your target audience.
Life coaching as a concept was originally based off sports coaching. And it remains the most accurate way of seeing and defining coaching (in full agreement with you there).
I think we’re folks go astray (both coaches and coachees) is thinking coaching is about achieving some broad, intangible, often impossible thing for a coach to ever do— and that’s why we have “find your life purpose” and “live your best life” and other crazy promises/expectations.
The coaching schools are selling this fantasy. Selling a dream that people are happy to buy, but that actual would-be clients aren’t.
Sports coaching is specific. The objective and goals are clear. The coaching itself has tangible, measurable, obvious benefits. That’s what makes it powerful. The further life coaching (and other modern flavors) get from that simple framework, the more they veer into dubious and unhelpful territory.
I really appreciate you chiming in here, Daniel. And I agree with you on quite a bit. The roots of coaching in sports give us such a helpful frame: clear goals, tangible improvement, and practical support. I’m with you that when coaching loses that grounding, it can drift into the vague or overly idealistic.
Where I’ve come to see things a little differently is in how we apply that clarity. I used to believe the path to tangible outcomes had to come through a rigid framework or formula. But more and more, I’ve found that approach can flatten the real nuance of a person’s lived experience. Sometimes, it starts to treat the human condition like something to be “solved.”
For me, coaching at its best is still concrete and real, but it’s also deeply contextual. It’s about having someone stand beside you, look at what you’re looking at, and offer a shift in how you’re seeing it. That shift, if done well, creates actual movement. And yes, that movement should be visible in your life. If it’s not, it’s probably not the right coaching or the right fit.
I really value this conversation. Thanks for raising such a thoughtful perspective.
"It’s about having someone stand beside you, look at what you’re looking at, and offer a shift in how you’re seeing it. That shift, if done well, creates actual movement. And yes, that movement should be visible in your life."
Just like in sports coaching 😎 which itself isn't rigid or a formula, either. It's also deeply contextual, honors the player, their strengths and weaknesses, their holistic states of being. It's all there.
+1! My work with my coach has also been transformative. Great coaches are like wise and caring mirrors, helping us find clarity. And I love “Designing your life” — such a good onramp for people who aren’t yet ready or financially able to start working with a coach
Thank you, Allie! 😊 “Wise and caring mirrors” is such a beautiful way to put it. And yes, Designing Your Life is such a thoughtful entry point. I’m so glad coaching has been meaningful for you too!
Another compelling post. After exploring various Substack entries, I consistently find myself drawn back to your writing. It resonates with a depth and authenticity that's increasingly rare.
It struck me--perhaps in continuation to another conversation I was having on Substack--that serendipity, then, might be less about chance and more about the readiness to perceive and embrace the unforeseen. In this light, a coach's role becomes pivotal in preparing for such a readiness.
That bit about creativity being a patient engagement is so true. I was reminded of a David Lynch interview where he talks abut a good idea being like a small piece of a jigsaw that you need to hold on to. You need to know that all the pieces are there in the other room, but they will only come to you one piece at a time. " "In the other room, the puzzle is all together... but they keep flipping in just one piece at a time." https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=8815712078551580
I found this to be such a wonderful way to look at the creative act as putting together a jigsaw puzzle underscoring the importance of patience and trust in the creative journey.
Thank you so much, Sudipto. I’m honored and grateful that you keep returning to the writing here, and especially for the way you engage with such care and insight.
That David Lynch metaphor is such a gem. I hadn’t heard it phrased quite like that before, but it resonates completely. The idea of holding one piece while trusting that the rest are waiting in the other room... that’s exactly how the creative process often feels. A slow unveiling. A kind of intuitive patience.
And yes, your framing of serendipity not as luck but as readiness. Yes, that feels exactly right. Readiness to perceive, to receive, to be open when a piece presents itself. Without that presence, we miss the pattern entirely.
Your mention of the Lynch clip sent me down a beautiful little rabbit hole, and again serendipitously, I ended up revisiting the full Leonard Cohen speech quoted at the start of that clip. My aunt had recently shared it with me, and it holds such resonance. There are so many worth moments and quotes in that speech and a good one to watch in it's entirety. Here is the link if you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIR5ps8usuo.
Thank you again for extending this conversation. You always offer such rich threads to follow. I’m so grateful for your presence and your depth.
Hi Glenn. If you have readers who don’t know where to start with finding and hiring a coach, I wrote the book on it, “Get What You Want: How To Hire A Life-Changing Coach.” It’s an e-book, it’s free, and I don’t even ask for your email. I just think people and the people around them win when coaching is in the mix. Here’s the link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P1WJM4yn7swk9pHWGV2wVVtSdt9UnIOy/view?usp=drivesdk
Thanks for reading and sharing this, Dave. It’s so great to see your passion for helping others find the right support through coaching. It’s also very generous of you to make your book freely available. What a thoughtful way to identify and connect with your target audience.
Life coaching as a concept was originally based off sports coaching. And it remains the most accurate way of seeing and defining coaching (in full agreement with you there).
I think we’re folks go astray (both coaches and coachees) is thinking coaching is about achieving some broad, intangible, often impossible thing for a coach to ever do— and that’s why we have “find your life purpose” and “live your best life” and other crazy promises/expectations.
The coaching schools are selling this fantasy. Selling a dream that people are happy to buy, but that actual would-be clients aren’t.
Sports coaching is specific. The objective and goals are clear. The coaching itself has tangible, measurable, obvious benefits. That’s what makes it powerful. The further life coaching (and other modern flavors) get from that simple framework, the more they veer into dubious and unhelpful territory.
I really appreciate you chiming in here, Daniel. And I agree with you on quite a bit. The roots of coaching in sports give us such a helpful frame: clear goals, tangible improvement, and practical support. I’m with you that when coaching loses that grounding, it can drift into the vague or overly idealistic.
Where I’ve come to see things a little differently is in how we apply that clarity. I used to believe the path to tangible outcomes had to come through a rigid framework or formula. But more and more, I’ve found that approach can flatten the real nuance of a person’s lived experience. Sometimes, it starts to treat the human condition like something to be “solved.”
For me, coaching at its best is still concrete and real, but it’s also deeply contextual. It’s about having someone stand beside you, look at what you’re looking at, and offer a shift in how you’re seeing it. That shift, if done well, creates actual movement. And yes, that movement should be visible in your life. If it’s not, it’s probably not the right coaching or the right fit.
I really value this conversation. Thanks for raising such a thoughtful perspective.
"It’s about having someone stand beside you, look at what you’re looking at, and offer a shift in how you’re seeing it. That shift, if done well, creates actual movement. And yes, that movement should be visible in your life."
Just like in sports coaching 😎 which itself isn't rigid or a formula, either. It's also deeply contextual, honors the player, their strengths and weaknesses, their holistic states of being. It's all there.
+1! My work with my coach has also been transformative. Great coaches are like wise and caring mirrors, helping us find clarity. And I love “Designing your life” — such a good onramp for people who aren’t yet ready or financially able to start working with a coach
Thank you, Allie! 😊 “Wise and caring mirrors” is such a beautiful way to put it. And yes, Designing Your Life is such a thoughtful entry point. I’m so glad coaching has been meaningful for you too!