INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the second blog post in my series on Transformative Life Coaching (TLC) and everything related to awakening and Enlightenment. My first blog post was The Ultimate Guide to Transformative Life Coaching:
In this blog we will be using laser-like focus on how YOU can experience deep internal transformation as a result of coaching. This is a lengthy blog, simply as it sets out the multitude of ways that TLC may guide you to awaken and achieve Enlightenment. Each journey is individual and based on what you need after we have dived below the surface. My subsequent blog posts will explore these themes and will be much more bitesized! I am Dr. Olly Alexander, MD, PhD, a Transformative Life Coach. My education and training can be found at the bottom of this blog. I received my training in TLC in London, England. I believe so strongly in the transformative potential of coaching that I have had, and continue to have, a number of Transformative Life Coaches. I've been on a personal change journey. I've had significant changes in my ways of BEing and so DOing. I work as a Transformative Life Coach full-time.
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In this blog series, I want to explain how TLC and how an enhanced way of BEing can lead to potentially epic, limitless outcomes in YOUR life, relationships, and your career. I will signpost you to a few of the books that I have read that opened my eyes to my self: Simply click on the link to Audible in the book citation or click here for my Suggested Reading List:
This article will be all about YOU and YOUR Enlightenment: I will set out the syllabus that I will cover in my series of articles, my coaching, my forthcoming book, my free eBook, my courses, and my workshops. It is simply a syllabus – YOU will create the content. Robin Sharma, lawyer, leadership consultant, and writer said “Self-knowledge is the DNA of self-Enlightenment. Life has bigger plans for you than you can possibly know.” His book The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is a fable about finding your true purpose in life.
My GIFT is to be YOUR GUIDE
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No-one can teach you how to become Enlightened or mentor you into this higher state of BEing: Let me be your guide. In Siddhartha by Herman Hesse, the 1922 book that deals with the spiritual journey of self-discovery during the time of the Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha said to Buddha “Enlightenment has not come to you by means of teaching! And-thus is my thought, oh exalted one, nobody will obtain salvation by means of teachings!" This article series is the distillation of a journey that I have made on your behalf, of over 2.500 pages of notes that I have summarised, reading over 250 books over the last four years, and having thousands of hours of conversations about philosophy, Existentialism, Stoicism, positive psychology, timeless Truths, transformation, Transformative Life Coaching (TLC), and Enlightenment and is presented as a journey meeting spiritual leaders, until you finally meet YOUR SELF. It have made a comprehensive synthesis for you of these timeless Truths and life lessons that are reiterated by the most eloquent and inspiring thought leaders through the ages into a single accessible message. Enlightenment means recovering your real Self, and finding your true purpose in life.
“Books simply help you to see what is already within your Self. That’s what Enlightenment is all about” (Sharma). “You can’t teach anybody anything, only make them realise the answers are already inside them”(Galileo Galilei). The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said “No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.” Anne Lamott reminds us that “The road to Enlightenment is long and difficult, and you should try not to forget snacks and magazines.” So grab what you need and let’s go, side by side, as I guide YOU to change YOUR life. I invite you to create, as we begin this journey, and to let go of any preconceptions. Ralph Waldo Emerson stated “There is creative reading as well as creative writing.”
You may be wondering:
What is Enlightenment?
Isn't Enlightenment a lofty, intellectual concept?
Is Enlightenment accessible to all?
Is Enlightenment a temporary state?
What are the best books on Enlightenment?
Is Enlightenment to do with religion?
I don't believe in God, can I still become Enlightened?
What is the difference between awakening, Enlightenment, bliss, and nirvana?
Is Enlightenment the same as spiritual Enlightenment and spiritual awakening?
What is the story about Buddha?
How do you know when you have achieved Enlightenment?
What are the benefits of becoming Enlightened?
Can you lose Enlightenment once you have attained it?
How do I become Enlightened?
Does suffering lead to Enlightenment?
How does trauma relate to Enlightenment?
How can Transformative Life Coaching guide your Enlightenment?
The guru Osho wrote “Enlightenment will be now the beginning, not the end. Beginning of a non-ending process in all dimensions of richness.” If you're ready, then let's start...
Table of Contents |
|
2. You are who you choose to BE |
3. You are not your thoughts |
4. Access limitless energy |
5. Presence |
6. Drop the ego |
7. Decide to be happy |
8. Humility rules ok |
9. External validation |
10. When the pupil is ready, the Master appears |
11. Be fearless |
12. Change |
13. Emotional sobriety |
14. Childhood trauma & transformation |
15. Transformation through trauma |
16. Find your purpose |
17. Help others |
18. Limiting beliefs |
19. Compassion |
20. Vulnerability |
21. Be assertive |
22. Self-sabotage |
23. Let go |
24. Be authentic |
25. Gratitude |
26. Become a creator |
27. There's nothing wrong with me! |
28. Wake up |
29. Failure |
30. Love |
31. Action |
32. Enlightenment |
33. Introspection |
34. Inner tranquility |
35. Be epic |
36. What does this all mean for TLC? |
Look within
Look no further than within. I create a safe space so that you can drop out of your mind and into your heart to give clarity to your most important core values. Carl Gustav Jung, psychiatrist, psychologist, philosopher, and spiritual Master, said poignantly "Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart." (See below the surface of the iceberg in my first article). Perhaps you have built the wrong tower and feel that only divine intervention can help you build a new one? My purpose in life is to guide you to personal transformation. Are you having a 'tower moment'? Jung stated “The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
Nothing changes if nothing changes. Are you ready to change?
I sense hesitation. It’s only natural. “People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls” (Carl Jung). The implications are vast. Beyond your own life, the whole world is shifting right now, becoming off-keel. The Hindu Sage Ramana Maharshi said “Your own Self-realisation is the greatest service you can render the world.” How do we change the world? Khalil Gibran, philosopher, poet and author asks in 'The Prophet' "Is not civilisation, in all its tragic forms, a supreme motive for spiritual awakening?"
'The Prophet', Khalil Gibran
Or, closer to home, how do we make sure that we do the best for our families, our children, and our friends? This article will set out a roadmap - a 'Hero's Journey': By finding your true Self the ripples of healing and peace will spread out all around you. With your solid foundation you will hold up the world. Are you the Titan, Atlas? What Herculean tasks will you need to accomplish? None. Simply look inside and take YOUR path. Poet and author Kamand Kojouri wrote “We seek the fire of the spark that is already within us.” So, read this ABOUT YOU. Who would you need to BE in order to receive the wisdom, through your expanded consciousness, of who you truly are? As you read, let the adult, assertive, fearless you grow into you, fully embodying you, until you become epically limitless. By BEing who you are you will create your world and your reality completely intuitively without effort. After all your expanded consciousness will access all the intelligence and energy of the Universe. I know this is true because I have experienced it myself. I am an empirical scientist and a healed doctor who has walked this path, not a mystic.
The Transformative Life Coaching (TLC) approach is a process in which self-awareness, alignment, and action work in tandem to catalyse and generate energy and momentum around you. It entails developing a broad grasp of what YOU want to achieve by BEing you, while also delving into developing awareness around any thoughts or hidden assumptions you may hold.
So, you might ask, isn't Enlightenment is in the realm of the divine? Eckhart Tolle, spiritual teacher and author in his book 'The Power of Now, A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment', says “Being spiritual has nothing to do with what you believe and everything to do with your state of consciousness.” What is spirituality? Is it not religion? Don’t be put off. Rumi, scholar, poet, and theologian wrote "I looked in temples churches and mosques. But I found the divine within my heart." Mahatma Gandhi, lawyer, leader, and political ethicist said “God has no religion.” Spirituality, according to Anthony De Mello, priest, psychotherapist, spiritual teacher, and writer, (in his book 'Awareness') simply means “'All is well', awareness, waking up, and finding your Self.” Surely it can’t be that simple? The academic author Brené Brown says “Spirituality is recognising and celebrating that we are all inextricably connected to each other by a power greater than all of us, and that our connection to that power and to one another is grounded in love and compassion. Practicing spirituality brings a sense of perspective, meaning and purpose to our lives.” So, where do we start? Gandhi said “As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world, as in being able to remake our Selves.” Easy right? Well actually it is!
Rumi wrote:
“Do you know what you are? You are a manuscript of a divine letter. You are a mirror reflecting a noble face. This universe is not outside of you. Look inside yourself; Everything that you want, You are already that.”
And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself? Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”
Rumi
In our TLC sessions, once we build awareness, we will analyse any alterations in your perspective and evaluate if this newfound awareness corresponds with your identified fundamental core values, life purpose, and intended outcome. Finally, we begin to create concrete goals and work together in an accountable way to implement them. The strength of this methodology is the abundance of information and inspiration available to help you tackle your problem. You may feel a new insatiable hunger to devour podcasts, books, and courses that can help you learn, synthesise new information, and figure out what works best for you. Rather than looking at answers in two dimensions, all alternatives are explored so that you feel empowered to make the changes you want with genuinely felt deep shifts in your energy and character. You won't need 'to-do' lists! You will create effortlessly.
A truly outstanding transformative life coach possesses a unique blend of knowledge, talents, and personality traits that work together to provide clients with a truly transformative experience. They've been on that journey before, so they can keep you safe and gently guide you along YOUR road. Great transformational coaches are also lifelong learners who invest in their own development by exploring different philosophies, positive psychology, timeless Truths (which don't change over time, as exemplified by the numerous quotes in this article, which all carry the same message despite being written over thousands of years including modern day philosophers, leaders, and scientists), and techniques in order to better serve their clients.
So don’t be put off by what you may have thought was a spiritual approach. "“I shall no longer be instructed by the Yoga Veda or the Aharva Veda, or the ascetics, or any other doctrine whatsoever. I shall learn from myself, be a pupil of myself; I shall get to know myself, the mystery of Siddhartha." He looked around as if he were seeing the world for the first time”('Siddhartha' by Hermann Hesse).
'Siddhartha', by Herman Hesse
Even God is a creation of the human mind. “Man made God in his own image”(Tolle). As Friedrich Nietzsche pointed out “In truth, there was only one christian and he died on the cross.” Anandamayi Ma, Indian Saint and yoga guru, wrote “The light of the Self is present everywhere and in all. Whether you worship Christ, Krishna, Kali, or Allah, you actually worship the one light that is also in you.”
Remember, Buddha was not a Buddhist, Jesus was not a Christian, Muhammad was not a Muslim. They were teachers who taught love. Love was their religion. Let’s find the teacher in YOUR SELF.
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there” (Theodore Roosevelt, American President and author). “I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance” (Friedrich Nietzsche). And remember “You are responsible for the energy you bring into this room” (Brené Brown).
Rumi said “What matters is how quickly you do what your soul directs.” TLC can achieve perspective shifts in just a few sessions. My clients have reported experiencing shifts in just one coaching session. The good news is that “Once you are awake, you shall remain awake eternally" (Friedrich Nietzsche). You can't be put to sleep again. Carl Jung put it beautifully and succinctly "Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes."
In Luke 17:20–21, Jesus (no introduction needed) said, “The Kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the Kingdom of God is within YOU”.
Why are spiritual truths so timeless and Universal? Because they are immutable laws – scientists can bend the Laws of Physics, but not the Laws of Nature or Karma, and I am a scientist! So, how may we use the coaching relationship to find your true self, releasing you from:
Living in the past or the future
Your ego
Constant negative thoughts and self doubt
Limiting beliefs
Seeing your strengths through the wrong end of a telescope
The need to control everything
An inability to let go
Fear
Negativity
Toxic shame
Embedded core values following childhood trauma
Need for external validation
Imposter syndrome
Workaholism & Hustle Culture
Compulsivity
Self-sabotage
Poor energy levels
Judgement
Inaction
Emotional insobriety
A lack of purpose
A lack of fulfilment
Poor creativity
Feeling stuck, broken, or lost
Feeling like a failure
Toxicity
You are who you choose to BE
You are not your thoughts
Access limitless energy
Presence
Drop the ego
Decide to be happy
Humility rules ok
When the pupil is ready, the Master appears
Be fearless
Change
Emotional sobriety
Childhood trauma & transformation
Transformation through trauma
Find your purpose
Help others
Limiting beliefs
Be assertive
Self-sabotage
Let go
Be authentic
Gratitude
Become a creator
There’s nothing wrong with me!
Wake up
Failure
Love
Action
Enlightenment
Introspection
Inner tranquility
Be epic
What does this all mean for TLC?
Summary
To become Enlightened we must look within. This is why you cant be taught or mentored to awakening. However, because we listen to random thoughts that are not our mind we need guiding to remain on our own path. Otherwise we have a tendency to stray into negative thinking. Also, by echoing our own values with clarity we can really see who we are through TLC. Eventually we become so self aware that we become our own coach. TLC achieves all these things and more. As a discipline it is constantly evolving. It encompasses philosophy, positive psychology, timeless spiritual truths, business culture in companies with compassionate leadership that have seen the benefits of wellbeing on productivity. Occasionally we need signposting, as well as being kept on our path. And TLC helps us to see our mind from above and really help us to see the consequences of alternative choices. When it comes to executive coaching, the goal is often to attain a simple goal, but what you really need is a fundamental alteration in your character to multiply your capability: TLC is required. TLC is in high demand in business organisations as the most successful corporations become increasingly conscious of this.
TLC, rather than merely doing things differently, generates the highest level of internal shift in your character, finding clarity, purpose, and being more self-aware, even to a state of grace. TLC brings about significant changes in your life: new opportunities arise; you transform into a creator. TLC can provide happiness, spiritual awakening, and even enlightenment. TLC, in other words, accomplishes self-initiated change.
TLC causes a long-term shift in mentality that has ramifications throughout your life, which is both powerful and purposeful. To attract what you want like a magnet, you must use resources you didn't even realise you had. It has the same effect as the Earth's gravitational pull. You will be able to materialise your heart's desires without fear of your own power once you have learned how to function like gravity.
World-class coaches recognise that their job is to help you make genuine, long-term changes. This can only be accomplished with TLC: it has the ability to produce incredible positive changes in a matter of days, weeks, or months. It's critical that your TLC coach has experienced significant transformation through lived life experience and TLC! This enables me to deal with clients from all over the world. So keep in mind that not all coaching is transformational. To be this powerful, it needs to be TLC!
“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ― Carl Gustav Jung
Is about envisioning what is truly possible without compromise
Gaining awareness about your talents, motivators, dreams, fears, cultural influences, and assumptions, then exploring how they are shaping your worldview
Shifting to an empowered perspective and mindset
Realising that success does not happen in isolation, but by having support through your transformational journey
Defining what fulfilment looks like
Designing your own terms for success and happiness
Sending you love, light, and blessings.
Olly Alexander Branford MD, MBBS, MA(Cantab), PhD
My gift is to be your guide. Let me know if you would like to continue this conversation...
Email me: hello@transformativelifecoach.co.uk
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Suggested reading
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I have a Bachelor's degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity College, Cambridge; a Master's Degree in Philosophy from Trinity College, Cambridge; a PhD Doctorate in Scientific Research from University College London (UCL); a Medical Degree (MD/MBBS) from The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London and have been a doctor and reconstructive trauma and cancer surgeon in London for 20 years. I have published over 50 peer reviewed scientific journal articles, have been an associate editor and frequent scientific faculty member, and am the author of several scientific books. I have been awarded my Diploma in Transformative Life Coaching in London, which has International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accreditation, as well as the UK Association for Coaching (AC), and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I have been on my own transformative journey full time for four years and I am ready to be your guide to you finding out who you really are and how the world works.