How to wisely help others without taking away their causative power? How to support in a way that will strengthen people in the long run? How to pass on wise words of support? Here is the coaching of wise support explained with a very inspiring story about a man who had a misfortune and unexpectedly landed in a swamp. How did most people react? How about one smart man? You will learn from the following inspiring parable, which aims to develop the art of wise support.
Coaching of wise support in the form of a parable
A man had a misfortune - he fell into the swamp and began to sob with a sense of hopelessness. Good people came to support him, grieve with him, and sympathize with him sincerely. They sat down on the edge of the swamp and started sobbing too.
What kind of good people they are, when they worry about me, the man thought, and he sobbed louder and louder.
The swamp into which he fell grew bigger with his tears and with the tears of other good people. The man collapsed more and more. Suddenly some alien appeared. He was not like the others, and when he saw how difficult the situation the man in the swamp was in he said firmly:
- Stop roaring! Do you want to drown or get out? Grab the rope I am throwing you, hold on tight, and pick your feet, maybe we can pull you out of this swamp together.
The drowning man did not understand this concern for his life and took the behavior as insolence, as a complete lack of compassion. He got angry and chased the stranger, accusing him of indifference, ignorance of the situation, heartlessness, and cruelty.
The stranger walked away, tying the rope to a nearby tree.
Time was passing. The tears of a man and his compassionate friends poured down in streams, and the swamp grew larger. When you have reached your throat, the will to live has become stronger than the desire to feel sorry for yourself. The man had no choice but to catch the rope tied to the tree.
It took him a lot of effort and time to get ashore, but in the end, the man emerged from the swamp.
Then all the compassionate people surrounded him and began to cry with happiness that he had succeeded ...
The power of metaphors and parables
Often metaphors and parables speak to us with great power. They can open what is closed in us much faster than asking questions. That is why it is worth using metaphors and stories that appeal to the imagination in coaching. These are coaching tools that should be used with great sensitivity.
See also other coaching stories and parables: