Life Coach, Life Changer
by Alexis Jones

I have a life coach now. If you’d asked me what that meant a year ago, I would have responded with some vague answer, with roughly the same insight that I have on synchronized swimming (which is very little). I know in theory that girls swim around and make shapes with their bodies, similarly I knew life coaches help you “figure things out,” but that was the extent of my knowledge. Then as a very generous gift, a dear friend bought me two sessions with THE Helene Finizio. Now I had heard of this woman (the best in the biz) and I’d dreamed of one day getting to work with the Queen of New York, but could never have fathomed to what extent she’d change my life.

So that’s how it all started. I received a gift, a stranger’s voice on the other end of my phone gently inquiring about all the nooks, the crannies, peering into the deepest darkest closets of my life. And then before I knew it, that voice was no longer a distant stranger, but a life’s guide, a dear friend, a confidant, a sage and a cheerleader.

Here’s the deal. I’ve spent more money on jeans, shoes and movies than I would ever like to admit. I don’t mind dropping big Bens on a personal trainer, expensive mascara, and the new Victoria Secret, must-have bra. My bank account diminishes at the mere thought of international airfare and tickets to see my favorite band play. Why then does it pain us to spend money on the things that actually matter?

You see, a life coach is just about the best buck you could possibly spend because (at least for me) I’m being taught how to live better. It’s not quick fixes, plaster over the cracks, but looking into my lifelong habits of loving bad boys, highlights of unnecessary self-critique, techniques on how to better handle stress, and the subtleties in thoughts that are getting you exactly what you don’t want. We’re not talking voodoo, mad scientist fluff, we’re talking about facing every facet of who you are intimately in a mirror and being forced to reckon with what most of us would rather sweep under the rug.

And the beauty is it’s not a therapy session, woe is me, kumbaya-ing. It’s practical steps to getting what you want, shifting your paradigm so that anything is possible and mantras that actually change the way you think. We have coaches for sports, tutors for school, mentors for business, so why are we not encouraged to have a coach for life in general  ̶  a coach for how to be a better version of ourselves?

The reason I’m gushing over this is because it’s a phenomenon, something I had vaguely heard of and I feel like it’s a secret most of us don’t know about. In fact, I started inquiring to all my most successful friends about it and sure enough, nine out of 10 had a life coach. Where was I when that memo went out? So here’s the deal, Helene has changed my life, continues to, by inspiring me, encouraging me, unapologetically challenging me and enabling me to do what I’m meant to do in this lifetime without getting caught up in my own bull$&#@ that serves as a serious distraction, temptation and/or a slower-downer.

She doesn’t remove the obstacles for me, but shows me the same invisible walls I keep running into to and leads me to the door. She helps me clarify what I really want in life instead of falling victim to society’s pressures, or other people’s influence. She recognizes patterns in my language that are limiting beliefs, and pinpoints my revisionist history of things that never really happened “like that.” She dances in a world of endless possibility and encourages me to dance alongside her. She doesn’t subscribe to what the world says and instead writes her own life menu and chooses exactly what she wants to order.

Helene is a miracle worker. She makes dreams come true, by helping you realize what yours even are in the first place. Whether it’s a major career-changing decision (which she recently walked me through), my latest 8^th grade crush, my personal struggles with body image or my financial goals, she helps guide me in the right direction. She is a flashlight along a dark road and a voice of reason when the world gets so chaotic and the endless possibilities leave me in a state of paralysis.

Life is tough — at least it can be. But as I’m learning, it also doesn’t have to be. The greatest thing I have been taught is that either way, we choose how our life will unfold, the adventures we go on and the attitude we adorn.  I feel like when you find something that significantly and positively changes your life, it’s a travesty to keep it a secret. Helene is a pretty penny, but why wouldn’t she be? She’s in the business of changing lives. I get asked all the time what my secret is… well cats out… it’s her.

www.HeleneFinizio.com

alexis jones, Helene Finizio, life changer, life coach Hide