Larry looks Back


"Man does not stand alone nor is man entirely self made. There are various factors which contribute to a person being who they are and what they become. These factors are contributed by individuals or groups of individuals who become pivotal to a persons life"



My life has been an incredible voyage of exploration and discovery which, at times, has weathered some deep troughs and fantastic peaks or as I once described it .......

A Journey from the Jaws of Hell to the Top of God's Holy Hill 

I was born,  into a family of Painters & Decorators and grew up in a predominately working class area of Dublin.
My Father, his two brothers and his paternal uncle were "in the trade" with my paternal Grandfather holding kingpin position as the General Secretary of the Painters Trade Union, a giant step up from his humble beginnings.
I attended several "good Catholic" schools where you got ...... "a good education education beaten into you". Should you ever watch the classic British film "Kes" you will gain an insight into my school years and how not to educate children.
The diktat of the time was that we were working class and there we should stay. Not for us, the opportunity of Further Education and College/University was out of the question.
When the time came for me to enter the world of "work" I expressed an interest in the family trade, however my Father, whilst offering no alternatives, advised me to "look for something else". This was no easy task in a culture of what I was to later describe as ......
Institutionalized Thinking and Parochial Management.
I eventually decided on a career in the Military as a way forward, probably the result of being regaled as a child with stories of the exploits of both my Great Grandfathers with the British Army during WW1, one in what was Mesopotamia and the the other in Gallipoli.
On my return to the U.K. some years later, and somewhat disillusioned with Army life I decided to re-evaluate my life choice which led me to the career paths of  Emergency Medical Technician, Firefighter, Proprietor of a Leisure and Travel Company, Fitness Professional and Fitness Manager for a multi national Health and Fitness Organisation.
I have since studied Behavioral Pyschology at University and gained further accreditation in Neuro Linguistic Programming, Coaching, Hypnotherapy, Health and Fitness.
When I look back over the past 40 years I realise just how incredible my journey has been, not always easy, hence the deep troughs, none the less a journey worth making and when I sit in quiet reflection ...... I feel a deep sense of gratitude for what has been achieved and most of all to my Father, now departed, who encouraged me to "look for something else"and who supported me however and whenever he could. 
Quite an achievement for a 15 year old lad who left school with not much more than an elementary education and armed with nothing more than a huge sense of ...... curiosity.

Writers Note: My friend Brendan Harding commented "Curiosity is the largest ship we will ever sail"

You've got it!

It is a crisp autumnal morning in early October, with the Sun ascending in a clear blue sky and though emitting mininal heat,  it remains a cheerily bright and pleasant day.

 I sit "al fresco" sipping my steaming cafe latte, at one of the many coffee establishments that have sprung up in the London suburban commuter belt that is leafy Surrey, quietly observing the hustle and bustle of humanity about their daily business, whilst engaging in my favourite pass time ...... People Watching.

Being always curious,  I note peoples facial expressions and body language as they pass by, wondering what kind of day lies ahead for them, and as I continue to watch, I become aware of a resplendent figure dressed in his smart city business suit, very much the "man about town", striding purposefully in my direction .... my friend Tom.

We exchange the usual pleasantries and he joins me, having acquired himself a coffee , and as he slumps heavily into the available chair I notice a slight tumnescence about his face which makes me even .... more curious .

"How's life?" I ask as he settles himself back in the chair,  "pretty hectic" he answers.... "you know, sometimes I don't know whether I'm coming or going". 

"It seems" he continues "that life is a constant treadmill as no matter how hard I try
 I don't seem to be any further forward, I seem to be like a duck swimming upstream, paddling frantically only to remain in the same place". "The frustrating thing is that I have lots of great ideas, that I know will work, however they either remain as ideas to be used in the distant future or they amount to nothing, mainly because I don't know how to get started".

Have you ever thought about Coaching? .... I ask and after a short consideration Tom replies,
"Why would I want a coach, they are only for athletes and the like, aren't they?"

Not nescessarily, I reply and as you relax,  drinking your coffee,  I will explain to you some the uses of coaching.

Coaching is about

• Discovery
• Awareness
• Choice
• A better quality of life
• More fulfillment in all our interactions
• Better life balance
• A different process for accomplishing our desires

The uses of Coaching

What Coaching is not

Coaching is not therapy, as therapy involves providing a treatment, a remedy and/or a cure for a perceived "problem" whereas coaching sees you as creative, resourceful and complete.

"Well then, how will coaching help me?" asks Tom, to which I reply .... Let me share with you the story of ....

The Lost Horse

A horse with no identifying marks wandered into a farmyard. The farmer's young son said that he'd take responsibility for returning the horse to its owner.
The boy mounted the horse, urged it towards the road and let it chose its own direction.
The boy only intervened when the horse stopped to graze or wandered off the lanes and into a field. Otherwise, he just sat on the horse.
When the horse finally ambled into a farm several miles away, the farmer said, "How did you know to bring it here, how did you know it is our horse"?
The boy answered, "I didn't know, the horse knew. All I did was keep him on the road."
                                                                                                  The teaching tales of Milton H Erickson           

"I get it now" exclaims Tom "A coaches' role is to guide us on our chosen path and help us to achieve our goals by encouragement, motivation and by helping us to avoid distractions and keep us focused whilst moving towards successful sustainable outcomes"

You've got it, I reply .... You've got it

"Experience is not what happens to a man, it is what a man does with what happens to him"            Aldous Huxley