2 minute read
Something for the dads
In a society that has often encouraged men to maintain a stiff upper lip, keep calm and carry on, it’s not always been easy to admit when pressure is mounting. Steve Smith, who now runs his own coaching company, offers a new way of thinking in order to help men help themselves.
Steve knows first-hand how tough times can weigh heavy on you. After a 16-year career, Steve fell ill and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
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“It gave me brain fog and made me really lethargic. As my condition got worse, I struggled to do my job. Around this time, I was introduced to meditation and the importance of a positive attitude, which really helped me. I’d started just before I became ill, so it felt like the universe prepared me for what I’d need. It helped me to grow as a person and feel like I could handle anything.”
Steve moved to another company but continued to deal with the effects of the tumour. When his new employer started making cuts, he was let go.
Deciding there was more to life than working for someone else, he set up his own business and became a coach. He focuses on helping all men, but especially overwhelmed dads – those struggling to balance the pressures of work, home, financial stability, and more.
“Unless you have balance, something always gives – whether that be your marriage, your family, your career, or yourself. I like to help men find their way through and lay the foundations to deal with these issues. Not necessarily get rid of these issues, but cope with them.
“It comes from everything I learned in my darkest days – when I was ill, I was still the breadwinner with a mortgage to pay, and that pressure is a burden. I work on creating positive habits, giving tools that help us manage.”
There’s more to life than being stressed, skint, and stuck in a deadend job. Steve seeks to change your personal narrative, and squash limiting beliefs.
“I had a client who told me they were staying in an underpaid job they hated, because in nine years’ time, they’d receive a loyalty bonus of £20k. I asked: ‘How much more would you get if you worked elsewhere?’ They said, ‘about £4-5k per year.’ I pointed out that they’d have earned the £20k in just four to five years if they left. ‘Oh, I never thought about it like that’ was the response.”
People will stick with what they know, because it’s comfortable – but how comfortable is your comfort zone?
“If your favourite shoes had rocks in, you wouldn’t wear them. I want to help guys make their lives easier.”
“It’s not about pouring your heart out, if you don’t want to,” says Steve. “If you need that, we can do it, but it’s more about introducing techniques and exercises that help you to have a healthier mind set.”
If you feel you’d benefit from a conversation with Steve, you can email him on coachingbystevesmith@outlook.com.
