The Voice - Ultravox

Without Question - A Great Coach

‘The Voice’ was released on 29 October 1981 (which now feels like a very, very long time ago) and peaked at #16 in the UK Charts. It’s one of my all-time favourite Ultravox tracks and provides an easy choice to accompany my blog today which hopefully shows ‘Why I believe that everyone can benefit from having a Coach’.

‘Native these words seem to me, all speech directed to me’…

If I’m being honest, the words of ‘The Voice’ have ALWAYS spoken volumes to me, and now after mentoring and coaching a lot people over the years to their goals and aspirations, it’s highlighted the fact that I’ve become a ‘Voice’ that’s encouraged, pushed and even dared them to go ‘Faster, Higher and Stronger’ - Something that I’ve been very privileged to be part of.

However, in more recent times, I’ve become the inner ‘Voice’ of help and hope for people overcoming challenges of addiction to alcohol, drugs and food. Addictions that have simply infected our world and that are now wreaking havoc in many of the lives that I’m now invited to be part of - Something I’m super-excited to be part of.

The situations people get into make me wonder why they’ve become deafened to their own inner ‘Voices’ leading to poor ‘Lifestyle Choices’.

‘I've heard them once before, I know that feeling’…

It’s not like I’m telling people something they don’t already know. Maybe, I’m just the honest appraisal kinda ‘Voice’ that’s loud enough to wake people up so they can start their bad-habit exorcism.

I mean, everyone has a good idea of how much they weigh, how much they really drink, smoke and which drugs they might be using to get high – it’s how to ‘Un-Mute’ that inner ‘Voice’ that’s the problem and where I feel Coaching helps. 

I’m not saying that people are deaf to all of their conscience. Weirdly it’s only the volume on certain parts of people’s behaviour that gets ignored. I know that feeling myself only too well and have buried my head in the sand many a time in the past, happily ignoring the already over-inflated elephant in my room. 

‘Stranger emotions in mind, changing the contours I find’…

Changing contours, I like that line and it’s a great analogy. Smoothing off some of the big up and down curves, to look up at a fresh horizon and re-orientate in a fresh direction – that’s really exciting. I’ve also found that ‘Coaching’ is only the starting point of many people’s journeys and it’s a fascinating as their lost ‘Voice’ returns and I can pass them their own remote control back to them.

I believe, all that anyone really needs, is to be heard. To be listened to and understood, not by close family or friends but by someone that can forensically assess their predicament and offer some light at the end of a perilously dark tunnel.

‘Oh, the shape and the power of the voice, forceful and twisting again’…

Watching people’s improved version fly is such a beautiful thing to witness and for most the short sharp shock of realisation is enough to re-establish life’s natural sinus-rhythm. 

For others it can be a ‘Life-long’ process of development where a friendly arm around the shoulder or plain instruction is what’s needed to verbalise life’s route ahead ‘Tom-Tom’ style or in this case ‘Rory-Rory’.

‘Wasting the perfect remains, sweetly the voices decay’…

My voice seems to speak constantly about missed opportunities and wasted time, especially if you are a regular reader of my blog. Both seem to produce the white noise that drowns out the inner ‘Voice’ of reason. I didn’t have that excuse back in 1994 when life was merely analogue and a lot less complicated, but I did meet a great Coach that guided me onto some amazing life achievements and shared his values and vision with me that I still practice today.

‘In strong low tones’…

And I’m still being Coached – now by the people I meet and engage with every day. You see as people regain their ‘Voice’ they speak just as loudly back at me, inspiring me to improve too.

As isn’t that what it’s all about? And isn’t that why everyone needs a Coach?

1,019 Marathons - 246 Ultras - 15 Marathon des Sables - 9 Guinness World Records