Salting the oats

I love the Indiana Jones movies, especially the one called the "Last Crusade". In that movie Indiana is faced with three "trials" he must overcome to get to the "prize".  His fathers life depends on him reaching the prize. Each of the trials is described using clues.  To safely reach the prize he must quickly determine the meaning of each clue and take the correct action.  Failure to do so would mean certain doom. The writers of the movie present unexpected surprises in the movie.  One of my favorite surprises is when Indiana is faced with the third trial, since he got to the third trial you can assume he passed the first two.  This trial presents a situation that looks impossible.  Indiana must cross a seemingly endlessly deep valley without a rope or bridge.  He can not jump over the valley because it is too far to the other side. His clue for this trial tell him he must simply "walk on air" over the valley to a cave on the other side.  At this point Indiana takes a "step of faith" and to his surprise he does not fall.  At this point in the movie we, like Indiana, have only seen the valley by looking down at it. Now the movie makers switch the view to a side view and we now can see why Indiana did not fall.  This view reveals that a camouflaged rock bridge, that blends in perfectly with the other side of the valley, exists.   The solution was always there but Indiana could not see it. Only when he stepped out in faith wa he able to find the answer.  To see how this movie turned out you will need to rent it, sorry.

I wanted to use this movie scene as an illustration.  Most people facing challenges that seem impossible to overcome can not see the solution so they loose hope.  Since they can't see the "bridge" to the other side they think that they are doomed to stay where they are.

As a coach, it is my job to help people look at their challenges from a different angle.  I try to show them that a "bridge" exists. Often the people still do not see the "bridge" and so they resist stepping  forward.  They  have reached a cross road.  If they won't step out in faith, they will not move forward to overcome their challenge. Conquering this trial may be simply the first of several trials they will face to overcome their challenge.  Without conquering this trial they can not move forward to the next.

As a coach I find it very rewarding when people conquer their trials and move forward. But not everyone I work with will take the leap.  I have learned that "you can lead a horse to water but can not make it drink".  The person whom I am coaching must take the step, I can not force them or even do it for them.  But I can encourage them by "salting the oats".