Welcoming the New Year


A Gentle Beginning with Spirit Bear Coaching

The days between Christmas and the New Year carry a different kind of quiet.

The celebrations have softened. The year hasn’t quite turned yet. And in this in-between space, there is an invitation — not to rush forward, but to pause and listen.

At Spirit Bear Coaching, the New Year isn’t about sudden change or bold declarations. It’s about orientation. About noticing where you are now, what the past year has shaped in you, and what kind of energy feels right to carry forward.

Like the Spirit Bear moving slowly through a winter landscape, this is a time for steadiness, awareness, and gentle beginnings.


Honouring What Has Been

Before looking ahead, it can be meaningful to acknowledge what the past year brought.

There may have been moments of clarity, growth, or relief — and moments of uncertainty, loss, or challenge. Some things may have unfolded as you hoped. Others may have changed you in ways you didn’t expect.

All of it belongs.

Honouring the year that has passed doesn’t mean holding on. It means allowing what you’ve lived through to settle, and recognising the wisdom that’s now part of you.


A Different Way to Enter the New Year

The New Year doesn’t require pressure, reinvention, or perfection.

Instead of asking “What should I achieve?”, you might gently explore:

  • What do I want to feel more of this year?
  • What pace feels supportive for me now?
  • What am I ready to release, without force?

Intentions rooted in awareness tend to guide us more faithfully than goals built on urgency.


Carrying the Spirit Bear Forward

The Spirit Bear reminds us that strength can be quiet, guidance can be subtle, and progress doesn’t always announce itself.

As this new year begins, you are invited to trust your inner knowing, to move at a pace that honours your nervous system, and to choose alignment over urgency.

Growth often unfolds slowly — steadily — and exactly as it needs to.


A Gentle New Year Intention

Before moving on from this moment, you might like to take a few quiet minutes for a simple intention-setting practice.

Find a comfortable place to sit. Take a slow breath in through your nose, and a longer breath out through your mouth.

Then, without overthinking, reflect on these three prompts:

  • What am I ready to leave behind from the past year?
  • What quality do I want to invite into the year ahead? (for example: calm, trust, clarity, courage)
  • What small act of self-support would make the biggest difference for me right now?

You don’t need perfect answers. A word, a feeling, or a short sentence is enough.

Let your intention be something you return to gently — not something you have to chase or prove.


Moving Forward with Support

If, as you step into the new year, you feel a desire for deeper clarity, grounding, or support as you navigate what’s next, coaching can offer a steady space to explore that — at your own pace, and in your own way.

Spirit Bear Coaching exists for moments like these: when you’re ready to pause, listen inward, and move forward with greater self-trust and alignment. There is no pressure to have everything figured out — only an invitation to meet yourself honestly and with compassion.

Whenever it feels right, that space is here for you.


A New Year’s Wish

May this new year meet you with steadiness rather than urgency.

May clarity arrive in its own time.

May you feel supported — within yourself and in the world around you.

Wherever you are beginning from is enough.

Wishing you a grounded, meaningful, and gently expansive New Year.

— Spirit Bear Coaching

🎄 Merry Christmas from Spirit Bear Coaching


A Season of Reflection, Renewal, and Inner Guidance

Merry Christmas message from Spirit Bear Coaching featuring a peaceful winter scene with a white spirit bear symbolizing reflection, inner guidance, and abundant blessings during the holiday season.


Merry Christmas & Season’s Greetings

Christmas (and the Bear) invites us to slow down and reflect the year.

As the year draws to a close, this season offers a gentle pause — a chance to reflect on where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, and what your heart may be quietly asking for next.

At Spirit Bear Coaching, the Bear is a reminder of calm strength, inner guidance, and trusting your own knowing. In winter, the bear rests, listens, and conserves energy. There is wisdom in that stillness — especially now.

This past year may have brought growth, challenge, healing, or unexpected change. Whatever your experience has been, it matters. And it deserves to be honoured.

Christmas is not about having everything figured out. It’s about creating a little space — space to breathe, to reconnect, and to remember that you already carry what you need within you.

My wish for you this season is simple:

peace in your heart, clarity in your direction, and gentle confidence as you step into what comes next.

Thank you for being here, and for allowing Spirit Bear Coaching to be part of your journey.

May your Christmas be filled with warmth, reflection, and abundant blessings — and may the new year meet you with steadiness, possibility, and hope.

Merry Christmas.

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Spirit Bear Coaching

What Does a Life Coach Actually Do? A Guide to Coaching for Clarity and Growth

Many people have heard of life coaching, but few truly understand what a life coach does. Is it like therapy? Mentoring? Advice-giving?

In reality, life coaching is something quite different — and potentially transformative.

At Spirit Bear Coaching, I help people find clarity, balance, and purpose in their lives. This guide will help you understand what life coaching really involves and how it might help you move forward.


What Is Life Coaching?

Life coaching is a collaborative process designed to help you clarify your goals, overcome obstacles, and create meaningful change.

Unlike therapy, which often explores your past to promote healing, coaching focuses on the present and future — identifying what you want next, and how to get there.

A life coach doesn’t give you all the answers. Instead, they help you uncover your own — by asking powerful questions, offering reflection, and holding space for growth.


What Does a Life Coach Actually Do?

A good life coach acts as both a mirror and a guide. During coaching sessions, we might:

  • Explore what truly matters to you — your values, priorities, and sense of purpose.
  • Identify patterns or beliefs that might be holding you back.
  • Help you set clear, realistic goals.
  • Provide tools and strategies to stay accountable and motivated.
  • Support you through transitions, challenges, or uncertainty.

Life coaching is a partnership — one that’s focused entirely on your development, confidence, and well-being.


Areas Where Life Coaching Can Help

People seek coaching for many reasons, including:

  • Life transitions such as career changes, relocation, or relationship shifts.
  • Burnout or stress when you feel stuck or overwhelmed.
  • Work-life balance, especially when you’re juggling too much.
  • Confidence building and personal growth.
  • Finding deeper meaning or direction in your life or career.

Whether your goals are practical or deeply personal, coaching offers space to pause, reflect, and move forward with intention.


What Happens in a Coaching Session?

Each session is a conversation designed to create clarity and progress. A typical session includes:

  • A short check-in on how you’re feeling and what’s changed.
  • Focused exploration of a current challenge or goal.
  • Reflection and insight — uncovering what’s beneath the surface.
  • Practical action steps for the week ahead.

At Spirit Bear Coaching, my approach blends mindfulness, reflection, and action, helping clients connect inner awareness with outward change.


Benefits of Life Coaching

Clients often describe coaching as both grounding and energizing.

Some key benefits include:

  • A stronger sense of clarity and purpose.
  • Improved balance between personal and professional life.
  • Greater self-awareness and confidence.
  • Clear, achievable steps toward your goals.
  • Renewed motivation and emotional well-being.

How to Choose the Right Life Coach

When choosing a coach, look for:

  • Professional training and credentials (for example, I hold an MA, PG Dip, MAC accreditation and
    a Master Member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).
  • personal connection — you should feel comfortable and supported.
  • free consultation, so you can explore whether the coach’s style suits your needs.

The best results come from a trusting, collaborative relationship.


Getting Started with Spirit Bear Coaching

If you’re ready to create positive change, I invite you to explore Life Coaching in Tunbridge Wells or online.

You can book a free consultation to discuss your goals and see if coaching feels right for you.

Book your consultation →


Final Thoughts

Life coaching isn’t about fixing you — it’s about helping you discover what’s already within you.

Through curiosity, reflection, and action, you can uncover a clearer path forward and live with more purpose and balance.

Unlocking New Beginnings: The Bear – The Power of Introspection | Spirit & Destiny

In December, winter starts to become cold as nights get longer. At this time, all bears may have already started hibernating in their dark caves.

It is the perfect time of year, in wishing everyone Peace and Joy for Christmas and the New Year to come.

The symbolism of the Bear in Native American traditions, representing introspection, inner strength, and a time for healing and renewal, marks a “new beginning” as a shift in perception, releasing the past and embracing the present moment. 

Bear’s hibernation is a metaphor for going within, confronting shadows, and emerging, transformed by forgiving the past and recognising our inherent innocence. This perspective encourages self-reflection to uncover limiting beliefs and embrace a new perspective.

In life coaching, this synthesis provides a powerful framework for personal growth. The “new beginning” isn’t merely a change in circumstances but a profound inner shift. Like the Bear retreating to its den, we must create space for introspection in order to identify what no longer serves us. By integrating forgiveness and the Bear’s wisdom of inner strength, we can emerge from our “hibernation” with renewed purpose and a clear vision for the future, ready to create a truly new beginning.

To have a shift in perception to create a “new beginning’ is to recognise that there is a link to shifting our thoughts and decsions from Sepeartion (fear) to Oneness (love), clearly it takes practice as we make decisions all day based on our judgements of situations. 

Bear’s introspection symbolises the process of recognising how our judmental decisions influence us. By going within, we can identify the limiting beliefs and fear-based thoughts that keep us bound by the illusion of separation. This awareness empowers us to exercise our free will by choosing to release those thoughts and embrace the truth of our Oneness with Spirit.

In essence, the “new beginning” is the moment we consciously choose to align our will with Spirit, thereby reclaiming true freedom. This is not a freedom to do, as any thought pleases, but the freedom to experience the Peace and Joy that comes from remembering our true nature as being of Love and Light.

Enquire: Have your thoughts confused your perception of your true goals?

If you would like to work with me on gaining clarity on your visions and removing what stops you taking actions, then Click here to contact me.

Walk in Peace;

Walk in Beauty

until we meet again…

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BIO: Johnathan Brooks MA, PG Dip, FMAC is an experienced Master Executive and Personal Coach with 1,800+ hrs in the field, who has trained in a wide range of personal development methods including CBT Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (postgrad), EFT Emotional Freedom Technique, Master NLP Neuro Linguistic Programming,  has a Postgraduate Diploma Degree in ‘Coaching and NLP’, which he passed with a ‘Commendation’, a Master of Arts in ‘Applied Coaching’ and certified Career Coach. He is based in Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Bio Trivia: Johnathan is an enrolled member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and whose godfather was Yul Brynner who won an Oscar for the ‘King and I’ film (1957).

He is a Fellow of the Association for Coaching (FMAC), Master member of the European and Mentoring Council (UK) and a professional member of the Association of NLP.

Click here for Johnathan’s LinkedIn