I acknowledge this internet picture, possibly of a Bollywood film depicting the India mythical warrior hero Arjuna..
Arjuna says to Krishna:
I’m confused, weak and disturbed, now tell me
As a disciple surrendered please instruct what’s best for me 2.7
How do I overcome the grief that overwhelms me
Wealth and power on earth, or even in heaven, will not help me 2.8
Arjuna was indeed the greatest warrior of his time, the best known archer and along with his brothers, The Pandavas, righteous upholder of dharma, cosmic law reflected in society.
Such a man has broken down. He breaks down in the middle of the battle field, minutes before he is to wage war against his sworn enemies. Arjuna is confused because the people who he had imagined to be his greatest enemies now appear to him as his friends, relatives, and teachers. He is confused and disturbed, caught in a dilemma.
Each of us faces such situations in life, even though we may not be warriors about to wage war.
Earlier on, Arjuna had wailed and moaned about how if he destroyed his enemies, all of whom were related to him in one way or another, the entire fabric of society, the kula dharma, would be destroyed. he then sat down on his chariot dropping his fabled bow Gandiva.
Krishna then chastised him terming his words and action unmanly. These words are Arjuna’s response. He no longer indulges in rhetoric but surrenders to the wisdom of his coach to help him out of his depression.
Many clients behave this way, perhaps not so dramatically. They are confused, caught in a dilemma and depressed. Krishna’s relationship with Arjuna is a special one and he can chastise him and Arjuna will accept that. Not all coaches can behave the same way with their clients, especially Gen Y clients. The coach needs to be more circumspect.
What Krishna sees in Arjuna is a lack of authenticity at this point. A great, fearless warrior expresses fear, not for himself but for his society and the future generations. Krishna does not buy this logic.
A modern day coach would need to probe his client further to check from where the fear emanates. Fortunately, neither coach nor client are in a battle field. Arjuna’s words are not a true reflection of his values. Since you and i may not know the client that well, we need to discover the client’s values as well.
Authenticity, resulting in behavior aligned with one’s values is essential for one’s emotional well being. Quite often, harmful client behavior results from unauthentic behavior misaligned with value systems.
zentocoach 
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