While there are over 150,000 books in Amazon.com's "self-help" category[1] , there's no single manual for this thing we call life. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't explore ways to make ourselves better.


Enter the life coach[2] : A trained professional who can help you figure out what you're good at and develop strategies so you can run with your talents.


How, you might wonder, could you benefit from having someone else tell you what your skills are? "It's extremely helpful to have someone mirror back and help us see about ourselves what might be a little invisible or caught in the land of habit so that we can pick something much more innately creative," Janet Harvey[3] , President and Director of Training for inviteCHANGE[4] tells HuffPost Live host Nancy Redd[5] .


Does this just sound like a shrink to you? Marthe Hagen[6] , a motivational writer and freedom coach at The Freedom Experiment[7] , gives an analogy to explain the difference: "A life coach is very much like a personal trainer where as a therapist will be more like your doctor."


Starting to think a life coach might be in your future? Or does the profession seem like a hoax for your money? Watch the HuffPost Live[8] segement above, then tell us your perspective in the comments below.


For more on personal development, click here[9] .



Also on HuffPost:




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  • Go With The Flow


    Trigger: When washing your hands.

    Tool: Whenever you're at a sink and touch water, let the stream of warm liquid cue you to say: "Go with the flow" or "I trust the universe" or "Everything is as it should be." This reminds you to let go and flow with the current of life.




  • Spread Joy Using Your Hair Dryer


    Trigger: When you blow-dry your hair.

    Tools: Take a moment to aim the hair dryer toward a window, out to the world and scatter some joy. Say, "I spread joy out to all beings on the planet." Think of grievances, people struggling with loss, illness, addiction, fear, anxiety, depression, people in hospitals, prisons, people getting divorced, people getting married, people having babies, people struggling with infertility, victims of natural disasters -- and let yourself experience goodwill as you blow it out to the world. Share your compassion for the entire human condition.




  • Experience Food


    Trigger: When you are eating.

    Tool: Look at your food and ask yourself, "Where did this food come from?" (Cheese from Vermont? Almonds from California? Grapes from Chile? A factory in North Dakota? A farm in Wisconsin?) Imagine the environment that created this item that you're enjoying and imagine all the parts in the journey that brought it to your table.




  • Douse Your Anger


    Trigger: When your buttons get pushed and you're upset, maybe even on the verge of tears

    Tool: Excuse yourself, get out of the situation, find the nearest water fountain, sink or bottle of water and splash your face with cold water. If possible, get a wet washcloth or paper towel and hold it to the back of your neck or on your face until you cool off. Imagine your emotional fire being doused.




  • Shake It Off


    Trigger: When coming home at the end of the day (or when transitioning out of a stressful situation).

    Tool: Before you walk through the door, spend a moment "shaking down" your body, as if you are shaking off water. Shake your right leg and foot, then your left leg and foot. Shake your right arm and left arm, and gently shake your head. Let your shoulders relax. Finish with a little twist of your torso to shake off any remaining energy from your day. Take a deep breath and heave a hearty sigh (a prolonged exhalation).




  • Travel Forward In Time


    Trigger: When you're feeling overwhelmed or frightened by present circumstances.

    Tool: Close your eyes, take a deep breath and ask yourself: "Will this matter in a year? In five years? In 50 years?" With each jump in time, picture yourself in the future looking back at the situation behind you.




  • Listen To The Night Sounds


    Trigger: When you can't sleep at night.

    Tool: Close your eyes and tune in to all the sounds around you. As you hear a sound, label it: barking dog, airplane overhead, dishwasher running, cough, crickets outside, honking horn and so on. Listen more deeply: Do you hear the sound of your breath? Do you hear the beat of your heart? Feel yourself relax into the experience. Count each exhalation.