You know those days when everything feels fine – and then bam – something hits you sideways.
It could be a phone call. A comment. A trigger from your past. Or just one of those days when life suddenly drops a thundercloud right over your head.
Stormy Weather Is Inevitable – But Not Permanent
I found myself in that moment recently. One of those “this wasn’t the plan” kind of days.
The skies had been clear. Life was humming along. And then, quite literally, a huge black cloud appeared from nowhere and dumped rain all over me. I didn’t have a coat, or an umbrella. All I had was a jumper, which I ended up wearing on my head like a soggy wizard’s hood.
But it hit me – in the most cliché and yet strangely profound way – that emotions are just like weather.
The dark clouds will come… but they always move on.
Just as quickly as a storm rolls in, it can roll back out again. Yet when we’re in it – when life feels hopeless, or heavy, or unfair – we forget this. We think this mood, this crisis, this version of ourselves is going to last forever.
Why Emotional Despair Feels So Permanent (When It Isn’t)
When we’re stuck in negative emotions, the brain gets tunnel vision. It stops seeing the bigger picture. It convinces us that the storm is reality, not just the weather.
That’s when people start spiralling.
That’s when they question everything.
That’s when they say things like, “What’s the point?” or “Nothing ever gets better.”
But it’s not true. It’s just what the brain does in crisis mode. And that’s why having someone – a coach, a friend, a voice of reason – who can remind you that this will pass is so important.
There is always a blue sky above the storm – even if you can’t see it from the ground.
How This Metaphor Supports Coaching Clients in Real Time
In the People Building coaching franchise, we work with people who are facing everything from daily stress to existential dread. Sometimes it’s a slow burn, and other times it hits like a thunderclap.
But one of the most powerful things we can do as coaches is to hold space while the storm passes – and to help clients not build a house in the middle of it.
It’s tempting, when emotions feel permanent, to start making life-altering decisions from that place. Ending relationships. Quitting jobs. Giving up on dreams. But just like you wouldn’t redecorate your home in the middle of a flood, you shouldn’t rebuild your life mid-breakdown either.
Instead, we teach people how to ride it out. Safely. Intentionally. Calmly.
Because the sun always returns – and when it does, the view looks completely different.
The Coaching Franchise Built for Stormy Seasons
If you’re considering stepping into this work – not just for yourself but for others – the People Building coaching franchise gives you the framework to do it well. It’s not about fixing people. It’s about walking beside them when they feel broken.
And if you’re someone who’s lived through your own emotional thunderstorms, you already have the lived wisdom most coaches wish they had. What you need now is the structure, training, and support to turn that insight into a business that changes lives.
Our coaching franchise equips people like you to be the calm in someone else’s storm – and maybe, finally, your own too.
So if today feels heavy, don’t make it mean forever. Take a deep breath. Find your jumper-hat. Ride it out.
The blue sky is coming.
by Gemma Bailey (with the help of Ai)
