Lightbulb Moment is part of a series of songs we wrote inspired by the ICF Core Competencies. Over time, these competencies stopped feeling like ideas to study and started feeling like moments we could recognize in real coaching conversations.
The Caribbean feel of this song was inspired by our good friends Engel and Amanda Jones from Trinidad and Tobago. They’ve visited us with their family twice here in Nashville Tenn, and we’re looking forward to visiting them next.
Liming is a word our friends in Trinidad and Tobago use to describe something simple but meaningful — slowing down and just spending time together. No agenda. No pressure. Just conversation, connection, and being present with each other. In many ways, it reminds us of what masterful coaching can feel like. When we’re not rushing to fix or impress, and instead just stay present and curious, clients often find their own clarity.
That’s really the heart behind the song Lightbulb Moment. Awareness often shows up in those relaxed moments when the conversation feels safe and unforced. When a coach is fully present, not pushing for answers but simply creating space, something powerful can happen. A thought becomes clear. A truth surfaces. A light turns on. Sometimes awareness isn’t something we create as coaches — it’s something that emerges when we slow down enough to just be there.
Lyrics – Lightbulb Moment
Verse 1
You were caught inside the noise
Searching for your steady voice
Then one pause one breath one spark
Truth lit up the dark
I did not lead I asked instead
What is the thought inside your head
You smiled and said that is true for me
That is awareness finally free
Pre-Chorus
It is not advice it is revelation
One small question transformation
The power is not in what I do
It is what awakens inside you
Chorus
It is a lightbulb moment shining through
A spark of your awareness brand new
Simple questions open space
You found your truth at your own pace
Not my words but your view
Yeah that light came from you
Verse 2
We are just liming in this flow
No rush no need to know
A gentle rhythm heart in tune
Winding under the coaching moon
What is the shift you feel inside
You laugh and say I do not need to hide
No push no fix no need to steer
Just presence keeping us clear
Bridge
Curiosity lights the flame
Reflection gives it name
Silence holds what is true
Awareness breaks right through
Final Chorus
It is a lightbulb moment shining through
A spark of your awareness brand new
The shift was quiet the knowing true
That light came from you
This song is part of our Core Competency series — one original song inspired by each ICF Core Competency.
Explore the full series:
https://freedomlifejourney.com/category/icf-core-competecy-songs/
Why Awareness Is the Turning Point in Coaching
(ICF Core Competency #7 – Evokes Awareness)
After thousands of coaching conversations, one thing has become very clear:
Breakthrough doesn’t happen when the coach has the insight.
Breakthrough happens when the client sees something new for themselves.
That moment — when something clicks — is what ICF calls Evoking Awareness.
What Evoking Awareness really looks like
Evoking awareness isn’t giving advice.
It isn’t explaining what you see.
It isn’t leading the client to your answer.
It’s creating space for the client to discover their own.
Sometimes we see the pattern. We hear the assumption. We notice what might be holding them back.
But instead of telling, we ask.
From Lightbulb Moment:
I did not lead I asked instead
What is the thought inside your head
That is the discipline of masterful coaching.
Simple questions create powerful shifts
Strong coaching is often very simple.
Not complicated questions.
Not impressive language.
Just honest curiosity.
From the song:
It is not advice it is revelation
One small question transformation
When the insight belongs to the client, it lasts.
Why slowing down matters
Awareness rarely shows up when coaching feels rushed.
It shows up when there is space.
Simple questions open space
You found your truth at your own pace
Sometimes the most powerful thing a coach does is slow the conversation down enough for the client to hear themselves.
Jamie Slingerland, MCC and Ruthie Perez Slingerland, MCC provide mentor coaching for ACC, PCC, and MCC coaches who want to deepen their presence and understanding of the ICF Core Competencies.
Based in Franklin, Tennessee, they work with coaches throughout Nashville and internationally.