As many of you know, I lost three family members in 2016. This was incredibly impactful on me as I realized in my pain how short our lives are, and that we truly do not know how long our time on earth will be. I was also very unhappy in my corporate job. I knew that sitting in my office at my computer or in the constant daily meetings was not utilizing my best skills and talents. It was draining me. I crave deep connection with people and I was drowning in the culture that did not value that. I took some time to work through the confusion and quagmire of my thoughts and feelings, and used it as an opportunity to thoughtfully consider “If this job is not the right fit for me, what is?” I assessed my skills, talents and passions, and began the process of developing new goals, dreams, and a vision away from the corporate culture. I began to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Spring forward to 2017 when I took three leaps of faith: to leave that corporate job, jump into my 15-year dream of being a life coach, and most recently, to launch my nature photography website and business. I opened myself up to what opportunities felt aligned with where I was heading, and signed up and attended them. This last year has been the most transformative, expansive and life altering time of my entire life.
On the topic of life changing events, last week I attended an incredibly powerful Women’s Entrepreneur Retreat called “Powerhouse Florida” run by a powerhouse in her own right, Amy Yamada. I was with a small, intimate group of remarkable women. Surprisingly, the rest of the women were from a completely different coaching community than the one I had been in, yet we found ourselves together in that incredibly beautiful place called Captiva Island. Have I mentioned that I am a big believer in “timing is everything” and that there are no coincidences in this life?
My training prior to this retreat from Martha Beck, Brooke Castillo, Susan Hyatt, and Robbins-Madanes, had been strategically focused in terms of learning coaching skills and tools, while the training of the other retreat attendees has been business results oriented. I am proud and honored to be an integral team member in both of these professional communities. It was fascinating for me to witness less focus on the diverse coaching strategies we can use with our clients, and more emphasis on intentions, commitments, and action to get results. The results that many of my fellow retreat attendees have accomplished, especially the ones who have been running their businesses for a few years, have been nothing short of remarkable, and is what I dream about for my businesses. We came together at this point in our lives to learn from the riches of each other’s experiences, and share what lights us up and what is possible. We left this retreat with a clearer and more defined vision of the exciting future ahead for each of us.
I find myself pondering the changes I have gone through and where my journey is heading. I have learned the importance of turning my back on what does not work or resonate for me, and how good it feels when I am moving toward what feels right. The leaps of faith I took last year were far from easy steps to take. Like all of us, I have had many years of conditioning by family, culture, and society to conform to a very structured and defined way of being. Our culture places too much value on overworking and overdoing. An impressive title and a big paycheck are the goal of too many people. Instead, my focus is on who we intrinsically are and the good that we can do to help others be happier and healthier.
Those traditionally accepted ways of “climbing the ladder” were never my goal, intent, or interest. What was important to me was being an integral part of a cohesive team with a great mission. I wanted to make a difference. However, my team was often undermined by a leadership culture where politics ruled.
At this time in my life I recognize that I am looking for something deeper and richer to anchor me. My soul longs for more and is finding it. In surrendering what does not serve me and pursuing with an open heart what I am yearning for, I am lighter and freer. I am being guided much more by what I have to contribute in pure loving and compassionate service.
So many people in our culture are experiencing stress at an extreme level and are feeling completely overwhelmed. Life seems to go faster every year, and the technology that was supposed to save us time and simplify our lives has actually had the opposite effect. We are feeling more disconnected than ever from our bodies, and we are cut off from how to best to feed and maintain it. Too often we let our approximately 60,000 thoughts a day, most of which are negative self-talk and totally untrue, guide us in our daily feelings and actions. We have also been cut off from our spirit (often called our essential self, or soul). Our culture does not teach us positive ways to cope with the chaos all around us, so we often get caught up in overdoing, whether it is with work, food, alcohol, shopping, or watching TV for endless hours.
That is where I know I can make a difference. Life coaching is my calling. As a life coach I provide a safe, respectful, and serene space to support the needs and desires of my clients. I partner with them to identify the areas where they are feeling the greatest need for stress relief, and we work together so they can live healthier, happier and more peaceful lives. By doing so we have been able to break through roadblocks and witness miracles happening.
Our time on this earth may be short, but there is hope. The solutions my clients seek are inside of them and have been all along. They are treasures waiting to be discovered, unearthed, and brought into the light of day. Our intuition has been trying to tell us that there is a better way that is much truer to who we are and what is ultimately best for us. The world needs what each of us have to offer, and together we will discover what that encompasses. We deserve happiness, and we are always happiest when we follow our heart.