I often get asked why I became an Executive Coach. My simple answer is: I do what I do because I’m passionate about supporting others in achieving their success.
Now let me give you the back story. From the time I was very young, I was that curious child who always wanted to know the what, who and why of everything. In particular, I was fascinated with people and their stories. So much so that I was teased mercilessly by my family about my curiosity. They would warn me about interrogating visitors.
Over the years I honed my awkward interviewing skills with the belief that the person in front of me would want to tell their story. Quite often that person would open up and tell me things they perhaps hadn’t shared before. I could tell when they came to a new realization or insight. What I didn’t know is just how powerful having a curious conversation could be for others.
I’ve had many people tell me years later what an impact our conversation had on them. As time passed I worked for a large organization and my leadership grew. I found myself attracting others wanting to develop their leadership or expand their careers.
When I left the job that had provided for my family’s security I had time to think about what I wanted to do with the rest of my working life. I now had the chance to choose my path given my children had grown and I no longer was tethered to what I should or needed to do for the sake of my family.
Why am I telling you my story? Because I also do what I do because I believe we all have the choice to be and do what we desire. Call it passion or interest, it’s what deep down we know we are meant to do.
You may be reading this and think, “but I don’t know what it is I want to do”. That may be.
Many of us stay safely on the surface and carry on doing what needs to be done for many different reasons. But is it really that “safe”? Perhaps it’s just predictable, or you’re fearful to look beyond at possibilities?
Let me ask you this one question:
“How are you fully actualizing your talents and interests to contribute in a way that is deeply meaningful for the world and you?”
It doesn’t have to be either/or.
I wish now that I’d known how much life changes and that I wasn’t changing with it. Like most of us, I tried desperately to stay on one path believing it was what I should do. This paradox keeps so many of us from making choices that will actually serve us wholeheartedly.
For me, I’ve found exactly what I should be doing. My gift of curiosity and desire to serve others in their professional growth allows me to thrive.
As an Executive Coach, I work with others who want to be their best, whether it’s in their current profession or when they know it’s time for a change. We get below that surface which is either holding them back or to the “knowing” they have so much more to accomplish but haven’t mined exactly what that could be.
We all have the choice to change or grow from where we are in this moment. In fact, it’s our individual responsibility to ensure we don’t stand still. You have so much to offer.