Be the Change and the Power of Purple

Wednesday evening I ran into a former client whom I hadn't seen in a long time. K beamed as she hugged me and began excitedly to fill me in on all that has occurred since we last spoke. K hired me last Fall to help her flesh out an idea she had for a merchandise line. During this last presidential election and the ragged, red and blue patchwork display of the not-so-United States, K envisioned a united perspective in which the red and blue states merged to become a beautiful and calming shade of purple. Rather than individuals desperately clutching to and defending specific political ideology, why not unite for peace?

For several months we worked on bringing this idea to life. By January she was feeling a bit scared and ambivalent about whether her vision would take hold in the imaginations of the general public. She was consumed with worry about whether her idea was viable and she decided to take a break from coaching to allow herself some gestational time to see what direction her idea would take her. Over the past several months I wondered how she was doing and Wednesday night I was thrilled to have the opportunity to see her again. To put it briefly, this former client o'mine has allowed herself to not only envision her dreams but she has allowed them to take flight!

K used our work together to serve as a foundation for her next steps. Rather than remain paralyzed in fear and ambivalence, she stepped up to embrace chance and opportunity. Her motto is "Be the change you wish to see in the world" and she is now walking her talk. By the, not always easy, act of opening up her mind and heart, she is beginning to attract people and opportunity into her life which will allow her to fulfill her greatest dreams. Her belief in herself and confidence in her creativity has allowed her to shift out of stifling paralysis and into a place of empowerment. She has launched her new website: www.purplestatesforpeace.com where she offers a line of merchandise related to peace and unity.

As she related her phenomenal progress, I couldn't help but be swept up by her excitement and energy as she recounted the events of the past several months. Tears sprung to my eyes as I listened to her and realized I was witnessing a new birth. She has allowed her dormant creative side to emerge, be nurtured and be given an opportunity to touch and impact others. K commented that my role as life coach was similar to that of a midwife: I gently facilitated the birth of her new life and new direction.

I smiled as I walked away from that sidewalk encounter. For the remainder of this week my heart has been singing as I replay her words in my mind. I can honestly say there is no greater high for me than to see my clients achieve their dreams. I am energized by my clients' successes and I feel privileged to accompany them on their journey toward greater fulfillment and joy.

I hope that you, too, are inspired and energized by this account. Check out her website, and share the story with your friends and family. Just imagine what you will achieve for yourself with a little bit of encouragement and support? What's your dream and are you ready to make it happen?

Thought for the Day: What is a dream of yours you would like to breathe life into? What shifts in thinking do you need to make in order to move that dream from it's current residence in your head, to making it a part of your life?

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --purplestatesforpeace.com

On the Move

To my loyal readers I offer an apology for my blog-absence. It has been a crazy month of moving. If you remember reading back in March, my husband and I took a quick trip back east during Spring break. During that visit we fell in love with a little place on a pond, took the plunge and became Cape Cod homeowners! When we arrived on the Cape in June we stayed in our usual place until we could get the new place ready. For the past several weeks I have been experiencing the unnatural lifecycle of a person on the move: sorting through, disconnecting, tossing out, packing up, relocating, unpacking, reconnecting and redistributing. Today the bedroom bureau arrives and then it will be official--we are moved in! Moved in for another month, that is. Come early August, we pack up the dogs, teenager and clothes and point the car southwest to begin the 2200 mile trek back to Texas.

What I have come to realize about myself over the past few weeks of unsettled living is that I can manage change pretty well, however, it's the limbo-life of living in two places at once that makes be a bit crazed. For the past few weeks we have been living in both places--staying the night in the new place after moving carloads of stuff over only to wake up and realize that, yes, I packed my toothpaste, but forgot my toothbrush...Yes, I remembered the dog dish but not the dog food...Brought the hair dryer but left the shampoo...and on and on. For several maddening days my husband and I played "Where Is It?" and "I Thought You Brought It."

By day four of the limbo move, I was in tears. I realize now that I was struggling with the stress of the transitional period. I was unable to control and manage the move. The process seemed overwhelming and endless. Each time I thought I was getting ahead, I would return to the old place and my eyes would alight on all that I had not completed. Now that the move is all over, the dust has settled, the boxes are emptied and I have had time to reflect back on the experience and wonder about what I could have done differently.

How would I have coached a client through this?
What did I lose sight of?
What was the lesson?

For starters, I realize that I was not a good enough coach for myself--I did not take time to deeply consider what the best steps would be both from the perspective of the actual packing as well as taking into account the psychological impact of the move on all family members. I lost sight of how such a move, even though it was a positive one, impacted my daughter as she approaches this upcoming year of transitions. Partway through this move, she tearfully explained her reluctance and told me about how the move is but one in a series of difficult transitions for her--once the school year begins she faces it in a new school, having left behind her friends and old school to investigate high school in new territory. The old cottage represented her the stable childhood summers--hanging out with friends and enjoying casual interactions with neighbors.

I believe my lesson was that the next time round this particular moving-tree, I will be sure to write out the steps in detail and involve my family members in the process of packing and talking about the process of leaving a much-loved environment. I will take the time to experience the moment--no matter how difficult--rather than crash through an unpleasant process just to get to the other side. I also choose to respond differently to the stress; I will choose to feel energized rather than overwhelmed. I will shift my thinking away from anxiety-focused worries and concerns and focus instead on all that I am accomplishing each and every hour.

So now you have the confessions of a life coach who wasn't able to sail smoothly through a difficult transition. Even better, you now have the lessons I learned after the process was over! May you arm yourself with these lessons on your next move!

Thought for the Day: What can I do to respond differently to a stressful situation this week? How can I approach the situation from a new angle in order to get different results?

"We are disturbed not by what happens to us, but, our thoughts about what happens to us." --Epicticus