Saturday, August 21, 2010

The Way Our Lives are Supposed to Be

Recently, I looked around at my life and said, "This is not the life I planned." I didn’t plan to be divorced, still single, working past retirement age, and looking old despite my best efforts to look ageless. At first, I felt tricked; I had my life all laid out and was content to sit back and check off the highlights on my life list. Then, “life happened,” as they say.

My journey is now less a perfectly guided tour and more a pilgrimage to discover who I really am. I learned about choices: I can go with the flow or navigate my own stream. I learned about forgiveness: Okay, you didn’t go along with my plan, but I will not carry resentment in my backpack. I learned about family: I held on to marriage for the kids, for “family,” and I thought divorce would destroy it; but, family is all about commitment to one another and one less uncommitted member did not destroy the family of me and my children. I learned about self-value: I’m still “me,” still okay; maybe even better. I learned about faith and trust: God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Source, Creator: I threw myself into grace and unconditional love and felt cared for, protected, guided.

The path I didn’t want, and suffered to avoid, became the place where I found my strength, courage, creativity, and joy. Someday soon, I will step off into retirement, a strange descriptor for a stage I fully expect will show me what being truly alive is all about. Bring it on!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Clarity is Freedom

Do we know ourselves or are we running on autopilot on the way to another dead end? Unless we take time to understand how our past and present are creating our future, we may be on the way to where we do not want to go.

That lack of clarity about the course of our lives is one of the biggest obstacles to reaching our highest ideals, to living the fulfilling life we dream of, and to being at peace with ourselves.

Last week, I spread 500 jigsaw puzzle pieces on my kitchen table, and I am still being challenged to link them together to create the original design. It is similar to the way we often let ourselves become many exclusive identities in our response to various circumstances.

When we then choose to make a positive change in ourselves, these disconnected pieces make it difficult to move forward as a whole individual. We speak from a segment of ourselves, a persona we have created to, often, satisfy others and not ourselves. How many times do we ask, “What would my spouse/children/relatives/friends/neighbors think if I carved out time for myself alone? Went back to school? Found a job? Left a loveless marriage?”

Our lives are about expressing and developing ourselves. This is not selfish, but about being whole and going into relationships or activities from that perspective. Think what we can give, what we can accomplish if we invest all that we are!

My life coaching practice offers a way to understand and appreciate who you are, to redirect your energy, slowly, like puzzle pieces moving into place, so that your life and relationships can become happier and more harmonious.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Welcome

Change Happens to Everyone
When it does, it can bring confusion. Life Transition Coaching is designed for those times when you need clarity to take your next steps.

Is your life out of sync? Have you bogged down, stumbled over an unexpected bump in the road; or have you been handed an extraordinary opportunity to renew your life?

How I Can Help
As a life transition coach, I will help guide you to your highest potential for happiness – happiness based on who you are and what truly fulfills you. I am your companion on the exciting journey to a deeper understanding and appreciation for who you are, where you have been, and where your unique potential can take you.

What is Life Transition Coaching?
Life transition coaching is not therapy. Rather, it is an opportunity to sort the past and present, to take a good look at what works and what no longer serves your best interests. During our sessions, we will uncover misconceptions – compromised boundaries – unreasonable fears – discouragement: in short, we will deal with the baggage you are carrying – consciously or unconsciously – that is holding you back.

What You Can Expect
Like the coach of a sports team, my job is not to make the goals or homeruns. Instead, I work with you to provide
• Support
• Insight
• Encouragement
• New ways to understand and appreciate who you are and what you can accomplish.

Coaching sessions are one hour in length and can be scheduled evenings and weekends. Face-to-face and phone sessions work equally well.

Who Can Benefit from Life Transition Coaching?
Anyone facing challenges such as career choices or changes, quality of life crises, the empty nest, menopause, divorce, retirement or other life events that seem to stop us in our tracks, can benefit from life transition coaching.

Are You Ready?
If you are ready take steps to a more satisfying life, contact me at SWellsLTC@gmail.com and let us begin your journey!