Bob Dylan said, “The times, they are a-changing.” The beautiful metaphor indicates significant transition, the inevitability of change, and the need to adapt. Shifting gears to you: how does Dylan’s line apply to your world?
Life fully loved
The basic premise of my career coaching is to find what you’re meant to do. I believe the answer lies within you. In the last three years, I’ve shown you the path to figure it out explicitly and implicitly.
A life fully loved requires identifying your purpose and lining up the components needed to live it. As you do so,
- you feel good,
- you’re clear,
- you feel aligned,
- you know what’s important – your values – and what’s not.
Internal Change
Doing meaningful, purpose-driven work makes you a role model to others. They witness you building a kinder, gentler world from your singular lens and it gives them permission to do so as well. One by one, that’s how you change the world.
Coaching fast tracks the deep work of connecting to your internal self, although certainly you can do this on your own, which is why I’ve shared my tools and techniques with you.
The inward gaze reveals who you are from the inside out. From there, you shift your gaze outward to how you’ll manifest your life’s purpose in your actions, what you do, which today is typically associated with your career.
Thus, changing the world is an inside-out job. Unfortunately, the world conspires against this inner knowing through “shiny object syndrome.” Sound familiar?
Until … until …
that quiet yearning for more meaning in your life becomes louder and more insistent.
Connection
Humans are inherently wired to connect—emotionally, neurologically, and biologically. Earlier in life, I focused solely on external connections, building relationships with family, friends, colleagues, and through community volunteering—all inherently valuable.
Yet, the purely external orientation left me hollow inside. Who was I as a person without the external reinforcement, validation, and mirror holding me up? I didn’t know.
That’s how my journey began.
Over time, I learned to look within myself instead of letting myself be defined by without. I did it by 1) getting clear on my values and 2) realizing that connection starts with me.
I needed to connect with myself before connecting with others. When I’m on fumes, I must fill my gas tank first. Only then can I carry passengers to their destinations. It was a big lesson to learn for a perennial people pleaser.
External Change
Connection to self leads to connection with others so I encourage you to pause, fill your gas tank, then drive where you want to go.
I see too many drivers with no GPS getting angry, frustrated, and/or resentful when they don’t get to their destination fast enough. You can’t navigate without a map. Your map includes your purpose (starting point), your values (signposts along the way to keep you on route), and your destination (what you want to actualize).
The fact is, we need more drivers. The world needs you to do the work you’re meant to do. Don’t let your saboteurs spout nonsense like,
- someone else is doing X better,
- I’m too old to make a career change,
- There are too many people already doing X.
I have heard each of these saboteur voices repeated to me in coaching conversations so I suspect one or all will resonate with you. Saboteurs will spin you in circles until your dying day if you allow them.
Bypass saboteur talk by focusing on what matters. You are here on this earth to make a difference. To know how you’ll contribute to changing the world, look within not without. You’ve got this.
Header Photo by Joshua Tsu on Unsplash