Do you know what you want more of in your life?
Such awareness can be exciting…and at the same time overwhelming… maybe even a bit scary. Such positive and negative feelings often co-exist. The confidence of I know what I want can be offset by the imposing question how do I get it? How do I move towards the life, or work, that I envision for myself?
Coaching helps us identify and take small steps towards attaining more of what we want…more of what makes us happy.
I continued to learn about this growth process as I achieved one of my life goals last spring….becoming a published author. There were many small steps in the process of writing and publishing my first book, Lost and Found: Discovering Strength in Love and Faith. There are now over 500 copies of it in the hands of readers, many of whom have shared how the book has impacted them. As I tell my story of being lost…and what helped me find my way to a better place… I invite readers to reflect on their own lives using questions at the end of each chapter. It’s not uncommon for a reader to tell me how they can relate to a certain part of my story and to say, “It feels so good to know that I’m not alone.” With that acknowledgment they go on to explain what they found (or are finding) that is helping them through a difficult time in their life. As they read my story they are inspired and encouraged to understand their story.
Sharing parts of my life so openly has been a lesson in vulnerability. Many people have made comments about how transparent I am in the book. One of the benefits of being so open has been the connection and partnership it allows me to establish with readers. My honest sharing encourages them to take a deeper look at their own sources of inner strength and wisdom.
Since publishing the book, I have had the pleasure of leading two retreats based on Lost and Found. These programs helped women understand and care for themselves better as they developed their inner strength and resilience. Together we explored the concept of self-care: how we nurture ourselves so that we are able to bring our best to our relationships, activities, and work. We noticed just how easy it is to overlook our own needs and how important it is not to do so. We also looked at faith; exploring what we put our faith in and how we recognize the ways in which our faith guides us in difficult times, as well as in daily life. Women of all ages shared their experiences with one another as they reflected on lessons learned from life challenges. We benefited from sharing our collective wisdom and found hope in these real life stories.
As we discover strength in love and faith we becoming aware of new ways of being, and doing things. We awaken to possibilities. This summer, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Larry Matthews about Lost and Found and life coaching. You may listen to the podcast here (10 min.)
It’s exciting, and a bit scary, to see the next step on my journey of attaining more of what I want…more of what I’m called to be and do.
This fall I will launch a Lost and Found Companion Journal, as well as a Kindle version of the book. I will also offer Lost and Found Coaching Groups, and continue to offer retreats and workshops for larger groups.
There is a lot to do but one step at a time I will move forward and bring this work of hope and encouragement to others. It is my purpose; what I am called to do…..it is what I want more of in my life.
I invite you to use Lost and Found to get clear about the wisdom and strength inside of you.
You can do so in a number of ways:
- Read Lost and Found and journal about the questions on your own.
- Join a Lost and Found book group to receive coaching support as you work with the reflection questions.
- Attend a Woman of Strength workshop or retreat.
- Invite me to speak to your group or organization about Lost and Found: Discovering Strength in Love and Faith.
In closing, I ask again…
What do you want more of in your life?
And what’s the next step to move in that direction?
Write to me at [email protected] and tell me how you are moving forward today.
