On Finding Purpose
At the age of 52, I’ve been noticing how exciting it is to feel like I’m finally doing the work I came here to do. It’s been a long, arduous journey to get to this place. For my entire life I’ve been plagued by the same questions:
“Who am I?” “Why am I here?” “What am I supposed to DO?”
I’ve had my share of boring dead end jobs that just paid the bills, career transitions that left me feeling like I was STARTING OVER yet again into something completely new. I managed to keep a lid on my dissatisfaction, despite my growing malaise. But I remember writing a personal essay on my 30th birthday about how I hated my job, had no kids, no home of my own and felt like a big fat loser.
And then a year later husband walked out on me.
And I fell apart.
I had what Brené Brown calls a “breakdown to breakthrough.”
By falling apart -- surrendering to what life was asking of me, versus pushing my own pathetic little agenda of what I thought I was supposed to be doing -- I was able to find ME.
I cried. A lot. I tracked my dreams in a journal every morning. I started to learn to tune into and listen to my intuition. I paid attention to the clues the Universe was sending me. And I acted on them. I let the Universe know I was listening, and I believed those messages were sent with my best interest in mind.
I took leaps of faith. Risks. Did things totally out of my comfort zone.
Each leap left me breathless and wondering if I would come crashing to the ground. But I knew I was heading in the direction my soul wanted me to take because things improved. I was happier. Life got more interesting. I felt more engaged and more of a co-creator of my life versus a responder to life’s urgencies.
And over time my heart healed, and I let love back in.
As a result, I’ve learned how to tune into my own unique “Sign Language” which continually allows me to better hear and interpret the Universal messages sent to guide me on my path.
Choosing to step into your soul’s purpose is never easy. We cling to safety, comfort and security and we fear that “following our bliss” will lead to a life of perilous financial dips and 3 meals a day of Top Ramen Noodles or tuna out of the can.
As I reflect on my 21-year journey since the ending of my first marriage, I realize there are a lot of lessons along the way. I went from being a Wall Street banker to working for a PR firm to owning my own Marketing firm, to becoming a leadership trainer and coach working with some of our nation’s top executives while traveling a spiritual path that has led me from the heart of the Australian Outback to the Mayan Jungle to 3-day solo vision quests in the woods.
Here is what I know in every cell of my body:
We all have a purpose.
We all have unique gifts and talents to share.
We all have a unique voice to be expressed and our own special way of offering it.
And:
The Universe IS on our side.
We are bombarded daily with messages and clues showing us the way. The key is to listen. And surrender. And let go of our ego agenda. Not easy, but oh so simple really. And we can live our purpose up until our last breath. There is no time limit.
Take time today to notice: What is stalking you? What messages do you continually hear but think (secretly wish?) they’ve got the wrong number? What are you afraid to do?
Experiment: for one day. Listen. Allow. Surrender. Let the Universal SIRI guide you for a change. Let go of your plans and see what shows up. I bet you’ll be amazed!
And please let me know what happens. I love hearing how your experiments unfold!
And if you want support, I’m here.
Helping others tap into their purpose IS my purpose.
There is nothing I love more than sharing some of my hard-won lessons with others through my 1-1 coaching and in the retreats and workshops I lead. Take advantage of the thousands of hours of training, the dresser full of certifications and the well worn paths I’ve walked in the jungle and the desert distilled into a few hours or a few days -- without exposing yourself to nasty critters who might want to eat you!
(You’re welcome!)
I have two upcoming retreats for you to take advantage of:
In just a few weeks...
In my Women’s Soul Retreat in the Northern California Redwoods June 25-28th, we take a deep dive into discovering your purpose and unleashing whatever is holding you back from living it. This Thursday through Sunday all-inclusive experience at a gorgeous retreat center with luxe cabins and delicious food is only 3 hours North of San Francisco airport.
There will be plenty of time for naps or walks in the Redwoods or along the Pacific coast in between our working sessions together. I will be joined by my step-sister yoga teacher Emily Kligerman who teaches restorative yoga. I’m extending my early bird rate for this through June 7th for those of you who like to wait ‘til the last minute! Click here for more.
Later this summer...
From July 31- August 2nd I’ll be co-facilitating a workshop as part of Wisdom 2.0 Unplugged at Esalen retreat center in Big Sur California. Esalen is a gorgeous spot on the grid -- perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and is world renowned for birthing the Human Potential movement. Wisdom 2.0 brings together the world of business, technology and mindfulness in a unique blend that well, just works!
This Unplugged event provides a chance to connect with a network of smaller than typical Wisdom 2.0 crowd in this gorgeous setting. There will be an amazing opportunity for a deeper dive into soul exploration that I’ll be co-facilitating with Nancy Larocca Hedley, a former Yahoo executive, who is a delightful collaborator and coach to Silicon Valley execs, helping people navigate life and career transitions. Click here for more on Wisdom 2.0