A Pivotal Moment

Sometimes we can get caught up thinking there’s only one way to do things. One way to work, one way to live life. When we become aware of all the possibilities and see where we can best shine our light, we can enable ourselves to flourish and experience joy.

When Jennie reached out to me, she was under a huge amount of pressure both at work and home, which was having a big impact on her wellbeing and her ability to make decisions.

She’d been seconded into a job that she wasn’t enjoying at all, it was really hard work, she felt out of her depth and was exhausted. She didn’t feel she was adding enough value and was doubting her abilities.

On top of that, in her personal life, she felt under immense pressure to do what other people expected of her, which left her in a state turmoil.

At the same time, there was a specific life decision she felt pressured to make. She knew deep down in her heart what she really wanted, but it was the complete opposite of what her family & friends expected.

The whole situation had created an internal tug of war that was taking over her every thinking moment. The overwhelm she felt from both work and home was debilitating, she felt suffocated and was beginning to have moments of panic.

We had a couple of meetings where we focused on her personal profile. This revealed the job she had been seconded to was the exact opposite of what she would flourish in.

No wonder Jennie felt so out of sorts and it felt hard - she wasn’t playing to her strengths. She was literally like a fish out of water. This was quite a light bulb moment.

Understanding her profile helped Jennie re-discover her strengths, gifts and talents. She became aware of her value and how she can add value at work, therefore feel happier.

Together, we uncovered other areas of her life where she felt out of control and allowed other people to create expectations of her that didn’t match what she wanted.

I helped her identify strategies that would have her feeling more in tune with who she really is, feel safe, secure and confident about her self and her abilities. Which in turn enabled her to begin making the practical changes she needed to make in order to feel happier and in more control.

12 months later, Jennie updated me on how things are going ... and she’s flourishing.

Reading about her progress, made my heart sing!

“I realised that it has been one year since I first met you, and did my personal profile. It was a pivotal moment in my life, and you provided me with great support and direction, so thank you very much again for this!”

I sensed her joy as her message continued and she spilled the beans of what’s changed for her... She’s happy in a job she loves, is using her skills, gifts and talents. She’s also made some significant changes in her personal life too. All in all she feels happy and calmer at home & work and says she "has a better approach to life.

Jennie's situation had come about because she was out of flow, going against her strengths, wishes and desires.

As Einstein says "Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid"

In Jennie's case, she was a fish out of water. She'd been given a secondment opportunity because she'd impressed her boss. But the new opportunity didn't play to her strengths. She became the fish out of water. When she realised where & how she could add better value in a team, she was able to begin making changes that enabled her to change roles. Knowing her genius also enabled her to adjust her communication, improving relationships at home. Jennie gained a huge amount of certainty and confidence by understanding her zone of genius and identifying what she can do to create the conditions where she can be at her best.

We each have our zone of genius, our bright spark. The question is, are you enabling your self to operate in your zone of genius? Does your environment enable and empower you to play to your strengths?

If your answer to those questions is a resounding yes, congratulations! What are some ways you can help the people around you experience the same?

If the answer is no, you may feel like Jennie did. It may be a good time to identify and consider ways you can begin using your natural gifts, talents and strengths. You will shine so brightly when you know your value and begin sharing it in a way that makes your heart sing.

If you aren't clear what your natural gifts, talents and strengths are and would like some help to create more flow and ease reach out to me at [email protected].