[ <<< Back ] [ Next>>> ] [ Contents ] [ Home ]
10.
Living with Passion – Follow Your Calling
Ellen Cahill
My initial profession was a Speech/Language Pathologist. After receiving a Masters Degree in that field, I worked with many people from 2 to 102 years old to improve speech, language and swallowing abilities. Part of my job was to establish goals, objectives and a plan of treatment for their speech and language disabilities. In addition to working with patients, I also trained clinicians.
I enjoyed what I was doing immensely and it showed. I did my job so well that soon my efforts were rewarded with a promotion to rehabilitation and district manager. But things began to change shortly after I took on my new responsibilities. I realized I was no longer dealing directly with patients and administering their care. My job as an administrator became nothing more than a J-O-B. Even though part of my job was dealing with my staff — making sure they were productive, efficient, and relatively satisfied with their position, it lacked the human connection. Each day I had to deal with administrative problems, challenges and budgets. As reimbursement for rehabilitation care diminished, salaries were cut and my staff was expected to do more with less. That meant they did not have time to get to know the patient and give them the same level of care as we had before budget cuts. More and more, we were asked to be productive or answer to a boss.
Eventually the J-O-B became more stressful and less enjoyable. Gone was my enthusiasm and passion for my work, and emotionally I began to suffer. I’d lost all my energy and began dreading starting my work week. Finally I had to stop and question myself. Was this a way to spend my life? That’s when I began to seriously take stock of my situation.
I still loved the very essence of what I did which was helping people. I recalled the joy I felt when I used to work with patients and watched them make progress each day. One day, I attended a seminar that talked about other types of careers I might be able to pursue but still remain within my profession. That’s when I learned about personal & professional life coaching. These coaches help individuals who want to make positive changes in their present situation whether professionally or personally. It was all about setting goals, objectives and leading people to success. This was something I was already familiar with and the kind of work I once enjoyed doing. Except this time, I could be my own boss and give people the amount of time they needed to achieve their goals. Helping people succeed has always been my passion and through life coaching, I realized I found my calling.
As a life coach, even my own outlook in life improved. I found the power of positive thinking energizing. I no longer allowed grudges, negative situations or people to bring me down. Life coaching helped me realize that I have choices – and so does everyone else.
People often make allowances and tolerances that they begrudgingly bear which diminish their energy and reduce their focus on personal passions. As a life coach I often ask my clients the following questions to help them break down the blocks that get in the way of their passion or inner calling.
Of the people and things you allow into your world:
· Who are the negative people who wear you down, drain your energy and vitality?
· What boundaries do you need to put in place so you are not violated but instead live your own life instead of someone else's?
· What are your priorities? They enable you to stay focused.
· In what ways do people speak to you that you find unacceptable?
· When do you say "yes" when you want to say "no"?
I had a client whose work demanded her creativity. That creativity had to please her paying clients. She enjoyed the challenge very much but said her feelings of insecurity and doubts always seemed to overwhelm her. This often limited her creativity and how she dealt with people. So I helped her examine her day. One of the first things I did was help her put systems in place that would manage her work load such as charts to track her status on works in progress. This helped her visually identify what needed to be done on a particular project, what materials she is waiting for on another, that sort of thing. Knowing exactly both mentally and visually where she stood with her workload helped her deal with new clients and new projects she would take on.
Once we resolved that problem, we then worked on her communicative confidence. So we examined how she talks to herself. By helping her hear herself talk, she was able to identify the self-defeating language she often used. So we worked on her replacing those negative, self-defeating words such as “I should have,” or “I shouldn’t have,” or “maybe I could” with the more powerful, positive actions words like, “I will,” “I can,” and “no, I can not take on that project right now.”
To give her the confidence to actually put these suggestions into practice, I implemented a 30-second “elevator” speech with her. This involved practicing what to say when you meet a prospective client and how to describe her business. We role-played and refined it until she felt comfortable with it. We also worked on attitude, strengthening her feeling of giving value to others rather than selling. Then I would give her assignments that would put all this into practice, such as going to networking events and applying herself with her newly learned positive, confident language. Today she is busier than she ever imagined. She is feeling better about herself and her abilities. And it certainly shows because she’s working from her passion, her inner strength, and the world comes to embrace her.
I have been coaching now for four years and have learned that people yearn for happiness but not everyone is ready to fulfill their passion and be honest with themselves. Very few of us realize that we have a lot to give the world. If we work from passion and love, we experience far greater and more memorable encounters. People are drawn to those who exude positive energies and confidence. When we gain this, things begin to fall into place. Solutions to problems once deemed insurmountable come more easily. I know, because it has happened to me. My profession as a life coach ceased to become just a J-O-B. It is now my life’s work.
Ellen Cahill, M.A., Certified Comprehensive Coach Leaps & Bounds: Pathways to Success Phone: 215-355-6316 E-Mail: CoachEllen@comcast.net Visit www.pathwaystosuccesscoaching.com
Ellen helps individuals, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, achieve success. Her specialties include helping people improve their communication abilities; working with artists and other creative individuals suffering from creative blocks and need some structure and focus to get their jobs done; as well as helping individuals transition from an unhappy situation to a more fulfilling lifestyle. Contact Ellen today to discuss your goals and vision.
Honor your innate abilities, passions, and calling. Hire a coach to help you get there with more ease, clarity and fun. You can change your life no matter what age you are now. Miracles happen when you honor who you are and the value that you have to give others.