What a transformational year 2012 was for me. I knew I wanted things to change but didn't quite know why, or even where to start....
At a WI Lite meeting back in 2011 I met an incredibly inspiring lady Ali a Women's Coach and Mentor. In her presentation she said "sign up on my web site for my '7 tips from fed up to fabulous', and the first 5 to do that will benefit from a 50 minute personal coaching session." I thought what have I got to lose, and got straight on to it actually at the meeting - thanks to my Blackberry!
It was in that very first session - the power and benefits of coaching became apparent. I realised that I needed to let go of what was no longer serving me. The empowering coaching questions helped me to acknowledge the guilt I was feeling around not promoting the the business I had set up since being made redundant in 2009. I finally owned up to myself that even though this was what I qualified to do, and had spent 25 years perfecting to get to the top of that profession - it really was not what I wanted to do any more.
I knew from that very first coaching session that I needed something to change, and that this really would be possible with some help and support along the way - my coaching journey of self discovery had begun!
I joined a local group Fab Friends and signed up to a six month intensive coaching programme called the Butterfly Circle - it involved a monthly VIP day with 4 other ladies and our coach. There was lots of learning in between and two 1 hour coaching session each month too.
This was such an emotional roller coaster, I discovered what my values were, and in what areas of my life I was not meeting those needs. I worked on my own limiting beliefs, discovered how they were holding me back, and preventing the personal growth I craved. Amazingly I took time out to really get to know myself, unlocking and discovering my own dreams, rather than just doing what it was I thought was expected of me. As I acknowledged who I was, and what I wanted and needed, my self belief soared and I found my confidence levels just grew to the point where I knew anything really was possible.
I was so inspired by my own coaching journey I attended a 2 day event at the Coaching Academy in London in January 2012. As part of the event I had to identify a goal that was important to me and say it over and over again until not only did I believe it, but everyone I shared that goal with believed it too!
If I am honest with myself at that time I still had no idea how this was going to come about. However I went on to join The Coaching Academy and study for my Diploma in Personal Performance Coaching.
On my journey Rhonda Byrne's book The Secret was recommended to me. I found it so inspiring, I went on to buy her other books, 'The Power' and 'The Magic' too.
The first gift from my coach was a Gratitude Journal too, which I am still using now. The Introduction to the Journal identifies
"Whenever I am asked the easiest way to use The Secret, my answer is always the same. Gratitude! It is one of the most powerful emotions you can use to bring all good into your life in absolute abundance. No matter who you are, no matter where you are, gratitude can dissolve all negativity in your life, no matter what form it has taken. Let me explain how something as simple as gratitude can completely transform your life.
The Secret explains that the law of attraction is the most powerful law in the Universe. This magnificent law governs all energy, attracting like energy to like energy. Einstein proved that everything in the Universe is energy. All energy vibrates at particular frequencies. We are energy too, and so each of us is also vibrating at a frequency. Your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs determine the vibration and frequency of your energy.
As you focus on gratitude and think, speak and feel gratitude, you are transforming your energy frequency into one of the most powerful and highest frequencies of all. Gratitude attracts like energy of gratitude to it, so as you are feeling grateful you are powerfully bringing like energies to you, which will have you experience more things to be grateful for. In other words, you will magnetize to you the energy of people, circumstances, and events that will bring good into your life......"
It was this gratitude Journal, and putting my first Dream Board together that ultimately helped to bring about a significant shift in my own attitude. By acknowledging what I already had, and discovering what I truly wanted, rather than just existing day to day and letting life pass me by - great things started to happen.
On my first dream board back in Sept 2011 - I wanted to sell my French home, because it was a financial nightmare. I also wanted to work harder in my role as a Slimming World Consultant to become a Team Developer, because the Team thought I would make a good one, and in my own head I felt I really should be going for the District Manager Role in order to earn more money to make my life more financially secure.
My Slimming World business did start to grow, and viewings started to come through on our French home. Great I thought - all in my life is going well. It was on a trip over to France in October 2011 to close our French home for the season and say our goodbyes really, as I was now convinced selling them was the only thing to do - that things really started to transform!
Well, guess what happened - I fell in love with our place in France all over again. It was as if the Universe was trying to send me a message, because while we were there, the car broke down, and this meant we had to extend our stay by another 10 days. This was such an important time as it happened enabling that time out to reassess, and just be in that moment.
My husband and I decided we really didn't want to sell after all, but still didn't know quite how we were going to be able to afford to keep it.
The focus in my gratitude journal changed from wanting the houses to sell to asking that they be fully let in 2012 instead to help us afford to keep them!
Initial plans in 2012 were to focus on my Slimming World Business, growing my groups- Taking on a Manager Role – However, this turned out not to be my path!
In June 2012 – we were once again in France getting the houses ready for the season. Our manager was ill, and in hospital when we arrived. It was while we were hunting for a new manager we came across a business opportunity for us over in France . We started to explore this option, and we just knew then, that this was a way forward for us, and we decided to sell up in England and just do it!.
In July 2012 the house went on the market. We were now anxious to sell having made the decision, but even after several viewings, no offers were forthcoming. The tension in the house, can’t have helped create the right energy either. It was really odd how it happened, but the house buyers viewed the house while we were in France closing the houses up for the season. It was another sign. So shortly after our return to the UK that magical call came with the offer. The house sold in October and completion took place in December. The actual move date ended up being the 12/12/12 what a memorable day to make such a shift.
It was on this retreat I planned my first workshop, which I ran in November. It was called ‘The Ultimate Confidence Toolkit’. The sign up rate from the workshop was amazing, and I am really enjoying working 1:1 with clients who are now looking to implement significant changes in their own lives.
Now I am in France, supporting my husband in his new business at the Cordes Owners Club, and French Escapes. I am looking at ways to continue running coaching workshops, and will be developing some tele-seminars, perhaps a webinar too, alongside some V.I.P days, short breaks and my first personal development retreat in May 2013.
I look forward to sharing my journey with you all.