In the Beginning...Part 1

When I was a child of ten or so, I knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! I wanted to be a writer, a horseback rider and a ballet dancer. I remember day-dreaming, fantasizing (visualizing) myself actually doing these various activities and as the years progressed, I was fortunate enough to realize my dreams with various levels of success in all these areas.

Then something happened when ‘I grew up’. I found myself pouring my life into the lives of my children where I lost all my own dreaming for me in the ether of dreaming for them. But as invariably happens, they grow up and begin their own journey of dream acquisition. Only after the children (and husband) had flown the coop was I able to think, dream, ponder and fantasize for me again. What a fresh and exhilarating feeling!

Since their exodus I have discovered that I am not alone – many mid-life women (and men) have lost their own light or their light has been extinguished or at best, dimmed.
But it is NOT TOO LATE to turn that light back on. A fully operational spotlight on you!
Though I’m not claiming to be a model for “life discovery” or anything. I thought I’d like to share some of my own journey, which, by the way, I am still on and hope to be for a long, long time.

After the dissolution of my marriage and the departure of the baby chicks, I had to find an income producing activity since I had not developed one during the years of marriage and child rearing. I tried many sole proprietor ideas because I’m a rather independent sort and a bit of a free-spirit (read: not used to anyone telling me what to do or how to do it). Plus my thinking was that I didn’t want to work to make someone else rich…I’d rather just work at something and keep all the money myself. Naturally some of my schemes were more successful than others. I finally landed on an idea that worked pretty well for me…pet sitting. It quickly became a successful little business and soon I was working 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

I spent hours every day in the car so I began listening to books on tape. Any genre was acceptable from the classics to best sellers to self-help material as well as some wonderful success literature. I also had XM Radio which gave me access to additional information and teaching. I was passively seeking another career path because after 5 or 6 years, burn-out was moving in and I knew I couldn’t pet sit forever.

One fortuitous day I was listening to a tape by…ummmm...yup, that’s right, I can’t remember who it was but it was a fortuitous day and it was a turning point for me…anyway whoever it was was talking about life coaching. I’d never heard of life coaching but a lightning bolt of inspired insight zipped through my spirit and I knew instantly I had to learn more. I began doing intensive research online, read books, hired a coach for myself and finally went through coaching training. I discovered coaching to be so much fun and so rewarding. I could not wait to hang my shingle and get started. I’d found my new niche! I could coach anywhere in the world via the phone and so move into a more rural area (my dream) and take my business with me. I was ecstatic!

The economy, however was not ecstatic, in fact, was becoming downright depressed. Which is what I became as not only my brand new coaching/retreat business fluttered but did not fly AND my pet sitting biz proceeded to follow it down the tubes.

What’s a free-spirited entrepreneur to do?

Try something else, of course!

(to be continued...)