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Published in New England Women Business Owners'
newsletter, Contact, November 2001
The events of Sept. 11th brought an unshakable truth to our
door. A jolting wake up call, if you will.
We all became acutely aware of our own mortality and the
limited time we have on this earth.
While most of us fear death at some level, I think the magnified
sense of hopelessness many folks have been feeling of late
comes from a deeper fear. They are panicked that they have
been sleep walking through life and not sharing their unique
strengths with the world in a meaningful way. They are frightened
that they have lost their way on the path to fulfillment.
And they fear it's too late to change course. Comments like
"Nothing I do seems important" and "What's
the point?" seem common.
If you share this fear, I believe it's not too late to change.
But don't delay. Not dealing with this fear can have severe
consequences to your emotional well being, personal life and
work performance.
It's time to regain your authenticity so you can find a new
path that honors your true self and vision.
As a change management coach, I partner with business leaders
to help them re-ignite their organizations by aligning individuals'
visions with a shared organizational vision and intent. Stronger
alignment allows individuals who make up an organization to
focus on a shared purpose and passionately apply their unique
strengths to better not only their organization but also the
world.
To begin the change process, I ask folks a series of probing
questions that help them dig deep inside themselves to uncover
what's most important to them. I'll share ten such questions
with you now so you can begin to identify what really matters
most to you and find a new path that is right for you.
1. In the hours and days following Sept. 11th, what flashes
of insight came to you about what REALLY matters to you?
2. Is it harder to get up in the morning? Why might that be?
3. As you look around at the elements that make up your life,
what feelings come up?
4. When you think about your responsibilities and your daily
life, what feelings come up?
5. What do YOU value most about YOU and are you nurturing
these parts of you?
6. What problems do you LOVE to solve because they bring you
a sense of fulfillment?
7. What unique strengths do you apply to solve these problems?
8. Are you currently utilizing these strengths to solve the
problems you love to solve?
9. What legacy would you like to leave behind?
10. What sort of changes could you make in your life and current
work that would make you feel more authentic and more satisfied
that you were contributing to the world in a meaningful way?
Answering these questions will awaken you to what is most
important to you. You'll also discover how you might share
your unique strengths with the world in a meaningful way so
you can achieve a greater sense of fulfillment.
Next step is to take action. Start on your new path to fulfillment.
Find a counselor or coach who is following their own life
purpose and can guide you towards yours. Share your answers
to these questions with him or her. Apply the necessary discipline
and practice to stay on course. Enjoy the journey and it will
matter less how long it lasts.
God speed.
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