My Story

I thought I was succeeding in life; I had a wonderful life partner, a great career, I was caring for my elderly father, I had a comfortable home, and more. Why did I feel drained, restless, and dissatisfied? Was I just ungrateful or was something else going on?

To chase away my negative feelings, I read self-help articles and books and ate comfort foods. I found it uncomfortable to be around friends, so I withdrew. I tried pretending to be happy and hoped that someday it would feel real, you know the “fake it until you make it” approach. All of this still left me feeling drained, restless, and dissatisfied. I also felt like a failure since nothing I tried actually worked. I discussed my feelings with my doctor and was offered a prescription drug that I didn’t want. The drug would just mask my symptoms which I was already doing with comfort food and wine! I wanted to find and address the real issue. 

I believed that feeling drained came from me being overweight, not eating healthy foods, and not exercising regularly. When did this happen? This wasn’t me at all. I decided that I needed help.

I stumbled on a coach while taking my Dad to the doctor.  At the time I didn’t really understand the concept of coaching. I just knew that the other approaches I tried didn’t work or weren’t for me. My intuition told me that I needed what this coach was offering so I went for it. From the start of our first meeting and throughout our partnership, he created a safe place for me to share all my fears, feelings, and desires. He listened to me, offered observations, asked questions, reflected my thoughts back to me, and allowed me time to think and process what we discussed. He helped me gain clarity, create actions, and ultimately find the best path forward for me. What he didn’t do was tell me how he would handle the situation, he didn’t advise me, he didn’t mentor me, and he didn’t try to fix me. 

Although I believed that my weight was my big issue, it turned out that there was a lot more going on. I really wasn’t satisfied with my career anymore. My Dad’s care-giving needs were overwhelming for me and my husband. I had a form of insomnia creating fatigue. Menopause was wreaking havoc with my body contributing to weight gain, insomnia, and bone density issues. Through the partnership with my coach and my doctor, I found the best approach for me to address all of my issues. I found my way back to health in body, mind, and spirit.

Gaining clarity helped me to realize that I wanted to take my values, strengths, and experiences and use them in service to others through coaching. I took another big leap forward; I went to coaching school, decided to start my own coaching business, and leave my corporate career. 

My wish for you is that you find the best path forward to achieve your desires and enrich your life. 

Cathy