About a year ago, I began working one-on-one with people under the radar. ‘Coaching’ (or as I prefer, Guiding) was something that was actually first impressed upon my mind many years ago. However, I adamantly pushed the cumbersome thought aside. There seemed to be an endless supply of “life coaches” in the world today, and I was more than happy to not be one of them. I just wanted to do me and build my empire. I simply wanted to live life on my own terms and focus on my future filled with excitement, adventure and freedom. But let’s be honest, these aren’t the real answers to why I avoided what I call the “pull”; the push of the Universe within me to work with others and be a light to those on a similar journey. No, it goes much deeper than that.
The real reason I avoided my Soul’s yearning is that I didn’t wanna go back to that place. Those moments of despair, darkness and hopelessness in my past had been transcended; and the prospect of walking back into that bleak world in order to aid others haunted me. I knew how much sheer grit and iron will I had to deploy in order to simply stay afloat, and how many years it took me to heal. I’m a futurist and an optimist. I don’t talk about my past. They are only shadows of memories within my mind that no one sees. I didn’t want to focus on tragedy, adversity and healing the broken pieces. I just wanted to go back to traveling the world, skydiving and seeking the unknown thrills and adventures of our Earth. On top of that, not only was coaching something that I definitely felt like I wasn’t qualified for and felt a bit of an imposter, but I didn’t think that others would see the value in transformation as I did. And once again, I was terribly wrong. That is the beauty and irony of all of this. It was that very Self journey, that unfortunate luxury that put me in this exact place to be able be a guide and a leader for others, now having walked the walk. Having “achieved” what I was seeking and working to become. Being truly fortunate and blessed to have created my own personal elixir of life.
Sometimes it takes the transformation of conceptual knowledge into real life experience to truly understand those pivotal and immutable truths of life. I was gently reminded of a profound quote from one of my favorite movies, Into The Wild.
“Happiness is only real when shared.”
As I made a meticulous about-face on my current path, my perspective shifted from how far I want to go, to truly celebrating and observing how far I have come. And within that observation came the whisper, the call, the metanoia. The charge and definitive purpose to get as many other people as I possibly can to THEIR happy place. Not to follow my footsteps. But to empower them to forge their own soul inspired path and step into the vision of possibility in order to become who they have always believed they could be. To truly deploy empathy and compassion to all who are ready to make that journey. For it is YOUR journey. I am simply the guide. The sherpa. The shaman.
In mulling over the responsibility that would come with this endeavor and the grand unknown before me, the same simple question persistently visited my mind. Once again, I became the student as life taught me another truth. I am nothing but a channel through which life flows through me to remind others of Who They Are. It wasn’t a matter of DO I want to take on this challenge, it was:
‘What group of people do I want to serve?’
And here is my response:
I want to serve those that are READY to transform. Not meaning you are perfect, or that you have all the abundance you have ever dreamed of, or that you have figured your life out and you know exactly Who You Are. NO. I mean that you are internally ready to accept the call of adventure. You are sick of not being the best version of yourself. You are sick of repeating the same cycles and patterns over and over again. You are sick of being “motivated” time after time, only for that emotion to dissipate and you are left stuck in the same place where you began. You are sick of waking up morning after morning wondering when your life will “take-off” and you will finally catch a break. I want to serve those who are ready to live LIFE on their OWN terms. I want to serve those people who are ready to truly transform and not look back, and who are willing to pay the price to get to where they want to be, and to become who they choose to become. Because they know they deserve it, and they know that life was meant to be lived, not survived. They are ready to take the leap…
“Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. This is the trick. This is what all these teachers and philosophers who really counted, who really touched the alchemical gold, this is what they understood. This is the shamanic dance in the waterfall. This is how magic is done. By hurling yourself into the abyss and discovering its a feather bed.”
Leap, and the net will appear.
Sincerely,
Tal