Do You Choose your Soul Purpose Or It Chooses You?
Last Sunday I met with Jane again, my 1st ever coaching client, over a coffee chat.
It was 3 years ago in May when we first met. Back then I was still the Career Advisor at a University, and I was giving job hunting advice to a recent graduate over lunch at a fast food restaurant (what a hardworking employee I was 😂).
And Jane overheard our conversations while sitting on the table next to us. So she gathered up her courage and approached me, ” Excuse me, Miss, I know it might feel awkward to reach out to you this way, but I really need some advice on job searching. Can you help?”
Jane was in her mid-30s, gentle, friendly, and I can tell how desperate she was at that moment.
Since a young age, I’ve been attracting people (and total strangers) my way, and they will share all their deepest secrets with me – which makes me believe that I must radiate a special vibe of a counselor🤐. So I wasn’t too shocked by this.
I agreed to meet with her that evening, and I pulled all my heart to help her out, for free.
Turned out Jane was so stressed out by her banking job that she was almost reaching an emotional breakdown. So we worked out a pivot plan together for her transition, and I also shared with her a few effective job hunt techniques before I hopped on the plane the next day.
Summer was all about business travels where I was meeting with senior exeutives of large organisations for university partnerships, and leading hundreds of students in overseas internship tours.
Then one day in July, when I was in Shanghai, I got a call from Jane. SHE WAS IN TEARS, and I was terrified.
“What’s going on Jane? Are you ok?” I asked.
“Ponny!!!!! I got a new job offer, with 20% pay raise!!! Thank you!!!!!”
Then it’s MY TURN TO BE IN TEARS.
💖This lady chose to trust a total stranger and took the leap to reach out and asked for help.
💖She followed my advice and took massive actions, even some of my techniques involve something out of her comfort zone.
💖She was generous in showing her genuine appreciation after she got results from my free advice in that mere 45 minutes meeting. (THIS is not as common as you think – How many FREEBIES you’ve downloaded without saying a Thank-You to the content writer?)
💖She also has the strong hunger for personal growth and love to learn about herself and continue improving.
At that point, I realised SHE is the kind of people that I most wanted to work with and support regarding Career Happiness.
There are already so many NGOs and educational institutes out there supporting students and fresh graduates. Plus the younger ones have to accumulate their career capital in their first 5 years in order to have the bargaining power for their career happiness later in life.
For those in their mid-careers, there are also governmental support organisations on re-training, and various private executive coaching services out there.
Then how about those falling in-between??! Those of us who are millennials, in our late 20s to late 30s, starting to experience the real life pressure and responsibilities of an ADULT on our shoulders, feeling like the clock is clicking, and by the way, also having a career crisis on the side.
***
So I always told Jane she was the SPARK that the Universe sent me to embark on this path of career coaching.
In my case, my soul purpose CHOSE me, and I just need to decide if I’m going to respond to the call. I’m glad I did.
Jane and I continue to work together and we meet every month up to this date.
I really admire her. And my biggest satisfaction came from witnessing and facilitating her growth over time:
– From feeling stuck to feeling motivated again and take tons of actions
– From feeling totally “useless” (as she described herself), to rediscovering many of her hidden talents, and PASSIONS that she has been hiding over the years because parents said she will starve if she wanted to become a musician.
– From feeling like a victim in the job search game, and powerless as an employee, to now she knows she can always NEGOTIATE for what she desires, as long as she has an intention for making it a win-win situation.
As a coach, I don’t do the work FOR her. I’m just the light she needs at the end of the tunnel.
Today Jane is the owner of a small music education centre 10 mins by walk from her home, a mom of 2, and her eyes radiate with joy when she talks about doing what she loves that also paid her bills.
That’s exactly what makes a coaching career meaningful and worthwhile – being able to facilitate the transformation of people you trust who has what it takes to achieve the greatness she deserves.
I’m soooo proud of her, and what she’s achieved today💖💖💖
