Serendipity: “luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for.” (Merriam-Webster)

Let me tell you about the time I shared a serendipitous coffee date with a certain woman-about-town, Sarah Olin. All I knew about Sarah when I asked her for coffee was that she was one of very few Charlotte-based teachers of this cool/weird form of yoga called Kundalini, and that she offered some mysterious service called Coaching. We immediately hit it off, and by the time we had finished the last sips of our Americanos with fresh coconut milk, we agreed for Sarah to teach a Kundalini class for our Bella Vita Yoga Teacher Trainees, and that she and I would hop on the phone at a future date so to experience a sample coaching session together.

A week or so later, we were on the phone. I had absolutely no expectations, yet was armed with openness and possibility, as well as my journal and number two pencil (my favorite writing implement). Within that laser-sharp 30 minute phone call, I squirmed, I hemmed and hawed, I attempted to avoid addressing what really needed addressing.

AND.

I also considered a challenging situation from a more empowered perspective. I created an actionable plan to create a more positive outcome (and implemented it immediately). I actually exclaimed, “Ah-ha!” at one point. By the end of our call, I felt that I had received the value of multiple therapy sessions. It was THAT powerful.

Fast forward a few weeks. I had gotten a taste of something goooood. I wanted more. Another phone call ensued. We discussed how we might continue to explore possibility and positive growth and powerful change through ongoing coaching. “Doesn’t that sound like fun?” Sarah asked. “Yes, but…” I countered. “But what?” Sarah seemed genuinely curious. “But I don’t have the money.” (I did, I just didn’t want to spend it.) “I don’t have the time.” (We always make time for what we choose to make time for). “I don’t even know if this coaching stuff works.” (Spoiler alert: It does.) After patiently humoring my irrational rationalizations to avoid investing time, dollars, and effort into my own well-being, Sarah sweetly asked, “So, is it a Hell Yeah? Or a No?” What the hell, I thought. “Yeah.”

And then the party really started.

Fast forward another few weeks. After just beginning to scratch the surface of my “stuff” in our weekly coaching sessions, I recognized the distinct yearning for as many people as possible to experience coaching. Why? Because it works. And I felt strongly compelled to gain the skills needed to support others in the deep excavation and ultimate rocket-launch growth that I had the opportunity to engage in, through learning to coach others. After much deliberation, research into various coach training programs and practices, and entertaining the very same justifications I had worked through in choosing to participate in coaching in the first place, (money, time, skepticism…what I came to discover through coaching is a familiar survival mode pattern for me), the answer was ultimately another “Hell Yeah!”

Fast forward again to the start of my participation in a year-long Coach Training program. That year of life could fill an entire book, rather than a blog post. For now, I ask you to consider: where in your life are you a “Hell Yeah?” Need some support figuring that out? Let’s figure it out together.