I never set out to be a coach but my inner guidance was loud
I never set out to be a coach. Yet now that I am I can’t imagine anything more perfectly aligned with my soul. It’s one of those blissful ‘meant to be’ outcomes of a life led by inner guidance - something I have always tapped into without even realising it.
A heart for people and love of learning (I could almost say obsession - I am ALWAYS learning and seeking new knowledge!) naturally steered me into primary school teaching. Despite the obvious fit, something felt off, I didn’t feel fulfilled and had an inkling this wasn’t what my life was meant to be. It was that inner guidance again, nudging me in prep for what came next. Don’t ya love that, our intuition is so clever!
While I was still teaching (being that lifelong learner I told you I was!) I studied a Diploma of Professional Coaching on the side in 2015. This came out of interest, not out of a desire to be a coach, and became something I started to apply to my own life. It was through testing out these techniques and tools I realised my life needed to change. So I followed that nudge and left teaching with nothing more than trust that I would work it out because my intuition told me so. When I look back it sure was a giant-ass leap of faith but at the time it felt like a no-brainer!
The final papers of my coaching course were practicals - I had to coach different clients to pass. It was at that moment, sitting across from one of my friends who’d volunteered to be coached, I realised where my inner guidance had been taking me. Feeling the energy change during our session and how much lighter and more empowered she was as she left made me realise how incredibly needed coaching is. I knew I was put here to empower and support other women as they learn to follow their own inner guidance, and I surrendered to where the universe was taking me.
My journey into coaching was a natural progression from there, as things often are when you follow your intuition and trust in yourself rather than outside sources. It’s not to say there weren’t challenges, it just means I could overcome them because I followed what felt right to me. I even had a good friend laugh at me (‘good friend’ at the time - please remember your true friends only laugh at you when it’s actually funny - like an accidental fart!) when I started Goal Diggers NZ but a few weeks later I had my first three long-term clients signed up.
This journey taught me the power of tuning in to your inner guidance and tuning out all the rest. In one of those beautiful serendipities of life, all my other learnings and values added to my coaching skill-set. Don’t you love it when that happens! My sports training qualification (see, learning fiend) and lifelong value of caring for my body and mind equally, helped me to support women more deeply.
There was still a gap left to fill. My intuition tapped me again when I was handed a book written by my friend and unofficial spiritual mentor, Emma Mildon. This book (The Soul Searchers Handbook) was the spark for my spiritual learning. I realised despite being connected to myself emotionally, mentally and physically, the soul piece was missing - and that the same went for many of my clients.
This journey so far (and still to come) comes from following my prompts and trusting in what mamma nature has in store. We all have inner guidance trying to be heard, it’s just harder for some than others because fears, overwhelm, hustle and other’s voices are shouting over it. It’s only by learning to listen and stripping back the rest of the noise that we can finally tap into what will make us joyful and fulfilled (two of the best kinds of ‘ful’s!).
Following my inner guidance has given me freedom - freedom from fear, from comparison, from ‘what ifs’ - and that’s the freedom I want to empower my clients to create.
I’ve just opened the doors to my signature group coaching journey The Soul Room, a 2-month journey for women who are wanting to reconnect deeper to themselves and to mother nature, trust their own inner guidance and flow with the natural rhythm and cycles of the universe, so they can thrive! An invitation to feel into the magic over on The Soul Room page and FEEL into if it’s for you.I would be honoured to mentor and guide you as we wrap up 2020 and move into 2021 together.
So much love to you and for you, Bridget xx