Daryl Wood's Blog

Here I am – at another crossroads and the same crossroads … again.

Somehow I imagined that things would make more sense, be more clear by the time I reached this stage of my life. Surely after decades of pondering, musing and analyzing I deserve relief from the frustrations that continue to hover over my shoulder. And, hover they do.

In the big picture they are incidental. A powerful force keeps me moving no matter what erratic thoughts dance through my head. What confounds me is that these misbehaving beliefs keep showing up and creating chaos when they do. Some of my friends remind me that I am in menopause – as if that is sufficient reason to be in this mindset. While it may contribute, I am also aware that my choice of livelihood has a lot to do with it.

I am a Life Coach and I bill myself as a Transformational Life and Leadership Facilitator. That’s a strong statement of being. For me, it means I talk to people every day about shifting their perspective on challenging behaviours, attitudes and situations. I’m always pointing to the bigger vision, the place of fulfillment that feels so elusive to so many in their daily life. Indeed, we often uncover deep values and strong beliefs that play out in big AND small ways every waking moment. Sometimes they catch their breath in amazement when we make a connection between actions and beliefs. And … sometimes I feel my pulse race when their awakening strikes a chord in me.

When I hang up the phone from a call I take a few moments to hold that amazing person in my heart. It’s important to me that they find a safe haven in our relationship – even in the times when I push them hard. Sometimes, what follows these reflective moments is the parallels that surface between what my client is experiencing and my own life. It is uncanny and many coaches recognize that they are coaching what they “need to learn”. And so it might be for me.

Once more, I get to begin again. Witness the ways I stop myself from living full out; acknowledge my fears; embrace my courageous super-hero inner champion and … begin again.

I’m a bit of an expert at Begin Again. I’ve had lots of practice. Today, when I was deluged with self-defeating emotion I came face to face with yet another chance to Begin Again. Get up. Dust myself off. Find the learning and grow. Even in the moments when I asked myself “Why Bother”, I knew I would. I’m too committed to making a difference and serving others to back away from the scariest nooks and crannies. This is real stuff and not philosophical drama. And just as I have done many times in my life and just as I will do as long as I am breathing … I begin again.