Living My Calling - The Stories
Aug 01, 2019The truth is that it took time for me to commit to my calling and right livelihood.
I thought it might help if I shared some of my ‘traveller’s notes’ on this... Just so you know that a ’reluctant’ student... can still find their way...
- Something missing: As a lawyer I could feel something was missing. I tried to dismiss that I was crying every morning going into work. I put it down to a bit of stress. And in parallel, beat myself up for not being tough enough/not having what it takes.
- The Illness: A lot of you know this story by now... but as a summary... I get sick and am told I will never walk properly again and will spend the rest of my life in crippling pain. I realise through that experience that I am completely disconnected from who I really am and what is important to me . That I am not investing in my real dreams or what I care about. I decide to live with no regrets. I start becoming obsessed about going to Peru.
- Shaken Not Stirred: I am getting resigned to my fate and loosing my fight against the illness. I share my plight with a facilitator on a course. He utters these words: ‘When will you start making up problems that are worth getting up for in the morning?’. I am shaken out of my trance. Maybe I can still have a positive impact. It’s time I start thinking about what I really care about and what difference I want to make. I find a coach to help me.
- Taking A Stand: I do the work and understand that I am here to help people remember who they really are. I have no idea what that means in practice. I convince the Head of HR of my Law Firm to create a job for me in HR bringing large scale people transformation. I am on my way! I start training on the side in NLP, Counselling and Coaching. Over time, I begin working for both the Career and Leadership Development team and continue in my role as internal change agent.
- Answering The Call: I get better. The call to go to Macchu Picchu intensifies. I resist...I try to live a normal life, get engaged, get married, buy a house, enjoy my job. But I by now know the drill. I have to answer the call. I go and ask my boss for a 6 months' sabbatical. He tells me he can give me 3 months. I resign. I spend 7 months travelling round South and Central America. I get to Peru where I immerse in the Inca ways, spirituality and healing approaches. I have a powerful other reality experience at Macchu Picchu. It is almost like to energy of the place is activating something inside of me. I study with Shamans at Macchu Picchu. I fall in love with the Inca philosophy of living in harmony with the planet - as part of the natural system rather than dominating it. I learn about energy work, crystal healing and energetic connection with the planet.
- Will You Coach? During my trip, I find myself on top of the Altiplano in Bolivia with bad altitude sickness. Thousands of kilometres from the nearest hospital, our truck having broken down, I am lying in a basic shelter. Every time I move I throw up. I am hugging the oxygen tank next to me. I am scared. So as you do... I make a deal with god, higher power... ‘If you let me live, I promise I will coach’. I knew I had been resisting that step. The next morning I wake up right as rain. I don’t want to tempt fate and decide to honour the bargain (!) When I get back to internet land, there is a message from my ex-boss offering me a job for when I get back. I agree but negotiate to work part time so that I can set up my coaching business on the side.
- The Healer: When I get back from my trip, I am obsessed with energy healing and deep transformation. I train for a year as a holistic therapist. I learn other modalities such as La Stone Therapy, Reiki, Crystal and Sound Resonance healing, Shamanic journeying and Soul Retrieval. I develop a holistic healing practice alongside my leadership and career development corporate job. That work expands into more people transformation projects, curriculum design, workshop facilitation and official internal coaching. I live a double life ... but it feeds and develops the two parts of me.
- Making The Leap: After a couple of years, my boss offers me a promotion. But that would mean letting go of the more ‘hands on’ transformation aspect of my work - like training and coaching. I decide that it is time to make the leap to having my own business full time. I resign and am terrified. On my last day at work my boss calls me into his office:’How would it be if I bought upfront 30 days of your time to do some work for us?’ I of course say yes! I owe him probably the success of my business. I realise that my awareness of energy can now be integrated into my coaching and training. It means that I know when people are not aligned and what ‘buttons’ to press to get them back on track. I decide to let go of the healing practice and focus on my career and leadership coaching, training and consulting.
- Living The Dream: On a holiday in San Francisco, I am offered an amazing apartment with a view of Bay Bridge. I split my time between London and San Francisco for a while. Working intensively in London and spending ‘play time’ in San Francisco. In San Francisco I thrive. It is like it has all the right elements for me to grow in the right way. Actually it is like for the first time I have been planted in the right place. I litterally giggle with joy every time I land there. And here as an entrepreneur I am considered normal - whereas in London people look at me as if I am this weirdo... especially as I am only early thirties and a woman. I immerse in spiritual development, yoga, meditation, the outdoors and entrepreneurial world. I start to be offered some amazing opportunities - Korn Ferry, Stanford... I set up a business in the US and go through the visa process. I am granted the visa but then have the weirdest exprience ever at the Embassy. The person there refuses to give me the visa... these are his words “I can see that you are a very capable young woman, and I know that you will make it to the US one day and you will be very successful. But this is not your time and so I am not giving you the visa.' I left the Embassy stuned. 6 months later the subprime loan crash happened. My business would not have been able to survive that. It seemed that life had my back after all.
To be continued...
Anyway these are just a few of my experiences around calling. I hope they help you see that it is not a linear process... a pretty crazy but wildly fulfilling adventure.
Until Next Time,
Louise
More about Louise Le Gat...
I am an experienced facilitator, transformation coach, and creator of the ‘Positive Energy Leaders’ Transformation Journey. I help leaders connect to their mission, build meaningful careers and have a positive impact through their work or purpose based businesses.
To work with me...
My flagship programme is Positive Energy Leaders: Remember Who You Really Are, Do What You Are Truly Here To Do, Evolve The World By Being You. You can do this in different ways either by coming on Retreat with me or Coaching Online over a longer period of time. To find out more contact me at [email protected]
Photo by Karly Santiago on Unsplash
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