Guest post by Mary E. Pratt, Empathy Enthusiast and Freelance Trainer, www.HonestandGentle.com
Giving birth to my daughter was the sweet spot in a bittersweet period of my life. The crisis hotline I served for eight years closed its doors the same month she was born, after the board voted to dissolve the organization.
I had planned to continue with the organization as a consulting trainer and a hotline volunteer, so it felt as if the rug had been pulled out from under me, and my ties to a previous life and the working world had been severed.
I loved being at home with my daughter, but there was more that I wanted to be doing. I desperately wanted to complete the Master’s degree I had been working on, part-time, for years, and I wanted to continue teaching active listening and crisis intervention skills. Fragments of other ideas began swimming around my head, but when I spoke about them with friends and family I usually got nothing but quizzical looks in return.
As a new mom, I couldn’t get the traction I needed to make real progress on anything. I felt lost, alone, and exhausted. Plus, I was spending way too much emotional energy continuing to feel betrayed and bitter about the way my last job had ended.
It was just about a year ago that I heard about the Live Your Dream Challenge and recognized that if offered exactly what I needed: Space and unconditional support to birth my dreams. I did not hesitate to sign up and I can mark that decision as a major turning point in my life.
The program is not therapy, but it was incredibly therapeutic for me. Through processing my recent lows, I discovered my “Why,” my driving purpose and passion. As my dreams became more articulated, I “birthed” my website and blog: HonestandGentle.com, a place to explore the practice of empathy and communicating with compassion. I was also able to better articulate and ask for what I needed to achieve my dreams. By the end of the challenge, I had learned to let go of what was holding me back and found the courage to reconnect with important people from my past and get back out into the world.
The past year has been pretty amazing.
Immediately following the challenge, I began work on my thesis and then (finally!) graduated with a Masters of Public Health in December.
As the direct result of reaching out to a past coworker, I was invited to be a trainer for a local organization.
My blog readership continues to grow and I’ve been invited to speak about my ideas. I am brimming with ideas to continue growing my dreams and, with the continuing support of Jenny and her community, I am making steady progress towards building a business that fits around my important work as a stay-at-home-mom.
Also, I’m pregnant. This time around, I’m incredibly grateful that as I birth a new member of our family, I have the tools and support to continue making space to birth my dreams. It all began with saying, “Yes!” to the Live Your Dream Challenge.
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NOTE FROM JENNY: This story brings TEARS to my eyes. Seriously.
Want to birth your dreams, just like Mary?
If you are ready to get GUTSY and make decisions to improve your life and business, join us in the Live Your Dream Challenge.
What I know is this: this program WILL change your life and the course of your business path forever. Stop struggling. Stop trying to muscle your way through by yourself. Stop wasting your life and talents away!
Don’t be afraid. I’ve got your back and I want to help.
http://www.theliveyourdreamchallenge.com
Courtesy reminder: early-bird savings end TODAY – Thursday, May 23 (my 36th birthday!).
Go for it.