My Why
Asking people there why has been something I’ve been doing for years now. Digging deeper into what motivates them, what’s fueling them, why are they passionate about it uncovers so many beautiful reasons that person wants what they are going after. It helps them connect more when talking to others about it, writing cover letters, updating a resume, networking, and interviewing. This is where the magic happens. It’s that moment when a huge smile spreads across a person’s face before they even talk about the things that truly fills them with joy and excites and motivates them. It truly warms my heart every time I tap into somebody talking about their why and witness these moments.
So, I think it’s only fitting I talk about my why.
While it’s wrapped up, in part, with the above, I love helping people capturing that brightest light within them. I’ve had the immense honor of working with hundreds of people on it. I can ask people to fill out questionnaires about their backgrounds all day long and try to pull out the great parts about them, and I can, but I’ve learned that spending the time to actually talk to someone, for them to actually be heard, to guide them in the right direction about all the truly special things about them already is where it’s at. To listen to each person and help them tell the best story about them, the one that’s always been there, but just needed a little push in the right direction to uncover what’s always existed and ignite that spark. My why is also wrapped up in how I show up for people as a coach. And finally, it’s on my terms, not for some company I work for. I get to serve people fully without the outcomes and goals of the organization(s) needs for marketing and statistics at play. When I was helping people transition into software engineering roles for a company that taught them how to code, people would actually apologize when they told me they finally were hired as a developer because they were feeling shame for not achieving an expected salary, time to job, or title. My response was, who cares as long as your happy, but it was alarming to hear people carry this burden when they worked so hard, put so much on the line, and overcame so much to achieve this. Being able to coach people now with absolutely no agenda except for what the person I’m working with needs is beautiful and freeing. Sure there will be other personal expectations and hurdles to overcome, but I appreciate the corporate outcome isn’t part of it.
While I’m immensely proud of the work I’ve done up until this point, and there is no regret about how I got here, I can tell you that I now understand most of my life has been operating in survival mode. This means I wasn’t necessarily building my life or making choices for how I wanted to live and achieve. It took me a long time to commit to a coaching practice just because I needed to be connected to my why and what I was doing it for. So now, more than ever before, I’m attached to what I’m doing with intention and cultivating and building a life that I want. This includes the partner I choose, what I want my life to feel like each day personally and professionally, how my energy is best served and protecting it, and while I’ve been talking about authenticity for years, and I have been authentic to who I was at any given evolution in life, I’m truer to myself now than I ever have been.
I would love nothing more to work with people on living their best life, processing and thinking about where they are in their life, let go of what no longer serves them, and choosing their best path so they can fully live their best lives and show up more authentically to all those they love, live, and work with. I also understand authenticity isn’t easy for all and whatever work I can do to impact environments so people can show up as they are is also important to me.
Once we’re shepherded out into the “real world” around the time we graduate high school, it might seem we can “work hard, it’ll all work out”. But we’re not given really solid tools to navigate the nuances of what that looks like, given tools to advocate for ourselves and pivot when needed. Many of us, me included, end up on autopilot without really thinking about it or connected to who we’re doing it. My why is to encourage people to be brave, do things that scare them a little because it’s important to them, live a life that energizes them in the best way.
Work with me!
If you are looking for coaching support, I’d love to meet and see if we’re a good fit. You can email me at shannon@radiantfirefly.com or schedule time to connect here to see if it feels good to continue an engagement together.