Joy is a Powerful Compass

By the time I meet many of my coaching clients, they’ve tried everything.?

They’ve read books, taken assessments, and listened to every performance guru on the internet.?

They can quote their strengths, their mission statement, and their values and even have an “elevator pitch” that literally rocks.?

And they’re exhausted.?

They’ve drained all their energy with introspection and self-exploration, and they still haven’t been able to answer the one question that started them on this journey:?

Where can I be happy and fulfilled??

Don’t get me wrong.?I love videos, books, assessments, and tools.?I’ve used them all and taught them to my clients. And I’ve seen them create breakthrough moments that were truly incredible.?

But none of them held the real answer.??

They were just road signs on a long highway.?They pointed the way.?They got you excited.?But seeing them didn’t mean you’d arrived.?

No one ever found fulfillment because they created a purpose statement.?

There’s not a single person whose life is complete because Myers Briggs revealed they were an INFJ.??

The real answers are further up and farther in.?

So, here’s my radical advice:?

Don’t read another book or attend another conference.?At least, not for a while.

Instead, start watching where your energy goes – effortlessly, spontaneously – and then follow it.??

If you feel a pull toward being an artist, buy some paint.?Lay your colors on the canvas and see what happens.?Paint over it and try again.?Don’t critique your art.?Just notice how you feel when you’re making it.?

If you want to write a book, hammer out a paragraph every day.?Don’t edit.?Just splash around in the water of words and see what happens.?Promise yourself you’ll write 20 paragraphs before you reread a single one.?

If your dream is to start a business, volunteer part-time as an intern for someone who’s in that industry and see what it’s like.?If it pulls you further in, you’ll know what to do next.??

The things that excite you are not random.?They are clues to a future you dream of, but don’t have words yet to describe.?And they are waiting for you to follow them.?

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This is the revelation I want to give you:?

Joy is a valid compass.?(read that again)?

Joy (deep, fulfilling, heart-felt joy) can be your greatest guide. And once you start following it, you’ll learn more in a month than any book can teach.??

And if the thing you’re following keeps pulling you in – if it feels like a hand in the small of your back gently nudging you to take the next step – you’re onto something so powerful it can bring your whole soul alive.?

Later, when you’re flowing, you can read the books, take the courses, or apprentice yourself to a mentor.?

But for now, just try this:?

Say yes to doing some small thing that lights your heart.?

Notice how it feels.?

If it pulls you further in, do a little more next time.?

Before you know it, you’ll be on your way.