Two Uncomfortable Questions to Lean Into

“My confidence and excitement have increased by 100%.”

A client, Jennifer, was giving me feedback on our work together. Jennifer is an experienced coach. The best coaches are never finished with their growth. They seek out resources that can help them fulfill their potential, becoming more of who they are meant to be.

The feedback was wonderful to hear, and it occurred to me that there was something important to highlight. I responded with this:

“You have invested years in training and personal growth work. It’s finally come home to roost.”?

Jennifer has been on a magnificent path for many years. She had the courage to leave a corporate job to focus on building a coaching business. She had committed to working on herself to be the best she could be. When she came to me, the challenge was to integrate everything she had learned and experienced–and then, expand. It’s magical and sacred to witness a human being in this expansion.

A mentor recently brought to my attention a book, The Confession by Tolstoy.? When I asked what it was about, he explained that it contained Tolstoy’s reflection on the following questions:

Why do I live? What will result from my life?

These questions are about purpose and legacy.

Why do I live?

I live to see the world anew, and to help others see the world anew. I live to see people like Jennifer expand into more of who they are meant to be–magnificent, filled with light and love, oriented to the future and firmly in the present.

What will result from my life?

This question is confronting. Without an immediate answer, the void becomes uncomfortable. And then, I remember that my legacy is already here. I have been on a magnificent path. I have integrated my learning and? experiences. I have expanded. The result of my life, thus far, is like the Perseid meteor shower, a faint light emerging in the darkness, developing into a streak of light across the nighttime sky. The illumination is short-lived. And yet the sparkle is etched across the hearts of those watching

Photo by Péter K?vesi

Why do you live? What will result from your life??

Give these questions some attention. It may be uncomfortable. Lean into the discomfort to find the gems.