From Fear of Flying to Discovering the Unexpected
Seven years ago, when I decided to become a coach I nearly didn't make it to the first step.
When it became clear that the future I believed to be my destiny, taking over the agency I had been at for over 30 years, turned out not to be the case, I had to figure out what to do next. Lots of folks thought I should start my own agency, but that held no appeal, nor did going to work for a competitor. I wanted to be independent and do something unique to my own talents, so at that point I decided to become a coach.
I did lots of research to find the right program. It was important to me to take classes in person, one with a curriculum broad enough to accommodate all the people I wanted to coach, plus the training had to result in a professional credential.
Finally, I found a course that seemed perfect, so I went to an introductory event to be sure the fit was right. I froze. I was terrified to enroll. No matter what I told myself, I could not do it.
I felt overwhelming shame that fear had taken such a strong hold over me. What could I do to make a change?
Then one night I had a dream that transformed everything. I normally do not remember my dreams, but now 6 years later I can still replay it in my mind like a mini movie.
It involved me bringing home a pair of birds, but since I was expecting company I put the cage with the birds underneath a table so that they would not be seen. Then I forgot about them and by the time I remembered, they had become petrified, so they looked alive, but they were actually dead.
When I woke the next morning, I was shaking and I knew that a part of me would die if I let my fear stop me. I was unwilling to do that to myself.
Later that day I enrolled in the training, and even though fear often came knocking throughout the program I kept moving forward.
This experience is not unique to me, and we often have to face it to get to where we want to go. The fear does not go away, the question is what we choose to do with it.
Do you have a dream or a desire that your fear is holding you back from?
If there is anything that this last year has taught us, it is that we do not know what is around the corner... so why wait? What step can you take today to get you closer to the life you want? Even if you have never dared to imagine a life different than the one you are living, let's arrange a time to talk so you can get started.
From Fear Of Flying to Discovering the Unexpected
“At some point you may get fired, but don’t worry you will learn from it.”
Most people know Nancy Giles from her commentaries on CBS Sunday Morning and some know her appearances on China Beach. I know her because I had the good fortune to represent her for her speaking engagements for over a decade. It was surprising when she came to the agency, because in addition to her work as an actress, she was a comedian, and our agency was famous for only taking on relentlessly serious clients. But that is one of Nancy's gifts: she is unexpected and she often upends standard conversations.
When she started to appear on CNN and MSNBC panels we wanted to update her bio to include those appearances, so she told us to describe her as” The Accidental Pundette“- the perfect balance of humor and thoughtfulness. I remember when she came to my mother’s funeral and my cousin Andrea walked over to her and said, "I'm used to having my coffee with you on Sundays”. They both started to laugh and sat down together to talk before the service began. That is the point: Nancy brings all of herself everywhere she goes: to television, to the podium or any other place you find her.
Do you have the courage to discover your unique point of view, so you can bring it into the world?
If you are a speaker, or an expert in your field wanting to move to the next step, let’s arrange a time to explore my public speaker coaching services.
This is both a challenging and exciting time, so if you are looking to explore a new pathway let’s talk so you can get started.