My Learning Journey
Nearly twenty years ago, I embarked on a learning journey to discover the world of life coaching. I enrolled in the Power of Possibility class during a period of transition, to help guide me to discover and write my next chapter. The coaching tools and journaling techniques I mastered through the Learning Journeys coaching certification were transformative.
Since that first class, I’ve earned two certifications in coaching, led retreats and reinvented myself career-wise twice. First, I dove into the world of public relations; where I found professional success, thanks to my mentor, Beth La Breche, of LaBreche, who is now a dear friend. Beth took a chance on me and showed me the ropes. Now, I’ve launched my own online magazine, in the hopes of creating a community to connect and inspire people from around the world with my stories. I didn’t do it alone, I had people to encourage and inspire me along the way. Read more about that part of my journey, in The Making of Zabelicious Life.
Journaling lays the groundwork for coaching and is a primary component of the Power of Possibility class. Writing my intentions for the future was one of my favorite journaling exercises in class. We were told the sky was the limit. Dream BIG! Put pen to paper. Then, put your plan into action. So I did. Fast forward to present day and it’s amazing how much has transpired in the blink of an eye.
One silver lining of the pandemic, was having time to look back at some of my past journal entries from that initial course, to see how my hopes and dreams for the future unfolded. I was amazed to not only find that journal, but to discover how many of my intentions actually came true.
October 18, 2002
20 years from now I imagine….
My dwelling will be a cottage style house on or near a lake, surrounded by beautiful gardens. I will be older and wiser, still living young at heart. My future self advises me to follow my dreams and be true to myself. Everything happens for a reason. What will be will be. I am a creator, connector and storyteller. I envision a gift of a scrapbook of pictures and mementos from the past twenty years highlighting the joys of our life; raising our children-now grown, holidays, career achievements and milestones. I will treasure this gift always.
I am grateful to have fulfilled many of those promises to myself and wishes for the future.
Our daughter wasn’t even born yet. I had almost given up the thought of another baby, when I created a collage for that first class, which included a picture of three children playing. We only had two boys then. When I described my collage in class I teared up. I realized I had pasted a drawing of three children, rather than two. Wishful thinking, I thought to myself. It wasn’t meant to be. I’ll never have that little girl I always wanted. Before the class ended, I found out I was pregnant. Nine months later, Julia was born and our family was complete. I still have the original collage, which has yellowed over time. Now it includes a favorite family photo with all three of our children, next to the picture I pasted of my vision for the future.
Fate uprooted me from my home state of Minnesota and brought our family to Wisconsin, where we built a cottage style home, surrounded by a beautiful garden that blooms wildly now. Initially, I resisted the move and the idea of establishing new roots here. Eventually, I adapted and opened my heart to new friendships, which are represented, along with the old ones in my garden. Read more about that learning journey in My Garden of Friendship.
Two years ago, our three kids surprised us with a photo scrapbook in honor of our 25th wedding anniversary, as I had imagined and hoped for twenty years ago. I never mentioned this idea to anyone. It was buried in the pages of my journal from 2002. I was stunned when they presented the gift to us and didn’t even remember writing that wish, until I was paging through my old journal recently.
I am blessed to have had so many of my visions for the future come true.
We aren’t on a lake yet. I found a way to reimagine lake life and take advantage of the ones nearby. Learn more about how I used the Quarter Turn coaching tool to see things differently, in Lake Life Reimagined.
I have a feeling the perfect place on the water will find me in the future. Until then, I have created my “fake lake room” on my porch. I have decorated it in a lake cottage style, with a whimsical nod to fictional Lake Wobegan, “where it’s always pleasant.”
I believe journaling gave me the power to turn my dreams into reality. My learning journey continues today and I feel the power of possibility, as I journal my hopes and vision for the next twenty years.
I invite you to be the author of your own story. Don't let anyone else write your next chapter. The choice is up to you.
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Discover a full resource of life coaching tips, motivational quotes and journaling prompts to inspire you, in my "Journal It" pages.
If you are new here and not sure where to start, read Why Journal? and find a took kit to get you started.
How ready are you to dig deeper? Join me in journaling!
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