Dont Let Yourself Forget Who You Were At 16 - Kathy Caprino

Dont Let Yourself Forget Who You Were At 16 Part of the work I do in helping women feel happier and more successful in their work, is excavation â€" digging deep and peeling the layers to uncover the richness and the amazing natural gifts inside. And one critical dimension of that process is remembering who you were when you were just starting out in life. When I look back at what I loved to do when I was 16, and the natural talents that began to flow forth, I see that everything I enjoy in my work now is exactly what I felt joyous and exuberant about then. I loved to write (I became an English major and studied journalism, and was a reporter for my school paper), I was a singer and a performer, I loved psychology and figuring out what made people tick, and I enjoyed helping my friends (boys and girls) sort out solutions to problems they were grappling with. I remember my beloved dad too commenting about my nature. Once day, when I was trying to sort out why someone was behaving really badly to me, he said “Honey, you really love to get to the bottom of things figure out what drives people to do what they do. You love to know why.” He was so right. I didn’t realize then â€" or for 20+ years more in my unhappy corporate life â€" that we’re all happiest and most alive when “…we’re demonstrating in physical reality what we know to be true about ourselves, when we we are giving form to our Lifes Intentions in a way that contributes to others.” â€" Maria Nemeth, The Energy of Money I love this quote, and I feel that no truer words have ever been spoken. In your adult life, have you ever demonstrated behavior or spoke in ways that you later realized were NOT you at all? That were jarring, hurtful, disrespectful, catty, destructive? If youre in touch with your emotions, youll feel a jarring pain when youre being your lowest self you feel it in your soul. Or have you ever struggled with a problem (like chronically being unable to repay your debts or not telling the truth on something critical) and you know that what you’re demonstrating in life is not true, good, or worthy of your self-respect? I have, and it’s a horrible feeling. We are terribly unhappy when what we’re creating in life is out of alignment with everything we know to be true about ourselves. Secondly, I’ve seen through 10 years of career coaching that the most alive and joyful people on the planet are those who feel that their natural gifts are useful to others â€" to a great company, an important cause, to people in need, or to their community and world. I believe that’s why were on the planet today â€" to find a way to use who we are in benefit to those around us. But life is challenging and exhausting today, and most of us are so beleaguered with what’s on our plates that we’ve forgotten who were when we were young, and what we’re capable of. We’ve lost sight of how amazing we are, and the gifts we are supposed to be sharing. How can we reclaim those talents and capabilities and find new ways to utilize them? Here’s a challenge for you. Every day for the next 21 days, when you get up in the morning and are washing your face or taking a shower, take 3 minutes to think about what you loved about yourself at 16 (or pick an age where you were shining). Think about: What people noticed about you, and raved about What made you feel joyful, free, and alive What made you feel strong and confident What you did that made others say, “Wow! I could never to that so beautifully or well!” What your friends and family adored about you And finally, what you thought was pretty darn amazing about yourself Just bring these things to mind each day, and get back in touch with yourself who you were, and who you are, deep down. Do this for 21 consecutive days and you will experience a shift. You’ll remember more clearly what you’re capable of, and you’ll start believing that it’s time to shift your life and work so that you’re using more of your natural gifts and talents, and finding more joy and satisfaction in your life and relationships. It’s time to dig deep, find your right work, and illuminate the world with it. Its YOUR time to shine. For some inspiration to build a happier, more satisfying career, visit the Amazing Career Project, and watch my new video Time to Shine.