There is a crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in.
– Leonard Cohen

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places.
– Ernest Hemingway

We are all broken. That’s how the light gets in.  
– misattributed to Ernest Hemingway

The wound is the place where the Light enters you.
– Rumi

These quotes are among my favorites (even the one that Hemingway never wrote). I’m a big believer that where our cracks, or wounds, are is where the light gets in. When you are wounded, you learn things. You grow as you gain new insights and awareness about yourself: what you want more of in your life, what you don’t want in your life at all, how you contribute to situations, how you can do better next time, and just how strong you are. You also see how the people around you support you, and you are reminded of their love.

These cracks and wounds are also where your light comes out. I believe that where your wound is, is where your gift is. That thing you came to give to others is something you are experiencing yourself. What’s most profound to you will be important to others – not to everybody, but essential to the right people.

Belonging is my top core value, the thing that is most important to me. I didn’t always feel like I belonged as a kid – or as an adult; I struggled with self-acceptance and not feeling accepted by others. Over time, that wound has also been a great source of joy for me. It has driven me to invest in my relationships with others; today I have deep friendships with wonderful people and more loving relationships with family. That wound has also led me to my work; as I help my clients to learn about themselves, accept themselves, and create more belonging in their own lives, my sense of belonging also increases.

Where are the cracks that allow the light to shine in for you? And how do you use that light as a gift in your life and others’?

Keep shining!

p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

 

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There seems to be general agreement that 2016 was a rough year. Yes, there were blessings and accomplishments and laughter, too. But a rough year.

What was so heartening for me was how my clients and friends seemed mobilized by the tough experiences – each ready to make a difference in their own way. What’s the difference you are uniquely designed to make? What’s the thing that lights you up and allows you to shine your light on others?

This Rumi quote is one of my favorites: “Be a lamp or a lifeboat or a ladder. Help someone’s soul heal. Walk out of your house like a shepherd.” What’s the thing you naturally do that is a light in other people’s lives? We often devalue our gifts and strengths, thinking that if it comes easy to us, it must be easy for everyone else. Not so! There is something that only you can contribute to the world – it may or may not be vocational, and it may or may not be what you think!

I’m privileged to work with incredible clients every day so that they can understand themselves and others better – and so they can use their gifts to be a lamp, a lifeboat, or a ladder. Creating understanding and acceptance is, I hope, the way in which I bring my light to the world.

What’s yours? If you don’t know, that’s ok – and not unusual. But please create some space for the question in 2017, because the world needs your light!

Shine on!

p.s. If you would like to learn more about yourself and your strengths (and are in the Memphis area), I am running a small career group beginning in late January. The deadline to register is this week, so let me know today if you have any questions. More information can be found here https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2017/

p.p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

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Happy new year! I hope your holidays were terrific, that you’ve acknowledged all you accomplished in 2016, and that you are ready to make 2017 an exceptional year. If you want to be intentional about how you spend your energy and to take charge of your career, please consider whether career coaching could help you.

If you are in the Memphis area, I will be running a three month career coaching group beginning late January. The deadline to register is Tuesday, January 10. All the details can be found here: https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2017/

Please contact me today at jen@jenfrankcoaching.com or 901.308.0613 with questions, to schedule a conversation or to register. Let’s make 2017 the year you find your great work!

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That’s how one of my young clients, let’s call her Lilly, started our last session. I stayed open, but anticipated that I might need to self-manage regarding what came next. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised that the sentence ended with “…I decided to apply to Teach For America.”

Lilly and I discussed why she was so nervous about this decision, since teaching was an option she’d been considering. Was it because she now felt committed to a path? Was she worried it was the wrong choice? Was she afraid she would be a bad teacher? No, mostly she was worried that she wouldn’t be accepted to the program; several of her friends had taught with Teach For America (TFA), and she didn’t want to let them down.

We considered the worst case together, and Lilly realized her friends wouldn’t suddenly abandon her or like her any less if she didn’t get accepted to TFA. She quickly found her resourcefulness, saying that she would find a different teacher training program, if needed.

Lilly was also concerned whether this was a good decision or not, since it’s a big commitment. So we looked at the work we had done over the past couple months and saw that teaching was a great fit for her values, needs, strengths, skills, passions and the type of environment she likes. For example, ideally we want to be in our strengths 75% of the time at work. Lilly’s strengths are that she sees and appreciates differences in people; she is patient with challenging people; she is highly adaptable to new environments, situations and people; she is positive and optimistic; she is quick to smile and offer praise; and she is a curious explorer who loves to learn about new places, ideas and people. Sounds like someone who will be a terrific teacher!!

By the end of our session, Lilly’s fear had become excitement. She was solid in her decision and motivated to take the next step. If this sounds easy, it was only because we had already done all the work to figure out what’s important to Lilly, how she shows up, and what she does uniquely well. We were able to use that information as an objective filter to determine that teaching was a good choice for her. (And Lilly understands she can always make a different choice later.)

Imagine you got drunk last night and made a career decision to do the thing you really wanted to do, but were afraid to. What would it be?

Here’s to your right work!

p.s. Do you have enough information to know if your next career choice is a good fit for you? If you are in the Memphis area, I am running a small career group again in 2017 beginning in late January. More information can be found here https://jenfrankcoaching.com/career-group-jan-2017/

p.p.s. Your comments are most welcome on this post at https://www.facebook.com/jenfrankcoaching

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