This is my very first blog post since making the leap of faith into my brand new life.  Actually this is my very first blog post ever so I’m already challenging myself to try something new.  I hope you’ll stick with me as I learn to release the accountant and unleash the writer.

I decided to start this blog a few months ago when I began to feel a pull to change my life and become the person I really am deep down.  It’s not that I was unhappy with my life quite the opposite in fact.  I have so much to be grateful for; amazing friends and family, my gorgeous little boy, a roof over my head and I live in a wonderful country where we are safe and opportunities are around every corner.

Why change my life?

So, if everything was going well what happened to wake me up and decide something needed to change?  A very dear kindred spirit of mine got breast cancer.  Stupid, horrible, life changing breast cancer that ultimately took her life and inspired me to change mine.  We had some wonderful talks about the value of life and how we have only one of them, so we’d better make it count.  Right before she died she said she couldn’t understand what this cancer had been sent to teach her but perhaps it was never about her.  I wish so deeply that she was still here to see how her death has moved me to change my life.  Perhaps she was right, it wasn’t about her.  Whether it was or not I feel that by showing up for my life I am also honoring hers.  I like to think she is watching and cheering me on from wherever she is.

Life is precious. Make it count.

 Discovering my authentic self

“Go for it now.  The future is promised to no one.” Wayne Dyer

I love that quote.  It resonates so deeply within me.  So, I decided to go for it.  The only problem was I didn’t really know what “it” was or even how to begin.  I started listening to inspiring podcasts and reading blogs and one day I was guided to a wonderful woman who is now my life coach.   She encouraged me to look deep within myself to discover who I truly am.

She asked me a powerful and confronting question “Shauna what makes you special?”.  I was surprised at how hard I found the question to answer.  I could list lots of things wrong with me but my instinctual answer to her question was “Nothing.  There is nothing special about me”.  So, I went away and over the next two weeks thought deeply about the question.  I came to see that we are all special.  We all have gifts and talents.  Things we are good at.  Things that come so naturally to us that we don’t even consider them.

So here is what makes Shauna special.  I am deeply empathic and compassionate.  I truly care about how people are feeling and want everybody to be living the best possible life they can.  I am a great communicator and always aware of my impact on others.  I’m also very organised and if you need something planned whether an event or a holiday I’m your girl.  There are so many more things but what it comes down to is all these qualities make me who I am and there has never been another me on this planet and there will never be another.

Taking the leap of faith

Here’s the leap of faith part.  This exercise helped me see the areas of my life where I was playing a role and not living my true authentic life.  While I have many qualities that make me a great accountant my career wasn’t giving me the opportunity to use the parts of myself that are truly at the heart of who I am as a person.  So, I quit my safe, secure job of 14 years to train as a life coach.   Now as I’m sure you can imagine, it wasn’t as simple as that and I’m not recommending people should just quit their jobs without a plan.  I still have responsibilities and there are bills to pay but I have my plan and great trust that I will be taken care of.  My inner wisdom guided me to this path and for now I’m just going to enjoy the ride.

Leap of faith into the unknown

Beautiful You Life Coaching

The journey to helping others to be the person they truly are, living the life they dream of has begun.  I’m training with the wonderful Beautiful You Life Coaching Academy.  The training focuses on heart-centred life coaching which feels just right for me at this moment in my life.   I’m so inspired and excited to be taking the first steps towards “Going for it”.  Who knows where it will take me, but I do know I’m going to bring every ounce of my authentic self along for the ride.