This week, two photographs from my archive, one from a decade ago and the other from almost three decades ago, June 1999 to be precise. 

 

 

One decade ago my daughter and I moved out of our family home and in with my then boyfriend. It was the start of a monumental chain of events that culminated in me telephoning the police to help us leave that guys house. 

 

Three decades ago (almost) I was fleeing a different abusive relationship, with my toddler daughter in my arms. Look how adorable she was! 

 

 

And my life could have remained that way, had I not decided, with great intention, to tell those stories in very different ways. (Here's how I described it in last weeks newsletter) I left both those relationships, not because I was a helpless victim, but because I filled myself with self-respect, visualised a life that included a peaceful relationship and never, ever gave up on love.

 

Today I am more happily married than my past self could believe was possible. Part of her believed it was impossible, and that she was doomed to disastrous relationships with alcoholics. But a greater part of her knew what she wanted and did not settle for anything less. 

 

 

This is how to make the impossible, possible. My joyful marriage is evidence of that, if you needed any to borrow, as you grow your belief in what's possible for your life.

Client Spotlight

This spring, one of my longest-standing clients, who's been growing his belief in what's possible for him, crossed three finish lines in the space of a few months, and I mean that both literally and figuratively. 

 

He graduated from USC with his Master's degree. He accepted a job offer with one of the big four accounting firms, in LA, starting this October. And two weeks after walking the stage, he ran his second marathon knocking a jaw-dropping amount of time off his first, running a 3:19 and finishing, in his words, "with a smile."

 

 

When he first came to me, he was deep in perfectionism, second-guessing everything her did, and never quite believing he was already successful. Watching him graduate as a Trojan, land the job, and PR his marathon within weeks of each other wasn't luck. 

 

 

Here's how he described it:

 

And on what coaching actually gave him:

 

This is the part of my job I love most, watching someone go from "I don't know how to get there", and hustling, to standing on the other side of it, medal around their neck, degree in hand, job offer signed.

 

You don't have to be training for a marathon, walking a graduation stage, or signing an offer letter, to recognise this. Ambitious people, whether you're growing a business or chasing a marathon PR, hit the same wall around "mile 20." The ones who make it through aren't the ones without doubt. 

 

They're the ones who've learned to talk to themselves like someone worth believing in.

 

Much Love,

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