I celebrated my birthday earlier this week! This is one of the few times I turn into a total and complete kid. I mean, I get downright giddy reading birthday messages, opening gifts, and being pleasantly surprised. It brings me JOY.
I define JOY as basking in the utter delight of a moment that didn’t have to be. After all, people are not required to honor and celebrate me.
Some people think JOY is one of these woo-woo words that doesn’t really mean much. But I disagree. JOY is such a powerful expression and an even more powerful choice. Joy can be present even when all the circumstances do not perfectly align.
Amber’s Story:
She was one of my career coaching clients who wanted to leave her employer. Amber was a very competent leader, but she said she was unfulfilled. She was doing the same thing, with the same people every day.
Eventually, everything about work began to annoy her. She began to have disagreements with people she usually worked well with. As a result, her co-workers began to pull away from her.
I challenged Amber to take part in one of our coaching exercises that is rooted in JOY. She thought I was bonkers and was certain this was a waste of time. Eventually, she ignored her cynical thoughts and decided to trust our process.
Throughout this exercise, Amber began to realize that she was trying to make her job something it was never meant to be. She wanted to make it PERMANENT.
The truth is, Amber was not excited to begin the career search process. Looking for the next right opportunity can certainly be daunting, especially if you do not have career coaching support.
What she also realized during our exercise, was that the organization offered her exactly what they promised when she began working with them. She was blaming the company for her numb feelings at work and for outgrowing her role.
The reality was that the company gave her the gift of learning and growing.
This role was supposed to provide her with the experience she needed so she could achieve her ultimate Career Dream. This job was a stepping stone, not the final destination.
When Amber resigned from her employer, they were thrilled that she found her next position but hated to see her leave. The vice president said “we were happy to have you here, but we thought we would have lost you a long time ago.”
The company celebrated Amber by throwing her a huge farewell party. Some people took the time to tell her how her leadership made a difference for them. As they told her their success stories, Amber found herself pleasantly surprised.
The farewell party was Amber’s time to be the giddy little kid basking in celebration. This was her time to receive the JOY that being celebrated brings.
We celebrate Amber’s courage to move out of her own way, in JOY.
The choice is yours. Choose JOY!
Here’s To Your Success,
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