I have been thinking about what’s driving me to leave all I had, to sail around the world with my husband. I have realized that it is the Journey inside me that’s driving me. What would an outer journey like this do with me as a being? As I have been working as a professional coach for twenty years, I am now taking the time to evaluate and look at my own life and business. This is my manifesto for how I see the future.
I mostly work with CEOs or owners of companies – they have financial goals. More money does not necessarily add more meaning to our lives. We want something more to feel fulfilled. We want to feel happy and make a positive difference in the world. Likewise, we want to feel connected and belong. When I think about the challenges of the CEOs I have met, they are very much about relationships – to themselves, the owners, the board, the management team, sometimes the customers and even, and even the market and not least, to their own family. One way or another, they are frustrated that the partnership and team spirit are not good enough to make their day and vision come to life. When you dig into it, it’s clear that this happens a lot more when people are unaware and don’t know themselves enough to stand up for their thoughts, feelings and dreams, for example. In other words – challenges are about our relationship with ourselves.
My Vision for the Future
My vision for the future is that we all work with our self-development, as it is possible to learn and transform ourselves, as much and often as we want. It makes life easier to be a leader in one’s own life. Being in charge, being responsible, solution-oriented, creative, and expressing our uniqueness.
Imagine if we took as much care of our inner wisdom and health, as we do of the outer things we surround ourselves with. This is how we can create a life with balance and awareness.
In my vision, we all are helping each other to transform and be more conscious about our endless potential. We reach out to the ones closest to us. To our family, To our neighbours. To our colleagues and our team. Wherever we are in the world there is a human being next to us (even if we have to walk a bit), in our networks IRL and digital. We are not alone – we are together. The system is always bigger.
We Are Challengewalkers
I am thinking of all the clients I have met during my 20 years of coaching, thinking of their journeys. The common pattern I see is that they all have committed themselves to walk over a gap, to take on a challenge, to continually transform themselves as human beings. They want to solve something, they at some point didn’t understand and were frustrated over. Not yet having the mindset, or skills that are needed for that specific challenge. By sorting out and taking the next step, they come closer to the other side of the presented gap, and then they are suddenly over on the other side. They take on leadership – creating new solutions, and connections that are in line with the new challenge. They have transformed themselves.
I love nurdes. Before, they only existed behind a computer in a dark room. Now more have been coming out, and we have nurdes in all areas of life – people that are passionate about something. By training, they have achieved mastery – deep knowledge and competence in a specific area. This commitment also transforms them as human beings, as they have faced and walked through many challenges on their journey. I call these people Challengewalkers.
A Challengewalker has a vision – he or she wants something big and new, that is not directly achievable. The commitment and willingness come first, and with that energy and trust the steps will fold out in the perfect moment. Of course, there will be challenges, that’s the point! It’s via them we transform ourselves. A Challengewalker sees the possibility of a challenge and therefore takes action and walks through it.
A Challengewalker asks and receives. A hand reaching out at the moment most needed. Or a listening ear that hears and understands deeply, smiling eyes when hope is fading or an open heart embracing us, as the loving human beings we are. A Challengewalker will get exactly the right thing at the right moment, as he or she sees all that is happening to him or her as a gift and a possibility to expand. I call these people Challengewalkers as they understand that they need to take action and move, even when feeling fear, small steps are fine. This movement forward is a way to reach out – showing the existence/all of us of what they are up to.
A New Focus
Imagine if the owner of a company shifted their focus from production, to how his or her team are feeling and working together. Imagine if we all shifted our attention to how we could serve and help each other walk through the next challenge. Imagine each of us having that energy. Productivity will follow, as the energy is directed constructively towards fulfilling the vision. In this world, everyone is fulfilled and enjoys what is. A world where we are in it together, one step at a time.
Are you a Challengewalker as well?
Say yes!
Love from Anna
Endless transformation – together, one step at a time