What has been a turning point in your life; a moment or decision that led you toward greater joy? You know, one of those times where you know things will never be the same?

For me, soaking in the summer sun each year reminds me of one of those important times in my life. Back in my days in the corporate world, I had a great job. I enjoyed my role as Training & Development Leader and had the gift of spending my days with cool people, many of whom are still close friends.

Goofing around at work

One of those friends, Michelle, sat in the cube next to me and we’d constantly goof around in between working on projects. We’d laugh at anything and everything, throw notes over the cube wall at each other, and my absolute favorite was Michelle’s horn. I mean, literally—she had an actual “horn” sitting on the top of the cube divider wall. It was a heavy-duty metal one with a big black rubber ball on the end and screws attached to it, intended to clamp on to a kid’s bike. It was loud!

When something exciting would happen (someone announced they were having a baby, for example), Michelle honked the horn. When a long and tedious project was completed, Michelle honked the horn. Or even when it was Friday afternoon (which was reason enough to celebrate), Michelle honked the horn. That simple act always added a touch of fun and color to a stuffy business setting draped in monotone beige.

My favorite honk came in the fall of 2003.

Rewind to a day a few months prior to the honk. It was the middle of summer and I was stuck in my cube. You’ll never hear me use the word “hate” because it feels so harsh. But there are exceptions to every rule. I hate fluorescent lighting, I hate rooms with no windows, and I hate cold air conditioning blowing on me. In my cube, I was surrounded by these things all day, every day. It was July and I had no idea if it was a gorgeous summer day outside with bright sunshine illuminating the world…or if there was a severe thunderstorm ensuing, pounding hail on my car.

And I hated not knowing; not being a part of the nature and the world that fueled me.

5:00 finally came. I packed up my stuff and headed for the door that led me to the parking lot. What happened next is one of those turning points that altered the course of my life.

My moment

I flung open the big steel door, and it felt as though I was stepping out of a meat locker and into a relaxing sauna. The chilly goosebumps on my arms were met with intense heat from the summer sun that completely enveloped my body, my soul, my core. My body relaxed. I tossed on my shades and heard the security door slam shut behind me. I stretched out my arms, looked up toward the sky, took a deep breath in, and as I exhaled let out an “Ahhhh…” The same kind of sound you make when you’re sinking into a hot bath or when someone comes up behind you and starts massaging your tense shoulders.

I stepped out of the cold building with artificial lighting…and into myself.

I’ll never forget that moment. I know exactly what I was wearing. And the exact feeling I had as I walked away from the building, knowing that I would never, ever (ever!) spend another summer in an environment that depressed me.

Again, that job rocked. The people were awesome. The company was incredibly good to me. But this was about something far bigger than “the job.” It was about subjecting myself to an environment that was so far from who I was, that I simply couldn’t do it any longer.

That summer day, which served as one of my biggest turning points, was seven years ago. And I’ve never looked back.

My favorite “honk” was when I announced to Michelle, a few months later, that I would be leaving my job to start my own business. She graciously relinquished her duties as the official honker, stepped back, and said, “You come over here and do it this time.” And as I walked over to the homebase for the horn, Michelle added: “And do it LOUD; it will feel good!”

My turn to step up

So, I did do it loud and she was right—it did feel good. That goofy honk reverberated thunderously throughout the second floor of the building, which I’m sure interrupted my fellow co-workers from whatever they were doing. But in that honk, I heard a voice inside me shouting: “It’s time for me to live!”

The past seven years have been sheer joy working as a Coach and helping my clients experience greater joy in their lives. What an honor and a blessing that I get to do this work! And you can probably imagine that my home office has a big window that’s always open when the weather’s nice. Every once in a while I check in with the list I created just after I left my job with the heading at the top: “Why I Started My Own Gig.” It’s filled with reminders of why I risked and made the big move. It’s a reminder of the importance of following your joy.

What has been a turning point in your life…that led you toward greater joy? We all have many of them (whether you recognize it as a turning point or not). It doesn’t have to be a major job change. Maybe it’s something as simple as reading a particular book, signing up for French lessons, or deciding to eliminate sugar from your diet. Following your joy shows up in all kinds of ways.

And if you can’t think of a particular turning point from the past, tell us: What would it take for you to honk your horn? 

Whatever it is, we’d all love to hear!

P.S. If you liked this post, please give it the ‘thumbs-up’ and click the fancy new “Like” button below–thanks!

I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for Karl and hope you’ll take a moment to check it out: Happiness At Work With the Help Of a Coach. You’ll see how my client, Lisa, began to realize that her unhappiness at work was impacting her #1 priority: The happiness of her family. See how she got clear on priorities, re-shifted her focus, and began to feel happier in her work…and at home. Yay, Lisa!

Wanna be happier in your job?

Need clarity on a career direction?

Ready to make a change?

I launched my LifeShine^® business almost seven years ago. And what a great ride it has been! As a Professional Coach, I work with women who have the courage to roll up their sleeves and do the work it takes to live a more purposeful and joyful life. I’m honored to introduce you to them!

The cool part of working with my clients these last few years is that I’ve discovered the foundation for living a life of purpose, fulfillment, balance, and well-being. It centers around following the things in life that make you come alive; the things that bring you joy. If you’ve been reading the blog posts here, you understand the utmost importance of following your joy.

My lovely clients

In my coaching, I work with these women to look objectively at what’s working in their life and what’s not. I help them identify where they’re getting stuck and begin the process of releasing old habits and patterns that no longer serve them. We lay out a customized action plan to help move them forward in a way that is aligned with what’s important to them.

LifeShine coaching helps my clients build the skills to go from where they are right now…to where they want to be; getting out of the busyness of life, back to joyful and purposeful living. Back to themselves.

It’s invigorating and energizing to be a client! And it’s some of the most important work you can do; the best investment you can make in yourself. I ought to know–I work with a Coach every week to help me stay focused and on-track with what’s important. Every great Coach has their own Coach!

Way back, my dream was to help others live their dream. That vision was so big that it began calling me! So much, that Bill and I bailed on our custom-built dream home, sold our boat, downsized, and completely revamped our lifestyle so that I could get going with my life-changing work (you can read more about that journey I navigated here). Reminds me of the guest post from Client Jen Antila who made the leap from Corporate Manager to Entrepreneur, in service of holding on to her dream!

Do you fit the profile of a LifeShine client?

If so, you’re a professional woman who is:

–Eager to invest in yourself
–Craving a more balanced and joyful life
–Ready to live ‘on purpose’
–Committed to taking the steps necessary to live your dream

If this is you and you’re ready to take the first step, then it’s time to get started! Or, if you know someone who would be a great match and is ready for a change, I’d be honored if you’d pass the LifeShine website along to them: www.lifeshinecoaching.com. And of course please invite them to sign up for the Following Your Joy blog.

Thanks so much!

Life is short. And it’s meant to be lived. The quote I carry with me is by Norman Vincent Peale: “Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.”

LifeShine helps you do just that.

The Following Your Joy blog is officially a year old! Woohoo! So much gratitude goes out to my visitors and readers who have consistently cheered me on and waved the flag for me to keep on going. That support has literally fueled me throughout the year!

The birth of this blog began last spring when I tagged along with Bill on a business trip to Southern California. I had one end in mind while he was at the office during the day: Hang out by myself in the trendy, comfy hotel room and make sense out of all the papers I brought with me in a folder titled “Life.”

Inside the folder were random quotes that inspired me, business ideas that jazzed me, and personal goals that challenged me.

Most importantly, though, there were pages of journal entries that needed to be shared somehow. How did I know they needed to be shared? Because every time I recounted one of my amazing stories to friends, they would routinely say: “Are you freakin’ kidding me?” or “I can’t believe that happened to you!” So I knew I was on to something.

They were joyful stories that included winning tickets to the Caribbean, getting front row seats to concerts over and over and over, attracting and manifesting exactly what I envisioned (see Exhibits A, B, & C), amazing synchronicities, and even having my hero, Neil Diamond, pull me out of the front row and sing to me (!). It seemed that the more I recounted these stories with others, the more I—and they—believed that anything is possible.

So I knew I needed a format to get the word out…about the importance of embracing joy, understanding synchronicity, setting intention, and honoring the Law of Attraction.

Yearning to share my heart and inspire others

At the same time, I knew that I also needed a place to share what was on my heart personally, and hopefully inspire a few people along the way.

In my coaching business, I help my clients grow into being “more of who they are.” So whether they initially hire me to help them map out a career direction, navigate through transition, get a handle on work-life balance, or build self-confidence…our coaching always leads to them becoming “more” of their wonderful selves. It’s so powerful to witness! Getting my ideas and experiences in writing—and sharing them with others—seemed to be the perfect outlet for me to be more of my self.

My first morning in Southern Cal, Bill left for the office, and I had the gift of a full day all to myself. No computer, no distractions, no obligations. Just me in my ‘Life is Good’ uniform sitting on a luxurious bed that was so tall from the fluffy comforter, that I almost needed a stepstool to climb up on top of it.

After my morning exercises, I opened the window to invite the cool morning breeze and early rays of sunshine to seep in through the sheer curtains.

I had a feeling this was going to be a great day, and I wanted to capture its beautiful start. So from my cell phone I took a picture of my position in the room and sent it to Bill (not necessarily the nicest thing to do since he was stuck in a windowless conference room for the duration); that photo is up at the top.

How the blog got its wings

Sitting next to me on the bed, I had my “Life” folder and notebook. I started to arrange my stack of papers, organize the ideas in my head, and scribble my thoughts. The focus of those thoughts began to migrate toward the concept of joy. I thought about how the more I allowed myself to embrace the things in life that made me come alive (or, the things that brought me joy), the magic would unfold all around me—ten-fold. I yearned for others to know about the power in this simple concept.

Then I reflected on various milestones in my life, and I kept thinking back to a concert I had been to several years prior. It was a Fleetwood Mac concert and we had front row seats. The feeling of being up in the front row for me was absolutely magical. I felt as though I was a part of the show, not merely a ‘spectator’ watching from the sidelines. The overwhelming feeling I experienced was so powerful that I realized this was actually a metaphor for my life; something about it impacted me so deeply.

I felt alive. I was fully living life. I was embracing my joy!

So I wrote about it. That felt good.

My writing naturally morphed into the idea of starting a blog—something I didn’t know anything about, but I knew I could figure it all out once I got home and had a computer in front of me!

My first post

My very first blog post ended up being the write-up of that experience in the front row at the Fleetwood Mac show. Check it out!

In my “Life” folder, I came across a quote scribbled on a sticky note by Anais Nin: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

Yep, that’s exactly what was happening. I was taking the risk to blossom; to share my self, to share my joy. And if you saw the last post, you’ll know what a big deal this was for me!

Two things happened after I crafted this first blog post. The first one was later that day just after I sketched out the story in my notebook while sitting on the bed in my hotel room. I got up to stretch and look out the window.

And surprisingly, this was the view I had from directly across the street:

No lie! How’s that for an affirmation?! Fleetwood Mac band members giving me the “How you doin’?” nod and cheering me on! Apparently, they had an upcoming show at the arena across the street. Who knew?!

Then at home a few days later—after I built the foundation for my “Following Your Joy” blog—I published it, shared the first post with a few friends, and then cracked open (no, not a bottle of champagne) a small box of raisins for a snack. Sun-Maid raisins now come with a quote on the inside flap. Mine that day was: “Your name is your parents’ gift to you; live up to it.”

I was dumfounded. I hadn’t even thought of it, but my middle name happens to be Joy! Just another affirmation that I was on the right track.

A couple weekends ago we had some friends over for dinner. They didn’t know it was the one-year anniversary of my blog, and I didn’t even think to tell them because we were having so much fun getting caught up in each others’ lives and telling stories and laughing. In addition to the wine they brought, they also handed me a little gift bag with a beautiful framed photo and quote: “Joy is the flower that blooms when you do.”

How perfect.

Grateful for affirmations and thrilled to celebrate!

I’m always looking for a reason to celebrate. I hope you’ll join me! You read about my front-row experience and why it was important to me and what it represented for me. Now it’s your turn!

Leave a comment here telling about a moment of joy in your life and how it represented something big for you. One name/comment will be chosen at random and the winner will receive $50 to share with their favorite charity. Deadline is Monday, April 19^th, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. U.S. Central Time. You in?

Share the joy and pay it forward! I can’t wait to see what you have to say.

Post Note: Our winner is Liv Lane. Congratulations, Liv! Check out her cool story at Choosing Beauty–you’ll love it!

Hello! As you can see from the photo above, I’ve been working hard and preoccupied with thoughts of how to make my blog better.

I could use your assistance! What got me thinking about this is a great quote by W. Somerset Maugham which is posted on my business website: “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”

See, I’m not interested in just “having a blog” or “being a blogger.” I’m only in this to make it rock. One of my friends recently said, “Of course you are going for the best—that’s how you roll!” My intention for this blog is that it creates huge ripples in the world! And if you’re not sure about that…well, just stay tuned.

A blog is driven by its readers, and that’s where you come in.

The background scoop

This blog started last spring because of a big need I saw around me. You may know that I’m a Professional Coach, and what I found in my work with clients is that minimizing stress, prioritizing what’s most important, and feeling a sense of balance and fulfillment all seem to boil down to one simple idea: The power and importance of following the things in life that make you come alive and bring you joy.

I began to notice the same thing in my own life, too. The more I paid attention to the things in life that jazzed me and that brought me joy…the more the magic unfolded for me. Ten-fold. In fact, the more I embraced this idea, the more I was richly rewarded and blessed with magical life experiences.

Friends and colleagues started to ask: “How can I have what you have?” and “How can I experience all those great things you do?”

All around me, I sensed in others a deep desire and a yearning to live the good life. So in response, I started focusing my work on helping clients tap into the joy in their lives.

And this blog came to life!

The amazing feedback that started to pour in right away not only filled my heart, but it was validation that a call for focusing on joy is all around us.

Why your help is important

It’s essential to consistently step back from whatever it is you are doing and ‘check-in’ to make sure you’re on-track; to identify what’s working and what’s not…and then make adjustments accordingly.

Over the last several months, I’ve researched, read, and studied what it means to have a successful blog. One thing I know for sure is that a blog thrives on its readers and subscribers (a.k.a., you!). In order to make this blog even better, though, I’ve got to understand a few things about what you might like to see.

*By the way, if you’re new here, first of all—welcome! And thank you for visiting! You can check out a collection of the top posts here to dive in and get your feet wet. :)

How you can help

Please leave a comment below with your thoughts on any or all of the following questions—I’d be honored. Thank you in advance for your valued feedback!

Regarding this blog…

• What do you like best about it?
• How does this it stand out from others?
• How could it be even better?
• What future topics would you like to see addressed?
• What can I do to make this blog extra fun?
• What else?

Your comments and thoughts will help me drive the way forward for the blog. While I may not incorporate everything that is said, know that your comments are appreciated as they will certainly help me to think broader and play a bigger game.

Thank you, and here’s to the best of life!

With much gratitude,

Michelle, Chief Joy-Follower

Previously in my class, I didn’t really exert myself or even break much of a sweat; basically, I’d been a pretty mediocre participant. We routinely paired up with a partner, and one of us wore boxing gloves while the other held up pads to hit. And then we switched roles.

Up until recently, I paired up with someone who was pretty much like me—strong and in-shape, but not really one to go all-out. My partner and I always had fun during our sessions and laughed a bit and talked about our personal lives in between punches. No big deal, no big sweat, and then class was over.

Intrigued by a superstar

Each week, though, I noticed a woman who really intrigued me. She was incredibly lean, super strong, visibly very fit. During class as I practiced my punches and jabs and watched my form in the mirror, my eyes were always drawn to this same woman. She was fierce like a tiger. Beautiful with a blond pony-tail, her face was intense and her eyes laser-focused when practicing her moves.

I had a longing to be her partner to see what it would be like (even though I was actually slightly afraid because I knew she was probably capable of some pretty powerful punches!). So one evening before I left home to head for class, I planned on partnering up with this woman. I visualized it working out perfectly so that we would be right next to each other and naturally hook up as partners.

That evening in class, everything unfolded just as I had envisioned. “Lisa” and I smiled at each other and introduced ourselves. She looked even stronger close up! I was ready for the challenge. I was the first one to put on my gloves, and Lisa nodded at me with a “Let’s go!”

I hit the pads she held up, and I hit them hard. I paid attention to my body to make sure I was using proper form. And I was strong! I felt a combination of pride—and shock—that I was doing so well. Previously with other partners, I held back because I didn’t want to hurt anyone. But Lisa said I could go harder and that I shouldn’t worry about her. So I gave it all I had! Together, we were on fire. I was punching the pads so hard that it sounded like fireworks were exploding in the room.

“BOOM!” “BOOM!” “BOOM!”

I became a superstar, too

To my delight, our instructor came by and commented on how well we were doing together. It felt incredible. And I think I even gave my super-star athlete of a partner a good workout, too. I smiled inside to myself when Lisa said, “I thought you were new to this class…you’re so strong!”

When it was over, I felt a little light-headed. I had never before pushed myself to that level of intensity! But I was so grateful for the experience to unleash a power within me that I didn’t even know existed.

So what’s the point of all this? In the past, I hadn’t held myself up to high standards, so I never really knew what I was capable of. I always sort of “played along.” But I had this deep desire to see what I could really do.

And when I picked out the best to be in my sphere of influence, I blew the roof off.

That night was the first time I truly realized my power. Growing up as a girl and taught to follow “lady-like” rules, I never dreamed of hitting anything or being aggressive. The physical exertion and punches I threw were just what I needed to show off my unrestrained limits.

Time for you to shine!

We are all capable of so much more than any of the outer edges we impose on ourselves! Now, following my joy includes having the courage to shine my light as brightly as I can.

What is it in your own life that you are intrigued to “try out”?

Where do you want to push harder or go farther?

Who do you need to surround yourself with in order to succeed?