Walking each other home...

As I finish the last few weeks of my coaching certification program, it's got me thinking about the long road that's brought me here.

You see, as far back as I can remember, people have always been the most important thing to me.

I always wanted to make everyone happy, to make the world a fairer place, with justice for all and where every single person could be safe and thrive.

I studied to be a lawyer because somehow, I got it into my mind that lawyers were the ones who fought for justice and made the world better. But in uni, I was heartbroken to find out that was rarely the case.

I researched how to get into human rights work in the UN, but it was depressing to learn about the endless bureaucracy in international organizations and what little impact international law actually has in the world.

My life might have been very different if Amal Clooney had been around when I had to choose career paths! But she wasn’t, and I didn't really have any role models for the kind of life I wanted to lead.

So there I was, faced with the overwhelming decision of what to do for the rest of my life and completely clueless.

And by a twist of fate, I ended up entirely by chance with a job offer from a multinational company.

To work in finance, of all things!

I had no interest in working for a US company, especially one that sold consumer goods. But their recruiting programs were pure genius, so I interviewed to get a free trip to Switzerland with other students, simply for the free travel.

I never expected to fall in love with the city, the job and that company.

My first boss told me he would be measured equally on the financial results we delivered and on my success. My personal development was just as important as how much we sold, which blew my mind.

I never thought it was possible for a company to actually care about its employees and encourage us to look after each other.

That environment allowed me to spend a large part of my time and energy caring about the people around me and finding ways to better help them, and I loved it!

I signed up for all the courses on mentoring and team development, worked on all the team-building initiatives, and spent a considerable amount of time just listening to my coworkers, feeling so grateful that this was actually part of my job description.

I would often have people come to see me just to get a hug or huddle around my desk because they needed to get something off their chest. Those moments were when I felt that I was a part of something bigger and that what I was doing made a difference.

And that's pretty much how I feel about coaching.

People don't need someone to tell them what to do. They just need to be heard.

They need to feel that they're ok and their feelings are valid. More often than not, all they need is for someone to be there just for them.

That, and hugs!

Life can be very, very shitty sometimes, and if we just give each other a shoulder to lean on, we can make it that much easier.

So that's what brought me to be certified as a coach.

I always feel that if there's something that I love to do, I should learn to do it better.

Plus, it had always been at the back of my mind that this was something I might want to do for a living, but it bothered me that I didn't have any formal qualifications. So I got them.

The funny thing is that even though it's something so new, it's felt effortless since the first day. And for someone who struggles with confidence in everything I do, that's a pretty big deal!

I think that it feels so easy because wanting to help other people and making them feel like we all belong is just a core part of who I am.

And being yourself never feels like an effort.

So that's the story of why I'm here, trying my best to be the support for others that I would have needed when I was younger and going through tough times.

And if you're reading this, and you're feeling like you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you too.

Like Ram Dass said, we are all just walking each other home. 💜

Sending you love,

Paula