The last few blogs have explored how we’ve been conditioned to be like everyone else and play roles that don’t necessarily suit us. Several of you have asked, “Well, how do I find my true calling then, Michelle?” The answer is simple. Figure out what makes your heart sing. It’s difficult for many of us to believe we are unique—that we have our own distinct paths in life—because we’re so used to thinking alike.   The next...

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Halloween is right around the corner.  Sure, you could go as the usual suspects—pirates and vampires—but why not do something different this year?  Instead of disguising yourself as someone else, grab the opportunity to break out of a worn-out role and express your true self. Let’s be honest.  Most of us don’t answer our true callings and go after our heartfelt dreams because we’re scared.  What if we crash and...

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In the last few blogs, we’ve investigated how playing a limiting role can hold you back from shining as your authentic self.  Your true calling is often hard to hear because it conflicts with who you think you are. In “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy described herself as “small and meek.”  Because of that belief, she didn’t realize she had the power to go home all along after landing in colorful Oz. Similarly Luke was...

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Sometimes playing an old ill-fitting role can keep you from finding your true vocation. “Jeremy,” a new coaching client, was clearly miserable being a therapist. Even though his practice was growing, he was deeply tired of it.  He complained that his clients weren’t making that much progress in their lives.  What was worse, he was starting not to care.  I could see the exhaustion in his eyes.  He’d only been doing it for...

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Do you ever wonder why you don’t seem to reach your goals, let alone your dreams? As we discussed last week, you could be playing an old family role that holds you back without even knowing it! I encountered this sort of block in the first creativity workshop I ever taught. Bill was a top notch journalist who wanted to become a fiction writer.  He already wrote for a living, so you’d think it would be easy for him to write fiction, but...

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Many of us can’t hear our true calling—and, hence, be our real selves—because of old family dynamics and belief systems.  In my workshops, I’ve found that the main reason people don’t get what they want in life is because they’re still acting out some worn-out family role that doesn’t fit who they truly are.    For example, when I was 13 years old I was fascinated by “Debby” and “Deenie,” identical twins in my...

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