Put me in coach!

Exactly one week before I received my pink slip I happened to schedule a coaching session with someone I met through a networking event. It was her way of letting potential customers test her out.

We chatted for more than an hour about who I was and what I wanted out of life. When we set the appointment she asked me to write down the three wishes I would make if I were given Aladdin's lamp.

1. Backpack across Europe
2. Live with a native African tribe
3. Be rich and famous for product design

When diving into our conversation I assumed we would talk about how I would get to those wishes by turning them into goals. Then as we talked I soon realized it wasn't about achieving those wishes as much as it was about discovering what was preventing me from laying hold of them.

After fully describing my first wish she asked me about the benefits of a European excursion and why I would want such a event. When I stopped tripping over my reasons the heart of the motivation was that I wanted to share stories and be that interesting person who has trekked across the mother land.

Since this nice chat I have repeatedly asked myself, "Why do I want to be interesting to others, what is the point of that?"

People Pleasers

This title has been assigned to many, as well as self-proclaimed. Usually when attributed it is not in the context of compliments. I think it might fall in the category of, "We stopped dating because he was too nice."

Isn't pleasing someone a good thing? Shouldn't we seek to make others happy and content?

I suppose overextending ourselves and pushing our boundaries to meet this end is why such a label has come to stink-so-sweet like that of a skunk.

Are you aware of your motivations? Are you a people pleaser?