I often hear this from high-achieving leaders and professionals who want to change careers, find purposeful work, or their second or third career.
Is this you or maybe someone you know—a friend, relative, spouse, or coworker?
….maybe someone who just got laid off and is wondering what’s next.
Well, here is where you start.
This is where I start with most of my clients.
This is where I started on my path.
This is why my clients gain crystal clarity, confidence, and certainty about the direction of their careers.
You start with clarifying your own personalized COMPASS to your meaningful work.
We all have one.
A built-in compass to a career and life or purpose, meaning, and joy.
It’s already inside of you.
Do you know yours?
If not, this may be…
…why you are lost or stuck, wondering what’s next in your career or what is the right path to take.
…why you let external pressure, fears, and doubts take a hold of you as you choose your career path.
…why you end up in a career that is draining you and sucking the energy, joy, and meaning out of you.
The good news is that you came into the world with a built-in compass to a career and life of purpose, joy, and meaning.
When you are clear on your inner compass…
…you know which career and life direction to pursue.
…you stop second-guessing yourself and your career choices.
…you find the clarity, confidence, and motivation to finally take the next step.
…you stop procrastinating on your dreams and envying others who go after theirs.
…you navigate skillfully your career and life.
It’s why I just created a new free report to help you get started on discovering–or re-discovering–your inner compass to your purposeful work. This is for you if you want to bring more meaning, joy, and purpose into your existing or next career.
In this free report, you will discover:
your built-in compass to guide you toward your purposeful work,
the 4 elements of your unique compass so that you can align your career and life with who you really are,
8 simple tools you can use right away to start uncovering your inner compass.
Do you wonder what is one of the most powerful tools to manifest and create what you want?
It’s probably not what you think… Read on as I share about it
A week ago, I felt compelled to have this travel brochure open on the page of Copenhagen, Denmark, in my apartment.
Traveling around the world is an intention of mine. I like displaying in my home things that represent what I want more of in my life, such as the travel destinations I want to visit. However, Denmark and Copenhagen are not necessarily on my Top 5 or even Top 10 lists.
However, I felt a strong pull to keep the brochure open on that page. I was not sure why… except maybe because I loved this pic. My logical mind was saying “Denmark is not in your top 5, you should use a different picture,” my intuition was saying: “keep it there.”
Well, guess what?
Four days later, a past client from five years ago reached out to work with me again. Guess where she lives? Copenhagen! Five years ago, she did my Land the Career You Love 1:1 Program. I helped her manifest her dream to move from the US to Copenhagen to work and live there. She now needs support to reach her next career dream.
You may think this is just a coincidence…
Well, my skeptical mind would have thought this too in the past, until Inoticed occurrences like this happening over and over again…
That day in Paris in 2001 when I felt compelled to get back home as soon as possible… Thirty minutes after I got back to my Parisian apartment, I received a phone call on my landline (no cell phones at the time!) to offer me a position to work in Montreal, Canada. A month before, my then-boyfriend and I had set the intention to move either to Canada or Australia. This call totally changed the trajectory of my life and started my journey in North America, from Montreal to San Francisco.
That time when I felt called to share my phone number in an email replying to an ad for an apartment on Craigslist… I generally would not share my phone number in the first email. Providing my phone number resulted in me getting the apartment of my dreams with a hot tub and a breathtaking view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The landlord called my phone, heard my voice message, visited my business website, thought I was probably a serious candidate, and asked me to visit the apartment that same day. After five minutes of visiting the place, I knew it was the place I had envisioned.
That morning, on the doorstep of my apartment in Mountain View ready to leave for work at Yahoo! when I felt a nudge telling me to go and grab my external hard drive… Several hours later, I was laid off from Yahoo! and was able to quickly save the portfolio of my work because I had my hard drive with me.
Last month, when I felt called to sign up for several classes on Manifesting, even though my logical mind was telling me “this is not what you need right now; you already know that stuff; why do you want to take these classes?” But something in me felt the pull to sign up anyway. As a result, I discovered a mentor and a program that is EXACTLY what I need this year to achieve my next-level dreams. My logical mind would never have conceived that this is what I needed most. If I had listened to her and what “made sense” instead of my intuition, I would have passed that amazing opportunity to reach my next dreams.
The list goes on and on… I’ve dozen and dozen examples like these.
What are you listening to when you make decisions?
Your rational mind and what makes “logical sense”
OR
your intuition, your gut feeling, the quiet whisper within?
Well, if you rely mostly on your logical mind and what “makes sense” when making decisions, you are…
probably working WAY harder than you could to get what you want,
and missing out on many amazing opportunities because they don’t seem “rational” or “reasonable.”
in Western cultures, we give too much power to the mind and what makes logical sense. As a result, we prevent great things from happening in our lives and we make things way harder than they could be.
“The intuitive mind Is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” ~ Albert Einstein or someone else (uncertain attribution)
This has been one of my MOST IMPORTANT lessons in the past several years, and continues to be.
I’m someone quite rational; this is how I was raised. Reason is highly valued in France. Remember this is the country of Descartes: “I think therefore I am.” I’ve led a big part of my life following reason over intuition and gut feeling. However, over the years, I’ve learned that the more I follow my intuition, the easier I create the things I want in my work and life.
It is a continual learning in surrendering to deeper knowing than the rational mind. However, the more I trust this inner knowing—like in the instances I shared above—, my intuition, my gut feeling, my instincts, however you want to call it, the more magic happens in my life and the easier things come to me. The things I attract as a result are way BETTER than what I could have conceived if I had followed the logical steps dictated by my rational mind.
Such as:
the perfect work situation to move to Montreal, Canada.
my dream apartment in the San Francisco Bay Area at a reasonable monthly rent, compared to the current market.
the perfect mentors to help me unlock my next career and life dreams.
an amazing immigration lawyer to help me get a US working Visa better than I could have imagined.
If things feel consistently hard in your life, it could be because you are overthinking and over-relying on your rational mind. Obviously, this is not the only piece of the puzzle, but I see so many people discounting their inner knowing and true desires on the altar of seemingly “reasonable decisions that make sense.”
It is not because our Western societies overemphasize rational intelligence as a decision-making instrument, that this is the most effective tool to get what we want in our lives.
My experience is actually showing the opposite.
If this is new to you, I encourage you to start practicing with small things, without major consequences.
When facing a decision, notice when you feel an internal conflict or feel torn. It may be your logical mind conflicting with your authentic desire. What one is saying? What about the other?
Practice noticing the nudges of your instinct, gut feeling, or desires.
Be careful when you hear yourself or a well-intentioned friend saying something like “You should do this or that.” Be wary of the shoulds. Most of the time, they come from your rational mind and fears. “Shoulds” and ‘haves to” are not an effective compass to get what you truly want.
I’ve learned that if I’m strongly called to do something, I don’t need to know the why or if it makes sense. I do it, like opening up the travel brochure to the page of Copenhagen.
What are you called to do that you may stop yourself from doing out of “shoulds” or’ seemingly ‘”reasonable” arguments?
I talk about finding the inner compass to your purposeful work through my own journey and through a powerful guided visualization that will you help you find the heart of your purpose.
At the end of the interview, I have a special gift for you. (for free)
SIGN UP for FREE to receive access to my interview and to the 20 other ones, including the one from Lynne Twist.
ENJOY!!
Isabelle
P.S. In this retreat, my colleagues and wise women, Aelah and Kristen are in conversation with 21 wisdom keepers who are living on purpose from their hearts. And sharing daily practices and inspiration throughout the retreat.
You will be able to listen to these pre-recorded sessions, focus on your daily practices, and build a conscious community from the comfort of your own space.
A few voices of extraordinary wisdom keepers who share their gifts include:
Lynne Twist, Mare Cromwell, Laura Rose, Lucca Petrucci, Emmi Mutale
Please invite your friends, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers! Anyone who is ready to focus on living their heart’s purpose in 2023.
This morning, I felt some resistance to “work.” My mind was telling me “It’s Monday. You should go and work at your desk. This is the way workdays are supposed to be.”
My body wanted to stay in bed. Instead of fighting it, I reluctantly surrendered to it, while judging myself as “lazy” and “unproductive.”
Then, I started to journal.
And then I got inspired to watch a training video from my bed, so I brought my laptop. I felt a surge of inspiration again.
Then, I said, “what about I wrote this LinkedIn post.”
And then, I emailed my assistant.
And now, I’m feeling motivated to take on other tasks…that I was resisting earlier.
…all from bed.
It’s 2pm. I’ve not eaten yet. (It’s probably time now!) But I’m being productive and inspired… from my bed and in my PJs.
I found my inspiration from my bed.
If I had forced myself to do my usual Monday routine and go to my desk, I would probably not have accomplished as much as I did. I would probably still be beating myself up for not being productive.
Why am I sharing this?
Well, it is extremely hard to take action and be productive from a place of “should.” It is actually the most counterproductive thing to do.
Yet, many of us do it. We are trained to follow the “shoulds” and the “rules.”
– What work is supposed to look like.
– What Monday and a workday are supposed to be
– What “being productive” is supposed to look like.
Society and the work culture make the rules and we follow them, without realizing that maybe there are other ways, that don’t fit the box and that work better for us.
And then, we wonder why we are unproductive, and we judge ourselves as “lazy.”
It takes courage to challenge and break away from the “shoulds” to listen to your natural energy flow.
But, on the other side of it, there is inspiration, creativity, joy, and YOUR authentic contribution to the world.
You don’t create from a place of “shoulds.” You create from a place of freedom from the shoulds, inspiration, and aliveness.
Do you give yourself permission to challenge and break away from the “shoulds” to listen to your natural energy flow?
What is a “should” you can challenge today?
Even if you have a job you need to go to or a schedule you need to follow, there is always a place where you can find freedom from the “shoulds.”
(I’m sharing this post I wrote in 2020 as it may help you or people you know who are facing a layoff.)
As I was losing my job, I was also losing my Visa to stay in the U.S.
I wanted to stay in California and change careers to pursue my passion.
It was time.
I kept hearing voices telling me otherwise.
An HR person told me that “I had to choose. I could not have both: staying in California and changing careers.”
My heart was screaming at me: “no, I cannot choose. I’m not buying this. I think I can have both and I will.”
People were telling me: “What about you stay in the field of User Experience for now. It will be easier to stay in the US.”
I knew in my heart that this was not my path.
Despite the fears, despite the shoulds, despite the voices—internal and external—telling me otherwise…
…I chose the path of my heart and I forged ahead.
I went back to school to study coaching and psychology.
Two years later, I started my business to do what I love the most: helping executives, managers, and high-achieving professionals stuck in a career they no longer love, discover and create meaningful work that reignites their passion and makes a difference.
Ten years later, my business is thriving, I work with clients I love, I’m excited about my work… and I’m doing it from California!
If it was not for the layoff, I would not be where I am now.
Looking back, I see that the layoff was a blessing in disguise to help me on my path.
Are you facing a crisis that is trying to tell you something? Are you listening?
I’m where I am now because I listened and I did not choose the path of fear; I did not let the fears—inside and outside—stop me.
I followed my intuition and it led me to where I am now.
One step at a time. One day at a time. One victory over fear at a time.
This is what I tell my clients every time, to choose the path of intuition over the path of fear.
To do the work you truly love, you need to choose the path of your intuition.
Which path are you choosing, Isabelle?
the path of fear?
or the path of your true desire?
If you are ready to choose the latter but are scared and need help clarifying your next meaningful career, I’d love to help.
I have a few spots available for my 1:1 coaching programs:
Roadmap to the Career You Love & Land the Career You Love
Elevate Your Purposeful Work & Life
Enneagram Discovery & Transformation
I’m offering a special discount or a Bonus Enneagram Session if you sign up by December 20.
If you are interested, email me. I’ll follow up with a few questions to make sure this is a good fit. If so, we will set up a time to chat.
If you love your work but know people (spouse, friends, relatives, coworkers) who don’t, please share this email with them.
Isabelle
Erik started where you are now.
“Working with Isabelle has quite literally been life-changing. After a 23-year career in Project/Product Management, I was burnt out and didn’t know what to do next. I wanted to find a new career direction but didn’t have the first clue how to do so. During my first consultation call with Isabelle, she just reached me on a deep personal level I was not expecting.
Over a 4-month period, I completed a group course with Isabelle that allowed me to discover my ‘authentic self’ and truly discover what work I’m passionate about and what values drive me. Long story short, Isabelle’s course helped me see bad behaviors I had been perpetuating for years, and learn to appreciate the things that motivate/drive me. With Isabelle’s guidance and wisdom, I am now on the path to the career of my dreams that I’m excited to have for the next 25 years.
To say Isabelle’s work is life-changing is an understatement!”
~ Erik Z., Oakland, California.
Want to become a success story like Erik? Email me here and we’ll connect.
I submitted a proposal to speak at the 2023 International Enneagram Association Global Conference.
Why I’m sharing this with you?
Well, there are some learnings I want to share with you.
The deadline to submit was tonight, November 30, at 9 pm Pacific Time.
I had known about it for a month and was planning to apply. I ended up needing some R&R time to rest in mid-November. My personal life took the forefront. The idea of submitting a proposal felt like it was coming from “should” and “ego” rather than authentic inspiration, so I decided not to do it.
Then, yesterday, I woke up and felt a sudden urge to submit a proposal. I received a rush of ideas about my talk, the topic, and even the title. For the next twenty minutes, I jotted down all of it on a piece of paper. It all came to me, so clearly. I felt a level of clarity and confidence about the talk that I had not felt before.
Suddenly, I knew I had to do it. Not from a place of “should” but from intuition and inner knowing. They have a different flavor. Are you able to tell the difference?
Despite the short notice, I listened to the call and gathered the information I needed for the submission process. I knew it was tight but the inner knowing I had to do it was stronger than the time constraints. So, I kept going.
Everything I needed came easily. The three people I contacted for references said yes; they were honored to play that role. I got some fantastic suggestions from my colleagues to improve the title. Finishing the proposal on time was a race against the clock but I did it! And I feel good about it. I followed my intuition and inspiration and took the step I was called to take. Now, it’s out of my hands and I trust the process, whatever the outcome will be.
Here are my learnings for you:
1. Notice the difference between “shoulds”/”have to” and intuition/inspiration.
2. Listen to the latter.
3. Act on it, even if your rational mind may give you all kinds of excuses or reasons why it’s not a good idea (e.g., It’s too late, it’s too short notice, I won’t make it, people will say no, my idea is not good enough, etc)
4. Trust and let go.
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