My Personal Why Behind…
A Life That Lights You Up!
In 2015, excited to start my coaching business after completing my training, I was reflecting on my “why”, based on Simon Sinek’s legendary TedX Talk. A question arose: What inspires me most in people? The answer led to my tagline, and a business was born: Coaching for a Life That Lights You Up!
Inspiration for… a Life That Lights You Up!
Because what inspired me were people who have that light in their eyes— who radiate passion, purpose, peace. People whose lives, I imagined, are authentic and aligned with their beliefs. People who light up a room with a spark of sincere joy. Who wouldn’t want to be one of those people? I know I did, and this was exactly what I wished for my future coaching clients: to see their eyes light up because they loved their lives—whether they changed their lives, their perspective, or both.
The Pursuit Of… a Life That Lights You Up!
I believed a lit-up life came from following the spark in my heart, which led me to countless inspiring people and places. It led me to my second digital nomad trip to Bali in 2018. There, at a water temple, a profound peace washed over me and changed my life for good, or I should say, for God. I became a born-again believer soon after, and moved back to The Netherlands.
Breakthrough To… A Life That Lights You Up!
This brings me to now. I wrestled for months with writing a blog post on ‘Living Happily Within Limitations’—those curveballs we can’t change, except through our attitude, which is crucial too. I just couldn’t get it right. Finally, I realized that the limitations I first need to focus on are those we can change: self-imposed limitations.
This insight was ignited by, ahem, a literal look in the mirror one afternoon when I saw that light in my eyes. It dawned on me that it had been there each time after I had connected to God—whether through prayer, reading the Bible, or Christian friends. I realized: what lights me up is God!
Breaking Free For… A Life That Lights You Up!
Now let me tie it together with three steps towards a life that lights you up:
- Reflect on what it is that lights you up
- Remove any self-imposed limitations that keep you from it
- Replace the limitation with a light-igniting belief and/or action
As an example, my self-imposed limitation was the belief: “I love God, but if I share too much about my faith on this blog or on social media, I might make people uncomfortable.” Meanwhile, I only shared a small slice of who I am as a person—not just as a life coach. So I countered it this way:
“Sharing about my Christian faith might make people uncomfortable, but it might also inspire others. Living in the light means not hiding parts of myself. As I show up authentically, I allow others to do the same, and that’s the kind of person and life coach I choose to be.”
Coaching For… A Life That Lights You Up!
That was part of the process of coaching myself out of limitation, into the light. Now we’re getting to the fun part where I turn around the mirror and allow you to look at yourself in the same way, by reflecting on the three staps abov, which I turned into coaching questions for you below:
Self-Coaching Questions
1. Reflect on what it is that lights you up
What are those moments that make your heart smile so brightly that your heart can’t help but follow along? What are the places, and who are the people, that feel like home? What are activities that make you forget the time? Which dreams bring a spark of joy when you think about them? At which moments have you looked in the mirror and realized that your eyes were shining, or someone told you? And now:
What is the red thread that connects them all?
2. Remove any self-imposed limitations that keep you from it
As you just reflected on what it is that lights you up, did you notice any thoughts or emotions that followed right after? You may have had a sense of hope, only for it to be slightly suffocated by a blanked of anxiety or fear. You may have jumped for joy, only to feel ashamed a few moments later. You may have felt delighted at daring to dream again, only to be hit by a sense of insecurity because “who am I too…”
Those right-after sensations are cues to the limiting beliefs that may be holding you back. Perhaps, you believe, like it’s common here in The Netherlands, that you need to “just act normal and that’s already crazy enough”. Or you remember your last disappointment and your tell yourself: “I won’t even get my hopes up, I don’t want to get through that again.”
Whatever limiting belief you encounter, and there may be more than one, simply jot them down, without any judgment, grateful that they’re coming to the light.
3. Replace the limitation with a light-igniting belief and/or action
This is where the empowering part begins. Now that you are aware of the limiting beliefs that have been holding you back, it’s time for the counter attack. 😉
As you look at the statement/s that you’ve written down in the last step, see if you can think of a more loving thought that can replace it. It’s important that it’s based on truth though, it’s not about wishful thinking or positive affirmations.
You could ask yourself what you would tell a friend of family member you love and who just told you this about themselves. How would you encourage them? What would they tell you? Or look back to a time when you did have a different experience.
Keep searching until you find just the right phrase that makes you feel encouraged and strong. If you are a Christian, you can base it on a Bible verse or find one or more Bible verses to memorize with it.
Then, write a new statement and see how this makes you feel… Rinse and repeat regularly until it becomes your new way of thinking. 🙂
You can reflect, journal, or discuss them with someone you trust, and if you’re ready to dive deeper, book a free Clarity Call or a coaching session!
If this post resonated with you or sparked any insights or questions, I’d love to hear from you in the comments or through a message!
Wishing you a radiant, lit-up day!
Image source: Instagram.com/bibleversesforlifedaily.com