working with adrian changed my life several years ago, and there's a snowball effect. my life is still changing, even years after my work with him, to this day.
i first sought out a life coach at a time when i was quote-unquote successful, but left feeling unfulfilled and at a loss for purpose. i had a great job, a partner who i loved, and it seemed like life was really coming together - at least on paper. but i recognized a quiet feeling of doubt over my life decisions and path. having a sense of security and tending to be risk-averse were overshadowing my other needs.
over the course of only a couple months or so, adrian guided me a journey of self-discovery. he helped me dig deeper and get to know myself better. like my personal values. my own definition of what it is to be successful in life. my childhood career aspiration of being a writer, uncovered for the first time in years. i think the most important single thing that he encouraged me to do was to take a look at my fears and stop holding myself back because of them.
so i did. i took a leave of absence from my job, packed up my life in San Francisco, and went on a solo backpacking trip around the world for six months. it was a fun, challenging, gritty, soul-expanding time for me. i ended up traveling through 26 countries and, at the end of it all, landing back in San Francisco with a refreshing newfound appreciation for home. the thing is, i would never, ever have had the courage to have made this happen had it not been for adrian's encouragement.
there's certain feelings of "anything being possible" and "life if what i make of it" that i had after my return. i saw more than ever that i'm solely responsible for my own condition. that i can and should do what i want to live my life in accordance with my values and pursue things that i otherwise thought far-fetched.
it's been a year since i returned home and the change hasn't stopped with my backpacking journey. rather, i think it's only begun. this month, i started a new job as a writer for my favorite brand. and that's just one thing... there's been other changes, too, including more subtle choices i've made about the people who i choose to interact with in my life and my approach to the most meaningful relationships.
i won't say that working with adrian "solved" all my questions. instead, it made me feel OK with my questions and with the fact that questions exist in the first place. i now deal with uncertainty better than before, and i'm more equipped to face - even embrace - the unexpected. in fact, i'm looking forward to the next new thing. read more