A week ago, as I barrelled along my chosen route with Bullwinkle (my Can-Am Spyder), listening to “Beautiful Trauma”, I suddenly heard my communication device declare “Mobile 1 – Disconnected”. Hmm, I recall thinking – that’s odd but the blue tooth does get finicky from time to time.
And, just for fun, I reached down to touch the pocket where my aging red iPhone was tucked away only to realize that it was no longer present. It had escaped and learned to fly at approximately 90 kms/hour.
An F bomb followed AND I never even bothered to slow down. I know – an expensive item to let fly in the breeze – how irresponsible! The thing is, I had no idea where it took flight – my communications device has a decent range and it was certainly before Pink was abruptly interrupted. The screen had cracked within weeks of acquiring it 4 years prior and my assessment was that it likely shattered upon impact or landed in thick grass somewhere.
What a gift!
Imagine having a couple of hours, during which, no one could contact you. What would you do with that time? I had a wonderful motorcycle ride.
Not gonna lie – it felt very liberating to be completely untethered. I had already removed most social media apps from my phone as they are mostly a distraction. There are a variety of published studies out there and a 2023 study in the US found that 89% check within 10 minutes of waking up and 57% admit to being addicted to the devices. Seems that we cannot live without smart phones any more.
My favourite synonym for my cell phone when I was in the corporate world was a leash. (And that does not mean that working in the corporate world is a bad thing – it was simply time for me to make a change.) And really – what is so important about having a phone always available?
Two “problems” popped into my mind as I rode – 1) how would my colleague, that I promised to meet in a couple of hours, be able to text me when I know longer had my phone or her phone number and 2) Damn – there goes my Wordle streak! Given my confidence that I could figure out a way to reach my colleague, the second thought was my great disappointment.
Once I was home, I was able to find ways to contact the important people – I also have a cell phone for a contract job that I do. And I decided to hold onto the feeling for a little longer – it was almost a week before I replaced the missing device. I flirted with getting a flip phone and then decided against it as I do have a business to run.
The Purpose of My Trip (not to lose a cellphone)
As my cellphone took flight, I was returning from an amazing retreat weekend at Mont Tremblant with a group of incredible coaches with so much to offer the world. Brought together by Canada Coach Academy, we participated in a shared learning that deepened my experience as a coach. We each had a chance to hear and be heard and I witnessed us grow into a sisterhood.
There have been times in my life that I would have run screaming at the thought of such a weekend – so much of who I was kept silent and secret. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable with others and that is where the most incredible personal growth resides.
For me personally, my intention over this particular weekend was an integration of sorts. I live my life one way and was trying to leave that at the door when I showed up for “work” as an ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited coach. In my past life, I had a habit of conducting myself differently with different audiences and that was exhausting. It was also a hard habit to break.
I was housing my own personal schism. Much progress has been accomplished on this very state over the past few years after leaving a full-time corporate job in search of living my life, on my own terms, with ease. Coaching others and being coached has led to my own personal evolution in ways that I never thought possible.
Several group experiences, much like this recent one, with ladies from the WEL-Systems Institute since 2017 allowed me to find the freedom to be myself – warts and all! The chemistry of each cohort is different and all of them offer insights into me and how I move through the world. They make my life better. The last frontier for me was how I was showing up at work – not feeling like I could be completely me. And it’s important to note that I was the one preventing that expression – no one else.
Mission accomplished!
I’ve shown up since that weekend in a way that is authentic to me. There is a definite code of ethics and specific competencies to illustrate as an ICF coach, and I realized that I do not need to abandon myself to conduct a coaching conversation within that framework. In fact, all that I am informs my intuition as a coach. My role is to create space for my clients to become who they need to be and accomplish those things near and dear to their hearts. As far as “work” goes, it’s pretty awesome.
Wanting to feel a little more fulfillment and freedom? Get in touch. I offer individual coaching sessions and a group program called M.A.G.I.C. to show you ways to discover how to fully live your own life. And you don’t have to throw your cell phone away (although you may decide to do exactly that!)