Think With Your Heart, Not Your Head
A follow up article to this post was published on Thrive Global on July 12, 2021.
Photo by Christopher Beloch on Unsplash
My last day in the corporate world was on June 23, 2020. At the time, it was simply my last day – the end of another corporate chapter. What I didn’t realize was a whole new book was in the making.
The months leading up to that last day will go down as the most stressful time of my entire career. I was working 90-hour weeks and getting meals served to me under the door (like prison). I even recall an invite for a “casual” virtual meeting at midnight. Yes, midnight. My head was spinning. Tunnel vision took over. I could not see the end of my nose, let alone the big picture.
Atop job stress, I was also grieving the loss of my mother, my best friend, my “person.” The pain and sadness were too much to bear, so my head told me to bury myself in work. Create a distraction. It worked for a short while. I even found myself “too busy” to talk with my dad (yikes). Thankfully, my heart stepped in.
It was a Tuesday, also the day of the week my mother passed. At the time, there were things I did every Tuesday to honor my mom. It made me feel close to her, letting her know I will never forget. On this particular Tuesday, I forgot. It was nearing the end of the day when my heart delivered the message…loud and clear (ironically through a purple heart emoji). I’ll spare you the ugly-cry details. Needless to say, I resigned the next day.
That’s right. I voluntarily left a good paying job in the middle of a pandemic. My heart had a plan. I had to listen. The message wasn’t entirely clear, but I knew I needed time. Time to grieve. Time to be with my family. Time to actually plan a small memorial for my mom, 5 months after her passing.
As time went on and life became more bearable, I began networking and updating my resume in preparation for the inevitable job search. But just as the seasons were starting to change, something had changed inside of me as well. My head told me my dream job was just an application and interview away. Once again, my heart was trying to deliver another message.
I was looking at positions I “should want” and companies I “should want to work for.” Interview after interview though I hung up feeling dissatisfied, or in more sophisticated terms, “icky.” Nothing felt right, until one day…a Tuesday.
I received a message from a former colleague. She had just started a coach certification program and wanted to fill me in on the details. A light bulb went off and goosebumps took over my body.
I transitioned into HR nearly 6 years ago because I wanted a more people-centric field. It was a great next step, but the message I was now receiving is my heart belongs to the growth and development of an individual, not an organization. It took some time to wrap my head around that thought, but I now undoubtedly know I am exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Moving forward, I’m leaving my head behind and trusting the higher coach within me. An inner wisdom so great that once untapped, it’s unstoppable. This next book is going to be a page turner. Cross my heart, big things are on the horizon.
As a coach, I don’t typically give advice, but if you’re intrigued by this “higher order” I speak of, my recommendation is simple: Stop thinking. Start feeling.
