Earlier this week, a ghost from my past attempted to derail the energy around my new career path as a development coach focused on failure recovery. The silly little spirit posted links to an old news story, the precursor to my fall from grace back in 2017, on my Instagram page.
While my heart sank when I saw the dozen or so posts and links appear on my page, I rallied with an unexpected mix of strength, clarity, and grace.
Someone tried to hurt me by bringing up my past. The way I see it, they were trying to rob a house in which I used to live. But I do not live there anymore.
Yes, the old mistakes are mine.
And yes, I have spent the past 4-plus years paying for those mistakes through the loss of everything I possessed. I have slept on friends’ sofas, worked random, odd jobs, sold everything I owned, and am deeply involved in making restitution where I still have debts. Amends to those I have hurt are ongoing and will be part of my life for as long as I draw breath.
But I have moved on. I am not the person I once was and, by the grace of forces much more potent than am I, never will be again.
The old house remains, but I do not live there anymore.
The fresh chapter, which is now my life, is priceless, peaceful, even serene. It is not perfect, but I choose it over the old life of chaos and pain any day.
And now I work with others who have made similar decisions to leave behind their personal and professional setbacks, challenges, and failures, preferring lives of purpose, joy, and contentment.
If you are curious and would like to learn about a coaching practice built on the idea that there is “Life After Failure,” let’s make time to speak.
Maybe it is time to say goodbye to the ghosts of your past too.