Michele Woodward Consulting

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Believe Your Way Forward

 Slack line in the city park.Time after time, a huge truth is revealed to me:

Whatever you believe becomes your reality.

About six months ago, a woman came to me for coaching. A Vice President in a Fortune 50 company, she was worried because someone was promoted over her.Someone younger.Someone male.And, in her late 50s, she wondered if she was getting sent a message. Perhaps she was getting sunsetted. Maybe they were getting ready to let her go. Maybe this was her terminal job and she'd never ever get hired again.After all, who hires someone who's 57 years old?As a result of these assumptions, she worked extremely hard and went above and beyond to deliver results. Early mornings, late evenings, travel, conference calls, meetings and paperwork. She did it all.And it felt like no one noticed. And it was never enough.When we first met, her stress level was through the roof. I mean, stratospheric.I knew what she needed - she needed  to rebuild her confidence and develop a strategy to manage the worry. She also had to figure out what was true about her work situation.Because what you believe becomes your reality.And she surely believed things were pretty terrible.Long story short, among the things we did was to create a strategy for her to become more visible - in the office and out of the office. So, when offered a speaking role at a big conference, she said yes.No, wait a minute. She said, "Yes!!"Afterwards, people gave her amazing feedback about her presentation and she felt really good about how the whole conference went.Then, one day, her phone rang. It was the CEO of a boutique-y company that excels in her area of expertise. In fact, they are more highly regarded than her company in this particular area.The CEO said, "I've had my eye on you. Will you come work for me?"Would she? Let's see - more money, better title, solid-line reporting to the CEO.And suddenly the assumption that no one hires a 57-year old woman went out the door.And a new truth was unveiled:

"I am appreciated for what I do."

Which is something pretty wonderful to believe.So let me ask you: What reality are you believing into existence?