
Anna
Anna was a successful business woman but felt she had got stuck in a rut. She told me she was incredibly bored, but felt really guilty because she had a ‘nice life’. She felt she was taking her frustration out on her family and her staff. She knew she was doing it, but just felt stuck and couldn’t see her way out of it. “The truth is, I feel guilty about feeling this way” she told me. “I’ve got everything going for me, but I’m still dissatisfied. My mother is disgusted with me and keeps telling me to count my blessings, but truthfully that just makes me feel even worse.”
Working together it became clear that Anna didn’t have much confidence, despite the fact she was a successful person. The excitement and enthusiasm she’d had for her business when she first set it up had waned. “I hate to admit this,” she said “But I think I’ve grown out of it. It was great craic when I first started, but now I just don’t have the energy for it anymore. I’ve always wanted to travel and see the world and really experience other countries, but I can’t do that with this business hanging around my neck like a lead weight.”
In our sessions we explored what was stopping Anna from doing what she really wanted with her life. Her breakthrough came when she saw that it was OK to be honest with herself about what she really wanted and that she didn’t need approval from others. She says “It was like a weight had lifted from my shoulders. I thought I had to keep doing the business to keep everyone else happy, but actually I was not only making myself miserable but everyone else as well.”
I was delighted when Anna finally made the decision to give up her business and move to another country. She now has a job that she really loves and is getting to fulfil on her dream of working and living in a different country. “My confidence has gone through the roof,” she says, “I really feel like I’m living my own life now. I can’t thank you enough Gabrielle.”