Written by: Leslie Gaudet, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I remember that day as if it was yesterday. In fact, it really wasn’t that long ago when I woke up one day and I decided that no longer was I going to allow myself to be put into a box that was not of my choosing.
You see, I believe that we get to build our lives and live our lives according to our own inner compass; our own true North.
I believe that we shouldn’t have to choose one path or another just because everybody else is doing it but instead, we can change course if we choose to explore that path that is yet unexplored that could possibly lead to a dream that awoke because we allowed ourselves to be open to and accepting of change and we were ready to receive.
That day that I speak of was late last year when after a few months of being in and out of what I call my Uncomfort Zone, a place I had put myself willingly many times to figure out next steps, I found myself extremely uncomfortable, and confused and uncertain. This time being in this state of mind was different.
In my Uncomfort Zone, the place where I would go to ponder and ask questions and research and observe and mostly listen hoping to hear something or see something or learn something that would spark my next aha moment where I could take inspired action, I found myself going into this state (on numerous occasions) but instead of finding clarity, all I found was emptiness, and confusion, and wondering why I wasn’t feeling grateful for my life and wondering why I didn’t feel like I was living my dream but rather chasing after a dream.
And as I woke up that day in late 2021, I decided then and there that I no longer would buy into the belief that I had to choose being a contract worker where I support a team of Lawyers and Paralegals and a Life Coach, where I support mission-driven women live their lives with more joy, gratitude and love.
When I became a contract worker and started supporting a team of Lawyers and Paralegals back in early 2018, I thought I would find my life’s purpose because I had more time on my hands.
When I found my life’s purpose, which for me was to become a Life Coach, more particularly a Mindset and Emotional Awareness Coach for women, I thought that I would eventually transition from one to the other. That I would leave my 1099 employee status and embrace fully the entrepreneurial role of being the CEO of my own business.
What I’ve found is that when I first decided that this was going to be the way of things, what ended up happening for me is that I became resentful of my 1099 role because it was taking up time (a precious commodity) that I could certainly use to build my coaching business.
I also became overwhelmed, overextended, and burnt out many times in working to build my coaching business because I was saying yes to so many things and doing everything all at once because I believed that that was what an entrepreneur did.
I never really asked for help or guidance and when I did find coaches in the industry and I started asking questions, I really didn’t find the answers I was looking for at first because I didn’t know what I wanted.
I didn’t really have clarity. And because I didn’t have clarity, I was all over the map. And so because I was working what I felt were two jobs, my life became one of sitting in front of my laptop for 14-15 hours each day with little to no time for me or building a deeper bond with those I love.
Like I said, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I didn’t know what questions to ask. I didn’t know what I truly wanted. I didn’t really know what my vision for my life truly was and what would make me grateful to wake up to every morning.
So, as I return to that day, not so long ago, I am so grateful because my decision is one of two that truly changed the trajectory of my life.
The first decision was back in 2018 when I took back control over my time and became a contract worker for the firm that I had worked for full-time for 2 years and have now been serving them for 4 years in my current role.
The second decision was last year and me saying that I have decided that I don’t have to choose and the reason that I decided that is because I love what I do.
I love supporting the Lawyers and Paralegals that I have been supporting for the past 6 years now (2 full-time and 4 as a contract worker), and I love being a Life Coach helping women see their own potential and how worthy they are to live a life they love living (which I have been doing for the past 3-1/2 years).
These two pivotal decisions saved my life, changing my life in ways I never thought possible.
I live a location-free lifestyle. My motto is “As long as I have Wi-Fi, I’m good to go!”
My lifestyle has allowed me to collect so many precious memories in the places I have visited across three countries (Canada, USA, and Mexico).
I have learned to use my time more efficiently and I get more done in less time, because what I have found is that there is true freedom in structure. Structure being when you can look at your time and map out what you need to get done and then block off the time and that allows you to stay accountable and on track.
I feel more grateful than I have ever felt before. In fact, I wake up with an attitude of gratitude every day and give thanks to God for another gift of a day that I get to unwrap and explore and design how I show up in the things I say and do.
I am more connected to my husband of over 26 years because using my time well has allowed me to go all in on those family moments without feeling resentful feeling like I should be working on my business.
In turn, because I am more present in my relationship with my husband and also making time for our family and our friends, when I am working, whether for the Law Firm, or in my coaching business, I can go all in and feel confident that I will get done what needs doing and be successful at both, serving those I serve as the best version of me and not feeling guilty thinking I should make time for me and for my loved ones.
I am grateful for God because He has given me gifts that I get to share with the world, and He helped me find my mission in life and that is simply:
“Empowering women to fully love themselves, so that they create deeper bonds with those they love.
It's showing them that the only limits in life are the ones they put on as their truth, that they CAN HAVE a more fulfilled and enriched life, and if they are willing to open their eyes and really see that they are capable, worthy, and deserving of so much more, they open themselves up to limitless possibilities.”
I am living my life and it’s because I decided one day that I choose not to choose and that was empowering and liberating all at once.
I love what I do. I love being able to make a difference in this world. And I will keep on doing my work for as long as I can.
I wrote this quote about 3 years ago and it simply goes like this:
Your destination is in your journey and your journey is ever evolving.
You will learn more about who you are and what you want when you allow yourself to continuously move forward.
You must also be open to and accepting of change because change is inevitable and if you allow yourself to accept that pivoting may be part of your journey, then you will in essence allow yourself to step into your own greatness and you may even surprise yourself by realizing that what you thought was your dream is so much bigger because your picture keeps growing.
I believe that our picture keeps growing every day when we are actively participating in our lives and allowing ourselves to celebrate our wins and to learn and grow from the little hiccups in our way.
I love the quote that Michael Jordan wrote which simply says “Practice like you’ve never won. Play like you’ve never lost.”
I love this quote because it reminds me to stay in my life. It reminds me to keep on going and to never give up on myself.
I’m excited for the future. I don’t know what it will look like, but I am curious, and I will meet it as it comes and learn from it and grow from it.
I want to leave you with one more thing.
If you are living your life but it doesn’t seem like it’s going to plan or that you don’t think like you’ll meet your goals or have success because you see so many people around you doing and living and succeeding in life and you wonder why you’re not like them, remember this.
You are unique and an individual with your own thoughts and feelings for a reason.
You have been given gifts and all you have to do is listen within for the answers are inside you. Just be patient and learn to listen.
And most importantly, when you are feeling down and worried that you will never make it, remind yourself that your destination is in your journey, and when you recognize that timing is far more important than how long it took you to get to where you are, to where you want to go, you will realize that you are right where you are meant to be, right now.
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Leslie Gaudet, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Leslie Gaudet is a Mindset and Emotional Awareness Coach for women. She helps her clients achieve self-awareness around their emotional triggers by shifting their mindset to make better decisions when they respond, allowing them to bring more balance, peace, and harmony into their lives.
Almost 4 decades working as a Legal Assistant and Paralegal in the corporate world left her feeling emotionally and physically drained. That’s when she decided that she had to make some changes for her to live the life she loves. Those changes involved learning to love herself (without judgment or criticism). That mindset is the key to everything because our mindset influences our thoughts, and in turn, our thoughts dictate our words and actions. Thru her journey to self-love and self-acceptance, Leslie became certified as a Life Coach and attained further certifications in Group Coaching and Emotional Intelligence.
She works closely with her clients, starting with mindset because that is the foundational piece to self-love and self-acceptance. She teaches her clients about triggers and how they affect us emotionally by helping her clients tune into, spot, and understand their own so that they can become more self-aware of their trigger moments and emotional responses.
With proven tools and techniques and with her guidance, her clients tap into and discover their true potential to living their life and loving the life they are living.
Leslie believes that you will transform your life when you Change Your Brain (the way you think).
