Welcome to the new Lolabees!

In 2011 when I started this blog, it was simply a distraction, a way to open up my world.  I was stuck in my career, without any idea how on earth I was going to change anything.  I knew I needed to stop practicing dentistry, and for many reasons I was too afraid to take action.  This blog was merely a step, an attempt to do something different and to bring more creativity into my life.  There were no expectations or pressure.  I just needed something new to shift my stagnant energy, and that’s exactly what it did.  Sharing my thoughts and experiences with you opened doors I never would have imagined.  Along the way I learned what it took to for me to change and actually take action.  I learned what was important to me, what I could live with and without, and what I was capable of.

I experimented with new careers, played around with zany options, and dabbled in what seemed like the most unlikely ideas.  I had a lot of failures and a bunch of successes.  I shared many of my insecurities as well as my moments of growth with you.

And you told me you felt many of the same things.

In all that time, the most fulfilling thing I ever experienced was connecting with those of you who reached out to me.  Whether it was for support, ideas, or simply to vent, helping you filled me up with gratitude and joy in a way that nothing else has.  I always knew in my heart that when it came to my career, that was the feeling I was chasing.  At every step of the way in my search for my dream career, these experiences kept pulling me back to the idea of career coaching.

My dream job is to help others create their dream jobs.

I always knew it would happen, but I didn’t know when.  The truth is I kept putting it off.  I didn’t know it then, but it wasn’t the right time.  Part of me wanted to prove to myself that I could be successful outside of dentistry before I could authentically help someone else.  I wanted to be sure I could be a good builder and creator and not just a good quitter.  When you commended me for having the courage to change and speak up about our challenges in dentistry, I wholeheartedly embraced that; but I also tuned in to my own unhelpful self-talk.  For some reason I felt the need to remind myself that being good at quitting wasn’t anything to be proud of, and I was afraid of being a phony.  I now know that was part of the process of grieving the loss of my career and my identity as a dentist.  I also know that was not true, but that was my excuse for putting it off.

Then one day last year it happened.  In a single discussion with a coach, I discovered I simply had to go for it.  The decision happened in a snap because the timing was right.  I realized I had built enough over the years.  My experiences helped me grow so that I fully felt ready to finally put my energy into what I really wanted– and frankly, what I was meant to do– all along.  I no longer needed the excuse that I was only good at quitting to hold me back.

I’ve also recently recognized that there was a much more real reason I wasn’t ready back then.  It really had nothing to do with being a phony or a quitter, but instead it had to do with what I was and am capable of offering.  Back then I was running from something.  Now I am running toward something.  That makes a difference.  Now I can be a stronger support for others while coming from a positive, abundant place instead of a desperate, needy place.  I have more to give now than I would have 6 years ago.

So now it’s just a little more official! It’s a brand new website with a new look, but it will always be the same blog where we welcome all of your ideas and opinions. 

Oh, and if anyone has noticed those stupid video ads that have recently started hijacking my blog when you’re trying to read it, they are now gone!  Hooray!