I've been offline for a long time. Most of my energy has been going towards writing a book and coaching some truly exceptional clients. Now and then, I catch myself reflecting about the interesting new direction in which my coaching practice has been creeping.

While it's still premature, I'm ready to share a bit of a teaser.

I'm interested in a shifting definition of work, of career.

I think the 9-5 (or 8-7, etc) clock-in, clock-out corporate cubicle model is outdated. It's being shed - for some, slowly, for some very rapidly.

How do I know this? First, I was able to leave it, and my world didn't crumble. Then my husband walked out, and never looked back. We're happier and more productive than ever before. And my clients are doing so too. So are my coaching colleagues. The people I trust, value and respect. Just walking away. And not looking back.

Second, look at the economy. Today we heard some grim reports about jobs and joblessness. More people are unemployed than ever before. And jobs aren't making a comeback as expected. In fact, major employers are still cutting large amounts of jobs, every day.

The convergence of these two factors is pretty powerful. More people are driven to follow their passions than ever before. And less jobs than ever before.

The chains that held us to our old desk jobs are being cut, and we're finding meaning. We're also finding money. Yes, it's actually possible that we can walk away from our jobs and earn more than ever before. It takes ingenuity and creativity. And drive. But it's possible. And it's fun!

This is just the beginning of an exciting new focus, for me and my clients. Keep your radar up, you'll hear more - from me and from others in this space. It's an exciting new world!

In the pursuit of soothing music for our baby, my husband recently staged a comeback for Cat Stevens.
As a result, I’ve been listening to Father & Son a lot lately.

There’s one section of the song that hits me hard every time I hear it.

“All the times that I’ve cried, keeping all the things I knew inside
It’s hard, but it’s harder to ignore it.”

This describes 95% of the clients who approach me for help.  And I’d suspect it describes the majority of people out there who are unhappy in their work.

These lyrics describe a parent-child conversation. And some of us have chosen vocations that we believe will fulfill our parents’ expectations for us, whether spoken or unspoken.  However, these expectations don’t always come from our parents.

Culturally, many of us come with baggage about what an acceptable career might be. Those ideas might come from our extended community, or from society at large. They may relate to our gender, our religion, or our nationality.

To illustrate, picture a woman becoming a professional skydiver. Now imagine she’s from the middle east. Or a man selling crafts out of his home. Now place him in a machismo society. There surely are people in such positions, but imagine the comments they’d get at a cocktail party.

Unfortunately, with built-in expectations following us around, we must summon courage at each stage of the journey – to search for work that we love,  to admit what it is that we love, and to pursue it.

In order to avoid the pain of rejection, many of us try to ignore our unhappiness with our work situation. And that’s when it starts showing up elsewhere.

Unhappiness at work translates into unhappiness outside of work, and – when ignored over time – unhappiness can lead to health problems.

So, while it’s hard to come out of the work closet, as Cat says, “it’s harder to ignore it.”

“There’s a way” to follow your dreams, people. Look your demons straight in the eye.  And tell them what you really think. What’s the worst they could say?

Well, folks, we finally did it! Oprah has told us to find our calling on the front page of O magazine!

Ever since launching my coaching practice, my social mission has been to educate others about the possibility – and benefits – of living your passion through your career.  And that work expanded recently as I embarked upon the journey of parenthood.

It is a huge win for everyone when the most powerful woman in the world tells us to live our passion.  What a gift!  What freedom.

This is our opportunity to throw off the shackles of those other voices that have told us to do what’s safe, what’s convenient, or what’s expected.

This is our moment to shine.  To tell the world what we truly love by embracing it.

And if you’re not yet sure what you truly love, this is your chance to find out (although I suspect you really do know what you love, you just may not know that you already know it).

So go forth and conquer, people! Make Oprah proud!