Hi friend,
May today bring with it....
Buoyancy.
This word popped into my head this morning and I am rolling with it. I'm picturing soft movement, playfulness, and adaptability.
Heads or tails?
“Heads means you go to grad school,” my therapist said.
Grad school meant a 3-year masters in marriage and family therapy.
“And tails? That’ll mean you go to the coding bootcamp in Chicago.”
“Oh here we go,” I thought.
I moved forward, sitting on the edge of her plushly upholstered sofa.
And watched the coin rise in the air.
I was 24 and this felt like the biggest decision of my life.
I had spent months and months debating which path I should choose.
With my therapist.
And my partner.
Who didn’t really get it and would only allow me “commercial break vents” in between their favorite tv show.
And then here we were.
Beholden to a 25 cent currency.
I watched the glint of the coin in midair.
And then a plop onto the back of her hand.
Like it never left in the first place.
“It’s tails,” she said.
I could feel her peering at me.
“How do you feel?”
I smiled back, hesitantly.
“Relieved.”
And it was true.
Finally. A decision.
Permission to move forward.
I had spent so long wavering between the two decisions.
Worried I would pick the wrong one.
And exhausting myself with the mental gymnastics of weighing the pros and cons.
I really just wanted to move forward.
To free myself.
This story, of course, doesn’t end there.
But that moment really unlocked something for me.
And I packed up my stuff.
I bought a one-way flight.
And I moved to Chicago.
And the coding bootcamp was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.
I've now spent over 10 years in tech as a software engineer, engineering leader, and founder.
It’s allowed me to build the products and teams I believe in.
And have the freedom of time and money to explore.
Here’s the thing though.
It didn’t matter what decision I took.
I’m sure I would have found my way back to my interests and desires.
Because isn’t it funny that my work now.
Centers around helping women to move forward in their lives through coaching.
Which Is a perfect blend of the two paths I could have taken, over 10 years ago.
There was no wrong decision.
Heads. Or tails.
It was about making a decision.
And allowing myself the space for exploration.
What do you want to explore?
Going-ons I'm excited for:
- I'm running a free workshop on, "3 Secrets to Creating an Energizing Career Within or Out of Tech (without the perfectionist pressure & self doubt)".
If the above story resonated with you, then you won't want to miss this.
- I'm collaborating with CreativeMornings.
You can catch my talk on "Journaling For Reinvention: Unearth your next career pivot" this Monday the 10th.
Come journal with 438 people from around the world (eek) here!
Lemme catch you up
- My former client and now, dear friend, Shamsheer and I chatted in my coffee-break series, "Hey, How Was Your Day?" featuring a fascinating woman in tech who gives us a glimpse into a day in their past, present, and future.
Shiny things that caught my eye (and I want to share them!)
- One of my fave, fave slam poets (he's the Oregon poet laureate!), Anis Mojgani. During the summer he reads out of a window in Portland and people gather around at sunset with their beach chairs. It's weird and lovely.
- I am a sucker for celebrities (unfortunately) and listening to these roundtables has been a fun way to feel like people are in the room while I'm solo working. I love the way these women uplift each other.
Rooting for you,
Sarah
