When your friend from high school has a blog and a message, what do you do? You have her as a guest on your blog! I met this sweet woman quite a few (cough, cough) years ago while I attended a small, Christian boarding school in rural Georgia. Her kind spirit and deep dimples endeared me immediately. She was and still is a joy to be around, and she has not lost any of her flavor.
I love to hear and share stories of transformation, especially when a cross-country adventure is involved. Take a moment and see if you can relate to Jeanie's story. If so, lift your hands toward heaven and thank God that He brought you here so that the resources she possesses can be a blessing to you.
Thank you for being willing to share your life with us, Jeanie. May God continue to guide your heart and use you to untangle the webs of dissatisfaction for His glory.
Jeanie Tillman is a life coach and writer who helps her clients overcome burnout and create an inspired and aligned life. Learn more on JeanieTillman.com or join her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/inspired23/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel.
How My Life Transformed In A Year
If you told me two years ago that I would sell my house, along with 90% of my stuff, quit my graphic design job, become a life coach and move to Denver sight-unseen, I would have laughed in your face. That just wasn’t me! But over the course of a year, that’s exactly what happened. It started when everything slowly dimmed down in my life in Tennessee. The things I once enjoyed seemed to either disappear or no longer feel fulfilling. And no matter what I did, not only did things not improve, but actually grew worse. My world started getting smaller and smaller. This got me spending lots of quiet time seeking answers and basically becoming a hermit. I now think God was using that discomfort to narrow my focus and prepare me for some big changes!
My first change was deciding to do life coach training. It was something I had been interested in for years and finally decided to go for it— after realizing I didn’t want to be unhappy at my job as a graphic designer for the rest of my life. I found the coach certification program I liked and knew it was my “JAM” the first day of training (and ever since!).
Over the next few months, I learned all kinds of exciting tools and started applying them to my life, and noticed improvements. Using my new knowledge, I felt less frustrated and less stressed. Feeling better was great, but there was still something missing. I had looked into Denver at one point for the fun of it, and imagined that it would be a cool place to live. With the lull in Chattanooga I experienced, Denver came back to mind, and thoughts of Denver grew louder over time. The idea both excited and scared me. Not only did I want to move to Denver, but I also wanted to start my coaching business. Was it even possible to do both?? I didn’t know how it would work but I knew I wanted to move.
A friend suggested I sell my house and use the excess money to start my business. I doubted my house would bring in as much as I needed, but after talking to a realtor, it appeared that it could. I was moving to Denver! Not only did I sell my house, but also most of my stuff. Since my plans weren’t set in stone, I didn’t want to cart my things around with a “chance” I might need them. So it would just be me and a car load headed to Denver. A city I never actually visited because the timing was always off, and since it was just me and my car, I could always turn around.
I found a place to stay in the Denver area just three weeks out from the closing date for the sale of my house. My cousin, who lived near Denver. He invited me to stay with him and his family for as long as I wanted. One thing after another seemed to fall in place for me to make the transition. I’ve now lived in Denver for 11 months, and the best way to describe my experience here is to say it feels like there was a spot waiting for me. Not that I haven’t hit snags or questioned what comes next in such an extreme transition (just read a few of my blogs!). However, I get a thrill every time I see the mountains that hasn’t worn off. The sun is shining 300 days out of the year, the people are fabulous, down-to-earth and welcoming. Nature is everywhere. To say I “like” it here is an understatement!
All of these drastic changes were very unlike the old me, but the discomfort I experienced caused me to be open to drastic changes. And I’m glad. I’m also glad for the coaching tools that helped make it possible. Because the old Jeanie would have been too worried to make all the decisions leading up to the move. That Jeanie would have stayed right where she was, doing things the same old way and putting up with mediocrity for the sake of security—or believing she didn’t have a choice. And I imagine what I would have missed…
I think each of us deserves to feel fulfilled. I don’t believe life should be about surviving until the next vacation, or holiday— but about building a life you don’t constantly need a break from! Fulfillment is not a dream available to a few but it’s ready and waiting for each of us to claim. If you would like to make strides toward fulfillment, tapping into your desires is a good start. So I’ve created “5 Questions To Explore Your Desires” just for you.
Happy journeying!
Thank you so much for hanging out with us today Jeanie! Please check out the links above and show her some love!
From My Transformed Heart to Yours,
Quanny