On The Internet! Take the Self Improvement Tour
Mary Joan Coultas M.Div. M.A.
Mary Joan Coultas Quick Facts
Main Areas: Teaching, Writing, Research, CounselingCareer Focus: Career Counseling
MY STORY
My personal journey in search of my own Life Purpose, took me on a "long and winding road". After High School, I studied Psychology and Education at university, graduating with a B.A. and B.Ed. As a licensed teacher, I taught in the public school system as an elementary school teacher over the next 5 years. Looking back now, I wonder why I didn't put those two together and come up with Guidance Counseling. I was so close, it was staring me in the face, "hiding in plain view", as they say.
Then an inner call to a deeper spirituality took me off in a different direction with full time study in Church Ministry. I graduated with a Masters of Divinity and served in four churches. I loved the counseling aspect, but there were too many other aspects that were not what I expected. When I moved on from formal Church Ministry, I was still searching for my life's purpose, and I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever find it.
Gathering up the knowledge and wisdom gained from this experience, I next moved on to the world of computers and worked as a computer instructor.
THE JOURNEY COMES FULL CIRCLE
Now my journey was about to come full circle. Through computer teaching, and being around students again, I was reminded of my first love, Counseling. My students needed guidance on finding their niche in the workplace. This time I put the two together: Education + Counseling = Career Counseling.
After two more years of graduate school I received a Masters in Counseling Psychology, and was licensed as a Career Counselor and Psychotherapist.
Looking back now, I realize, I had come very close to this, when I had been an undergraduate, I could have studied Guidance Counseling and become a school guidance counselor, but somehow I missed the boat.
I took the wrong fork in the road, and found myself living through the same frustrating emotional roller coaster ride that many, who do not find their niche early on, experience. Going through the gamut of emotion from anguish, disillusion, despair to hope and finally joy, at last I had found my life's work.
Deepak Chopra put it this way. "Each of us manifests in physical form to fulfill a unique purpose" ? which he calls our 'dharma'. And it’s up to each of us to find out what that purpose is. He says that we all have a unique talent or gift, which we are here to use in the service of others.
He continues: "You know you have found it, when time seems to stand still while you are doing it". Well, I can attest to the fact that this is true. You do literally "enter a blissful state of timeless awareness", when you have found the work, that is satisfying and purposeful to you.
WHAT KEPT ME GOING ALL THOSE YEARS SEARCHING FOR MY LIFE'S WORK?
It was the answer I always got, from those who truly seemed to be happy in their work. They would tell me: "I love what I do so much, I’d do it even if I wasn’t paid." If you can say that about what you do, then you know you’ve found your Life Purpose.
A SURPRISING DEVELOPMENT
An unexpected by-product of finding my life’s work, was that the same feeling of timelessness that I was feeling, transferred to my clients. Time after time, people coming into my office, who had never seen or met each other, would volunteer the same comment. "Wow, we’ve been here how long? But it seems like I just walked in the door a few minutes ago!"
When they were with me -- when we were locked into a counseling moment together -- my clients too were caught up in that timeless state with me.
DOES TIME REALLY STAND STILL?
Time really does stand still, when you are doing what you love, because you are truly present and living in the moment. Rather than feeling frantic and worried, you feel peaceful and relaxed, because you know in your heart, that if you died tomorrow, you would have no regrets. You are living what you came here to do. Eckhart Tolle calls it living in "The Power of Now".
Each one of us needs to know what that "special something" is, that is our gift to others -- that is a unique expression of who we are. It has been called "your passion". It can be a hobby, a skill or an area of interest that always fascinates you.
Know that you too can discover it ... and never give up until you do! Remember that somebody, somewhere needs what you have to give.
If you'd like to know more about finding your Passion or Purpose in Life, check out my website at: http://www.Best-Career-Match.com
Mary Joan
Favorite Quotes & Thoughts from Mary Joan Coultas
I'll see it when I believe it. ~ Wayne Dyer
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken. ~ Oscar Wilde
Don't believe everything you think. ~ Eckhart Tolle
How you do anything, is how you do everything. ~ Cheri Huber
Do not mistake pleasure for happiness. ~ Aristotle
Whatever you think of me is none of my business.
When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. ~ Wayne Dyer
For a German and a Finn the truth is the truth. In Japan and Britain the truth is permissible, if it doesn't rock the boat. In China there is no absolute truth. In Italy the truth is negotiable. ~ Richard Lewis
You can't hurt another person without hurting yourself, nor can you help another person without helping yourself. ~ Wayne Dyer
"There is no use in trying," said Alice. "One can't believe impossible things." "I dare say you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." ~ Lewis Carroll
When you speak from your heart, and say the words your soul has only dared to whisper, that's when miracles happen. ~ Flavia
If you don't take care of your body, it will take care of itself. And it won't always be in the most convenient way for you.
Be willing to live in the present moment, allowing yourself to relax and to trust that things will turn out for the best. And they will.
Getting Started With Mary Joan Coultas
RECOMMENDED READING ON CAREER RELATED TOPICS:
For Books on these topics go to: http://www.best-career-match.com/books-recommended.html
General Career Books: Making Money, Job Searching, Career Matching, Resumes, Interviewing
Career Info on Specific Jobs: How to find them, what you do in that job, training required, licensing requirements, salary info, job outlooks and much more
Working at Home: Great Ideas for working out of your own home
Working in Other Countries: Europe - Britain, Germany, Switzerland
Working After Retirement - Be happy, productive and find creative ways to supplement your income with these helpful resources
Surviving a Job Loss - ways to get past the trauma and get back on your feet
