As I thought about what I would like to share with you. I keep thinking about my “Why’s” for anything I do. I thought you might enjoy reading my first speech I gave to my Toastmasters group: ( Toastmasters is a club you can join to help anyone improve their public speaking skills) “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to stand before you today and share my WHY for joining Toastmasters when public speaking has always been right near the top of my phobia list. It is second only to swinging by a cord high up – overlooking Yosemite Valley while climbing Half Dome! My “why” for joining Toastmasters, however, is rooted in a burning desire for growth— I want to communicate effectively and give compelling messages to ignite the joy of living and to inspire the hope of healthy wellbeing in all areas of life, I want to help anyone with any dream they have to not only create the dream but to experience the incredible satisfaction of becoming that person in their dream! I realize that in order to share my ideas, connect with others, and make a positive impact, I need to develop courage and the tools to express myself confidently. Why do I want to find my voice??? Well let me tell you. I am the first-born daughter and first-born granddaughter of a pretty dysfunctional family that goes back as many generations that I know of. I am and have been a wife, a very young mother, now a grandmother and registered nurse for well we won’t mention how many years… . … and during that time my many roles dominated my life so that I was not sure who I really was. As a middle-aged single woman, I finally had time, too much time- I realized how lost I was… The abuse and trauma in my life as a child and later in my first marriage had set the stage for my limiting ideas about life and yet I knew there must be answers out there…I started a healing journey with therapy, insightful books, and last year I started listening to podcasts created by Life Coaches. I am so grateful for the help I received and the people who have provided light along the way. I wanted a way to give back for all the joy and health I have found in my journey so I decided to become a Life and Health Coach myself! I recently graduated from two coaching schools with certifications for Health and Life Coaching and I am ready to share the message of hope and life! So talking about roles…As I mentioned the roles I have had in my life I am sure you could picture what those might be like but the funny thing is when I mention becoming a Life and Health Coach to most folks I get a blank stare… I know the feeling because I had no idea either until I investigated it. As I studied Life and Health Coaching, I experienced transformation for myself! I came to understand that true healing happens when we address the whole person— body, mind, and spirit. With small, sustainable changes we can create meaningful transformation in any area of life. One of the most important breakthroughs is the mindset and identity beliefs that change and dissolve lifelong blocks which help us develop positive habits from the inside out. So instead of seeing myself as deathly afraid of public speaking I can slowly and gently shift my mindset to: I just love using my voice to inspire hope and joy.