Bold Journey Magazine
Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laurel Holland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Purpose is an intangible asset that lives within us. It’s something we declare, or connect to from within, that motivates and challenges us to evolve. Our purpose may feel like it’s evolving with our own evolution. For me, purpose became clear through self-trust and following my heart. Many of us think of purpose as “a thing to live for”, “or “something you do that gives your life a reason for being”. I’ve found that a sense of purpose comes through passion and meaning. My first sense of purpose came through my deep desire (a passion) to have children and become the mother I always believed I could be. That decades-long year journey of growing through motherhood brought me into counseling and overcoming limitations that came from my own childhood and young adulthood. I had a true purpose in – “I will not repeat patterns from my family that I deemed unhealthy.” It brought great meaning to my life to make that commitment. Living and committing to that purpose brought about many personal development experiences which also led me to my work as a therapist and life coach. I felt as though the work found me, rather than me saying “this is my purpose”. Instead, when I began that work I felt like I was at home inside myself and knew my skills were strong and natural. Embracing that work brought great meaning and fulfillment to my life. It was deeply connected to my values of self-help and service to others, as well as speaking truth and looking within for answers. Now, my life feels full of meaning and fulfillment as mother, grandmother, writer, and life coach. The purpose being to live into my best self and show up fully which leads me to continue my personal development journey as well as explore my creative nature. It’s my self-declared purpose. 
At sixty-eight years of age, I find myself being drawn more and more to slow down and to focus on my health and creativity as well as enjoying precious time with family. What I love and have loved about my work is it’s flexibility. My coaching business has been mostly viral since I moved to Virginia in 2008 which means I can work anywhere. My husband and I are traveling more since he is fully retired. Last year I made the decision to no longer take on new clients but to continue writing and work with the clients I have until they are ready to move on without my support and guidance. I have two book projects in the early stages that I’m excited to move forward, one which is a collaborative effort. It’s exciting to think I may author six books when I never had an intention to write one! That was another purpose that came through trusting myself and exploring the passion I had for my work in blending mental and emotional health with energy awareness and self-care. My book Courageous Woman, and my journal, Live Your Inner Power, both offer readers the opportunity to transform self-limiting habits into generative patterns that offer a deeper connection to oneself and the courage to move towards more of what they want. The journal was a collaborative project that produced a gorgeous book for anyone who wants to self-reflect and journal but doesn’t know where to begin. It’s filled with explorative questions and prompts, many of which I use in coaching so it’s an affordable way to access good coaching. I’m so proud of that piece of work. My third book, Crossroads, felt like it was channeled during early morning meditations and is my favorite book so far. It’s a book of poetry with accompanying prompts for reflection. I’m working on my second book of poetry now too.
I’ll offer one of each.
The quality of integrity is high on my list of qualities. For those in the coaching field, this means integrating the work itself in your personal and professional life. Providers that have not done their own inner work can actually hamper or hurt others in their own growth and healing journey. It’s important for clients to do their homework so they understand what a provider’s background is so they know what the provider can offer. Many coaches are professing monetary success and yet the coaches who I follow, who continue to do well in their businesses, do so because they are evolving all the time and continuing to grow rather than solely focusing on making a big salary. If money is the driving force for success for a coach, they are in a misaligned business. If you’re in the human service field such as this, the essential place to stay focused is on your own personal and professional development.
My skill in meditation has proved to be endlessly valuable. Firstly to myself in terms of clarity and working through any past issues that arise. It’s taught me temperance, tolerance, and commitment to myself. My ability to sit quietly with myself allowed me to sit quietly with others as they sort through their own turmoil. It’s given me an inner strength to stay with hard feelings and that helped me stay with others hard feelings without having to fix them. It’s given me the opportunity to see how resourceful and resilient each of us is if we can keep connecting more deeply with self. My best piece of advice to any meditator is to let go of the expectation that your mind with stop thinking, instead learn how to work with it.
The area of knowledge that has served both personally and professionally was becoming proficient in the language and art of working with emotions. It’s a real place of deficiency in our culture and harms so many of us through this inadequate understanding and inner awareness. I encourage anyone who wants to lead a more rich and fulfilling, empowered and confident life, to grow your emotional intelligence, There are many books to explore in this field. Live Your Inner Power, The Journal is a wonderful starting place for self-awareness and clarity. 
My podcast, Beautiful Work Beautiful Life is in its fifth season. My co-host, Laurel Boivin, and I are always open to bringing on guests that feel like they are living a beautiful life and can have an inspiring conversation about some of the inner (or beautiful work) that brought them into living content in the world.
I’d love to collaborate with any coach who has been dedicated to their own deep work and who wants to learn a group process and model to offer to their clients. My Live Your Inner Power Program offers a structured, rich approach to empowering others and teaching eight practices that continue to bring about healthy transformation throughout a lifetime.
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