I receive notification from LinkedIn that someone I spoke to last winter had landed a new job. I was thrilled for him, but also apprehensive because he had said he wanted out of that industry. Below is the message I received from him, and I’m sharing it with you, (yes I got permission; names omitted; edited for brevity) because it shows what happens when you are true to yourself. (I should also mention that add that this person is 3.5 years away from retirement and got exactly the job he wanted—in the middle of a pandemic.)

I got this job by accident. I only applied because I had to pick something. It was slightly over my head, but I figured that was my out. I went through 4 screens/interviews and then they called me and said something very strange. They said that they were still interviewing and decisions would be made the week of July 20. That came and went, but on July 31, I get a call. They ask me to apply online to a job that's been opened for me.

And a few days later I got an offer. And get this, the job is more or less exactly what I told them I was interested in doing. I can hardly believe it. I was ready to make the call to social office security [to start early retirement], and then this happened. I get to work at home at least until EOY. This is the only way I was going to be ok with continuing in IT, and somehow I got it, by accident! I was my authentic self with them and they still wanted me. I've been given more trust in two days than I had in the last 14 yrs. He [hiring manager] was very direct about comp time—this is a 40 hr gig, and so I can still do my music. I did exactly what you said, and look what happened. I am sending you the biggest virtual hug ever. Thank you for your generous gift of time. It made all the difference. ❤

While I’d love to take credit for his good fortune, I can’t. He’s the one who took the action. He’s the one who risked being honest about what he wanted. Instead of saying what he thought he was supposed to say in an interview to make himself look good, he just straight out said what he wanted, what he could do—and what he couldn’t.

Let me tell you what I want. I want to work with people who are ready to commit to the work. And by “work,” I mean the inner work of confronting your bugaboos and trying something different. Specifically, I want three new clients starting in September for a six-month, transformational experience called The Midlife Breakthrough who meet these criteria:

• Passion for personal and/or professional growth

• Desire to make the world a better place, whatever that means to you

• Willing to be honest with yourself and look at blind spots

• Fed up with all the ways of doing life that haven’t been working and ready and willing to try something new

• Time to devote to yourself OR the willingness to try something new in order to create that time