Day 31: Paula Harvey

October 31, 2009 at 12:01 am, Category: Inspiration

“I think that lots of times, at least I know myself and I know others, we tend to underestimate our own potential; and when we’re faced with some things that are adversity or whatever, that potential just comes out.”

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Toni Reece: Thank you so much, Paula, for agreeing to do this interview for us, and before we go into the questions, I’m going to ask if you could introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

Paula Harvey: Okay, my name is Paula Harvey, and I’m a life transition coach, and I help people to identify and align with their passions.

Toni: Okay, well that leads us great into the very first question, and that question is, the work that you do, who do you inspire and how do you do that?

Paula: Well, you know, it’s really interesting.  As I was looking at these questions and thinking about it, it not only is my clients, but friends, family, anyone I work with, and it’s kind of on two levels.  I hope to inspire by just being who I am and being an example in how I’m being in the world; and when I’m working with my clients, I inspire them by helping them to identify their passions and then to really connect with them from their heart, not just their head.

It’s an amazing process to watch them go through that and begin to really see the possibilities that are out there for them when they go, “Oh, wow, you know, that has been something I’ve always wanted to do”, or “I just love that.”  So helping them to really connect with that energy and then work from that place of inspiration is what I like to do.

Toni: Can you tell me or explain just a little bit of how you go about that, when you’re trying to connect — whether it’s your relationships or your clients and you’re connecting with not only their head, but their heart, and being able to identify those possibilities with them — can you give an example of how you do that?

Paula: Well, there’s a number of ways through the coaching process.  Obviously, they are asking very powerful questions to them, as well as I have a process that I take them through that’s called The Passion Test, and it’s a very powerful process where they list out the things that are important to them, and then I take them through a process to actually pick their top 5, and it’s really interesting for them.   I have people that say, “Oh, I know what they are,” but I go, “Well, let’s just go through the process” and it comes out differently after we go through the process and they are surprised.

As I take them through the process, I encourage them; I know it’s not always easy to get out of their head, and I take them into their body and say, “Okay, when I’m asking you these questions, where do you feel it in your body,” so that they are connecting to their whole person, if you will, not just their head; so that they can answer from a different place than where their mind may think they should be.

Toni: Oh, I see, okay … and then through that inspiration process of identifying where their passion lies — going through this test that you use in identifying the top passions — how does that, and does it, work with how you help them explore their potential?

Paula: Yes, that definitely, because so many times … well number one, at least for me … my experience was that I never really thought about what I was passionate about, and the idea of working or following those passions was just kind of foreign to me.  That number one is an eye opener to a lot of people, and then to actually help them see that there are possibilities to follow those passions; number one by helping them get clearer on it.  I help them see the possibilities, and we do that by just brainstorming.  What would this look like when they’re done, when they were actually living there?  Then keeping them in that possibility place rather than the “how to” because people always want to jump right to the how to.  I really want to connect them to that energy of feeling what it would be like when they are actually living that without attaching to any form of what that might look like.

Toni: Okay.  So, from your perspective then, how would you define the difference between possibilities and potential?

Paula: Hmmm, good question.  Right off the top of my head what’s coming up for me is potential is, I would say, what people believe about themselves; and possibilities are everything that is out there.  So to me, potential is what’s within you, and do you believe in that potential that’s within you.

Toni: And therefore, that opens the door to the possibility, which is what your process then does; it takes them through the possibilities into their potential.

Paula: Correct.

Toni: Fantastic!  Paula, what do you need to be inspired?  Where do you seek inspiration?

Paula: For me, my inspiration — and I just love the word inspiration by the way — that’s been a mantra for me for quite some time, the word inspiration.  For me, it’s just a much more comfortable place than willing myself to do something; and for me, my inspiration comes from me connecting my own passions and working with my clients, and also for me connecting with spirit.  What really gets me inspired is when I’m working with my clients and they see, they get an “ah-ha!” and they start to really believe that this is possible, and it inspires me to continue on my path to help others.

It’s really hard to explain; it’s like a whole body experience, I just get giddy and excited.  I’m inspired by them and their willingness to be open to their own personal growth to their potential, to the possibilities.  So it just really … it’s really been hard to explain, but as I said, it’s a whole body experience and keeps me going.  It feeds me; we feed each other through the process.

Toni: I want to clarify one of the statements that you made because, and then you said it again, which is the willingness; so to you, do you put, when someone is inspired, that that opens up their willingness?

Paula: It’s both.  They have to be in a place to be willing to open to the possibilities, and then it’s kind of a two-fold thing — be willing to explore — and then when they start their exploration, be willing to open.  So it’s a group process.

Toni: Right.  And so, when you’re inspiring someone, it is kind of feeding the fuel for the willingness.

Paula: Absolutely.  It is absolutely feeding that, yes.

Toni: So when you are absolutely inspired by the clients that you’re working with, and when they have that “ah-ha!” moment, do you seek other sources and resources and tools for inspiration when you’re looking for it or you need when you’re not working with your clients?

Paula: Oh yes, for myself.  I’m … what do I want to say …. a self-growth aficionado or whatever, but I love exploring how I think, how I function.  And I’m continually delving deeper into who I am and really understanding how I function and how I can be more of who I am; so I’m always looking for new tools and hearing someone say something a certain way or doing readings, taking courses.  I meditate.

I do a number of things that keep me centered in who I am, and my goal is to love life no matter what’s going on in my life, and to be in a very peaceful, centered place during whatever is occurring, whether it’s …  Life is life, so there’s chaotic times, there’s times where things go smoothly, and I would like to go through those times as peaceful and centered as possible.  So it’s a continual journey for me to learn as things come up and, believe me, I have lots of times to practice.  Life is life!

Toni: Yes it is, isn’t it?  When you are seeking inspiration and you’re looking at the self-growth and, you know, trying to live in this peaceful existence and love your life no matter what, at those times do you find that you’re exploring your own potential, that by looking for inspiration and centering yourself that that also allows you to open your own potential?

Paula: Yes, absolutely, because it’s at those times when I’m calling on that potential within me, and I’m getting this “ah-ha!” like “Wow, I didn’t know I had this in me.”  And it’s a great feeling because I think that lots of times, at least I know myself and I know others, we tend to underestimate our own potential; and when we’re faced with some things that are adversity or whatever, that potential just comes out.

Toni: And are there certain tools or techniques that you would call upon or look for when you are in that place and when you might be underestimating your own potential, that you would go to particular sources and look a little deeper?

Paula: Oh yes.  For me, one of the biggest and best tools that I use is “The Work” by Byron Katie.   My father passed a couple years ago, and I have to say that The Work was a big piece in helping me go through that.  He was sick for a year, and it really helped me deal with that and go through it in a much different space than I would have a number of years ago.

Toni: And what was this specific work?

Paula: It’s called “The Work” by Byron Katie, and it’s all about examining our thoughts.  And that’s what I’m finding very true for me is that our thoughts cause us distress, and so by examining those thoughts, we can find a different place and go “That’s a thought.”  And it’s all about being in the moment.  “In this moment, I’m okay.  It’s that thought that’s causing me stress in this moment.”

Toni: So I’m understanding from what you’ve given during this interview today that the work that you do with others — to help them understand their own potential that they can then drive a belief to what’s possible — and that the work you do with yourself — which is calling on your own potential and at times you might underestimate your potential also drives the belief to what’s possible for you and to stay in that moment — which then, I believe, then transfers to how you’re helping others identify their passion, keeping the possibilities open, and keeping them very powerful.  So the way that it has come across to me in this interview is that the work that you do for yourself in that self-growth and potential and possibilities is what leads you to help others find their passion.

Paula: I couldn’t have said it better!

Toni: Well, I’ll tell you, Paula, thank you so very much  for providing this insight into your approaches to inspiration and exploration and also what you need so that others can learn and benefit by it, and I can’t thank you enough for participating in this project.

Paula: Oh, thank you very much.  I’m really excited about your project, so I’m glad I’m a part of it.

Toni: Thank you very much and hopefully we’ll talk soon.

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For more information about Paula Harvey:  www.DesigningAPassionateLife.com

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