Act2 Begins with a Decision

Ms. Amelia Gibbons

Guest Post by Amelia Gibbons, AG's Sandbox. Ameila is listed under Life Coaches on our Who We Love page. If you've ever thought about trying out life coaching, reach out!

The invitation was unexpected and received with gratitude.

Dr. Sarah asked me to consider bringing

my life coaching experience to her fitness business.

I immediately thought of all the possibilities—individual transformation and collective impact. I imagined a human chain connecting one person to another, each becoming stronger because someone chose to invest in themselves.

She believed this opportunity, when presented to her clients, would be received warmly. There were many coaches she could have selected; however, through a mutual

acquaintance, she had the opportunity to witness the impact of my coaching style

firsthand.

I started reflecting on why that partnership made sense.

I rarely do things impulsively. As a matter of fact, my BFF tells me I think too much. I am

wired that way, and I also realize it is a very real by-product of my lived experiences.

When others made decisions on my behalf, I was left to deal with the consequences.

Whether good, bad, or ugly, those experiences introduced intentionality into my life.

Never would I make decisions on a whim.

Have you ever felt like this?

This opportunity made sense to me for a number of reasons. Here are the two most

important ones.

1. The coaching space of my business is called Act2. Why? Many people believe Act2 begins when they retire, change careers, or reach a certain age. But, Act2 can begin the moment we decide to become intentional about our lives.

For some people, that decision begins with improving their health. For others, it

begins with a career change, a relationship, or a crisis. The common denominator

isn't age. It's the decision to pursue transformation. I want to work with individuals

who instinctively understand this and are ready to move into Act2.

2. The second reason is that I am living my own Act2, and I want to share those

experiences. I believe in the power of legacy building and how it can impact

generations of individuals. My legacy continues to evolve around people. I am

privileged to live that impact by providing life coaching to individuals who are

entering their own Act2. This allows me the privilege of working with others to

change their lives and, consequently, contribute to changing our world for the

better. What better legacy could I leave behind?

As a woman of color, I am a walking stereotype from a health and wellness perspective.

The labels that have been placed on me include obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and,

most recently, breast cancer survivor. Yet I own my business. I am a community activist.

I received my master's degree after the age of fifty-five. I am creating a leadership

ecosystem. I am a mother, sister, friend, and family matriarch.

The burning question I kept asking myself was, If I can do all of the above, then why is

exercise a problem?

Exercise—or, as I prefer, movement—was not the magic elixir. This was the first major

assumption I had to rid myself of.

I took time to reflect on how I managed to achieve all the good things in my life. What

was missing in my health and wellness journey?

What I finally understood was that my mind, body, and spirit were working toward the

same goal in the areas where I experienced success.

If I had to stay up late to finish a paper and get up early for a meeting, my mind, body,

and spirit cooperated. They understood that every sacrifice was moving me toward one

true goal—the goal of living as my authentic self.

That was, and continues to be, my ultimate destination.

So why wasn't I experiencing the same success on my health and wellness journey?

The challenge was that, in this area of my life, my mind, body, and spirit were acting in

silos. Yes, each had accomplished some wonderful goals independently, but what if they

began working together on this health and wellness journey?

The first step toward unleashing that power was taking the time to understand each one

individually. The next step was learning how to connect the dots so they formed a foundation strong enough to protect me against distraction, discouragement,

disappointment, and, ultimately, the death of my dream of living authentically.

Water slowly wearing away a rock is transformation.

It starts quietly, but it is consistently happening.

You don't see the rock changing from one day to the next, but it is changing. Time

simply reveals what consistency has been accomplishing all along.

Authentic living happened like that for me. It meant consciously showing up each day and inviting my mind, body, and spirit to work together.

I believe the same pattern can happen on your health and wellness journey.

If the only measure of success is a number on the scale, it is like standing beside a

stream and trying to determine how much the rock has changed in a single day.

The scale tells us something about the body.

• But what about the mind?

• What about the spirit?

• How do they contribute?

Using one without the others never tells the whole story, nor does it allow us to

experience our greatest potential.

I want to pause here and connect the dots.

It takes the mind, body, and spirit working together to point us toward authentic living.

Discovering your authentic self reveals how you function best. It reveals your gifts, your

passions, and your purpose.

Authenticity will eventually show you the "how" behind every "what if."

What if I understood and respected the strength of each part of myself and used it not

only on my health and wellness journey, but in every role I occupy?

What if understanding and implementation became the goal?

What if...

You fill in the blank.

Without question, I want you to consider life coaching as one vehicle for getting closer

to your goals.

I also want you to consider it because some journeys are simply not meant to be

traveled alone.

Before choosing a life coach, ask yourself the same questions you would ask before

making any significant investment.

• How will my life change?

• What am I truly investing besides money?

• Is now the right time to begin this journey?

• Am I willing to commit the necessary time?

• What return on investment would tell me this journey was worthwhile?

The answers to those questions may become the first step toward your own Act2.

About the Author

Amelia Gibbon is the founder of Act2 Coaching, where she partners with individuals

who are ready to live with greater intention by aligning mind, body, and spirit. Drawing

from her own journey of personal transformation, Amelia helps others discover their

authentic path and create lasting change that extends beyond themselves. https://agssandbox.org/