I believe that with determination, a positive outlook and by asking the right questions we can achieve a lot and transform our lives. My personal journey from a small Siberian town to the heart of Bavaria proves it.
Being guided by curiosity, a constant desire to grow and in search for meaning I moved from country to country before I found my true home. I remember once I was on a train and started a conversation with two Russian-speaking ladies who were living away from their homes and families and wanted to know how I manage in my situation. They asked me one question: “But where is your home?”. I thought for just a moment and the answer came. I put my hand on my chest, feeling my heart beating and answered: “Here”.
I am sure we all have our life stories. Each of them is unique and special. And at the same time there are some things which all our stories have in common: during the first part of our lives we work hard to reach financial security, to gain professional success and find recognition; somewhere in the middle we often experience a shift in our value systems. We begin to question all our previous successes, we lose the passion for that job which we have been doing for years, we want to quit and find new meaning and purpose. Some do. Some struggle. Some pursue. Some give up. How our lives are going to be from now on depends on decisions we make at this point.
More than 20 years I was working in the field of Human Resources and People Development. Starting from a kindergarden teacher, to recruitment consultant, to people development manager, to HR Director, to Regional HR Support Manager responsible for Eastern Europe. I worked hard to satisfy my needs for financial security, professional success and recognition. Then something happened. It was described by Dante as a journey in the middle of which "I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.” The motivation to work had gone. The drive had disappeared. The hunger for success was no longer present. I needed to find my new path, even through the “dark wood” accompanied by fears, doubts and concerns. I won’t say that my journey was easy. I will also not say that it’s over. But I tell you that the decision I made back then was the best one in my life. It took me several years going through ups and downs to find my new path, learning to trust the process and myself.
On this journey I realised how important it is to have companions who can provide guidance and support, who believe in you more then you believe in yourself, who can challenge your stereotypes and encourage new ways of thinking. I have been lucky having people who became my companions on the different parts of the journey.
Now it is my mission to support, empower and inspire individuals, organisations and their leaders to live and work with meaning and purpose, revealing their full potential in alignment with their core values. Seeing the transformative results of our work together is my source of fulfilment and inspiration.