[Tuumble]

This morning when I caught my bus into town there was a young lady at the bus stop. We don't always see each other but we do enough to acknowledge each other when we are both there. Today we struck up a conversation.

She asked me what I did for a living and I said design and marketing and she said that she wanted to do design but the course she was on stopped and later the school closed.

I asked her what she was doing now and she told me she had a job in the freezer section of a local supermarket. I then asked if she still wanted to do design and she replied implying that she would but that it was now too late. It had been more than a year since she was studying.

I couldn't believe it - she was only about 20-21. She had accepted her future was set as external influences had dictated so. Then my coaching skills came to the fore and I asked her some searching questions which I think hit home.

How do I know this? Well, she always sits downstairs on the bus but today she followed me upstairs and we chatted some more. You could hear the cogs turning in her head. I dunno but it felt like she understood that she could actually make a change. That her dream was still possible.

There were a few occasions where she put obstacles in the way of herself like she couldn't afford this or not able to do that but I think it was line: "If you want it enough you will find a way of making it happen." that made the difference.

This has happened to me twice in a week now. One of my colleagues at work was with me on a show stand at a big exhibition in Earls Court in London. In the quieter times we talked about our respective careers to date and plans.

She had a background in catering and would like to run a bar and had some basic plans in mind. Through talking it was obvious that there were 3-4 people who could help make that dream a reality but she hadn't spoken to them about it. I made sure she set a timescale for doing so.

In both cases the direction of the conversation was influenced by that realisation that there could be something different. That what they are doing now is not their dream.

Whether I'm involved in their journey in future I cannot say but I certainly felt as if I played a part in bringing their respective futures to the forefront. I've made a difference in the lives of two people and that gives me a real sense of satisfaction.