It was over two years after my husband and three children moved to the U.S. from the other side of the globe, and after attending fully to my children and our new home I didn't know how to act next.

I could see how the kids are flourishing in their new environment, and that was reassuring. Being a mom is a life-long journey and probably the most important one I could have. I am blessed that I was and still am able to be there for my children. 

Yet, other parts of me were searching for meaning. 

Prior to our move to California, I found a new and exciting path. After 14 years in the high-tech industry, I had a calling and started my mind-body-soul journey as a holistic, results-oriented NLP* coach, speaker, and teacher, advancing to become an NLP Trainer. (*NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

Fortunately, I was blessed to have the tools to personally adjust to my new changing environment, but professionally I felt that I'm losing my confidence.

Being an immigrant, I didn't feel my English was good enough to coach others yet. As we speak Hebrew at home, I realized I used English even less than when I was in Israel (crazy, right?), and I didn't know where to begin. 

Zig Zagler said: "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great".

So I enrolled in a Positive Psychology class at UC Berkeley. With intensive requirements for reading, writing, and speaking, and graduating with honors I started regaining back my confidence in English. After all, I did graduate a B.A. degree in Linguistics (English) with honors, and was a marketing manager in the high-tech industry for 14 years and used English a lot.

I then signed up for a Tony Robbins' Unleash the Power Within" seminar. As an NLP Trainer, I found myself analyzing what Tony was doing as he utilizes NLP techniques throughout his teachings. At some point, I had to commend myself to stop activating my high beta waves of analysis and allow myself to be in alpha wave mode so that his hypnosis of fearlessly walking over burning coals would take effect.

Walking on fire is dealing with a primate fear everyone has. To that, I could add a very low-risk tolerance approach that was part of my upbringing. 

I already believed in NLP. I knew it works, and I saw others do that and survive to tell, so I knew it was possible.
But would it be possible for me too?

Now what I needed is to trust myself, demonstrate courage and go for it!

And it worked!! It worked so well that I didn't even have any marks, burns, or bruises on my feet, and it reinforced my trust in the mind-body connection even further.

Overcoming my fear of walking on burning coals was really creating the momentum of dealing with other fears of not being good enough that paralyzed me. 

The following day while still at the seminar, I was pumped up with a boost of confidence. I still didn't know how to initiate my first step professionally in the U.S. though, but after walking on burning coals I felt so empowered that I could do almost anything!!

Over lunch, I had a very heartful conversation with another participant.
With great passion, enthusiasm, self-trust, and confidence I talked passionately about the amazing results NLP can help individuals achieve in any life area. She was an American lady, living in Palo Alto, CA (a 45-minute drive from where I live).  
She was intrigued and asked how she could sign up! I gave her my business card (which I printed only a few days earlier for the first time) and invited her over for a coaching session. She called the following week to schedule a time to come over.

That woman was my first paying client, and for me, it was a breakthrough moment in my belief in my competency and ability to serve English-speaking clients. Once I trusted myself and opened the door to experience, I was more open to accepting new opportunities. And with time, as I was opening up my energy to the field out there, I started to help more and more people to heal from within, trust themselves and reach their desired outcome in a holistic way. 

Since then I:

* Conducted a 2-day workshop on Healing and Rising

* Gave over 20 lectures in English and in Hebrew

* Was interviewed in podcasts

* Presented at online conferences and organizations

* Participated in dozens of professional lectures, seminars, and workshops

* Wrote a chapter in a book to be launched on Dec. 1st, 2022!! and

* Have conducted hundreds of one-on-one (now online) sessions of holistic, results-oriented coaching, helping women to regain self-trust, eliminate self-sabotage and limiting beliefs, improve relations with self and others, overcome phobias and allergies, lose weight, speak with confidence on a large stage, get pregnant (!!), regain health and well-being as they eliminate various chronic physical ailments, and more!
* By now, I am also an American citizen, have been in California for over 8 years, and feel at home here.

Life is a journey. I sometimes think I'm not doing enough, or not at the pace that I believe I can, but then I allow myself to be compassionate about myself, look back and see the journey that I've already taken, and be empowered to keep on walking.

1. You are more competent than you think you are.

2. Be compassionate with yourself and the journey you are taking. 

3. Keep learning - That will give you meaning, and increase your self-trust and confidence.

4. Recall your successes. It will remind you how competent you are.

5. Engage in something you Love. This will ignite your passion and will magnetize others to you. 

6. Trust the process. It will always lead you to growth. 

I hope my story has inspired you to believe in yourself and follow your passion!

And if you need any help to begin, schedule your free 20min discovery call and I'll be happy to see how I can help you take that leap into believing in yourself!

Michelle Guelfand, MBA
NLP Trainer & Master Practitioner, 
Guided Imagery & Positive Psychology

Holistic, Results-Oriented Coaching,
Lectures & Workshops
www.myDesiredOutcome.com