When I first started my coaching business in 2020, I was convinced I needed a business name separate from my own. I was afraid of publicly failing. But then, inspiration struck through the Enneagram.
Inspiration through the Enneagram
For those unfamiliar, the Enneagram is a powerful tool for understanding personality, divided into nine types. Each type reflects different motivations, fears, and desires, offering a pathway for self-awareness. I resonate deeply with Type One, known as "The Reformer," which often involves a strong inner critic and a desire for improvement. I see the Enneagram types as lenses to view myself and others through, rather than a fixed description of who I am. Like most tools, it’s something I pull out when needed in my coaching work.
The Enneagram came to me through song. I heard about Sleeping At Last’s album Atlas: Enneagram and its beautiful collection of nine songs that reflect the Enneagram personality types, from a friend. She said that the song that hits you hardest on the album is your own, and wow, did I cry hearing the One song. The power of the lines "The list goes on forever/ Of all the ways I could be better, in my mind/ As if I could earn God's favor given time/ Or at least congratulations" vibrated through me when I first heard it, and it brings tears to my eyes to this day. This song inspired the name Life Worth Loving. Specifically, it was the chorus: "I, I want to sing a song worth singing/ I'll write an anthem worth repeating" that led me to think, "I want to live a life worth loving." It fit like a glove.
What Is a Life Worth Loving?
But what does that actually mean? I recently met someone who told me they loved their life because they actively created it themselves. The life they were living was one they chose and kept choosing over time. It wasn’t always easy, and it certainly wasn’t conventional, but the way they expressed themselves fully in their life was authentic.
To me, a life worth loving is exactly that: embracing who I am and what I love, then courageously and carefully crafting it in both the everyday mundane moments and the huge life-changing decisions I make.
Then there's the word "worth." Worth is like the equal sign between my lived experience and how I feel about it. Worth is deeply personal and context-dependent. For example, a hug from my long-distance best friend is worth so much more when I’m in a low moment. My life is worth my loving, not anybody else’s. So, what does your life worth loving look like?
The Role of Agency
Agency is really at the center of this way of living. Before I started coaching, work felt like the area where I had the least agency. Work is a huge part of our lives—not only in terms of time (somewhere around 90,000 hours over a lifetime)—but also in what it means to do an activity that contributes to a larger picture. A job doesn’t have to be the thing that gives a life meaning, but it helps if that big chunk of time is aligned with what is meaningful. That might mean doing work that’s meaningful or using the resources a job provides as support.
A life worth loving is not a passive activity; it’s an engaged pursuit that requires us to be adaptive, active participants. Agency is the most recurring theme I witness in my work.
My Own Path
I’m on my own path of crafting a life worth loving, and it will be a lifelong journey. Part of that journey for me was quitting my job, and by extension, leaving the career track, to help people navigate their own career transitions. A life worth loving is a life of agency, responsibility, and empowerment. Not everyone desires that, but those who do feel it’s worth it.
As always, I want to hear from you if any of this resonates. If you feel like you’re ready to start crafting a life worth loving in your own work life, book a free intro session, and let’s chat.
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