Welcome back , sparklers , to the fourth season of Ignite your Spark . Whether you have been with me since the very beginning or are brand new , I appreciate all of you . I just want you to know that you all have a spark inside and I know it gets dimmed sometimes .
I get it and that's why I created this podcast to bring you information and inspiration , to help you reignite your spark , to help you find your purpose , to help you find your passion , and I'm also here to introduce new ways of thinking , being and perhaps even healing . I really want everyone to live a more joyful and inspired and purpose-filled life .
So thank you so much for tuning in and if you are enjoying it , I do hope that you will share my episodes , subscribe to the podcast and give me a five-star rating if you think I'm worth it . Now let's get on to my season four . Opener Cheers and thank you for shining . Welcome back , sparklers , to another episode of Ignite your Spark .
I'm your host , producer , coo , cfo , chief Fun Officer of Ignite your Spark . Today we are going to ignite your spark with the lovely Rebecca Kirk , who joins us from Northern England . Rebecca has most recently written a book , she is a spiritual career coach and she has had a variety of careers .
She mostly worked in the retail space and had a spiritual awakening , moved to Australia .
She's back in the UK and we're going to talk to her about a lot of things , but finding your purpose , aligning with your purpose because I know many of you out there are searching , whether you are in a career you like or don't like , or you're just searching for what next . So I'm really looking forward to delving into that and thank you , rebecca .
Welcome to Ignite your Spark .
Thank you , kim , it's really great to be here . Thank you for having me .
I'm delighted I'm always delighted to have someone with a British accent , because you just sound so much better than we do . What can I say ?
I don't know if that's actually true , but anyway .
Trust me on this . Before we dive into you and your offerings in the world , I would love to know from you how do you ignite your spark .
Well , I ignite my spark through a daily spiritual practice . So I have this kind of image of plugging into a source , plugging into the universe , if you like . So for me , meditation is a great space to do that .
I imagine myself literally with a kind of a column of light coming through me , so the literal translation of a spark , the idea of electricity charging me up for the day . So meditation is a great way that I do that . Coming out into nature , I draw so much strength and inspiration from just being among the trees , the birds , the green , and also yoga .
I'm a huge fan of Kundalini yoga , which led to I'm sure we'll come onto it one of my biggest awakenings . So that really charges me up and gets the kind of creative juices flowing as well which I think is so important when you're running your own business and working with clients . So yeah , that's how I do it on a daily basis .
Beautiful , beautiful , beautiful . I do the same . All that , except not Kundalini . I've never done Kundalini yoga , I'm a little bit familiar with it , but I do regular , regular vinyasa flow . All right , thank you for that and sharing how you ignite your spark . I like people to hear that so that it perhaps motivates them in some way .
So you started your career in the States . Is that correct in retail ?
I did . I worked at the breakers in Palm Beach , florida . So , yeah , I joined on . It was an international associate program , so it was a kind of a graduate program where I got to spend time in different stores . So I worked in swimwear , I worked in children's wear , worked in the merchandising department , so things with the breakers logo on it .
So yeah , it was a crazy first job to be sort of catapulted from little old England over to wisdom , big America and such an extreme of wealth that I was around at such a location . So , yeah , it was a great experience , one that I deeply treasure .
Yeah , Did you stay there long , or I ?
was there for five years Wow , five years , yeah . And then the call to come home was kind of too much really and I just realized , I suppose , how British I was underneath everything . But I've got some great friends in the States and some amazing memories , but yeah it's so funny .
I did not expect you to say the breakers . I assumed it was Manhattan . You know retail being a buyer and all that , because anybody who knows ? And if you don't know , palm Beach , yeah , lots of muller and the breakers is just the creme de la creme . I mean you probably came over and it was too hot for you , probably , right .
It was . It was quite a contrast . Yeah , it was a contrast . But you know , when you're sort of twenty two , you know the world you're oyster , you don't really think in the same way that you do . You know it's in the late forties as they are . But yeah , the beauty of youth .
So then you went back to the UK and you worked more . In some of the you wrote and I'm like I know all those stores , Sainsbury's , Boots , all that . So you worked in retail . And then what was the motivating factor to send you to Australia ?
Well , I , I grew quite despondent , I think , with my time in the corporate world . I wasn't connecting to a lot of the things that you kind of needed to do to survive in that environment and I got to the point where it felt like I was around Peg and a square hole , basically . And I , yeah , I'm a big believer in listening to the intuition .
I believe we all have access to this great gift and again , the , the call was too loud to ignore to . You know , take a break from what I knew . I was repeating the same patterns . I was going from one corporate retailer to another , hoping that somehow , magically , I would feel differently about it . And guess what ? I didn't .
So I , my brother , he's still in Sydney , he's been over there for a number of years and it felt like a great location to just take some time out and just reflect on what my patterns were and what I really wanted from life . And so , yeah , I took five months out and I discovered I discovered Kundalini yoga there .
I discovered Buddhist meditation , I spent a lot of time by the ocean , which is is really stunning there , the eastern suburbs of Sydney , and it just gave me the headspace and the climate Gave me the headspace and the clarity for what I you know now know I was meant to be doing to emerge , and it's something you know I wish that everybody had the opportunity
to do to take a career break . I know not everybody's in a position , but it was truly life changing .
And was it there that you had this spiritual awakening ? Through Kundalini yoga , through your experience with the serpent ?
Yeah , yeah , the serpent rising . It activated something in me and I think it was that also , together with the fact that my life was very simple there . I didn't have many of the sort of outer trappings , if you like . I was living out of a small room in my brother's apartment .
I didn't have the sort of material things around me , or even , you know , the friends , the relationship I had , the simplest of lives , and I think , through that the sort of essence of what life was about really shone through .
And you know , I had moments of pure bliss where I was just standing looking out at the ocean , and it was pure bliss , I can't describe it in any other way , and so that that was a big awakening . I would just say that I also had an awakening when I was in Palm Beach , when I was working in Palm Beach .
I think that was the real sort of start point of this spiritual journey , because I think being around such an extreme of wealth it really got me to question what life was about , because I wasn't really resonating with it . There was nothing there for me to aspire to in that sense .
So I had to really kind of pull back from that environment that I was in and again . The ocean , I mean , provided a great backdrop for that .
So there's a series of awakenings , but it really did begin , I think in Palm Beach , so maybe you're connected to the ocean somehow and the importance of that in your life which you're not getting really in Northern England now , but you obviously were able to absorb it .
I'm trying to get it from getting out into the woods , into the forest , that's . But yeah , I would love to live near the sea again , maybe one day .
I love how you said you wish everybody could do that , because I do think that would be so valuable . So many of us really have a hard time sitting still letting go releasing attachment . How do you work with people who cannot take those five months to help them align with their purpose to what they are seeking ?
How suggestion I need to know how do you help people align with their purpose ?
So it's a question I do get asked quite a lot because not everybody has that time and that space due to certain commitments . One of the things I really encourage with all of my clients is to create a daily spiritual practice .
So I think there is great power in just even just 10 minutes , five , 10 minutes of meditation each day or getting out into nature , but to consciously create that space , that point of connection , and to just basically go beyond the thinking mind , because clarity on what your true purpose is is not going to come from a cluttered mind and quite often people come
to me searching for that purpose very busy mind , overthinking everything , and I truly believe that the answer will come from the heart space , not the head space . So , and that can be accessed , you don't have to go away for five months , it's great if you can .
But you know , having a daily practice that you show up to , you put in that intention out there to the universe , this is important to me .
So just 10 minutes a day to connect , to go within , to open up that space for those insights , those ideas to come , grab a journal , put that by your little meditation space and capture those insights , connecting with that intuition .
I think that's one of again , one of the best guides that we have to help guide us on that journey of aligning with our true purpose .
It's true , and we , you know .
Most people may know that somewhere in their head , but sometimes they need to work with someone such as yourself , in order to not just give them permission , but when you have booked an hour with a coach or a therapist or whomever , you're taking that time and hoping that that is what the outcome is going to be , and sometimes we just need to invest in a
little assistance from someone else in order to do that , because it can be quite challenging on your own .
Yeah , and I think accountability is a key thing that you get from working with somebody else . I know from the times I've worked with a coach , you're going to do it .
You know you're invested , you've paid the money , I'm showing up , and maybe there's a little bit of that sort of schoolgirl mentality that's kind of stayed with you , that you want to hand your homework in and get a good grade .
So yeah , so I think accountability is key in , you know , not only finding those insights but actually taking action , because action is what's going to move you forward , not just the thinking about it .
People , you work a lot with people in their careers . Am I correct in that ? And let's talk a little bit about spirituality in your career and what you are doing with people to open them up in the world of work , I guess .
Yeah , so I mean a variety of ways in which I introduce spirituality into career coaching , intuition I've mentioned that already a deep connection to that in , and knowing the higher self .
I think the higher self is one of the key aspects of this journey that can really help guide you , empower you , help you tap into abundance , feel more courageous to make a change , and it negates the impact of the ego self and the ego self , which is , you know , where any sort of fear-based actions or thoughts stem from , any limiting beliefs .
It's all ego-based and that is what can hold people back . It held me back many years ago , but I'm learning to connect more with my higher self . So I think the higher self is a key part of this process . I think also , you know some of the ways in which I help people discover that purpose is .
One is looking at the area of gifts so what have you been given ? And the word gift to me implies that there is somebody or something that is doing the giving .
So this is a , you know , a skill or a talent or a personal strength that you've been given to bring to the world , and I think just acknowledging that brings in a different dimension and helps people take more ownership of that gift or that talent , which in turn can help them connect with that purpose .
What if someone comes to you and says I don't have any gifts , I don't know what my gifts are ? Now I know that that's not true , but have you had people come to you with that and go ? I ?
don't know . Yeah , very often I think there was a reluctance to own or to shout about gifts . I don't know whether this is a British thing , kim , it could well be . We are quite , yeah , backwards at coming forwards in that way .
But there is quite often an intense reluctance that , you know , links in with , again , I believe , the ego self of I'm not good enough . That's not me . And what would people think if I say , yes , I'm a great empath , or , yes , I'm brilliant at organizing , or whatever it is ?
There is a fear of actually claiming that , and I think it's important to sort of unpick that , because I believe we all have some gifts and talents . I truly believe that , and so you know , working , helping people through that process . But the barriers to understanding what they are , I think is equally important .
Yeah , no , I get that . We do all have gifts . But I know so many times people will say I don't know , I don't know , and I think we let that ego mind , that monkey mind and I'm speaking from experience I don't know , I don't know , I'm confused .
I'm confused it's because people like me have had a hard time slowing down and knowing , and I would imagine some people just get into a career by happenstance . They fall into it because , well , that was my degree , so I guess I got this job , I better take it . And then you get on that cycle and can't get out . So many people will need that assistance .
Hmm , and your book ? You're here for a Reason . Tell us a little bit about what the pages hold for someone who might be interested . I love the title You're here for a Reason because it makes me go Well , what's my reason ? Well , I mean , I know my reason , but it's still . It brings such great questions to mind .
And just talk to me , I haven't read Coming Out in September , when this will be .
Yeah , so it's . I mean , it is an answer to the question why am I here ? That's you know the direct purpose of the title and it's basically what I do with my one to one clients in book form . So it's important to me to create an accessible form of coaching . Again , I think there is still a need for accountability etc .
But it's basically the end to end journey of basically prepare it . What classes prepare in the way to meet that purpose . So checking in on your energy to make sure that you're not grasping , so that you're in the right frame of mind Really get you in the right state , in a state to welcome in that purpose . So we start by looking at preparing the way .
I then offer a broader definition of purpose than one which is just derived from your career . So it's interesting Whenever I've said to people I'm writing this book about purpose , it's automatically assumed it's just about the paid work that you do and that is the majority of the , the emphasis of the book .
But it was important to me to introduce other sources of purpose . So a higher of higher purpose which brings in the spiritual dimension and also a sense of purpose that can be connected with on a daily basis .
So bringing more love , more light into the world , more forgiveness , more empathy and there's opportunities every day for that and I think just opening up to this broader definition of purpose in life and through your spirituality can then prepare you even more within your career . So , and within so one of the I love nature . You probably gathered that already .
I use the analogy of a tree , which forms the sort of the heart of the book . So the idea being that the roots , the roots of the tree are , basically you need to get the roots of the tree in place first in order to have a strong trunk and in order to then have lots of abundant fruit or leaves at the top of the tree .
So the , the roots of the tree are what form your , what form your career , basically your purpose . So the roots are your higher self , your , your gifts and talents , your purpose , your callings and your values , so the things that are deeply important to you underneath the surface .
So we get under under the under the surface of things rather than just looking simply at well , this is the job I want to do or , even worse , starting with well , this is a salary I want to earn . These are the jobs that can help me earn that salary and let's just hope it fits with my values and my passions and my higher self .
We start with the roots of the tree , getting the foundations in place . So this is a journey of helping you understand what those roots are for you and then what emerges organically from that and how to then take that next step to ground that work into a plan , an actionable career alignment plan to physically move you forward .
So I've tried to combine aspects of spirituality with a very practical sort of more career coaching sort of basis .
I really am enjoying hearing you speak about it that way . And what comes to my mind when you were talking about the roots ? We live on a hillside and there are trees . There was a tree growing out of the hillside on this property and we did not build this house . Someone else built the house .
We lived here for 10 years and it was growing out and it's obviously became dislodged from its roots because it was growing in the wrong direction . Interesting , and I am that just image came to me as you were speaking , because that's what happens sometimes in my experience , having lived for many decades in jobs I've had . Sometimes you're uprooted unknowingly .
If you are fired because you're not in the right direction , you know you are going out of the wrong way and your roots fall off and it's like people . We need those roots to stand up straight . We need the foundation to achieve the full branches and leaves of the tree that are our purpose .
Yeah , I mean the leaves . You know , I see that as our prosperity and the idea that that will come , as it does in nature , that will come naturally when you are working in alignment with your purpose . Yes , and rather than kind of go in for the leaves and the money or whatever , first it's trusting .
There's an element of trust here in nature in this as a process to follow your purpose and the money will follow .
I've never thought of your purpose or your career in terms of what you just described as the tree , as the roots , and I'm really enjoying that metaphor in my head . You know , I know other people as you were speaking that are probably have their own version of oh , because it was very visual to me being grounded and the thought that the leaves are prosperity .
We shouldn't think about the leaves first , we should think about the roots . Just such a beautiful vision , really . I love it . Are there any other exercises ? You not any other , but any exercises you might want to share to get people interested in finding their own purpose this way ? I assume there are exercises in the book .
There are exercises throughout . Yeah , it's a very practical book . So exercises on helping you discover your values , on discovering your gifts and talents , suggestions on how to live out an aspect of purpose now , before you actually make any kind of change . It's a very practical book and there's journaling questions as well .
I'm a big fan of journaling and getting those thoughts out onto paper . Seeing them in black and white can really make quite a big difference for people .
So , yeah , Before we wrap up , is there a journaling question you could leave everyone with , maybe to sort of get them started on their own journey ?
Well , one of the questions I pose to help people connect with their higher self . It's a form of intuitive writing and it's just asking your higher self you know , what is my soul yearning for ? Just a simple question , just connecting at that deeper level . What is my soul yearning for ? What am I here to do ?
And just see what comes out and trust in what comes out . It will be perfect for you and a perfect start point to the journey of aligning more with your purpose .
Yeah , you know , we don't take the time to do that and sometimes we doubt when we connect or when we think we're trying to connect , and I think it's really all about slowing down and taking the time . Asking that question is one thing , but being able to answer it , of course , is another , and it's really nice .
Thank you for giving us that prompt , because I hope that everybody listening will go write this down now , you know , because once it's in your head , you need to get it onto paper . Just , we're going to give you permission to take five minutes now and do that .
But , you know , I think there is such an emphasis came on doing and , in my view , not enough emphasis on being , and the more time we can spend in that being state , the more those answers will come , the more we will connect with calm and clarity . But I think our society is geared towards doing .
But this is why , you know , I'm a big advocate of meditation , because it gives you that little window of opportunity to connect with being . But , as you mentioned , it's all about giving yourself permission , and I think particularly women struggle with that because we like to sort of nurture and take care of people .
But it's not , you know , it is not a selfish act .
And I think the analogy of the when you get on a plane , you know , putting your own oxygen mask on first I've never , never , come across a better analogy than that to sort of , you know , spur people on to give themselves permission , because it will be felt around you know the people that are around you for sure .
Yeah , oh , you're right , that is a great analogy . Also , it's not as hard as you think . I think we sometimes , because of our thinking mine were like , well , this is so hard , I can't do it , I can't do it , I can't do it . Just take a deep breath and go what do I really want , what does my soul want , what I I ?
I think that's we make things so hard in our society . It has to be hard in order to be good . You know we have to . We think of people . You know they go to med school and it's eight years . To be good , it's got to be hard . But maybe that's not the path for you . You know , there's obviously a way to tap into yourself that isn't hard .
So just that time .
Yeah , yeah , welcome it in .
Welcome it in . Thank you so much , rebecca , for your time . Your book again is You're here for a Reason , and we all are here for a reason , and I think I really believe that , yeah , I do too . Embrace it , embrace it and .
I'll see you . So my website is rebeccacouk . There's a link there to pre-order my book and there's also some free resources that your listeners might be interested in .
So I have a career change quiz and also a 30 minutes career coaching webinar , which is eight empowering beliefs to help people find more clarity , more , more confidence if they're at a career crossroads . So that's a free webinar , on demand webinar they can access . Oh , that's wonderful .
What a lovely gift . I imagine it could be from anyone , even if they aren't going into a career , but it could help in any area of your life .
Yeah , it's about sort of challenging the beliefs that we hold and there's some common themes , yeah , whether it's career or something else . So , yeah , hopefully there's some value there either way .
Great , great . I've already looked at the website , but I did not do the webinar , but I will , just because I'm always interested . You just want to know . Everybody wants to know more about themselves , so I think that's a great way to start . So thank you , thank you , Awesome Welcome . Thank you everyone for tuning into another episode of Ignite your Spark .
If you're enjoying the podcast episodes , I hope that you will rate , subscribe and share so we can ignite more sparks out in the world and remember you're here for a reason and your spark , your light , is important . So go out and thanks for shining .