What do you want?

For much of my life, I was searching for the answers outside of myself.

I was deeply connected to the people around me, always wanting to understand them, support them, and sometimes even change them. In the process, I lost connection with myself.

Then one simple question changed everything:

I remember sitting across from a wise woman who listened patiently as I explained everything I wanted my husband to do differently. She gently stopped me and asked, "Stephanie… what do you want?"

I had no answer.

I had spent a lifetime focusing on what others needed, what they wanted from me, and how I could make things better for everyone around me. I had never stopped to ask myself what I wanted.

Through tears, I whispered one word:

Peace.

That moment changed the direction of my life.

Coming Home to Myself

I wish I could tell you that after that moment, everything changed overnight. It didn’t. The patterns that helped me feel safe as a child followed me into adulthood. I continued to compare myself to others, search for approval, and believe that if I could just be more successful, more talented, or more accomplished, I would finally feel enough. But little by little, through awareness, courage, and a willingness to ask myself difficult questions, I began to discover something different. The life I was longing for was not found in becoming someone else. It was found in becoming more fully myself.

That journey brought me back to the things that had always made me feel most alive: music, creativity, meaningful conversation, and deep human connection. As a little girl, I would sing into my hairbrush and imagine standing on a stage, believing the magic was in being seen. What I have come to understand is that the joy was never about the spotlight. It was about the connection — the moment when a song, a story, or a conversation allows us to feel understood, valued, and less alone.

Today, that same desire for connection is at the heart of everything I do. Whether I am sitting with a coaching client, facilitating a group, or simply sharing a cup of coffee with someone I love, I believe that we all have a unique contribution to make in this world. Sometimes we just need someone to sit beside us, ask the right questions, and help us remember who we have always been.