Author: :Andrea Jayatilleka
Executive Leadership Coach | ICF Coach Trainer | Director of Smart Quest | Coach Masters Academy Regional Director for Southeast Asia l Mentor Coach | Certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner | NLP Practitioner | DiSC Certified Trainer | Certified Facilitator of the LEGO® Serious Play®Method
We all go through different seasons in life. As I look back, I realize I’ve had many moments where I had to intentionally self-author especially during times of transition. One of the most significant was when I let go of teaching. My classrooms were what brough joy, meaning and purpose to me. It wasn’t easy. I had built so much meaning around being a teacher that releasing it felt like losing a part of my identity.
Through many pauses, reflection, and coaching, I was able to re-author that story. I began to see that I would always be a teacher — just in different forms. Today, I serve as an educator in coach training, and I’ve discovered a deeper sense of purpose in being a coach and a coach educator.
Our identity is ever-evolving; we are constantly peeling back layers to reveal and emerge as our best selves — just like the caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.
And now, I’m sensing that I am entering yet another season — an invitation to pause, reflect, and once again re-author who I am becoming.
By turning inward and exploring my inner landscape, I’ve found the courage to step into new spaces — spaces that stretch me, challenge me, and ultimately help me grow. This article is an invitation for you to step into a space of conscious pause reflection and self-authoring.
What Story Are You Living? An Invitation to Reconnect with Your Inner Compass
Life today is not just about achieving goals or managing responsibilities; it’s about the story you are telling through your actions, your presence, and the impact you leave on those around you.
This reflection invites you to pause a few times along the way.
My wish for you is that you find deeper meaning in how you want to show up intentionally in your life, your relationships, and your personal growth.
So let me ask you:
What is the story you are living right now?
And more importantly — is it the story you want to keep living?
The Power of Self-Authored Life
As you reflect on your journey so far, you probably recognize that you didn’t arrive here by accident. You have come this far through hard work, life experience, and determination — some of it fully conscious, some shaped by patterns you may not yet have fully explored.
When you look closely, you realize life is about more than ticking off milestones or managing everyday tasks. You are shaping meaning, inspiring others, and holding space for complexity and change within yourself and in your world.
1st Pause and Reflect
Your Invitation: Reflect
- Are you living from your own conscious values and purpose, or from inherited patterns?
- Do you understand the inner beliefs and assumptions shaping how you respond under pressure or challenge?
- How aligned are your actions with the kind of person you truly aspire to be?
As you have stepped into your inner landscape, you may notice what really matters and how you want to show up in your workplace, with your families, and in your relationships.
2nd Pause and Reflect
Your Invitation: Reflect and Re-Author
- What narrative are you currently authoring in your life?
- Are you consciously shaping that story, or is it still being shaped by old habits and assumptions?
- What new chapter are you ready to write — one that aligns with your deepest values, your sense of purpose, and the impact you want to create?
As you step into the story you are living and the story you are shaping, you may begin to notice certain habits and patterns — some that support you and some that hold you back. With this awareness, you may find yourself consciously stepping into change, making intentional shifts to reshape your narrative and create space for the new story you want to live.
3rd Pause and Reflect
Your Invitation: Reflect, Renew, and Re-Author
What kind of person do you want to become? And what story will you author to bring that vision to life?
As you step more fully into your evolving identity, you may begin to notice the emotions and connections you’ve built around your current sense of self. Embracing intentional shifts requires more than just thought — it calls for aligning head, heart, and hands, integrating your mindset, emotions, and actions to bring meaningful change to life.
Living from Within
True transformation begins inside-out.
It’s not just about adding new techniques or strategies — it’s about reconnecting with your inner compass, clarifying the story you want to live, and stepping courageously into that narrative.
Because ultimately, the most meaningful lives are not lived by those who have all the answers they are lived by those who walk with clarity, authenticity, and intention.
This is the reflection I invite you to hold as you shape the next chapter of your journey.
