We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beth Sparks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beth below.

Beth , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

In the beginning of 2020, I was living the life I had visualized and had worked toward for years–things were amazing! I was living with my family near the beach, enjoying the life-rhythm we had worked hard to establish. I had a career I loved, providing therapy for those recovering from trauma. When the pandemic began, I pivoted along with many people into remote work, online distance education for my kids, limited to no personal contact with family and friends, frantic symptom-related internet searches and exhaustive quests for toilet paper. Initially I was able to counter-balance, however, it was soon clear COVID would have a much longer and profound impact than initially thought. It was all too much. I could see that my efforts to get everything back to the way it was pre-2020 were causing physical and mental health issues. My relationships with my family also suffered. I had to re-prioritize quickly or risk losing those things most precious. With self-reflection, prayer and seeking thoughtful advice from trusted and wise sources, I was able to reconnect with my values, my purpose and my passion for helping others.

When I initially began to consider the idea of transitioning from therapy to coaching, my motivations were centered on how I could continue to help people while also balancing my family’s and my own needs. Coaching is woven into therapeutic practice so I was deeply familiar with the relational and practical steps necessary to elicit insights, motivation and change. A life coach is the ideal approach for someone seeking to significantly improve an area or multiple areas of their life by raising their awareness, focusing attention and actions and carrying out a meaningful plan. I love watching the “ah-ha” moments happen for clients and am deeply humbled that I get to be part of their growth journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

For most of my adult life I was drawn into advisory and helping roles, first as an active duty Marine, mentoring and leading through dynamic and often challenging situations. After transitioning out off active duty, I spent the next ten years guiding military families, corporate clients and people in crisis. Eventually I realized I wanted to further my education and completed a Master of Social Work from Columbia University. I worked in school-based programs for at-risk youth and with veterans and military families in a clinical setting.

All of the titles and roles I have held showed me how to navigate change with a strength-mindset. Alaskan, active duty Marine, military spouse, parent, consultant, counselor, etc., have informed my perspective on what is possible with a growth-centered perspective. Growth is a choice and, while the process may not be altogether comfortable, it can result in unimagined gains in self-awareness, healthier relationships, physical and mental health, a deeper spiritual practice and career satisfaction. Sometimes transition points present themselves at unanticipated and, quite possibly, unwanted times. In my career shift situation, that was absolutely true. Change and life transitions are a given in our human condition, and how we respond to the fear and discomfort can alter life trajectories in significant ways.

Through my own life’s chapters, I’ve learned an extraordinary amount about myself and what I’m capable of and how I can weave the old and the new lessons into my practice. Knowing there is someone walking alongside during the journey can be a powerful tool; it offers structure, motivation and reflection. I opened New Day Life Coaching to help clients find their new beginning, navigate transformation and connect with their own unique and special purpose.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

For a long time I believed I was born a certain type of person and that was the boundary of who I was. This construct prevented growth and had me trapped in who I was, and limited what I thought was possible. It limited my potential and created anxiety toward how others may perceive me or my decisions. As a young adult, I encountered people and events that challenged this tightly held belief and created a spark within me to continue being curious, lean into discomfort and free my mind to be open to a variety of actions and opportunities. With self-awareness and reflection, I eventually realized this belief had originated during my childhood from messages I absorbed from my family and small fishing community about what success “should” look like and what I was capable of accomplishing. It wasn’t all meant in a harmful way, often it was wrapped in a cloak of how to achieve safety and certainty. Nevertheless, the way I interpreted, cataloged and applied the messaging was holding me back from taking (calculated) risks and making a leap toward positive growth. I’ve learned to challenge limiting beliefs and examine my inner conversation with myself. It isn’t always easy to identify unhelpful thoughts so I seek the council of close loved ones and have pursued coaching for myself. Shining the light in the deepest dark recesses requires vulnerability and creating a safe environment with someone who cares about my success was invaluable.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I believe resilience is a muscle and the more it’s worked, the stronger it will become and the more automatic it will be employed during tough times. When I reflect back on my journey, I can identify situations that strengthened my resilience and acted as a platform to illustrate that I was capable of adaptation and could be successful despite hardship, barriers and even failure.

When I was considering graduate school I was terrified I wasn’t going to measure up and I was not going to be able to balance the demands of both family, school and two full-year internships. I had done hard things before, but this was different because it involved the wellbeing of my then five and eight year old children while my spouse traveled extensively for work. During those three years, I rarely felt like I had it all together and there were numerous obstacles. My life was a long way from “Instagram ready”…it wasn’t pretty. However, through every trial, close call, and juggling act, I told myself “I was enough”: capable enough, gifted enough, caring enough, and designed for this moment of my life. There were times when I faltered; I was exhausted and felt stretched to my limits. During these times I relied on my faith and my closest loved ones to listen, let me vent or despair, and then give me a push back into the fray. They were right, this is where I wanted to be and the only path was through.

To be clear, resilience is not a reason to keep pushing through something that is not healthy or may no longer be worth it. There have been times when I’ve stepped back and reflected on a circumstance and whether to stay the course or navigate in a different direction. Am I listening to my ego? Or am I using my values as my compass? Hopefully a person begins to learn early, gradually, with a safety net of caregivers and community to act as buffers. and continually look for opportunities to build strength and growth so when a person finds themselves in the middle of a storm they will have a base to rely on as they navigate through.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.findyournewday.com
• Instagram: @newdaylifecoach
• Facebook: New Day Coaching
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beth-sparks-acsw-7221b551/

Image Credits
Logo: Copyright New Day Enterprises LLC, copyright 2022 Sunset and Mirror lake photo: Ryan Sparks, 2022 Wellness Fair photo: Allie Nagel, 2022