Have you ever wondered how much our relationships shape our lives: life direction, life satisfaction, sense of identity, sense of belonging, self worth, and feeling loved and accepted? We find our sense of self not in isolation, but in community. And so when we talk about life-mapping, we are not talking about individuals as disconnected atoms. Instead, we are talking about interconnected communities of people.

As a young child growing up in a poor family, I knew my parents could not afford to provide for education since it was not free in Hong Kong. “I would like you to go to university, or go on to graduate studies if possible,” my father said. I didn't know from where the money was going to come, but his words had become my biggest motivator. With hard work and scholarships, I was able to complete a Bachelor’s degree and two Master’s degrees all without my parents’ financial support. My relationship with my father and his expectation of me played a pivotal role in shaping my life journey.

In anticipation of the Winter Olympics 2010, the 24-Hour Fitness Centers have a 7-foot tall banner showing the 23-year old U.S. figure skating champion Rockne Brubaker. In this picture on the banner Brubaker is quoted, “My goal is to make my mom proud.” Another Winter Olympics athlete, a Canadian skaternamed Joannie Rochette, lost her mother to a heart attack just a few days before the opening of the Olympics. What she had spent years training for -to compete in the Olympics-all of a sudden did not seem to matter anymore. But then Joannie decided to skate for her mother because it was as much a dream of the mother’s as it was her own dream. Joannie took to the ice and won a bronze medal.

Susan Boyle, the 2009 British Got Talent finalist, became a global sensation because of her stunning performance of the song “I dreamed a dream”. In an interview after her initial performance, she said her mother wanted her to make something of her life and that motivated her to compete in British Got Talent. She has now become an international star; her first CD sold over 1 million copies within a few short months after its release.

Who are the important people in your life? In what ways are you connecting with them? How are you incorporating the positive influence in your life?

I help people figure out what to do with their lives, discover their purpose in calling, identify their strengths, and more effectively navigate life – something called Life Coaching. Please visit me at www.theresaipfroehlich.com