To understand the heart and mind of a person,
look not at what he has already achieved
but at what he aspires to.
Kahlil Gibran

I understand hardship and the difficulty of overcoming challenges. I understand how confusion and self-doubt can cloud the mind and make life raw and complicated. But I also understand strength, determination and courage of the heart and where it can lead. I understand beauty and how the experience of life-as-a-miracle can awaken the inner light. I understand peace with oneself and harmony with others— and how joy is created when the heart and mind become aligned.

My own challenges began when I was a young child. Uprooted from a small Polish village near the border of Slovakia, I had to learn— quickly— how to adapt to a new language and culture of big-city Chicago. I was forced to replace the open fields and the forests where I picked mushrooms and wild berries with the concrete pavements and rows of bungalow houses. Growing up in a practical working-class family where art was not well understood and even less appreciated, I had to fight for my artistic dreams. Then again in college I needed to break through the mold of tried-tested-and expected and embrace my own unique vision: to remain passionately creative, to travel and live abroad, and to be of service to others.

My proudest moments in life have been in living and serving from the “heart”. As an artist, when I approach my canvas, it is with a child’s excitement and wonder. I know that when my heart is open, my creativity is unchecked and the flow enabled. As a coach, I’ve come to trust in this very energy as I tend to my clients’ visions and dreams with all the alertness, care and passion I’m capable of. When a client’s heart is touched and inspired, something magical happens— something so ineffable like watching the petals of a flower opening. And it is often enough to gain entry into that powerful energy source that makes all of the steps of the client’s journey not only doable but enormously exciting!

Earlier in my career, I worked for nearly two decades as an instructor, mentor, teacher and a business owner in the English as Second Language (“ESL”) profession. Over the last seven years I created and developed a successful private tutoring service working with foreign business professionals to help them become proficient in English. As a unique part of my offering, I provided students with caring support to help them overcome cultural biases and obstacles that may have prevented them from reaching their goals and living out their dreams. Unknown to me at the time, this was my initiation into the field of coaching others. In the course of my professional development, I became an astute observer of what motivates and drives people to go forward in spite of the numerous difficulties and the sacrifices often required.

When I serve as a personal life coach, I feel honored to be part of that individual’s journey. It brings me deep joy to be able to create a safe and nurturing space where openness and insight do not feel risky—and where clients can freely explore their ideas and feelings and receive customized support to reach their desired destination.

If you are looking to benefit from the expertise and experience of a professional coach, please click here to set up a free exploration session.

*All art works on this site were created by Stania.