Want to Visit Oprah's Fantasy Island?
Or... Most people don't want to do the work. They want someone else to do it for them.
After countless coaching sessions, I’ve stumbled upon an ugly secret: most folks would rather daydream about change than roll up their sleeves and make it happen.
If it hasn’t happened already, there will be a day when you face a choice.
Let’s pretend your husband made you go on a sea fishing trip. (Please don’t include me in this imaginative adventure or you will end up with puke on your shoes.) It’s an okay day. Although cloudy and humid, it’s not raining, and there is a pleasant breeze.
Let’s add some more senses to make this more real. You’re sitting on a padded bench in the boat's rear (don’t ask me what that’s called, I don’t know). The padding is a little damp under your bum, but that’s okay because you’ve got your bathing suit on under your clothes. The fishing guide said there might be an opportunity for a swim later, but the water is pretty choppy and unfriendly, so you're not counting on it. Your fingers dig into the boat’s edge, and you’re picking at the sun-cracked paint with the same satisfaction as popping bubble wrap. The smell of the salt in the briny breeze is overwhelmed with the pungent aroma of old fish guts. You can still taste the morning coffee you gulped down, a bitter reminder now nagging at your bladder. However, you glimpsed the state of “the head” through the opened hatch that leads below, so you squeeze your legs together and hold it. Maybe a swim would be a good idea. All you can hear is the snuffling of the fishing guide as he blows his marbled nose for the hundredth time, your husband cursing under his breath in frustration, and the squawks of the equally frustrated seagulls who aren’t getting the breakfast they expected.
Then something amazing happens. The fishing guide calls out and points to the island before you.
“It’s Oprah Winfrey’s island,” He says, tucking his snot-stained hanky into his overalls. (I don’t know if Oprah Winfrey owns an island, okay? Just go with it).
The guide continues, “I hear she’s got all kinds of good stuff over there. She’s got a spa, a private chef, a massive pool, and a litter of puppies in their cute stage (okay, I added that last one). Word is, anyone who visits is invited to stay for as long as they want. Oprah loves company.”
You look over at your husband, who is visibly straining to avoid your gaze.
“Can we go?” you ask.
“I’m fishing.” Your husband says.
“He’s paying.” The fishing guide says.
You look back at the island and measure the distance before you. Maybe a quarter-mile swim? No problem. But the water is so choppy. And there might be sharks, or at least jellyfish. And how would you get home? And what if Oprah is out? A million excuses run through your head before you eventually lean back on your damp cushion and resume picking at the peeling paint of your comfort zone.
You’d go if the fishing guide would drive you there. It’s not your fault he won’t help you.
I used to coach kick-ass women. Plenty of go-getters thrived with my guidance, and seeing them soar was my jam. Wanna know why I stopped? Because the majority wanted someone else to do the work for them. Just like that guide isn’t getting paid to ferry you to Oprah’s island, I didn’t get paid to build someone else’s dream.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Maybe finding your extraordinary means an easy quarter-mile swim through choppy waters; maybe it gets tougher, and you even encounter a shark. The point is... only you can make that swim! You are the only one who can do the work to get onto Oprah’s island, my heroine. Life’s either a spa and a litter of puppies or a damp bum and the stink of fish. The truth is, most women choose the wet bum. But you, you’re cut from a different cloth. A heroine cloth.
Journal Prompt:
Grab your journal, and let’s make this fun—write a letter to the ‘Captain’ of your life (yep, that’s you, darling). What’s stopping you from taking that first step or paddle toward a better life? Catalog your choppy seas, your sharks, the stingy jellyfish, and the unwilling partner. What can you do to make those obstacles less scary? Maybe just writing them down will be enough.
First time visiting Call for Heroines? What we offer…
Free weekly journal prompts to help you get UNSTUCK.
Paid Members enjoy:
Monthly group coaching call
Exciting quarterly heroine quests. We use the power of story structure to uncover hidden insights and actionable solutions. Make 2025 an adventure with the following quests:
Mining for Magic: Transform from "I don't know what to change" to "I understand completely what I need to fix."
Ultimate Whys: Transform from "I'm not sure why I do what I do" to "I know exactly what guides my life and decisions."
Embrace Your Inner Archetypes: Transform from “I’m not sure who I am” to “I know exactly who I need to be right now.”
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: Transform from "I don't think I belong here" to "I am a vital part of this community."
The Heroine’s Adventure. It’s Life-Planning. But forget those humdrum life plans (you know, the one behind your yoga mat wrestling with the dust bunnies under your bed). In this course, you’ll create a Heroine's Map packed with vibrant, dynamic journeys linked directly to your soul's deepest desires. How? Using the secrets of personal transformation hidden in the structure of stories and myths. Inspired by the timeless Hero's Journey and Heroine's Journey, our course turns personal development and life planning into an exciting narrative where you are the star. You will examine and reconcile your past, fix the lies that you believe, document your ordinary world, create your Heroine’s Compass and your Soul Motto, uncover your Ultimate Whys, and learn to implement tools and skills that will set you on the path to finding your extraordinary life. Learn More Here.
Speaking & Private Coaching: Send me an email at lisacabrelli@gmail.com