(art credit Darlene Myers)
Have you ever asked yourself what your guiding purpose in life is? At age 57, Brooks Gibbs started to really truly ask himself: Who am I? Why am I here? What am I supposed to do in life?
Brooks had been an engineer and project manager for his 30-year career. He enjoyed it, yet in the past 6 years began to feel empty and driven to leave something from his life that would create personal value for others. That’s why he began coaching and created his videos entitled “Little Lessons of Life.”
“The truly valuable things I can take with my spirit are the relationships and differences I was able to create for others in their journey through life. This has created a quest to find ways to share with others pieces of wisdom I have gathered along the path I have traveled. I share these as stories as a motivational speaker, mentor and coach,” Brooks said.
In our interview, he shared his insights with me….
What was your turning point to go from Engineer to Coach and Speaker?
It came in a dream I had one night. In the dream, I was in the city, at a park where there was a big celebration going on. I knew everyone, but I didn’t recognize anyone’s face. Someone taps me on my shoulder and points to their watch and says, “At 2:00 you need to leave.” I told them that I understood and I go back to having fun and talking until this same person comes back to remind me again, “It’s getting closer to 2:00 when you need to leave.” I acknowledge it, but again go back to my fun. And then a third time they come back, “It’s 2:00 now and if you don’t go now, you will miss your commitment.” Then I woke up.
I had no idea what this dream meant, but I knew it meant something.
Then one day at work, I look up at the clock and notice it’s about 2:00. Fourteen hours of the day has passed and it clicked. I’m 57, and if I live to be 80 or 90 years old, I’m now at 2:00 in my life.
I knew that it meant that if I didn’t go figure out my purpose, I was going to miss that commitment. I now know that coaching to help people find joy in their life is that purpose.
Tell me more about these “Little Lessons of Life”
I have created a series of motivational videos called the “Little Lessons of Life.” They are 100 stories I share as videos that walk you through a simple story, a parable of sorts. I share the story and then discuss the principal that the story represents to invite those who are seeking a simple tool to implement in their life that can change the direction and results one story at a time.
Why did you decide to create these videos?
The art of storytelling has truly disappeared. I want to tell stories because there are lessons that can be learned through them, for those who are ready to receive it. Stories evoke emotion for change. You can change lives one story at a time.
Story has been the way historically for how to embed those morals and how to receive them. Take the principle in the story and relate it to your life and learn from it.
Why is this so important to you?
I am a powerful, passionate, kind and loving man, and my purpose is to help bring harmony, peace and love to the world. We expand that one by one through this Universe.
I believe that life is about loving the journey and loving each other.
Far too many are caught up in the busy-ness of life that distracts them from the purpose of life, which is to experience joy.
(art credit Jessica Lindsey)
What’s one of your favorite Life Lesson Stories?
I love the story of the Ant Hill. Go out into nature, field or forest and you’ll find a busy hill of ants creating an environment by moving sand, with a network underground, all organized like a beautiful dance. I’ve watched them in amazement many times.
When was younger, I would stomp on the hill and it created chaos. For about 60 seconds the ants would scatter frantically. Then they would settle down and get busy reorganizing the ant hill. The ants don’t say, “It should be illegal for people to stomp on ant hills!” They just get back to putting it back in order to rebuild it. In fact, if you come back in 2 days, you’ll find that the new ant hill is in full working order.
In life, we all have had someone stomp on our ant hill. Chaos ensues. We know that life will never be the same and we have a choice: am I going to live as a victim looking for someone to blame, or will I take on life as a victor and ask myself what I can do to go forward to change?
The victor says, “I’m going to look forward to my future and what I can create, and let go of the past.”
Any parting words of wisdom?
The answers to life lie all around you if you listen. You’ll find the answers to everything in life because everything is given to us, we just need to see it.