By Yolanda Combrinck | Transformational Life Coach
There was a time when I thought peace was something that arrived when the storms finally stopped.
I told myself, “Once life calms down… once I have answers… once I figure it all out, then I’ll breathe.”
But life didn’t wait for me.
It never does.
Instead of waiting for the perfect calm, challenges came, sometimes in quiet waves, other times like a raging tide that knocked me off my feet.
There were seasons that stripped me bare, times I felt misunderstood, moments when grief pressed so hard against my chest I could barely breathe.
I used to believe that when hard times came, they were interruptions.
Now I see they were initiations.
The Garden I Didn’t Know I Was Planting
Looking back, I realise I have been planting seeds my whole life.
- Seeds of resilience, sown in the days I didn’t think I could get up but did anyway.
- Seeds of compassion, planted when it would have been easier to shut my heart.
- Seeds of faith, buried deep when I couldn’t see a harvest but kept trusting anyway.
I didn’t understand it then, but every season even the winters I wished away was watering something beneath the surface.
Today, I stand in a well-watered garden.
The fruit I see – peace, joy, love, gratitude, contentment, faith, hope, clarity, connection, didn’t just appear. It grew because I kept showing up for my life.
And when pruning came? I learned not to fight it.
Pruning doesn’t take away life, it makes space for more life.
Learning to See (With Awareness and Innate Wisdom)
The power of seeing life through a new lens is often underestimated.
When we shift the way we see, we shift the way we experience.
What holds us back is rarely the circumstances themselves it’s, the way we interpret them, the stories we tell ourselves.
Through deep listening to my own state of being and awareness of my thoughts, I’ve learned to notice the patterns that arise, not always perfectly, and not always immediately. I am honest about that, because as a coach, I know it’s impossible to be aware every single moment.
Yet, in the quiet moments, insights emerge effortlessly, a subtle nudging from innate wisdom that shifts perspective without force. This is what I call effortless effort. The mind doesn’t always need to solve everything; it just needs to notice, to listen, to align with our inner knowing.
I’ve come to realise that nothing is missing and nothing is broken. The way we are created is magnificent, complete. Understanding the nature of mind, consciousness, and thought has helped me identify the missing link in my own personal coaching journey, the space where awareness meets deep knowing, where insight arises naturally, and transformation begins.
Knowing Who I Am
Knowing who I am is not about standing in front of a mirror reciting affirmations until I believe them.
It’s not about convincing myself.
It’s a quiet, unshakable inner knowing, a willingness to own my truth without needing to prove it.
Life is always moving.
We can move with it, or we can wrestle against it and get caught in unnecessary suffering.
Through my own journey, I’ve learned the difference between two kinds of pain:
- The pain life hands you.
- And the pain you create yourself.
Sometimes we can change the external circumstances.
And sometimes, the only thing that needs to change is the way we see them.
Seasons come and go, and when we embrace them for what they are, we move through them with more grace and far less resistance.
Love as My Essence
A huge part of my being is love.
It’s not a fluffy concept, it’s my essence. It’s the fruit my life produces, the offering I bring to this world, and the ground I choose to stand on.
The place we lead from matters.
Lead from fear, and you will shrink.
Lead from love, and you will grow even in the harshest seasons.
Everywhere I go, I am surrounded by love, not because life has always been kind to me, but because I’ve aligned myself with an infinite source of it.
It’s this love that keeps me open even when people walk away.
It’s this love that has softened me in the middle of storms and given me strength when I thought I had none left.
Living in the Flow
I’ve stopped trying to control every outcome.
I’ve stopped wrestling with life, and instead, I’ve learned to let it move through me.
Surrender doesn’t mean giving up, it means letting things be, trusting that God, the universe, the divine flow, already knows the way.
And when I align myself with that flow, everything changes.
Connections form without effort.
Opportunities arrive that I couldn’t have orchestrated.
The good I give out returns to me in ways that still take my breath away.
The Invitation
If you are in a season that feels heavy, barren, or uncertain, remember this:
You are still planting seeds, even if you can’t see them yet.
You are not behind.
You are not forgotten.
The seasons will turn.
And when winter comes, it’s not to punish you, it’s to prepare you.
Life will not wait for you. You create it.
And sometimes, the most powerful way to create, is to see, to trust, to love, and to let the flow carry you forward.
💭 Reflection Question:
What seeds am I planting today and am I willing to trust the season I’m in?
A Final Word
Life is a journey of planting, pruning, and embracing the flow. It is a dance between surrender and action, between seeing and trusting.
I invite you to lean into your own seasons, to notice the patterns, release what no longer serves you, and align yourself with the infinite love that surrounds you.
Step into your truth. Trust the process. Welcome the flow. And remember: the life you long for is already being created through the choices you make today.
With love, courage, and deep listening,
Yolanda Combrinck