Happy Holidays 2025! | Awaken Your Spirit to Adventure. (Inspiration from John O’Donohue)

John O’Donohue was an Irish poet, philosopher, and former priest known for his deeply spiritual and poetic writings on beauty, belonging, awakening, and the inner landscape of the human experience. His teachings often explore thresholds, transitions, and the mystery of new beginnings, which makes this quote a beautiful fit for our end-of-year message.

Jump to the SQUARE version of this quote graphic to share here >>

Awaken Your Spirit to Adventure

A Holiday Reflection for Coaches

At this time of year, many of us naturally look back at the path we've travelled. There is a certain stillness in these final days of the year, a quiet pause where we catch our breath and gently ask ourselves what this year has meant. Yet inside that stillness, something begins to stir. A flicker. A spark. A sense that a new beginning is gathering at the edges.

For coaches, this season often becomes a meaningful moment of reflection, clarity and inspiration a true holiday reflection for coaches.

This year, our holiday inspiration comes from the Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue, whose words seem to meet us exactly at this threshold:

Awaken your spirit to adventure.
– John O’Donohue

Why Adventure Matters in Coaching and Personal Growth

There is an energy inside this invitation, a kind of quickening. Adventure is not only about daring feats or faraway landscapes. Often it begins in the moment when our heart leans forward before our mind has caught up. When something in us whispers "There is more for you, step toward it."

As I write this, I am preparing to spend Christmas in Australia. The season looks different there: bright skies, warm evenings, the ocean calling. I will be teaching my kids to scuba dive, and the image of it keeps returning to me. That moment before you descend into the water the inhale, the anticipation, the choice to trust and to move holds its own kind of magic. You feel that you are about to enter a world you have never seen before. There is a delicious mix of excitement and wonder, the feeling of being guided into something extraordinary.

This is the heartbeat of adventure.
The rising energy.
The readiness.
The willingness to say yes.

Coaching carries this same spirit. At some point in every coaching journey, reflection shifts into momentum. The desire to grow becomes stronger than the comfort of where we have been. We feel called to step more fully into our work, to professionalise, to deepen, to trust guidance from those who have walked the path before us. We realise that staying on the surface will no longer satisfy the person we are becoming.

This season can be more than a pause. It can be the edge of a new horizon. A moment where something in you is already leaning toward the next chapter, already sensing the adventure that wants to unfold in your coaching and in your life. It is a powerful doorway into the new year and a meaningful time to reconnect with your purpose and passion as a coach.

As we move toward a brand new year, may you give yourself permission to feel that spark. Awaken your spirit to adventure. Trust the guidance available to you. Follow what is calling. And allow yourself to step into the braver, more expansive version of your coaching that is waiting just beneath the surface.

A Reflection for You

What adventure is quietly calling your name and what becomes possible when you say yes?

Here's a square version of this year's quote to share:

Wishing you a joyful, restorative holiday season and the courage, excitement and energy to leap into the adventures that await you in the year ahead.

Best wishes,

Dr. Steve Jeffs

PS. If you haven't already, grab your Holiday Thank-you Gift to "Make it Happen" in your Biz in 2026 - in manageable 3 months chunks!

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Contributing Author:

Dr Steve Jeffs is a Master Certified Coach (MCC), business and organisational psychologist, and leadership transformation expert with over 20 years of global experience. Before becoming a full-time coach, Steve led large-scale leadership assessment and development programs, organisational change initiatives, and cultural transformation projects across the Middle East, working with government bodies, multinationals, and high-growth businesses. His early career as a registered psychologist and management consultant continues to shape his pragmatic, systems-oriented approach to coaching and leadership.

Today, Steve serves as Director of Coaching at The Coaching Tools Company, where he brings together his expertise in psychology, strategy, and personal development to create practical, impactful tools for coaches and leaders alike. He is also the Co-Founder of The Guiding Matrix, a company dedicated to helping coaches grow sustainable businesses while expanding their leadership capacity.

With over 5,000 coaching hours, Steve has worked with executives and teams in more than 20 countries, including in the UK, UAE, KSA, USA, Egypt, South Africa, and the Philippines. His coaching clients include leaders from organisations such as HSBC, Siemens, Roche Diagnostics, STC, Etisalat, Sanofi, and Dubai Holding. As one of the first MCCs in the Middle East, Steve has also trained and mentored over 1,000 coaches globally and continues to supervise coaches through their credentialing journeys.

Steve is a multi-award-winning coach, recognised globally for his work on leadership and innovation—including honours from the World Innovation Congress and CHRO Asia. He is co-author of Stuck No More: Practical Self-Coaching for Everyday Problems and Shift Up: Strength Strategies for Optimal Living, and is the creator of multiple strengths-based assessments and coaching tools, including the StrengthsMultiplier™. With a Doctorate in Leadership and a Master's in Organisational Psychology, Steve blends deep psychological insight with practical coaching to help individuals, teams, and organisations thrive.

Originally from Australia, Steve now lives in the UK having worked in the UAE for over a decade, bringing both global perspective and deep regional understanding to his work. When not coaching or creating tools, you’ll likely find him exploring deep caves or shipwrecks—he’s a certified technical diver and cave explorer who brings the same spirit of curiosity and courage to his coaching and leadership work.

Learn more about Steve & see all their articles here >>