Hi! I’m Charlene. I am 47-years old and live in the Metro Vancouver Area in British Columbia, Canada.
Born and raised. My parents were both born and raised in Fiji. I did have the opportunity to spend five-years out there from the ages of five to ten. Best thing about those five-years was getting to meet and know so much of my extended family. I likely wouldn’t have gotten to know them the way I have had it not been for those five years. Then Fiji had a military coup and as Canadian Citizens we moved back home.
I’ve always felt different. The city we moved back to was predominantly Caucasian. I knew I was different. I remember in elementary school hearing my classmates talk about how I dressed, my appearance, the way I spoke. It was a tough go. I was lucky that school came pretty easy to me and that I loved reading. That’s where I found my peace, in books that transported me elsewhere and provided safety and peace of mind.
As I entered high school, we moved again to another predominantly Caucasian area but it was different. Here I made friends and kind of fit it. But culture played a huge role in my life and growing up in a strict household with lots of rules wasn’t conducive to spending time with friends and hanging out. There was a lot of drama and conflict and some friendships didn’t survive that.
Post-Secondary changed things. I got more independence as I pursued my Bachelor’s Degree. I went out a lot more and pursued my education. I also got a full-time job with the Federal Government while in the third year of my four-year program. So, I worked full-time and went to school full-time. After graduating I continued working.
It has now been 25+ years that I’ve worked for the federal government in three different departments and various positions. During that time, I also obtained my Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accounting designation. I have battled poor health, life ups and downs, got married, moved, travelled, had meltdowns, and joy.
I’ve also had the realization that while I was so engrossed in checking all the boxes as dictated by society and family expectations, happiness, purpose, empowerment have never been on the list. On all accounts I’m seen as being successful but something has always been missing.
Something that I couldn’t name or identify, just this gnawing feeling that I wasn’t living my best life. Living my purpose. After a lot of internal work, the pieces started to fit together. I needed to do something different. I’m passionate about coaching. About helping others find their purpose and live their best lives.
That has led me to pursuing my Coaching Certification with the Co-Active Training Institute. I have completed my Fundamentals course and am half way through the Intermediate program with the goal of starting certification in the new year.Looking forward to finally taking a journey for me!