WELCOME!

Welcome to Wyrd conversations!

Welcome to Wyrd conversations! I’m Samantha, the founder of Wyrd Coaching and the creator of Wyrd conversations. I thought I would start with the obvious, why Wyrd? I do mention this in my about section, so forgive me for repeating things. Wyrd is a very old word, and goes back to the Nordic concept of ‘that which has not yet been fated’. Over time it has come to mean things like uncanny, fate, and even doom. To me, I love the play on words around the uncanny and the unfated. Breaking away from the normal is what sets us free to be ourselves. Normal is what I see as the ‘fated’ choice, breaking free is the Wyrd way.

Ok so still, why Wyrd? It’s a fun word and all that jazz but it has a very negative connotation. As a coach aren’t I supposed to put a positive spin on things? I was bullied as a child, I was sexually assaulted for the first time in 5th grade by a group of boys intent on touching the first girl to ‘bloom’ so to speak. The bullying got worse after that attack, which nobody did a thing about, and my body became a mockery. Until the 8th grade when I snapped and beat the living sh*t out of the school bully. True story. I just snapped. I am not proud of it. After that fight, which I did not get in trouble for, things changed. That bully became my friend and guardian. Nobody was allowed to say anything about me or else. I did not ask for that outcome. Heck, I had no idea what to do with the entire situation so, I just said ok, collected him as a friend, and moved on. My gift is turning horrible things into manageable things. It is how I survived. It also made me weird in the standard sense and while overt bullying stopped, I have lived my entire life with the derision sent my way simply because I refused to do what was ‘expected’ of me. I have refused to spew hate when it was dumped on me constantly. I refused to play stupid because I was a girl. I refused to drink or do drugs when all the other kids were doing it, what was wrong with me? To this day, I don’t drink and I still get asked, oh wow why? Are you an alcoholic? As if thinking through participation in something I don’t like, that is not healthy and numbs thoughts and feelings, makes me the problem? I don’t drink because I have a choice. I make that choice for reasons that can be discussed in a different conversation. I should not be shamed for my choices. My being branded as weird happened so young, due to my family and then due to my choices. I used to be ashamed of it, I felt cut-off and alone. Unwanted. Unlovable. All of that. And then one day when I was in my 20’s I was talking to a friend in a public place about my rape survival (again, open for discussion in a different conversation), I spoke openly about it. No shame, no fear, no mincing of words, no hushed tones. My friend was a little uncomfortable but she had reason to ask. She stepped away to use the bathroom and a stranger came up to me, a woman, and she was visibly upset. She quietly said, “excuse me, but I overheard you and, well, was that all true?” I turned to her and said “yes, it is all true. Are you ok?” The woman started to cry and told me she had been raped and was so ashamed and afraid to speak of it and hearing me speak and not be ashamed both broke her and healed her in a way. We talked briefly, I referred her to a local help network and we hugged and she left just as my friend returned. My friend shook her head and said, “you did it again, didn’t you? Some random stranger just said you changed their life. Sam, you are so weird and I love you.” It was the first time I realized I was weird and it was wonderful! Weird was a badge of honor and strength. I made the choice for Wyrd coaching because being different, being weird, is not shameful. It is powerful and healing and wonderful and scary as f*ck because it is real. It is true. When we find that and present that to the world we open up the doors to all that can be. The Wyrd, that which is not yet fated.

My question for you is since you have tried a normal life so far, are you ready to try opening up and accepting your Wyrd one?