Welcome to Hearts on Sleeves Coaching! I’m Coach Payal Mehta, a personal development and certified life coach. It’s taken most of my life to be here with you today and I’m excited about making a personal impact – starting with my own person. I want to change the world while wearing my heart on my sleeve.

Here, you are my closest friend and confidant. I’ll share stories about me, my journey, influential people and events, current struggles and my inner thoughts I’m going to get vulnerable, in hopes that it will help inspire or validate you.

To make the world a better place, the effort starts with me. Facing myself has been the most challenging and rewarding experience that I continue to push myself to do. So, for anyone who has gone to a therapist or used a coach, or anyone considering just asking for a little help – I see you and I applaud your courage and desire to want a better experience for yourself. It’s not easy and often messy. The reward though, is a better life for yourself, your family and for the children in your life.

Let me be clear – I don’t believe I can change your life, only you have that power. When people in my personal and professional life have come to me for advice and guidance, the reality is they knew the solution they wanted to pursue all along! They just knew I’d be the person to validate it. In my role as a coach, I don’t advise or dispense advice. I’m not going to tell you what to do. Because that doesn’t work. It might for a little while, but eventually the motivation to continue along that path may run out and then you’ll be searching for the next solution.

We have to do the work of figuring out solutions for ourselves. We do that in part by surrounding ourselves with people who support us, who get excited for us, and cheer us on. We seek out those who have walked the path we have walked. We get down and dirty with it. We expose ourselves, over and over again until we stop acting out of fear of judgement, but out of love for ourselves. This is what I want for me and for you.

I’ve been in some dark places. I’ve seen my friends and family as inconveniences to being a good employee. I’ve held a long running critical and judgmental dialog with myself that when someone gave me a compliment or praised me, I thought they must be stupid and not worthy of my time. I’ve been held hostage by negative emotions, sometimes for days, being unable to find joy or motivation in basic tasks. I thought I didn’t deserve help. Admitting I was less than perfect was akin to falling to my death.

I did not work through these situations alone. Key people in my life showed me the kind of compassion it took me decades to develop for myself. I spoke to therapists. I used coaches. I gave what I didn’t feel I had (if you lack it, give it) by volunteering my time to others. I read books and listened to podcasts and worked on my physical health. I attacked and challenged myself in so many ways. I often felt I was breaking myself down and building myself back up.

Sometimes, it felt like a relentless cycle. Why can’t I just have no friction in my life?! Well, because that’s what Life is. But each situation I learned something. I learned how to respond (or how not to). I learned where my boundaries were (sometimes only after they’d be crossed). And I leaned less and less on others, feeling more and more empowered that I know and I can do what’s right for me. I don’t need anyone to validate that. And If I made a mistake – that’s ok. I’ll learn from it. So it wasn’t really a mistake after all.

If you’re here, and you’re considering how I might be able to support you, why not schedule a call with me? It’s free. There’s absolutely no pressure to buy anything – it’s just two people having a chat and seeing where it could go from there.