Hi, I'm Veleda!
2 words that describe my heart's cry:
WHOLEHEARTED & INTENTIONAL
I love helping people move their lives toward wholeheartedness and intentionality.
But first, let me introduce myself properly. My name is Veleda Tai – an Asian-American Christian Life Coach located in Atlanta. I am a mom of 2 teenagers, wife of 20+ years, a bean counter in my former life and a rabid Michigan Wolverines fan (GO BLUE!). I guide fellow sojourners to stop living by default and start designing a life with wholehearted intentionality – living out who they were created to be.
I believe in...
FLOWERS - what the what? I mean I do love flowers but P.E.T.A.L.S. form my values.
✿ Being PRESENT ✿
I used to race ahead in life – looking for the next thing, finding a better job, looking for a husband, waiting for the kids to be potty-trained, ad infinitum ad nauseum. It’s not a bad thing to look toward the future, but I was missing out on the present. I strive to find joy right where I am – doing the mundane tasks of life with humble gratitude. I endeavor to be present with whoever I’m with, in whatever I’m doing with them – that I’m listening intently and NOT trying to form my next question, story or witty statement.
✿ Doing all things with EXCELLENCE ✿
In whatever I do, I try to do it to the best of my ability. I’ve wrestled with perfectionism in the past which paralyzed me from venturing into new territory (like creating this website!) I had to change my mindset and push past perfectionism because only by trying and failing will I grow in excellency in new and exciting ways that I feel called to.
✿ Fostering TOGETHERNESS ✿
I strongly believe that “we are wired for connection.” (Brene Brown) I love gathering friends and family and building a deeper sense of love and belonging. I love being a mom and wife – my family means the world to me and is the center of most of what I do. It brings me great joy when sharing of hearts leads to increased self-awareness of who we are and who we want to become so we can find deeper meaning and, of course, more connection in our lives.
✿ With AUTHENTICITY ✿
When I was younger, I felt pressure to “look” and “be” a certain way. I did my utmost to look good, to be a model to those around me, to maintain a perfect house and most damaging, to present perfect kids. I am working toward throwing off that false self and moving toward my true self, warts and all. Life is messy, it’s crazy-making to pretend otherwise.
✿ While always LEARNING ✿
I love learning and growing. My husband’s number one complaint about my housekeeping is my STACK of books at my bedside. I want to be the very best version of myself - the best mom, wife, daughter, sister, friend and of course, coach. I wish we could download books into our heads like Neo learned jiu jitsu in the movie Matrix. Until then, I have had to turn to audio books to maximize time. I love helping others learn and grow toward their best selves.
✿ Everything with and for my SAVIOR ✿
My faith is at the heart of my desires, my words, my actions. Whether or not you share my faith, I would be thrilled to coach you, but it’s something you should know about me going into a coaching relationship.
How did I get here?
Early 2017, I started soul-searching after reading The Miracle Morning (Hal Elrod) about what I wanted to do after my kids head off to college. I dug up a book called Leadership Coaching (Tony Stolzfus) that a friend recommended to me 10 years earlier which resonated with me at the time but I never implemented in my life. Every “Miracle Morning”, I read, journaled, prayed about what the future held. In the following months, God opened door after door and I walked through each one with anticipation and trust. I am finishing up my last required class (Ethics) in June 2019 at Professional Christian Coaching Institute and will move toward ICF certification!
Joining forces
I would LOVE the privilege to work with you to find YOUR heart’s cry. We all get stuck and aren’t able to make movement toward the life that we believe we were called to – coaching transforms this process! Our confidential coaching relationship would typically consist of weekly phone calls to help you:
- ACHIEVE GOALS: You set the agenda and choose your goals, I listen intently in order to ask purposeful questions to help you toward achieving those goals. Ultimately, you are responsible for taking the action to move forward
- FEEL ENCOURAGED: I provide a safe, confidential place to explore new ways of thinking and actions to get you “unstuck”. Change is often difficult, so my job is to encourage, support and affirm you.
- GROW: Through listening, discerning, building awareness, providing clarity, brainstorming, innovative thinking, challenging, strategizing, and inspiring, I will help you break down where and how you want to grow into weekly, bite-sized chunks.
- BE ACCOUNTABLE: Weekly phone calls on its own creates some accountability. I partner with you to help you achieve your goals, but you will ultimately decide what and when accountability is needed.
Other random facts
- I am a neat freak, but not a clean freak (I’m okay with dust, not okay with clothes strewn on the floor). However, I usually don’t bother making my bed. I don’t see the point since I’ll just get back in it in less than a day. (Sometimes less if I want to take a nap!)
- I love my daughter so much that I actually bought her pet rats (I know, right?) to foster her love of animals.
- I bullet journal to keep my life organized but mostly to cultivate my love for creativity and beauty (like lettering).
- I have an etsy shop selling crafts for fun- www.etsy.com/shop/FeltPresence
- Favorite author: Brené Brown
- Favorite speaker: Tim Keller
- A sampling of books that have impacted me(other than Brené’s): Abba’s Child (Brendan Manning), Praying Life (Paul Miller), Parenting (Paul Tripp), Emotionally Healthy Spirituality (Pete Scazerro).