I had the distinct privilege of attending Marcus Buckingham's workshop at last week's Massachusetts Conference for Women, titled "Find your Strongest Life."

Marcus' work has heavily influenced both my career path and my client work in recent years.

After learning his strengths-based career navigation system, I put in place his strategies to figure out what my ideal job would be.  I learned that I love working one-on-one to serve others.  I love empowering people to undergo personal and professional transformation.  And I love being an entrepreneur.

Enter my career and life coaching practice, which is the most rewarding vocation I've had to date.  I've witnessed firsthand how one's satisfaction at the office contributes to happiness in all aspects of their life.

Data backs up the strong relationship between happiness at home and at work.  Intrigued?  Check out this great BusinessWeek article.

In his session, Marcus Buckingham outlined the top four things that affect women's happiness. In the following order: Health, Marriage, Friends, and Work.  Further, I'll submit that the right job allows women time to achieve ideal health, a strong marriage and strong friendships. 

In today's world, what we do is very closely linked with our concept of who we are.  If we feel that we're contributing to society, to our communities and to our families, we're much more likely to report feeling satisfied.

Conversely, if we feel we're wasting our time on work that drains us, disillusionment can leak into other areas of our lives.

If something isn't working in your life, take action now.  Don't let it pull you into a downward spiral.  Recognize that you deserve the very best that life has to offer, and make a plan to turn things around.  Need someone to help you through the process?  Enlist a family member, friend, or professional to support you in achieving your goals.

Having personally experienced the transformational power of coaching, I believe that with the right support network, we can make all of our dreams come true.  All it takes is the belief that you're worth it, and the commitment to see yourself through.