The Art of Work: A Proven Path to Discovering What You Were Meant to Do

Asian doing that sort of work, the locals trusted her. One
night when they were talking, Amy said something to Ginny
that would change her life.
“Ginny, you will make a good doula.”
“What’s a doula?” I asked Ginny. “A birth coach,” she
told me, someone who helps a mother create a plan for how
she is going to handle the birth of her child. When she heard
this, it took Ginny by surprise, because back then she didn’t
know what a doula was either. She didn’t have one at her
own child’s birth and had no idea what doulas did. Her
friend added that whether she became a doula or not, taking
the class would be a good experience.
“I’ve always been a fan of personal development,”
Ginny told me.
So she signed up and took the class, learning all the
things that doulas did. But when it came time to attend her
first birth, Ginny forgot what to do. She panicked. Taking a
deep breath, Ginny let “her spirit take over” and tried to
focus, remembering her training. She started by massaging
the mother’s back, then comforted her through the
experience, assuring her that everything was going to be all
right. It worked. This wasn’t the mother’s first child, but it
was her first delivery without drugs, and she was scared.
Afterward the mother was elated, crediting Ginny for how
relaxed she felt and how easy the experience was.
“It was exhilarating,” Ginny recalled, “like slipping into
an old pair of shoes.”
That’s when she knew she could do this. Shortly after