HOW DO YOU LIVE?
I am the eternal optimist. I live in gratitude. I live in awe and fascination with the natural beauty of the world which surrounds us. I am curious. I am industrious. I persevere through thick and thin. I believe who you are when no one is watching is exactly how you show up in this world in every single thing that you do. I believe in serendipity. I believe the universe provides in unimaginable ways. If you can slow down enough to feel to the core of your being…you might just see it and feel it and know.
“YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING”
~ JAY SHETTY ~ THINK LIKE A MONK
When most people hear that you lost your job due to a worldwide pandemic they grovel at you with apologetic sorrow and pity. To me it was the greatest GIFT! I have worked since the time I was 13 years old. When the world pulled the plug on my life’s sustenance I made a decision. I promised myself that I would not get caught up in the toxicity that is the media. I took a couple weeks to let the rumble of emotion settle. I allowed myself to live without schedule or worry and it was odd. The thing I discovered was that I was craving PURPOSE. So I shifted…
“THE WAY WE DO ANYTHING IS THE WAY WE DO EVERYTHING”
~ MARTHA BECK ~
I love having a solid purpose and foundation to launch forward from into my life. Not working was the strangest, most paralyzing feeling I’d ever experienced. I had the freedom I’ve always wanted and at the same time my brain did not know what to do with it. I knew I needed to lock in some daily rituals to ground me down into my purpose. I promised myself I would not mash my ass on the couch and turn into a Netflix and junk food zombie. I put myself on a schedule, the hours of which were quite similar to when I was working. Up early for some morning exercise, showered and working on something by 9am. It felt good.
YOGA . PELOTON . BEACH . HIKE . SUP . LIVE MUSIC
(THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT KEEP ME SANE)
But there was this empty feeling. I dug a little bit and decided to enhance my knowledge base. Knowing my background as a creative professional was a solid foundation, I thought, what could I do to position myself better for when the job market opens back up. I decided to take some classes in Digital Marketing. Turns out the three courses that I took also had deep seeded entrepreneurial roots. I learned alot about myself, including the realization that I do not want to become a digital marketer for anyone else. If I am going to work that hard at something it is going to be for myself.
ENTREPRENUER SPOTLIGHT
With all this free time … what is a girl to do? Being the industrious human that I have always been, I meddle and get involved with things to keep my mind busy and continue to grow personally and professionally. I learned this thing called NETWORKING. I spent the better portion of each day doing just that. Seeking out networking groups that support small businesses. I was merely seeking connection and opportunity. One night I woke up and thought, what if I start promoting small businesses? The Entrepreneur Spotlight was born!
I began interviewing small business owners. The show was literally all about them. I sent them a questionnaire that prompted them to tell the story behind how their small business came about. At the end of the program, they were given the opportunity to plug their business and whatever call to action they wanted to share with the audience. It was a BIG HIT! I had 14 consecutive weeks of live weekly guests. I ran the show even while I was on my two week cross country excursion. What a wonderful opportunity this turned into, I have met and became virtual friends with so many wonderfully interesting humans! All during a worldwide pandemic when human connection was in severe lack. This show kept me going and motivated me through what could have easily been emotionally the hardest time of my life.
ALL THE THINGS…
HEALTHY . WEALTHY . WISE
I began to realize that The Entrepreneur Spotlight was limiting me in what topics I could feature on the show and it came to a halt. It took me a little bit, but I discovered that with my background and varied interests both professionally and personally I needed to branch out. Once again…it came to me in the middle of the night…I wanted to feature ALL THE THINGS…HEALTHY. WEALTH. WISE…and my new programming was born. I am now able to feature any guest, any topic, go solo or with a wingmate!
VIBRANT BALANCED LIFE
I have lived my whole life seeking balance. Work-life balance. It is most certainly a difficult road to travel. 40+ hours a week grinding for an entity that at the drop of a hat sets you free into the world when it is no longer convenient or profitable for them to keep you. The harsh reality is no one out there can take better care of you than YOU.
This realization took me 19 years to discover. And when that light turned on in my heart and soul I resigned from a job that treated me poorly, would not advance me, stopped giving raises even though the cost of living keeps rising every year, and did not value the skill and professionalism of my work style. I resigned.
I moved on. To a new industry. I was a leader, a director and all the things to that office and that team. It only took a short time for the pressure to ensue. The amount that was expected of me was equal to that of three employees. I am conscientious, I am a hard worker and I persevere. Somehow I got it all done. To my own detriment. The amount of stress that I was under in my short two and half years at this company spiraled my mindset out of control. My body slowly creeped into malfunction. My adrenal glands were literally fried. My body was not producing cortisol and the level of stress I was under created an environment where my Lyme Disease reared its ugly head.
I lived day in and day out with brain fog, chronic pain and exhaustion. I was depressed and irritable as all the systems of my body were misfiring. I could not take it any longer. One morning I mustered up the courage and told my boss I needed to resign. I gave ample notice and left on amicable terms. I continued on with them as a freelance designer for several months. Even that triggered stress and anxiety in my body, mind and spirit. So I let it go…
Several months later I got a call. A company I had been interviewing with that fell off the face of the planet came back into my orbit. I had my reservations, but they made me an offer I could not refuse. I stepped down in rank, but was going to make more money with a bonus structure in place that rewarded me quarterly. I figured what have I got to lose? So off I went, back into the arena, the grind, the rat race.
I was only there for about a month when I realized I was working at a highly dysfunctional establishment. They were operating at a level similar to what my very first big girl job felt like way back in 1998. Every single thing that happened was truncated and slow and disorganized and not communicated well. A room full of millennials that were expert complainers without the skill to create solutions. I knew this role was temporary, a stepping stone, an awakening on my path. I was there for 9 months and my position was eliminated at the onslaught of the pandemic.
THE SHIFT
I have spent a lot of time building out a portfolio website for my graphic design company. This was a personal vendetta for me. I just needed to get it done. My vision is complete! Although I am no longer driven by that part of my life…Strange but true. Something I have worked so long and so hard building and cultivating just does not feel right any more. A portal on the world wide web that houses the me that is a designer will live on forever in tandem with my photography portfolio.
RE-SCAFFOLDING
I am happy to say that the re-scaffolding of my life has been the most fulfilling, yet challenging process of my life to date. I am delving into my passion. I am teaching public Yoga classes. I am teaching private Yoga classes. I manage Yoga schedules, mentor and coach other Yoga humans. I manage members and coordinate events at a luxury spa. I am enrolled in an advanced level Yoga Teacher Training which I graduate from on June 27th! I have a mentor and coach who is guiding, motivating and inspiring me as the re-scaffolding continues to unfold.
I currently feel quite possibly the happiest and healthiest I have ever been. It is odd to me that the several hundred positions that I have applied for that line up with what traditional careers might be like for some, just have not come to fruition. The health and wellness industry is thriving and I am at the forefront of its expansion as Massachusetts propels forward into a completely open restriction free Summer 2021!
