I’m one of those people…
who has always been interested in all kinds of things all at once. As a kid and young adult, I had quite a few ideas regarding what I wanted to be when I grew up, including: astronaut, architect (thanks, Legos), historian, athletic trainer, sports medicine practitioner, and archeologist, just to name a few.
My whole life, even beyond young adulthood, I’ve been plagued by this nagging feeling that I wouldn’t ever decide what I want to be. Nothing specific ever seemed to fit perfectly-- no one thing made me feel fulfilled on it’s own.
So here I am in my early 40’s,
by all accounts “grown up,” and I think I’ve finally figured something out: I don’t have to be just one thing. I don’t have to fit into someone else’s mold, and I don’t have to tote around some neat-and-tidy, drop-down friendly job title.
I can establish and sustain and grow a career that’s got many different facets, that allows me to engage with all of my professional interests, and that challenges me to deploy the full breadth of my skill set. I can help people through many different means and mediums at once, and that’s okay. Actually, it’s more than okay: It’s me living my best life.
And if I’m living my best life,
I’m in the best possible position to benefit the lives of others. Because it’s as true for me as it is for anyone else: When we can honor who we are, we have plenty of energy and creativity and initiative and drive to share.
But when we have to spend energy dealing with the fact that we’ve stuffed our identities into rigid, uncomfortable boxes of someone else’s design, we’re going to have less to spare. And so. While I used to be anxious about my inability to pick one career path, I now embrace that aspect of my character. I own it, and I love it.
I’m not:
an outdoor educator turned coach turned turned non-profit founder turned fitness business owner. I’m an outdoor guide AND a strength and sport performance coach AND an equity, diversity, inclusion consultant AND a community activator.
I am:
all of these things at once, and that helps me embody each of them more. The insights I gain from promoting health at the individual level absolutely translate to the work I do at the community level. In turn, the experience I gain from building equitable, inclusive communities inform and improve the quality of my work with individuals.
Just as I’m committed to:
living my life in alignment with my authentic self, I’m passionate about creating a world in which others can do the same. To me, this means empowering people with practices that improve their physical and mental health while I partner with community leaders to build a more equitable, inclusive society.
Equipped with improved resilience, strength, and energy, my clients can then enter into social systems that uplift and support them in producing their best work. And when they do that?