After 18 years of tirelessly climbing the corporate ladder, I realized that none of it mattered. The higher I climbed, the more unfulfilled I felt. I lost purpose and meaning and was out of touch with the environment, my sense of community and my happiness. So, I left and embarked on a mini ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ journey, which ended in Bali where I met 17 incredible women from all around the world. They inspired me to think differently about life as I knew it. My ah-ha moment happened on my 39th Birthday, riding a bicycle through a residential street in Seminyak and giving high fives to children dressed in uniforms) who were on the way home from school. There was a freedom and happiness that I told myself I would search for and would not settle until I had it, in my life, every damn day.
I returned from Bali with a new mantra and promised that this year would be all about “Gratitude, Vulnerability, and Love”. First, I turned down a number of high paying, title driven roles in corporate land because they did not serve me. So, I continued to search. I started working more closely with the Union Gospel Mission and became a volunteer at the BCSPA. I wanted selfless contributions to the world, not monetary contributions to my portfolio.
I found my purpose in the most unexpected of places when I decided to volunteer as a guide for visually impaired runners. I met Peter who taught me exactly what gratitude, vulnerability, and love actually mean. He also taught me how important communication is, “…shit!” I said on our first run together after failing to communicate that there was a curb 200 meters in– and was reminded that I had “one job”. We have come so far from that first run and have completed many early mornings runs together, a trail race, and most recently our first half marathon. Peter has become more than my running buddy; he’s given me purpose. The trust that he handed me on our first meeting was so significant to me. Most people wouldn’t get in a car with me, let alone have me guide them through mountains tethered to my backpack (steep hills, cliffs, roots, rocks, snowy conditions), but he handed it to me (the tether too) on day one. I made a promise not to let him down.
I have time for Peter, the UGM and the animals at the BCSPA not because my schedule is clear (gone are the days of the 9-5 since launching my business in January), but because I have the headspace to think about what matters. I am no longer climbing a meaningless ladder, I am making a difference with the environment my community, and myself. This is my purpose.
I returned from Bali with a new mantra and promised that this year would be all about “Gratitude, Vulnerability, and Love”. First, I turned down a number of high paying, title driven roles in corporate land because they did not serve me. So, I continued to search. I started working more closely with the Union Gospel Mission and became a volunteer at the BC SPCA. I wanted selfless contributions to the world, not monetary contributions to my portfolio.
I found my purpose in the most unexpected of places when I decided to volunteer as a guide for visually impaired runners. I met Peter who taught me exactly what gratitude, vulnerability and love actually mean. He also taught me how important communication is, “…shit!” I said on our first run together after failing to communicate that there was a curb 200 meters in– and was reminded that I had “one job”. We have come so far from that first run and have completed many early mornings runs together, a trail race, and most recently our first half marathon. Peter has become more than my running buddy; he’s given me purpose. The trust that he handed me on our first meeting was so significant to me. Most people wouldn’t get in a car with me, let alone have me guide them through mountains tethered to my backpack (steep hills, cliffs, roots, rocks, snowy conditions), but he handed it to me (the tether too) on day one. I made a promise not to let him down.
I have time for Peter, the UGM and the animals at the BC SPCA not because my schedule is clear (gone are the days of the 9-5 since launching my business in January), but because I have the headspace to think about what matters. I am no longer climbing a meaningless ladder. Instead, I am making a difference with the environment, my community and myself. This is my purpose.