My first love was the ocean. So from a
very early age I felt that to be an oceanographer would be the
dream career for me.
I thought that absolutely nothing suited me better than living out my days on a tropical island buried in some interesting research or on a boat like Jacques Cousteau, with no mundane care in my world, and with nothing but bathing suits and sun block in my wardrobe.
When it came time to pick a college, I chose The University of Rhode Island hands-down when I heard about their marine biology program. However, not too long after becoming happily enmeshed in my studies there I realized that the oceanography courses were offered almost exclusively at the graduate level, with the exception of one or two. By the time my senior year rolled around my bank account was empty and I felt I needed a break from spending so much time inside the four walls of a classroom.
How ironic then, that I found myself the next September in a junior high school classroom teaching seventh and eighth grade general science.
I’d gotten certified to teach, at the suggestion of my college advisor, when I realized I wouldn’t be going to graduate school right away. Since science teachers were in great demand when I graduated, I literally had my pick of jobs in schools throughout the state. I chose to teach in Warwick, Rhode Island, a suburb of Providence, even though it meant a 45 minute commute into the city from my home, which was directly across from the beach, in a town called Scarborough.
Each morning I pulled out of my driveway just as the sun peeked over the horizon. More often than not, I could feel its radiant beams beckon me towards the surf, as instead I dutifully drove towards the city, my job, and yet another day inside of a school.
Despite my love of science, teaching and my students, it wasn’t too long before at the young age of 22 I felt suffocated.
I felt very confused because this was a “good job”, and I was doing a “good job” at it, but no matter how hard I tried my enthusiasm waned. I vividly recall my teacher evaluation with my science department head towards the end of the year. This 20 year veteran to the cause gave me a glowing report, and then sat across from me smiling and asked, “Do you have any questions.” I’m sure he was referring to his appraisal of my work, but the only thing I could think of to ask him was, "Would you do it all over?”. He looked at me puzzled and said, “What do you mean?” I replied, “With perfect hindsight, would you choose to teach science for 20 years?".
I was completely unaware of the magnitude of the question that I so innocently blurted out, until I saw his jaw nearly drop to the floor. I was totally taken aback by his reaction. I had simply been asking for some experienced input, so that I could clarify my own feelings and make a decision as to whether, or not, teaching was for me. When he regained his composure he simply answered, "No."
That was all I needed to know...
In the very moment I heard my department head’s reply, I made an inner pledge to myself not to compromise in life, and as a result my life completely changed.
From that point on, the first question I asked myself when making, not only my career choices, but all of my other decisions as well was, “Does this allow me to live from my soul?”
I resolved to always be able to answer that question with a resounding, “YES!”
Following that inner commitment, within a matter of months, my life changed dramatically.
The next fall, the day school started, instead of greeting students in a classroom, I was on an airplane on my way to a tropical island, entering a whole new ocean of possibilities as a contestant in the Miss America World Pageant. A few weeks later, I was in New York City beginning my life as an international model.
What about you? Are you living a life of soul satisfying adventure and infinite possibility?
Are you working in your dream career and authentically living your life’s purpose? If not, do you have the courage to go after it now?
None of us are meant to settle in life.
Not one of us is meant to wake up in the morning feeling as though we are “living a lie”
If you are highly motivated and willing to take deep look at your life, right where you are, in order to unearth your unique purpose for being alive, and thrill at the opportunity to move towards that whole-heartedly, then my CD program, The Soul at Work, is for you.
If you desire to let go of all self sabotaging dysfunctional modes, to be congruent in all areas of your life, and to live the life of your dreams, then
