akaMaytag

  What a Long Strange Trip It's Been You know those times when you put your heart and soul into something, simply to be repeatedly challenged? It feels like when you get excited about the direction you are going, you run into a diversion. I have been dealing with one of those phases, and this journey has been a crazy rollercoaster ride.       When my circumstances suddenly shifted, I felt very anxious and pulled in several different directions about how to approach it. After taking time for self-reflection, paying attention to what truly gives me purpose, and speaking with a few trusted people, I chose what I thought was a positive path forward. I made a commitment to myself that I would not jump into something simply because it was familiar or seemed like the “responsible” choice. This is only the second decision in my life that I’ve made based purely on what I want—the first being buying a motorcycle. I have never regretted that decision. It took time, and a lot of...

The Chrysalis Stage It has been a while since I posted anything on here. Since my last post, I have made my blog private and removed all social media. Only when I realized a career change was imminent did I restart LinkedIn, which has been my link to the outside world. So, what has been happening, you ask? I struggled mightily to find purpose in my work. I have worked full-time since the first week of my senior year in High School. Doing the “responsible thing”, just like I was taught. It didn't matter what I was paid, how I was treated, or how I felt; I put my head down and pushed through. I continued the pattern of taking on a big challenge, problems that needed to be fixed. That kept my mind occupied until all the fires were put out, all obvious dangers were removed, and things were operating smoothly and quietly. Now what? The business metrics alone were not enough for me. I needed something more. Five years ago, I began building a Community Support network that supported local...