The Journey Towards My Best Self

Hello world! Welcome to my first blog. Within this collection of writing, I focus on exploring ideas that may help people identify the need for change in their lives on personal and professional levels and exposing them to certain strategies that can contribute to this growth. While it is a blog that is meant to help others, I wanted to start this journey with a major epiphany that I recently had about my own personal and professional growth and what led me to become the blogger you are being introduced to through this post. I hope you will find my story interesting!

Have you ever had a feeling that you were meant to do something more with your life, but you’re not quite sure what?  Some call it a CALLING, but what is it saying to you?

“Hello, CALLING. Are you out there?”

“What’s that CALLING?  I can’t hear you.”

“Hey CALLING- what am I supposed to be doing?”

I know I’m destined for greatness—Everyone says this.

I know I’m intelligent—I think a lot.

“I’m ready for you CALLING—why have you not manifested yourself?… or have you, and I just didn’t recognize you?”

I always thought a CALLING was supposed to find you…appearing out of thin air as if you have passed some spiritual test and now you have been deemed worthy of knowing what your calling is. For years, I’ve been preparing myself to receive this calling, but this journey has dredged up more questions than answers for me:

• Am I supposed to be a doctor? I was premed undergrad. I know science well enough to be just a little dangerous…yet- I could not score high enough on those damn MCAT’s at 20 years old to prove to the world that I could save lives one scalpel at a time. Alas, my calling was not going to leave me with the letters M.D. behind my name. Where should I turn next?

• Am I supposed to be a teacher? Yes, yes…No- wait- maybe not quite. I love working with the little kiddlings. It’s so exciting when people go from confusion to elucidation…they call this the ‘light bulb moment’. I feel like I’ve done something right when I help someone gain knowledge…when I help them become just a little more empowered to take on the world in their own way.
  • Yet-during the course of my 11 years of teaching inner city high school students, some failed my class, while others passed by the skin of their teeth. And while I had students that excelled despite the obstacles their lives presented, several had such gaps in their learning, they could barely read or write, and math was their biggest enemy. Teaching chemistry, biology, and physics made me feel like the uphill battle could not be won for everyone even though I was reminded countlessly that no child would be left behind.
  • In truth, I hated grading. You see – my students needed not just the ‘light bulb moment’ to pass my class, they also needed at-home nurturing and one-on-one tutoring sessions that would fill in the gaps which permeated so much of their knowledge base that my little 40-minute science classes, 2-3 times a week didn’t even make a dent. Though I never gave up on my students, I realized at that point that my calling could not be constricted to the four walls of a classroom…on with the s

    earch.

• Am I supposed to save the world from the next big outbreak? Oh- of course…that would be the most monumental calling ever! A super-calling, if you will. Though I work in public health, I’m not one of the brainy scientists that you read about in school; creating vaccines and finding cures for nature’s deadliest diseases. And I’m no superhero- though I would have gladly taken a small cameo in any of the Marvel movies. I guess, my calling must be elsewhere…ok- must keep searching…

I searched the web, I watched hours of videos, movies, read books, even found a life-coach of my own…all in search of that damn CALLING. I think, most would agree this journey is easier said than done. Nonetheless, this has led me to my own “lightbulb moment.”

REALIZATION

What I’ve come to realize is that my calling isn’t one thing, it is the combination of all the things that make me who I am. It is an evolution of all my previous callings, whether I knew they were callings or not. I may not be a doctor, but I can advocate for my mom when she is in the hospital. I may not be a classroom teacher, but I can impart knowledge and empower those who cannot do so for themselves without worrying about the grade attached. I may not be a super scientist, but I can make sure my nieces and nephews wash their hands with soap and water long enough to prevent the spread of germs.

ACTION

It also helps that I am a sponge. I love, love, love to learn new things. As I have learned to become more intentional about my journey, I find it important to learn something new every day. I used to tell my students “If you don’t think, your brain will shrink.” It is actually a true fact- if you don’t stimulate your mental growth, your brain actually reduces in size. Now, of course, there may be other contributing factors, like aging or some diseases that can affect your cognitive abilities over time. But, I refuse to allow my brain to shrink just on the basis of me not exercising it enough!

IMPACT

Now that I understand this a bit, I can be more deliberate about actualizing my calling. I’ve always mentally set goals for myself, but now I not only write them down, I look for the connections between them, and I align them with where I think I can make the greatest impact in the world at that time in my life.

By accepting that my calling is in a constant state of evolution, I have accepted that it is o.k. to not know everything there is to know about my calling at one point in time and this does not prevent me from experiencing my best life along the journey. What is important to me is knowing that I am making at least a small difference in the world in a positive way with each response to my calling.

Life is about the choices we make and that’s what leads us down the path we are supposed to be on. By walking down this path, I know that I am in alignment with my calling. This is why I know it’s right for me to start my blog now, which I have fondly entitled “DreamBiosis”. I feel compelled to use the knowledge, skills, and abilities I have accumulated over my lifetime to help others bring their dreams to life and in doing so, just maybe they too are able to actualize their callings and make a positive impact on the world.

I encourage you to stay with me for this part of my life journey. It’s in an exciting time in my life. Things will change, things will grow, but they will always reflect my commitment to actualizing my calling and by doing so, I am living my best life. And I hope I can help you to live yours.

Thank you for reading my first blog! Now, I ask you—what is calling you and how are you answering the call?

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-Many thanks!

Disclaimer: The content of this blog and website is the sole opinion of the author and is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal, medical, financial, or other professional advice. Always seek counsel from a professional for these matters if you have questions or concerns regarding your specific circumstances.

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