How I found my PASSION and my PURPOSE

It’s August 1st and for many of my friends that means the end of another wonderful summer vacation and the impending return to school teaching. You may not know this about me, but once upon a time I myself was an elementary teacher. I taught for a total of 12 years with most of my time in 3rd & 4th grade in the San Marcos Unified District.

Today I thought I’d share with you the process that led me to teaching and the realization that teaching, in whatever form, is truly my passion and my dharma in life.

Up until the end of my first marriage (I’ll be sharing a bit about this on my Friday Aug 6th Instagram post, so stay tuned for that), I spent my life allowing other people to make up my mind for me. It seemed like a great way to not have to make big, scary decisions on my own. Plus, I was convinced that everyone else around me had this “life thing” figured out and I was the only one who was confused and terrified to do it on my own. I decided to major in broadcasting & TV in college after having several people tell me what a great news anchor I would make. I knew nothing about the news business, I just knew I enjoyed being in front of a camera and speaking so it seemed like as good a choice as any. Needless to say, I found out after a brief stint as a reporter in Fresno, CA that it was a horrible choice for me and definitely not a lifestyle and atmosphere I wanted to spend my life doing.
Fast forward to 1995…I now have a 1-year-old son and am divorced from his father (husband #1). I’ve made the decision to move back home to San Diego to live with my parents and get back on my feet again. I’d spent the past 4 years following my brief stint at the Fox affiliate station, working as an executive assistant at a bank. It was a job with good pay and benefits, but nothing more. I knew in my heart that there was something in this world I was truly meant to be doing and it was time to figure that out.

Now this was pre-yoga days for me, my friend. I didn’t know words like “dharma” and I really had no clue that the voices in my head were just a lot of noise and that my truth lived somewhere deeper inside of me. BUT in retrospect I think maybe I did… (you see they say the answers and the truth are already in us and I am now a total believer!)

I can distinctly recall sitting in my tiny apartment in Fresno and taking a moment to be still – not something I was good at back in those days. In that stillness I asked myself, “When in your life have you been the happiest and felt the most connected?” Immediately the answer came to me. It was during the 3 summers when I taught camp for the United Spirit Association!! You see, I was a tall flag girl in high school and that morphed into a summer job leading camps in tall flag and cheer for high school students. That time was TRULY the BEST! I loved everything about it! Being in charge of a group of students, creating routines, teaching, and watching my students learn and grow was 100% satisfying. I was completely in my element and fulfilled on all levels.

Now I wasn’t going to go back to teaching camp, but the decision I made was to go to National University and obtain my elementary education credential. It was the perfect choice for me at that time of my life! I was a thoroughly happy teacher for many years and know that I had a huge impact on the lives of so many young minds. 
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Eventually, my love of teaching school waned more from the administrative and legislative drama and dogma than from my love for teaching small humans and I made yet another life u-turn. My dharma and passion have remained the same, though. Nowadays, I guide and teach as a certified life coach, yoga & mindfulness teacher! I teach others to listen to their inner GPS and to not fear the unknown. I’m here to help you navigate the journey of life and to connect with your true purpose and passion.
You only have this one precious life, my friend and there is so much life out there to be lived! Keep reinventing yourself!