2019 Lesson & Reflection

It is now February (where does the time go?) and I want to take some time to reflect upon the past year, analyze what I have learned and appreciate the good I have in my life. A lot has changed for me over the course of a year. I am not a big fan of change and love my routine but I have definitely had to handle a multitude of big adjustments and shifts in 2019. Over the course of the next month, I am going to be analyzing a few of them and the perspective I gained and things I learned throughout the process. A few of these changes include:

1. Career Shift

2. Relationships

3. Work Schedule

4. Living Situation

With change, there is always an adjustment period that has to occur for that new reality to settle in and for the brain/self to be accustomed to the new routine and experiences.

1. Career Shift- I always knew I wanted to work directly with people and never behind a desk. I live by the guiding principle “leave people better than you found them.” I genuinely enjoy the interactions I have with people and feel as if we can only learn more about each other. Everyone is unique and has different perspectives, values and experiences that help shape them. I love hearing those stories. Back to the career shift, (sorry I may ramble) I was teaching 9th & 10th grade History at Granada High School in Livermore after completing my Teaching Credential Program & Masters Degree (Livermore is an AWESOME place and where I thought I would settle and raise my family, more on that later). I enjoyed teaching and interacting with the students. Granada was a great place to work and community to be a part of. I started my own Strength & Conditioning business right after I graduated college. It blossomed into more than I could imagine. After teaching during the school day, I would train my clients, teams and athletes. I often would leave at 6AM and not finish work until 8PM. They were long days but training my clients is what I felt most passionate about. I felt most alive and most energetic despite it being late and teaching all day. I knew this was my passion and a change for me in some capacity was inevitable. I liked teaching History and could do it but knew it was not something I could not do for 30+ years. Training/coaching is still teaching just something I am a bit more passionate about. After having that coming to light moment, I added a Physical Education authorization to my current Teaching Credential became a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and applied to S&C jobs at local high schools. I was passed on due to lack of experience at several local high schools (including my alma mater), but was fortunate enough to receive the Sport & Human Performance Coach job at Presentation High School in San Jose. I knew deep down inside this was the right move, I left a great school in Livermore with a great community for the unknown.

Lesson #1: Trust your gut and pursue your passion:

I had that little voice in my head telling me to pursue my dreams. I had many setbacks along the way but Presentation gave me a shot and I am loving the experience. Never let someone tell you are not capable. Often times, many people set limits on themselves and neglect to appreciate how strong and capable they truly are. Embrace uncertainty, step outside your comfort zone. That is where you grow as an individual and your true hopes, dreams and goals are achieved. It may not be a huge career change as I am still working at a high school and still teaching but it took a big leap of faith to pursue a different path when I had a stable and secure job firmly in grasp.

Lesson #2: Enjoy the process

Many want to achieve success, have their dream job and be settled in their career right out of the gate. Life begins to mean a lot more when you realize that you never get the same moment twice. Reflect on how far you have come and those long nights and setbacks helped shape you into the person you are today.

Lesson # 3: Make each day your masterpiece

Each day I try to make a positive impact any way I can. Throw kindness around like confetti. It could be as simple as saying hello, giving a smile, putting my shopping cart back when I am done with it, being genuinely engaged in the conversation I am in. It could be having a student achieve that goal and do something they thought they never have done or even inspiring others to appreciate the little things in life. I want to be that person that people go to for support and guidance, that calming presence in the midst of chaos. Life is hard but life is much easier when you have caring, supportive and loving people to ride the waves with.

Have a great day and thanks for reading if you read this far! More to come next week!