My dad’s career advice during my childhood was straightforward and practical—get a good-paying job with a pension. Finding my bliss was not really a factor in the formula. During my senior year of high school meeting with the guidance counselor, I sat down and he looked at my file, then looked up at me and said, “You should be an accountant. They need accountants.”

 

“Okay.”

 

I lasted one semester as an accounting major and changed to the next most practical choice; business. As a business major, I was aware of the distinct interest I had in the social sciences, namely psychology, sociology, philosophy and writing, but it never occurred to me that I might consider turning those interests into an emphasis of study and potential life path.

 

I spent the first four years of my career flourishing in the commercial insurance industry while continuing to feed my personal interest in psychology, mindfulness, emotional and mental health, spiritual growth and writing. However, sensing a growing, intrinsic dissatisfaction with my initial choice, I decided to head back to school and reassess my direction. Graduate school continued in the same lane via a full-time, two-year MBA program to accelerate me to what I thought would be a level of satisfaction that would feed my soul and ease my existential angst. For the next several decades and still today, I continue to seek, explore and learn as much as I can about psychology, sociology, philosophy, spiritual growth and writing.

 

As a publisher in the natural health and wellness niche, I’ve found a comfortable balance between my business training and an affinity for the passions that interest me. It feels as if I’m making a contribution by sharing information and creating connections that serve our readers and help create an interactive community to serve the greater good.

 

I’m still wondering what I want to be when I grow up. Like many of you, I’m a lifelong learner and love to attend classes, workshops, certification programs, conferences and educational gatherings of all kinds. You’ll find many opportunities for lifelong learning in our feature story and in our print and online community calendars.

 

Life is a journey for sure—enjoy the ride and be true to yourself, whatever your age, because we only get one ticket for this voyage. Follow your intuition and passion and embrace the personal learning lessons life offers as you continue along the path of feeling good, living simply and laughing more.