What does it mean to walk your path?
September 2014. I had lived an enviable life up until this point, traveling the world, living in amazing cities like Tokyo and New York City, and working for well-known companies like Morgan Stanley, IBM, and Google. A fortunate stroke of serendipity (or perhaps synchronicity) brought me from the East Coast to the Bay Area of California. Life in the New York area had begun to feel stagnant, and so I was excited about the big change. I began a job at an exciting robotic exoskeleton startup, took a leap of faith and bought a rundown 1938 home in a beautiful Oakland neighborhood, and embraced whatever life would bring. There were so many unknowns, but I trusted that I was exactly where I was meant to be.
Late 2015. My life was full. By many people’s measures, I had a great life. The startup I joined was thriving, and my job—though not without great challenges—had evolved into one of the most fulfilling ones of my life. The rundown fixer-upper I purchased was rapidly transforming into a lovely home and appreciating in value. I was reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, and finding so many ways to fulfill my desire for community. Yet, despite all of these and so many other wonderful things in my life, I felt a deep sense that there is so much more to life than what I had always pursued. I didn’t know what it was or how to find it, but my restlessness grew. How could I explain to anyone how I could have so much abundance in my life, and yet still feel that in some ways, none of it really mattered to me. I needed help, and a friend opened a door through which I stepped, led solely by a voice within.
January 2016. That door led me to a sacred medicine circle—something that I had had no experience with up to that point. Through that powerful experience, I began my journey inward, ultimately toward my truth. What I discovered was another world—a rabbit hole that infinitely expands as you go deeper. It has been a path of deep healing, of discovery, and of stripping away all that I think I am in order to answer, “Who am I, and why am I here?”
The couple of years that followed that first experience were some of the most difficult—and most powerfully transformative—of my entire life. I have been brought to my knees begging for mercy, all while knowing that I must, and would, continue to move forward, no matter how challenging the journey would become. And just as often I have been immersed in beauty, wonder, and infinite possibilities, the likes of which I could never have fathomed. I see now the wisdom in all of it, that one is not better than another, and welcome all that was and all that’s yet to come. This journey has brought me tremendous peace and insight, and a deep, trusting connection with my inner wisdom.
April 2018. What does it mean to Walk Your Path™? It’s a question that I’ve asked myself over the years. When I strip away everything that I’m not, who am I? When I take away everything that doesn’t serve me, what’s left? When I let go of attachment, fear, judgment, and all that holds me back, what becomes possible? What is my true path?
I had been feeling increasingly discontent with my job, and on some level, I was feeling that after nearly four years, my time with the company was coming to end. Perhaps I’d stay until the end of the year, perhaps a little longer. Truth be told, I spent most of my career feeling that I wasn’t really doing what I was meant to do in life, but it was the path that any number of circumstances and events had put me on, and that momentum had perpetuated. Now, however, I could no longer ignore the voice within myself that grew louder day by day, telling me that I’m meant to be on a different path.
In April, while sitting in deep meditation, a provocative thought arose. Rather than continuing to play life safe, what if I quit my job on Monday and put all of my energy into what I’m really meant to do, which is serve people? I quickly dismissed the thought because it was an uncomfortable one. Staying in my corporate job, collecting a predictable paycheck, having life insurance, a 401K, and all of the things that I’ve been used to having for 20-some years of my life felt familiar and safe. After all, what would life look like without those things? Without a job title and an association with a company, who was I? I knew I’d make the leap eventually, but I was fearful and felt that I needed more time.
Within a couple of weeks of my meditative inquiry, I was laid off, along with most of my department. It seems that the universe had bigger plans for me, and waiting wasn’t an option. I was surprisingly calm throughout as if on some level I knew that life was unfolding exactly as it was meant to. Though I didn’t fully understand it, something told me that I was entering a state of flow. For a brief while, I considered looking for a new job, but my body tensed up at the thought of it. Instead, I gave myself some time to process what was happening, and then unequivocally committed to my path as a coach, mentor, and guide.
My path is to serve you, and all who need me.