Believe it or not, working in the health and fitness world wasn't always my dream. Sure, I enjoyed playing sports and being active as a kid and teen. I even worked out regularly when I moved to college. But it was simply something I had enjoyed—a way to stay in shape. I didn't plan to make it a career. I actually started my undergraduate studies in art and design, first attending school for architecture, then transferring to an art school, and later switching schools a third time to double major in architecture and interior design and be closer to home. But when my own health, fitness and weight became an issue during college, I knew something had to change. All I ever wanted was to be an architect. It was how I had envisioned my future for as long as I could remember. So I worked hard in high school to gain acceptance into some of the country's top architecture programs and when I did, I knew my life was going to be perfect. "This is it! This is all I ever wanted!" My hard work was paying off with good grades and academic scholarships. But despite those early successes, things just didn't feel right. I spent three years at three different schools, two of which were top-ranked design programs. But I was unhappy, depressed and unfulfilled. Architecture was tough, no doubt about it, so tough that my own well-being always took the backseat. I would stay awake for several days straight to keep up with my heavy course load. Most often, I'd survive on three to four hours of sleep each night. I didn't have time to cook—or the money to eat as healthfully as I would have liked. Quick meals, cafeteria food, and late night runs to convenience marts provided more than enough calories and I quickly put on the freshman 15—and then a few more. I was an emotional wreck, stressed out and homesick all the time. I turned to food for comfort, eating when I was up against deadlines or just plain up late at night—which was pretty much all the time. I'd have to make tough choices between whether I should sleep for another hour (for a grand total of five hours!) or wake up and go for a run. My erratic exercise program wasn't enough to keep me fit or prevent the pounds from piling on. Something had to give. "Just two more years" I'd think, "then I can focus on getting healthy again and put this college stress behind me." Those were the only thoughts that kept me going day after day. At the same time, I did a lot of soul searching. Was it normal to feel like this? Is this really going to make me happy in the end? Here I was, in the middle of my college career, at the best school, the world at my fingertips. It was exactly what I had planned and worked so hard for, yet I hated every minute of it. After much turmoil and second thoughts, I decided to change my life—now. No longer satisfied with my health, fitness or weight loss so low on my own priority list, I made a radical change. I changed my major (to health promotion and education) and started looking forward to a new career path that I had never considered before, one where I could make health and fitness a number one priority for myself—and to help others do the same. Most people probably thought I was nuts. Most people probably wouldn't have done the same thing, especially after such a large investment of time and money toward something else. But I'm not most people. I realized that I had to do what was best for me and carve my own path. And today I have what the best job in the world at a company that helps so many people realize their full potential. More importantly, I'm happy and satisfied with my day's work. Last week I was honored when my former college program interviewed me for a story they posted on the homepage of their website. I got to talk about my work at SparkPeople, how we help so many people, and the steps that led me to where I am today. It was the first time in a long time that I took a moment to reflect on what I had learned during that convoluted journey, which was filled with ups, plenty of downs, and quite a few directional changes. It taught me to trust myself. I learned that my body and mind will signal loud and clear when things are right (or wrong), but that you'll miss those signs if you aren't looking for them. I learned that happiness doesn't come from a coveted diploma, a lucrative career, or by doing what you think others want—or expect—you to do. And I learned that we all make mistakes—sometimes big, drawn out and expensive ones! But every choice we do make leads us to where we are now and makes us stronger and wiser. Sometimes the path you should take isn't clear at first. Sometimes you make a few wrong turns, get lost or turned around along the way. But when you listen to the person who knows you best—that's you!—you'll always come out okay. |
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