“Life happens for you, not to you.” -Tony Robbins
If I think about how life has happened for me and not to me, I can pinpoint exact moments that have led me to where I am today, pursuing my dreams of coaching people who are challenged by life in the same ways I am, and most importantly, doing it on my own terms and just the way I want to.
The (very brief) relationship with a fellow teacher who showed me plans for starting a YouTube channel designed to keep elementary school children active and healthy – “I can’t do this [teaching] for the rest of my life.”
Before then, I had never met anyone who didn’t think they could teach forever (or at least until retirement). Until then, I didn’t know teachers could pursue professional passions beyond one of the most selfless professions – teaching.
The hurdle of coaching and leading a group of people I barely knew and had little in common with.
Before then, I was unaware that it is our differences that make us most whole. It is in being vulnerable and humble that we learn the most about others. It is through connection to others that we learn the most about ourselves.
The betrayal by an institution I trusted.
Before then, I was content with putting my future in the hands of an established entity. Now I know that I want to be in charge of making the decisions that directly affect my life.
Those are the things that happened for me, not to me. They’ve planted ideas and lit the fire in me that keeps me going. It is a special thing to be aware of how our challenges shape us. The next time you feel low, like nothing is going your way, try reframing your experience. Accepting an obstacle and labeling a challenge as a blessing gives us more power to move through it. Aren’t you curious to know what is on the other side of pain?