Embracing Destiny

About 13 years ago, I went through a “quarter-life crisis” and signed myself up for a battery of personality tests to figure out what I should do with my life. 

When the results came back, I sat in the test administrator's office for an hour while she went through them and advised me that my #1 ideal career was…. drumroll please… “Teacher.” Now, I had already been a high school teacher (high school math and Spanish, in case you were wondering), and though I enjoyed it, I knew that wasn't “IT.”

I left her office thoroughly frustrated and deflated. I had thought these tests would give me desperately needed clarity. Instead I spent the next several years knocking into walls and forging my own path, and ultimately came to the conclusion that my ideal career is… you guessed it… Teacher. 

The tests were right all along. The problem wasn't the test, it was the interpreter. She may have been trained in the test, but she wasn't trained in business, or in strategy, or in career planning. Had she been, perhaps right there and then we would have made a career plan for me.Instead I remained dazed and confused for a few years longer (a story for another day). 

Another problem was that I didn't have perspective on myself. I couldn't truly see my gifts and envision how they could be parlayed into a business or career I was passionate about. For better or worse, we humans simply “can't read the label of the jar we're in.” Our gifts come so easily to us that we often ignore them or think “I couldn't possibly earn a living doing that…”because sadly, we feel that work has to be WORK. 

Moral of the story: When we're stuck, we need (the right) outside perspective. We all need a trusted mentor or advisor who is knowledgeable not only about personality and strengths and aptitude but also about business models, strategy and planning. And it's essential that the person actually CARE about helping us find direction and gain momentum toward our dreams. 

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I've since dedicated my career to being this person for people. If you're confused, uncertain, frustrated, challenged or just plain stuck in your business or career, email me, call me, Facebook me, whatever, just do it! 

Don't waste another moment. Embrace your destiny NOW.

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