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My Journey Beyond Burnout

Three's a charm," they say.  Who they are has always been unclear to me.  What I do know is that in the span of my adult life, "they" were correct, at least when it came to my three careers that became chapters in my burnout journey.

It began in the late 1980's as a wife, mother of a 3-year-old and another baby on the way.  I was the district manager of a global logistics company that included travel.  Managing a staff of 45 employees. A fax machine running during the night, as it stood atop my wash machine with wet laundry still inside.  Working 50-60 hours a week not to mention a long commute. A house that needed cleaning and the yard that needed tending.  One day it all became too much, and I quit...my job that is.  I honored the worn out, depressed person I had become by taking time to be a mom and focus on what matters most to me - my family...not me...my family.

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Fast forward to the beginning of the millennium. I was now a single mom of two teenagers, a dog mom of two furry Golden Retrievers, a CEO of a non-profit organization. I was a foster mom, an advisor to international exchange students, and a mentor of countless young women. Once again working 50-60 hours a week. Running kids to and from soccer practice and theater rehearsals. Serving as a coach, mentor, and consultant to thousands of students, parents, as well as employees and leadership. Can you relate to my exhaustion?

That's when it struck me.  I was in BURNOUT...again.  As I tried to be all things to all people and pets, I neglected to realize that I was running like a machine without gas, repaired parts, or time to cool my engine.  I found myself washing down medication with wine to sleep at night and then medicating for anxiety to get through the day.  One thing led to another until my body said, "STOP! NO MORE!"

And stop I did.  It took a mental health leave of absence from my job, and enlisted a doctor, therapist, and life coach to help put Humpty Dumpty back together again.  It was a deeply painful journey of realizations and a beautifully vivid journey of self-discovery.

That was in 2015, when I answered my call to become a life coach. I went on to earn certifications in Life by Design Coaching and Academic Life Coaching.  My most recent undertaking is earning a certification as a Transformational Soul Coach and becoming a Positive Intelligence® coach. 

Pardon me.  I digress!  There is one more episode of burnout that happened in 2022 when I was in another J.O.B. with a non-profit organization.  This time it wasn't about the hours worked or an overload of responsibilities.  It was the result of being unable to carry out my work in a way that aligned with my core values. Even though I remain passionate about the organization's mission, burnout episode number three was staring me in the face. I realized that the risk of burnout can present itself in a myriad of ways.

So three IS a charm!  Having experienced it before, my cycle-time to recognizing burnout was much shorter than in the past.  Once again, I was faced with choosing to keep burnout from consuming me.  As a part of my self-care and recovery, I headed to Sedona, AZ for a personal transformational soul retreat. I spent the weeks leading up to the retreat preparing by meditating, reading, journaling and anticipating what was to come....although I never expected the extent of the transformations that would occur.

During my retreat, I searched the depth of my soul, healed many wounds and created a life plan that was buried inside my heart.  Talk about hard work!  I faced a repressed experience of a childhood trauma that rendered me unable to breathe and riddled with anxiety since the age of eight.  I healed relationship wounds with myself and was astonished to find that it also healed loved ones without ever addressing it with them.  I did breathwork that has provided me with the ability to breathe deeply after more than 50 years.  I learned about family constellations and how ancestral experiences were within me at a cellular level.  I learned to separate myself from those cellular memories. I discovered my life purpose that has been in my heart all my life.  Can you guess what it is?

Through my episodes of burnout, I came to embrace my passion to help people emerge into a deep meaning of life by awakening their soul's purpose.  I believe everyone embodies their own personal brilliance and that we each deserve to live a life filled with peace and joy.  I am compassionate with a deep yearning for making change happen.  I am wildly amazed by the human condition and the endless potential that exists in each of us; finding my greatest joy in helping others discover what lies within them and bringing that to life.

My clients move through a process of self-discovery into creating a visionary life plan with core values, purpose, and goals as their compass.  Their soul transformation leaves them feeling empowered, passionate, energetic, and committed to the life they desire.  Now more than ever, the world, with all of its challenges, needs us to step up to "be the change".

Join me on a transformative journey to discover your soul's calling.