By Deb Siewing, Friend & Former Dragonfly Coach
Someone once said, “Sometimes it takes things falling apart for you to be able to really build the life you want, one moment, one event, one choice at a time.”
Okay, that someone was me. And guess what? It took a long time for me to figure that out!
Rewind back to the summer of 2008: I loved my job as a District Manager with Starbucks Coffee.
I was on top of the world! I had a successful district, opening stores and new markets, receiving awards, with great pay, free coffee, all while being recognized and training as a next-level leader on my way up the corporate ladder.
Then it happened…
I got promoted … to CUSTOMER.
That’s right, I lost my job in a downsizing that cut thousands of positions and cafes. This was the job I loved, the job I cherished. How would I deal with something like this? What would I do? I felt that not only my career and future had fallen apart — but my whole life, too.
Fast forward to New Year’s Eve 2013, as I sat by a bonfire and prepare for a new year.
Through a series of events, jobs, brief encounters, and my continued love for coaching people and fitness, I decided that I wanted to put the two together, follow my heart, and become a personal trainer.
So, at 11:55 p.m., I registered for my training certificate without telling a soul!
Yep, at the ripe age of 50, it was time. Time to toss and burn any negative thoughts or ideas I had about myself into the bonfire, time to envision a path that I would travel because it was my choice. Time to take a leap of faith into 2014 and follow my heart and my passion instead of sinking further into my comfort zone.
And that’s how I ended up doing what I love at Dragonfly Fitness & Training.
I am sharing this story because I know right now someone has an idea or a passion burning in their heart. Maybe it’s just an idea about yourself — who you are or who you want to be. Too many times, this fire is extinguished by certain thinking:
“I’m too old.”
“I missed my calling.”
“It’s too late now.”
I’m here to tell you NONE of that is true.
In the end, listen to yourself and follow your heart. It really isn’t too late for any type of change. It can be scary, it can be hard, and it can lead to more conversations with yourself than you have ever had!
Success isn’t an option when you follow your heart — it’s a natural result.
