What Next?
When you aren’t given much time, you really don’t put much thought into a career.
I mainly worked in the financial area with an investment company and then with a consulting firm.
I had always wanted to start my own business and when I met Scott, he told me that his mom had a cleaning service.
“Hmmm,” I thought. “Sounds interesting. Not much start up money needed.” I wasn’t swimming in moola, so it sounded like a good idea to me.
I had that business for 12 years. A good portion of these folks were with me for the duration.
I will start by saying that I am a type one diabetic and as I started getting older, I knew that I needed to begin addressing some health issues.
I wasn’t exactly eating right. Take out food on a regular basis was my mode of operation. At the time, I lived alone and all who know me can attest to the fact that I am no Betty Crocker.
After I prepared to take a good, long look at my eating habits, I instituted a better regimen. No, I didn’t become a chef in my spare time, but I started exercising and curbing fast food. Smaller portions of easy to prepare meals was a step in the right direction.
All Business….
After Scott and I became an item, we went so far as to launch a small business of our own called KBS Nutrition. We became owners of a green food supplement called Go4Greens. We wholesaled our product to health food stores and had a website. It’s a tough field to get into, but I believed there could be a possible career involved for me in another capacity.
And now, the million dollar question, How?
I took our greens to a naturopathic doctor in my area that retailed natural health care products. While there, I met a woman that was working on that day and we began talking about nutrition and I shared with her that I wanted to guide others on their own journeys to reach optimal well-being.
She segued into her own course of action, as she was in the midst of creating a wellness and lifestyle website. Her name is Kendra and she graduated from an online school that was based in New York. She obtained her certification as a holistic health coach.
Bingo! That’s What I Want….
I researched the Institute and discovered that the program that they offered was exactly what I was looking for. I fell in love with listening to lectures and taking notes and connecting with others on the schools Facebook page.
Before I knew it, completion…I finished what I had set out to do, but now that I have it, what do I do with it?
A substantial amount of my class were going to establish their own coaching practices. We can’t take insurance, therefore odds are it may be difficult to actually make a living.
A few months later, I met a couple of ladies at a health fair. We were vendors with our respective businesses. The two women, one a Nurse Practitioner and the other in marketing, worked for a weight loss clinic.
I became obsessed with getting my foot in the door of said establishment. They took my phone number and one of them said, “We do use a health coach, but we are not currently looking for anyone.”
But, Wait….
Strangely enough, the day after the health fair, I got the call of a different sort. I had been waiting for the results of another scan.
“This time it’s cancer”, were the words delivered to me.
As you can imagine, I put my career aspirations on hold. Thankfully, I still had my cleaning clients to keep me going.
When life with my disease took an upward turn, I reached out to the weight loss clinic. Low and behold, yes, they were ready for me
My face was quite a giveaway that something was different about me, but I pursued this endeavor and was hired. After 10 months of employment, I was laid off.
Inadequate marketing? Inept leadership? All of the above?
It sent me into a tailspin. After quite a grieving period, I did the footwork and found a position with a chiropractor as a health coach.
I would be split between two offices Each on opposite ends of my city. I can handle the travel, I told myself. It’s not that far. I had, at this time, begun to lose a significant amount of weight and more of my teeth became loose.
What is wrong with me? I’m never hungry. Am I sick? Is it all in my head? To answer that last question, it was all too real.
I abruptly left my new career dangling in the wind. I had already been through radiation, while still working, and now would undergo a long length of time between chemo and immunotherapy treatments.
During this insane time, I launched into keeping a journal, which Scott suggested I turn into a book. I am currently doing quite a bit of writing. Some days are filled with more energy than others.
I Wasn’t Expected to Live….
Now, not only must I have a job, but I need to be at the top of my game or else F-A-I-L-U-R-E. These are the false statements I repeat to myself, from time to time.
This is why I am proceeding to write what you are reading.
It helps me, but if I can make someone else laugh, smile, or even cry, then my work is done.
Yes, it’s okay to cry. Good for the soul. I used to tell myself that it was a sign of weakness. Tears are a sign of bravery. You’re showing vulnerability. This is a strong virtue.
