I checked my LinkedIn profile yesterday morning and was surprised to see how many messages I had received. I’m very active on LinkedIn and I keep up with any and all messages and notifications on there, so to have a bunch pile up, something unusual is going on. Opening up the first few, I realized almost all of them were congratulations on my 3 year anniversary.
What 3 year anniversary? And, then it hit me. 3 years ago this month I attended the John Maxwell Team Leadership Certification. I heard Les Brown say, “You have a story someone needs to hear and only you can help that person.”
It changed my life.
I don’t say that lightly and those of you who know me closely realize how much it had to impact me for me to even say that. I mean, “CHANGED MY LIFE” is a pretty bold statement right. (If you are interested in learning more about joining the John Maxwell Team yourself, please do let me know and I’m more than happy to share. That’s not the point of this blog today though.)
Today, I wanted to share what’s changed since February 2013 and what my old life looked like. 3 years may not bring about a lot of changes for some people. After all, most of us don’t really like change and generally will go pretty far out of our way to avoid it. One of the most popular topics Mack and I speak on at conferences and events is “The Challenge of Change” and how to deal with it effectively.
3 years ago I was working in a hospital as the Director of Regulatory Affairs. It was a good job for a good organization and it had been my goal for almost ten years to be working there. I had retirement, affordable health insurance, a steady paycheck, a turkey at Christmas, and a 50+ hour workweek, that is, if I didn’t bring work home with me at night. I was active in the local community, a member of the local running club, working in several gyms as a fitness instructor, and secretary for a non-profit mountain biking chapter. I wrote the $100,000 grant application (with lots of help) that paid for the first professionally built trails in our area State park. I was competing in mountain bike racing and winning! I had finally finished going to school and considered never picking up a textbook again after graduating with a career long 4.0 GPA in all three of my professional degrees. I had more certifications than I knew what to do with and the string of letters behind my name was ridiculous. (AAS, BSHR, MBA, CPC-H, CHC, CPMA) And, meaningless. I was not unhappy. We took a vacation every year, we had a house and a nice car or three – Life was good.
I wouldn’t go back for anything in the world.
Life was good, but not complete. Most people will read that and think “Nothing was missing – it’s a pretty good picture of life. Count your blessings and be grateful.” I was grateful then and I’m grateful now. Life was good, I was blessed, and not unhappy.
3 years later, Mack and I have traded success and security (or the illusion of it) for significance. Today, I don’t have a job. I am a self-employed entrepreneur with a 100-hour work week. I don’t have a steady paycheck. I am paying the equivalent of a small mortgage each month for an individual major medical only health insurance policy. I invested 100% of my retirement funds into the business and let every one of my coding certifications lapse. I spent more on self-development and books last year than I did on clothes. Mack and I live in a 3 bedroom apartment in a new city, miles and miles from family and hometown. A very nice apartment, but long gone are the days I could park in the garage to bring in my groceries when it’s raining.
Today, life is better than good – it’s complete.
New Life. Today, I wake up each day refreshed and renewed, excited about the day and what it will bring. I look forward every day to making a difference in someone’s life. I live each day in alignment with my God-given purpose in life. I travel to new places and meet incredible people. I write blogs and books to share the most vulnerable part of me and my past. I coach and mentor others. I speak from the stage to inspire people with my story and my choices and I spend hours each day reaching out to find the right groups to share my message with. Youth groups, women’s groups, church groups, corporate events, graduations, conferences, or any other place where God opens a door for me to share my message. I met a man last week from the Board of Education who asked me to come speak to the schools. Yes, it’s humbling to be considered a messenger of hope and inspiration and I’m incredibly grateful for each opportunity and every new day. Life today isn’t just good, it’s amazing.
That’s what 3 years can look like. So, as I look forward, I ask myself, “What will the next 3 years bring me?” What will it bring you? What will you do different today to be in a better place in 3 years?
Ria is a motivational speaker, author, and professional coach with a passion to help others make the right choices today to reach their goals tomorrow. She triumphed over being sexually abused from age 12 – 19 by her father, and escaped by leaving home at 19 without a job, car, or even a high school diploma. Ria is an accomplished speaker, sharing her inspirational victim-to-victor story of overcoming adversity with humor and a down-to-earth style that connects with audiences. Contact Ria
