Twenty-eight, sixteen, thirteen, fifty, two, and nine…numbers that play a significant role in my life. My first book was released on May 28, 2024. My 53rd birthday! I love my birthday! I love the entire month of May, and not just because amazing people were
born in this month! May signifies the end of spring and start of summer. May brings
sunny, warm weather. May is the wrap up of the school year, celebrating all the hard
work everyone in the school community has accomplished. May brings high school
graduations, releasing motivated young adults who are anxious to make their mark on
the world. And I celebrate another trip around the sun!
I graduated high school on May 28. I started my business on May 28. And now my first
solo book was released on May 28. It's a great day! But that's not the only significance of twenty-eight. I served several communities as an educator for 28 years. I was a teacher, an instructional specialist, a district level coordinator, an assistant principal, and principal. Looking back on my career, I am sometimes amazed at the impact I have had. I am always honored to know that I shaped our future and each of those communities where I served. And I loved every position I held along the way. I consider myself one of the lucky ones... I got to do a job I loved for all those years!
For 16 years, I have had the title of principal. Wow… it sounds like a long time as I write this, but the time flew by. Over those years, I led three different schools, in three different districts, in two different states. Each had its own personality, processes, and procedures, making them unique. However, they all had one thing in common. When I became the principal at each school, it was in a state of failure. The academic achievement of students was low. The discipline referrals were high. And teachers were coming and going frequently, resulting in a concerning turnover rate. I was brought into each one, charged with fixing the problems quickly, and getting the school back on a path of success. I accomplished my mission at each one, but only because I learned how to lead people, motivate children, coach teachers, and build relationships within the school community. Each school not only needed a turnaround, but each one was in a low socioeconomic area with a diverse population, presenting other needs as well. I was there to serve. I vowed to build schools that were successful. I was on a mission to ensure I helped make the school community the best it could be. And I loved every minute of it!
I have now been divorced for 13 years. Sometimes it seems like I went through that challenging time just yesterday, and sometimes it feels like it was an eternity ago. Over the last 13 years I have learned what makes me happy. I have found my way forward as a single woman. I have enjoyed new friendships and some romantic partnerships as well. I have built a mother daughter bond with my wonderful, beautiful, amazing, successful 30 something daughter; the one I believe could be possible the day I met her. And I am definitely living my dream life. As I look back, I know all the experiences in my life have shaped me into the person I am. My knowledge and wisdom in my 50s have completely prepared me for the ups and downs of my current path and most importantly, I have learned the importance of building a life that aligns with my core values, brings me joy and fulfillment, and gives me the courage to live as my authentic self. I couldn't have understood this at 30 something, or even 40 something. I am truly aging gracefully and living my big life!
Turning 50 did present a hurdle for me. I started to get a bit antsy. I began wondering the what ifs. What if I had chosen a different career path? What if I moved and started over somewhere new? What if… I could feel it. I needed a change. My midlife crisis was popping up and I needed to address it. My life was pretty amazing. I had a very successful career. I had all I wanted and more… the car, the dream house, the shoes… and for a moment I couldn't figure it out, but I felt stuck.
All that I had didn't come easy. I worked hard to get where I was. I dedicated my time to my career. I continuously took care of others’ needs before my own.
I was living, but I realized I was not living for me. I hadn't had time for a vacation… not a trip to Iowa to visit family, not a quick weekend getaway before racing back to work…but a real vacation in years. Yes, I have things that made my life look very glamorous on the outside, but I was feeling the spark beginning to go out on the inside. I was longing for more.
Shortly after I began to question my life path, a close friend of mine lost her husband very unexpectedly. I spent some time with her after it happened and realized life is too short. We cannot even begin to know when our last day on earth will be. And with all the questions I had about my own path, I began to wonder if my own life ended suddenly, would I have regret. Would I have wished that I had listened, once again, to my inner voice who was pushing me to make a change in my life. If I did consider change, what could I possibly do next? Sure, I had a great education coupled with amazing experiences, but would people still see me as an educator, stifling my progress in a new field. I was a big fish in the small pond of education. At the age of 50, was I ready to be a guppy again in a sea of something new? Something in me also kept me thinking, do I want to just make a change to go work for someone else, once again. Or was it time to build my own empire… a legacy for me and my family. A chance to build my reputation as a valued and trusted business owner, courageous enough to make this pivot, even when scared.
Two years ago, I announced my own business to the world! Of course, I did it in a very “Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City” fashion. My closest friends helped me celebrate the start of something completely new! I took courses to become certified as a life coach and I was on a mission to impact 5,000 women over the next 10 years by supporting them as they developed the courage to build and live their dream life. I became an author, releasing my first chapter in the book, Unleash Her, in October of 2022. I said yes to totally stepping out of my comfort zone and creating and hosting my own online talk show (and it won an award for season one)! Balancing this new life while still running my school was hard. I started to not just wonder “what if” but began telling myself “When I do it” and planned to do this new adventure full time. So many emotions filled my being once again. Excitement for the possibilities, fear of failure, curiosity of what this path could lead to, and a lot of unrest. I felt I was cheating on public education. I felt that I had come so far in my career, and I would miss the work so much. But I felt it was time for this change. I was not getting younger, days are not promised, and I found the courage to step away and make an even bigger life my reality! And two years later, I packed my office, hugged the students and families on the last day of school, and shed tears with my fabulous staff.
I said yes… and it made all the difference!
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