I am a huge believer that everything happens for a reason. For the past few years, I have had a nagging sense of unfulfilled purpose. We all have a purpose in life. If not a “purpose” we at least have a desire to find fulfillment and satisfaction with our work. We all have different things that fill us with pride, satisfaction, and a sense of worth. It is OK that these are different within all of us and can also change within each of us over time. Each of us must find what we are meant to do. We must discover what makes us personally satisfied and invigorated.  For some that could be leading a company and for others that can be leading a simple life of solitude. For me…. For ME, I struggle with this. I struggle because I get consumed with the act of living and simply existing. I  spend far too little time listening to those inner musings.

What am I passionate about? Unfortunately there are too many things! But the one that comes back time and again, the one that is natural for me and exists at a cellular level is helping others.  When it comes down to it, I feel a necessity to learn and share with others. I feel obligated to pass on information that can improve quality of life. I believe in the Power of One. I believe in the power of one person to help many. I believe helping others has a pyramid effect. Someone helps me – I help 3 people, those people each help 3 people and so forth and soon we are a force of change.

Alright….so I like to share information. Not any and all information. I like to share specific information. Information that will help others in their pursuits of healthy, honest, and satisfying lives.   Information that I find in my research to help myself and my family and friends reach their healthiest potential. Ultimately my desire to help others is a selfish one. It is difficult for me to always do what I know is right. Nutritionally I love healthy food but there is a part of me that also loves sugar cookies. Helping someone else with their sugar addiction makes me stronger in my conviction to avoid sugar. Telling someone else who fell off the health wagon for a day to shake it off and not let it affect their future goals reminds me that we are all human and it is OK to choose to indulge occasionally and that I am not a bad person for doing so. Giving advice on how to indulge in a healthy and delicious way to others helps excite me to follow that same good advice.

Back to everything happens for a reason…. A few weeks ago I sprained my ankle. Not a big deal overall but I have been training for a 50K trail race and have been told that I need a bit of time off to heal.  For a few minutes I was sad, frustrated, defiant, and skeptical but honestly, the festering inside of me that has been trying to get out for the last 2 years literally burst into that void created by my injury and whispered to me that NOW is the time. NOW is the time to use this brief respite from training as an opportunity to plant the seeds of my future. Now is the time to start the process of becoming someone who is qualified to help others. To REALLY help others.

70 percent of all healthcare costs are due to preventable illnesses. 70 percent! For years I have preached that I prefer to spend my money preventing painful illnesses rather than on treating them. It just makes sense to me that IF there is something I can do for myself and my family to help us be healthier, more active, more energy, more fun and live longer it is more pleasurable and effective to pursue health rather than paying to treat symptoms of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other long-term illnesses.

Of course, sometimes you do everything in your power and you are just dealt a bad hand. I am not talking about those scenarios.  I believe that many people, my past self past included, don’t know what they should do to change their odds. They WANT to be healthier but they have told themselves that they have bad genes or bad luck because they are not getting results. I most often encounter one of three different types of people.  Those who know what to do and choose not to do it because they are not willing to give up the bad habits, people who are dedicated to improvement but don’t know how or where to start and people who are relatively healthy, know a lot about nutrition and fitness and just need to make a few minor adjustments to optimize their results.

After looking internally to recognize and validate what is missing from my life, I have concluded that what I need is more training so I can become an advocate and champion of others who want to pursue a life of improvement. I want to help people who want to help themselves. I want to coach people to success and help them spend less money on medications and doctor visits. I want to help myself and others have more time and energy to live a fulfilling life with less pain, fewer medications, lower mortality and increased joy.

With careful consideration and years of contemplating my future path the next step on my journey will be to pursue the Primal Health Coach program offered by Mark Sisson. This program focuses on ancestral nutrition and movement to improve health. Primal Health coaches work with clients to reach health, wellness, and fitness goals by providing nutritional guidance, customized exercise programs and stress reduction techniques. I also intend to pursue learning more about Natural Medicine and become an expert in essential oils and one day herbal remedies.  I am tired of spending hundreds of dollars on a 5 minute visit with a doctor without results. I want to focus on taking charge of my own health and helping others take charge of theirs.

I would like to continue to share my journey with you and would love if you feel comfortable enough to share your thoughts and any encouraging words with me. I would also welcome any questions you might have because it is through teaching others that we ourselves better learn and understand.

Xoxoxo

Jennifer