Still waiting to grow?

In a world of messages that create the need to 'know your why', many struggle with the absolute it demands.  The current environment of a pandemic surely has muddied the path ahead for many and forced therapists to live by default.

But we have an internal drive for something more.

My early years were focused strongly on acquiring the skills and knowledge to become the therapist I felt represented the best of our profession to the clients we served.  That ideal was shaped by two experiences.

First, as a new grad I worked in a office where I saw therapists 5-6 years into their careers and yet had a very similar set of skills to mine.  I knew I wouldn't be fulfilled if my career was simply re-enacting the same skills year after year.

My next job introduced me to my first mentor.  She was the therapist that helped clients that other therapists or medical providers had had limited success with.  I was hooked.  I love puzzles and the creativity that comes from doing something different.  She not only exposed me to that opportunity, but inspired me to become something more. 

Looking back on earlier years of my career, I definitely didn't know my why or where exactly I was headed, but I knew I needed:

• Creative space and time to fuel curiosity
• Mentors that thought differently
• Community that supported who I was

I trust you can get a sense that I wasn't inclined to follow a certain way of thinking.  And that has very much continued throughout my career, both clinically and professionally.  More than curiosity, not so much rule breaking, but the genuine interest in enhancing lives.

'At the center of your being you have the answer, you know who you are and you know what you want.'     - Lao Tzu

Currently I not only have the awareness of those 3 needs, but I actively seek ways in which to  in each continue to grow in each area. 

I've created the margin where I am no longer at the mercy of a schedule and the volume of clients.  My curiosity continues to be fueled by an abundance of time and the ability to say 'yes' to any opportunity that engages my why.

I've surrounded myself with mentors and colleagues that humble me with with their genius, and their hearts.  The grace they share is genuine, and their why.

My life has been profoundly changed because of people.  Not skills or a profession, but people.  My people are those that I can call at 3 a.m. and know they are there for me.  I joined a mastermind last year seeking a community that met my need.  And it has provided so much more.  10 people give of themselves in powerful ways so support me, to challenge my beliefs, to inspire me to find the depths of my courage, and to genuinely celebrate who I am.  We explore the possibilities of life when we show up authentically.  This mastermind provided a community beyond what a clinic environment could.

I encourage you to discover what it is that you need.  What is it that shows up time and time again, regardless of the flow of your job, changing environments, or external demands.

As always, think differently.