Do you love what you do? I do. I didn’t always love what I did for a living. In my previous career, I made a very lice living but I was never passionate about it. It was a means to an end. I was able to pay the bills, support our family and amass a nice retirement. I just didn’t love it. The work could be interesting and it could also be mind-numbingly boring. I worked with very nice people, some of whom I still consider very close friends.
I worked in that field for over thirty years because it was what I went to school for and it met other people’s expectations of me. It also met my expectations of myself. I was living a very conventional, uninspired life. It was a safe, predictable life.
A life changing event
Then the unthinkable happened. Right at the start of a very stressful time of year, I received the news that rocked me to my core. I had breast cancer…and not just breast cancer. It was very aggressive and required a year of treatment. But do you know what it did? It got me out of work for six months, and especially out of that extremely stressful part of my job. And do you know what else it did? It got my attention in a way nothing else could have.
Decision time
At the time, I was extremely overweight and headed down a very unhealthy path. While I dealt with the unpleasantness of chemo and radiation and all the gifts that continues to provide me, I had time to think and reflect and decide. I decided it was time for a change. So I took my health in my own hands and according to my surgeon, I “saved my own life”. I did that through lifestyle and nutrition changes and lost 135 pounds and a lifetime of terrible habits.
I found my passion
I found my passionAfter orchestrating my own transformation, I decided that I wanted to see how I could help other people do the same. I became a health coach then later a nutritional consultant. I get to help people find their own way to wellness and experience what I did.
There is strong evidence that I make a difference in people’s lives. This is what I was meant to do. I love every minute of it. When I see someone transform the way they view themselves and their ability to change, I’m so proud of them. And more importantly, they’re proud of themselves.
What does this have to do with women’s heart health?
After a few years of working with people who needed help losing weight and getting their health in order, my world was rocked again. Out of the blue, I had a heart attack caused by a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). That will be a topic for another post, but suffice it to say it made me take a hard look at my own health once again.
I was invited to be trained by the Mayo Clinic (which I consider the mothership of women’s heart health) to be a WomenHeart Champion. I get to be a community educator to spread the word about women and heart health.
When I started learning about this topic, I realized I had found my people. These are the women I want to help. I want to help people prevent heart disease or if they already have it, let’s improve their odds of staying healthy.
Every day, I get to help women take steps to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and weight and hopefully bring all these numbers into a healthy range. I also get to educate people about women and heart health. I talk about prevention, self-care, heart healthy eating, stress management and a host of other topics that people find beneficial. And I LOVE it!
I love hearing from people that, because of something I said they decided to get checked out and found out they were at risk. The good news is they find out before something bad happens and they can still take steps to mitigate the risk.
I am always looking for ways to educate the public about women and heart health because when we know better we can do better. And now, I love what I do. I hope you find what you love to do.
Do You Want Help?
Would you like to have more energy, lose weight, sleep better, and balance your hormones? I am launching another 5 week Sugar Detox Program beginning soon.
This program is open to anyone who:
- would like to get control of their sugar cravings
- feel better
- have an abundance of energy
- and an overall increase in well-being.
Aren’t you tired of feeling bloated and lethargic?
If you continue to follow the path you’re on, where will it lead you in six months? a year? Isn’t it time to take a different approach?
What you have done in the past hasn’t worked or at least has not stuck. I can help you change that. Click here for a free consultation. We’ll discuss your challenges and your goals for the coming year and see if we’re a good fit. You have nothing to lose except those nasty cravings.
As a health coach, I work with women who are facing serious health challenges like heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes or who are at risk for a serious health issue such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar. If you would like to have a free consultation about the health challenges you have and the improvements you would like to see in your health, click here to schedule a no strings attached call.
