With my younger kids Camryn and Cole away, my older kids (Dani and Dylan pictured here) are having a great time before Dylan heads back to High Point University as a senior. It’s so interesting seeing where they are in their lives and it brings me right back to those days where:

1-I thought I knew everything
2- I was working towards being a TV producer in NYC, living in a tiny one bedroom apartment with 2 other roommates so we could afford it
3-I wasn’t healthy, didn’t know what personal development was and thought happiness is only for the lucky and privileged

Do you remember “Younger You?”

Amazing where life takes us when we follow our intuition. I remember being in Arizona on a group power walk led by an instructor and thinking: “She gets paid to be outside and walk with people? I’m sitting in studios until 4am, barely able to pay my bills and some days, miss the sun completely. I want to help people and I like this health idea; how can I do that?”

That desire grew until it started becoming really uncomfortable. It turned into frustration, confusion and conflict: “How can I switch careers? I’ve spent my college education working like crazy on a double major, with 10 years of student loans to pay off, no clue about anything having to do with health/wellness…what do I do?”

Have you ever been at a crossroad like that?

I looked in the newspaper (because that’s how we did it back then ☺ ) and found a job at Nutrisystem believing this was my first step into wellness (no comment). One day, my college roommate called and said: “Are you bored?” Yes. “Want to take a class?” I was up for anything. “Like a cooking class?” Sure, I thought that was a great idea. She called back and said: “You know what, let’s take it towards something, let’s be Dietitians.” Great idea! I enrolled in a MS, RD program…she never did.

To pay for it, I thought: “What goes well with nutrition that I can do around my own schedule?” Hmm, be an aerobics instructor? “No, I’m way too uncoordinated for that, I’ll become a Personal Trainer!” That business took off with incredible clients I’m still in touch with today. That led to my own health crisis leading me to become a Whole Health Coach to heal myself then others, a Functional Diagnostic Nutritionist to understand how stress creates disease where I crashed and healed myself again, then dealing with the biggest trauma in my life when another dear friend said: “Did you ever think of going back to school for a PhD?” Desperately needing to heal myself-this time from an emotional crisis, I blurted out: “Yes! I love psychology but the forward-thinking kind.” She said: “I have a friend who’s studying transpersonal psychology and loves it.” Me: “What the heck is transpersonal psychology?” She told me it was the psychology of transformation/human potential (which I was slowly experiencing at that very moment but she didn’t know it). I fell in love with the idea, enrolled…she never did.

That path only happened because of 3 things:

1. A willingness to change
2. A search for healing, meaning and contribution
3. Following my intuition

So let’s say you followed your intuition. Let’s say a friend happened to mention something that piqued your interest and you followed up on it. Where would it take you? Would it be easy? Maybe not. Would it be worth it? Definitely.

Have you followed that intuitive path and it’s led to your life’s work and a life you love? I’d love to hear YOUR story-respond here and let me know!

Dr. Debi
www.PBTInstitute.com

P.S. There’s a collection of physical, mental and emotional symptoms so common after a betrayal experience, it became known as Post Betrayal Syndrome™. Are You Struggling with Post Betrayal Syndrome™? Take the quiz to learn more.