I am a teacher. Among other roles that I have and hats that I wear, I am a teacher most of my day every single day. I teach middle school language arts and history Monday through Friday, and I feel very passionately about helping these young humans turn into the best versions of themselves. While I feel as though this is an exceptionally important task I have been commissioned with in life, I have the overwhelming understanding that I need to pursue a different or additional passion in order to continue feeling fulfilled.
Has this ever happened to you? One day you realize that you’re waking up, making coffee, heading to work, and moving through your day by the pace of the clock. You find yourself working late just to stay caught up, heading home to make and eat dinner, doing some chores, and heading to bed exhausted just to do it all again the very next day.
You look up and realize that this is not the kind of life you envisioned.
Don’t get me wrong! There are many times in my teaching day that fulfill me as I watch students grasp concepts they are working hard to learn or make choices to be their very best selves! I just cannot shake this feeling that I have more to offer at this stage of my life.
As I sat here planning for this post, I knew I could start off by sharing moments from past times in which passion has led me to pursue amazing twists and turns in my life, but what I need to do is work through what I will pursue next. I have some pressing ideas, but which one to do first?
Reaching out through this blog site is one passion that is speaking loudly to my soul. I see this pathway as a means to get out there in the world and interact with others. Through this work, I have already met so many positive women and men who just want to encourage me and let me know they appreciate what I am attempting to do! I feel so inspired by other people’s stories and life lessons, and I am hoping that I can reach at least one other person who needs to hear what I need to say.
Today I’m saying that it is time for me to dive into the pursuit of my next passion. Teaching will eventually be replaced by the hard work needed to reach out in an effort to inspire and connect with others. Maybe that connection comes through me sharing different aspects of my life: past, present, and future. I will be open and vulnerable, and I suspect I might make a few people upset about things as I recall details, but that happens in life sometimes. The need to help even one person by sharing my truths far outweighs any uncomfortable moments I might face.
As I typed that last sentence, I inexplicably felt a very powerful urge to share stories about my personal health. My body has been through many trials, as well as triumphs. In the next few posts, I’ll share some of those difficult times with you, and I’ll give you a peek into the positive thoughts in my brain that usually help me get through anything. With that said, I’ve still got a long way to go to achieve true health and wellness. That’s what this blog is about: growth through the pursuit of passions. My growth, your growth, and the need for growth in all of us so we can become our very best selves.
Next stop: Body talk!
-Chandra-