Wife. Mother. Executive.
At 41, these 3 titles filled me with purpose and importance.
I felt like an accomplished woman, juggling it all, and I had the responsibilities to prove it.
- Leading multi-million-dollar projects
- Speaking on panels at global conferences
- Sitting on advisory boards
- Volunteering at my children’s schools
- Hosting neighborhood gatherings
- Upkeeping my home
- Orchestrating our family calendar
- Planning family fun and holidays
My calendar was always double booked. My inbox was flooded with over 400 emails per day. Each week I received invitations to events and fundraisers.
Not an hour went by that someone didn’t need my opinion, decision, or approval.
And then the unimaginable happened.
* I got divorced.
* I became a ‘co-parent.’
* I walked away from my corporate job.
At the age of 45, all the important titles and roles I identified with were gone.
I was no longer a wife.
I was no longer the mother I envisioned to be.
I was no longer an executive. Reinventing myself as a single woman and co-parent was tough. Shedding my executive title suspended me in limbo.
Almost instantly…
- My inbox decreased from 400 emails to 0
- My back-to-back calendar was suddenly wide open
- I no longer received fancy invitations to big events and galas
- I was no longer ‘relevant’ in one of my advisory positions
Poof.
Gone like that, including my false sense of purpose.
I quickly came to realize that society measured my worth by my titles and roles. I hated that I did, too. Because it made me forget who I really was.
I was determined to create something extraordinary by simply being me.
Yet, the thought left me paralyzed and confused. Then one day while scrolling online, I stumbled upon this…
Could living with purpose simply mean living from my heart?
I felt inspired and at the same time doubtful.
You see, listening to my heart was a foreign idea. That’s because I spent most of my life following one goal after the next and the ‘right thing’ to do.
For as long as I can remember, my decisions were careful, responsible, and planned.
Yet at 45 years old, my carefully planned life left me yearning to create something I thought impossible. If living from my heart would lead me to true purpose and joy, I was ready to try it.
I’m so glad I did.
In time, I got really good at following the clues of my heart, and it sent me on a mission:
To help others connect to the power of their spirit so they can reclaim their joy and well-being, too.
The more you invest in the meaning of your life, the less you invest in the meaning of a title. The joy that’s created is priceless.
If you want to BUILD more meaning in your life, then start to LIVE with more meaning.
Ask yourself these 5 questions and listen closely to your soul:
1 What would your 8-year-old self remind you today?
2 What would your 80-year-old self thank you for today?
3 What is a strength you developed from a challenge you lived through?
4 If you could do anything in another life, what would it be?
5 What will you do this week to be that version of you?
Practice being THAT person in our world – at work, at home, in your relationships, and in your community.
The impact you make will be profound. The purpose that unfolds will bring you joy.
Don’t ever forget…
You are a light in this world – greater than your career, title, or role – and you are meant to shine.
Xo,
Alyson
