There’s something about hitting certain milestones that can set the hamster in the wheel of my brain to running. For me recently, it’s stepping delicately into a new decade in my life that has given me lots of reasons to pause and ponder.
Am I where I imagined I would be at this age? Did I ever really give much thought to that question in the first place? What is becoming obvious is…no, I didn’t. I just assumed that I would be where I was supposed to be….wherever that might be.
Ten years ago I would not have imagined that I would be living in NM, working as a hybrid AE/writer for a small, well-respected regional ad agency. Ten years ago I was in the middle of a 5-year stint working on the Nissan brand and living near the beach in SoCal. A job change, two layoffs, and a long stint of freelancing opened up a lot of possibilities. Several trips to Seattle, Portland, and ABQ began what would eventually mean a move to a new home. During this transitional time, I’ve worked on a variety of other brands (and for those who thought I could only “get” automotive….I guess I proved otherwise) including Allergan, Microsoft, Kaiser Permanente, as well as smaller local and regional brands in all areas of healthcare, technology, the arts, and nonprofit.
With each new day of this new year, I find myself stopping and asking myself questions. Do I want to look back in 10 years and wonder what I was thinking – or not thinking – about my purpose on this planet? Am I fulfilling my role? What is my role? I venture back into a land that consistently inspires me and come across this. Seeing this post & clip reminds me that it’s never too late.
I’m happy in my life as it is. But am I fulfilled? Do I live with passion? I know it’s there…but perhaps it’s time to relight the pilot, stoke the fire, and just take that leap.