When I made the decision to embrace change and rebuild my entire life using only the parts that truly resonated with me, I had no idea what the future would look like.

I had followed all the “right” steps according to the world: the job, the husband, the baby, the house, the car – even two dogs and a cat. But I was absolutely drowning in it all. When I paused to look around, I realized I’d built my life using someone else’s blueprint for my life. I was living a version of “the dream” that was never really mine.

I held tightly to that life because I thought I was supposed to. But in doing so, I went completely numb. Life became a never-ending cycle of checklists and responsibilities – all in service of maintaining the façade and keeping up a picture-perfect version of life for the world to see.

It wasn’t until I felt the first spark inside me that I remembered something I had long forgotten:
I have a purpose.
One that’s far greater than completing a chore list or maintaining appearances.

Some of the most meaningful moments in my life have come from helping make dreams come true. I’ll never forget the look on my father’s face – pure joy – as he hang glided for the first time. It had been a lifelong dream of his, and I helped make it happen. In that moment, something inside me lit up.
Whatever this is, I thought, this is what I’m meant to do.

Then, in 2020, came a wake-up call I couldn’t ignore.

Shortly after retiring, my dad was diagnosed with cancer. Within a year, he was gone.

Retirement was meant to be his season of joy – a chance to finally enjoy life with my mom and do the things he’d put off for the sake of raising a family. But time ran out. The message hit me hard:
Life is too short to live any life but your own.

That was the moment the passion for more ignited in me.

I didn’t want a life of just maintaining. I wanted to make a real difference. When I discovered coaching, I knew it was the practice I had been searching for all along. Still, I wanted to offer the world more than just my own intuition – I wanted to offer skill, structure, and integrity.

Through my full-time job, I was accepted into a training program accredited by the International Coaching Federation to become an internal coach. And it changed everything.

I never set out to build a business. In fact, for a long time, I never even saw myself as someone who could. But eventually, I bumped up against the limits of what internal coaching could offer – and something inside me wanted to dream bigger.

For me, intentionally crafting an authentic life also meant pursuing work that mattered – work aligned with my purpose, even when the path felt unclear and chaotic at best.

So here I am, taking the first uncertain steps into this new world – armed with a website, unfamiliar software, and some of the brightest, boldest dreams I’ve ever dared to claim: to make a difference in the lives of those around me.

Every chaotic step has challenged me to choose: stay where it’s easy, or keep reaching for what feels right.

In my next post, I’ll share what it really looks like to choose the harder, better path — and why I believe it’s always worth it.

Until then, if you’re standing at your own crossroads between comfort and calling, I see you. You’re not alone.

Ready to take the next step?
If you’re navigating your own “messy middle” and want support, I’d be honored to walk with you.