I have always been bound and determined to be successful and rich. My motto is if I am to have money, I am going to make it through my own hard work and perseverance. I worked my way through college, not because I had to pay for college my parents were gracious enough to foot the bill. Rather, I worked because I had dreams of having a professional career and I wanted future employers to see my drive, dedication, and value. What I thought success was for me was being rich but what I found out shocked me.
I married into the military and it changed my professional course, turning it upside down. With nearly as many moves as years being married (15 years) my dream of pursuing a profession and path to becoming rich kept getting further and further away. I was chasing money to achieve personal and professional validation, which is a dicey mental game. Spending years of unemployment due to the constant moving destroyed my self-worth. At one point, I thought it was all turning around because I landed a nearly $2B deal promising more money in commissions than I could imagine! It was through my hard work the deal came to light. Success and validation all in one shot, right? That couldn’t be further from the truth because the work environment was toxic with scare tactics, gas-lighting, harassment and manipulation, just to name a few. I didn’t realize how warped my sense of success was until I left it all behind.
Mindful Introspection – Worth its Weight in Gold
Introspection is an inherent part of my personality and I didn’t realize not everyone possess this trait. The gift of introspection has open up my world and allowed me to become the successful person I desired and deserved. My journey to realizing the impact introspection would have upon my life started when I began a non-profit called America’s Career Force, Inc (ACF). ACF is dedicated to helping resolve military spouse unemployment and underemployment through remote, portable careers. I ran this organization for several years, spending thousands of our own money to support the organization and not earning any money. Never in my professional life had I felt more pride and validation and I wasn’t earning a dime. I didn’t realize how fulfilled I was until I began practicing mindful introspection. My validation came from making a difference in other people’s lives – that was my version of success.
Regardless of the path you choose knowing and understanding what truly motivates you is the key to achieving your professional and personal goals. I have developed a mindful introspection training program with 8 fundamentals that will allow you to achieve the success you desire and deserve. The program is called Finding Durga. Just because I left the commission on the table, my dream of having a convertible Bentley is not. I still want to be rich but the way I am getting there is completely different. Believe in yourself. Believe in achieving your version of success. Believe in the power of mindful introspection.