A Year Of Change

Over the past year and a half of my life I have learned that there is more to that life than trying be good at your job. After my father's death five or so years ago I lost track of the importance of myself, my wife, and my family probably in some need to please a now deceased dad. Then a year and a half ago my wife let me know what I had become - some sort of ogre seeking work perfection for too many that did not appreciate nor understand my efforts and doing at a cost of everything else in my life. That moment of stark reality shocked me into an evolution in my life to let go of my fears, enjoy my life, and realize that work is work. Those of us in professions that take care of others have the greatest difficulty in my opinion of letting go of the job when we go home at night. As a coach, a teacher, and a hall director I was living for others and not the others that were most important to me. Today, I am on a road that has led to a much better approach to each and every day creating new and far stronger ties with my children and a redeveloping relationship with my wife. I have never been self focused and hope to one day include myself with greater emphasis in this evolution.

There are moments in our lives when we have clear choices with possibly even clearer consequences and making the healthy choice is never that simple. It has been a really difficult year for me and at times I did not think I could do it - but here I am. I hope to get to the next phase which is just being Mr. Happy -Go-Lucky again but who knows when that will happen. Some day I know that the comfort I enjoyed for so long in just being me will return with a joy and happiness that I have not felt for some time. Until then feeling better about every day and seeing the change in my family dynamic is everything. Now if I can just win that lottery!