The first pillar that drives Firefly’s services and offerings is connection to self. One of the most important outcomes of my heart attack at 31 years old was my realization that I wasn’t living the life that I wanted, but rather one that I thought I should be living. I had taken on society’s definition of success without pausing to ask if climbing the corporate ladder in Human Resources was what I really wanted. I had accumulated status symbols such as a nice car and home, but at great cost to my health and happiness. I was working too many hours in a career that didn’t inspire me.
When I first chose Human Resources as my field of study and work back when I was 20 years old, it was with good intentions. I felt that I could effectively be a voice for employees and ensure that they were being treated fairly, receiving appropriate pay for their work, and being given developmental opportunities. In my first HR job, I did have experiences in which I felt I was making a positive difference, but there were also times that I felt stuck in the middle of a system that didn’t always serve the best interests of the people impacted. Many years of working in that system left me feeling spent, stressed and disillusioned. I no longer felt connected to my purpose or myself.
Yoga has helped me to peel away the layers of expectations and societal pressures to return to who I
am at the core, and to stop identifying with the labels that I slapped on and/or accepted from others. It’s a journey and constant struggle to stay connected to my inner light, but I have learned the tools that help me do this – meditation, journaling, travel, movement such as yoga, hiking and biking, spending time in nature and on and in water (swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, scuba diving), and spending time with my community. These are places where I feel the most “me” - the best version of myself that feels real and true.
We all experience pressure from those around us (even those closest to us) to take on labels, and to show up in ways that are misaligned with our true self. We put our passions on hold until a future date when we will have enough ________ (fill in the blank; maybe it’s money, time, material things, perfection). However, you do yourself and the world a disservice by not being you. You are one of a kind, and the world needs your gifts. When we put off our dreams and don't shine our inner light, the world is left in darkness.