Who Were You When You Were You

One day I decided that I was still an athlete. I had grown up in sports, competing at a high level through much of my childhood and adolescence. As life got busier in college and beyond and for a myriad of reasons, I stopped. Stopped being a part of myself that was actually a big part of, well, myself.

And while I continued on with many achievements and successes, family, and impact in my community and career, I often caught myself saying, more than I’d like to admit, “when I was an athlete.” Then suddenly, decades later, I realized: wait, I am still an athlete.

Growing up in sports shaped me into who I am today. Without even knowing, it has been a foundation all along especially when I was most being me. In my heart, soul, and mind: being a leader and a team player, carrying a never-give-up attitude, believing you can achieve anything you commit to, showing camaraderie, cheering for everyone.

It taught me to focus on goals and the steps needed to get there. To trust that repetition, hard work, and dedication lead to success. To see that both personal and professional growth matter, and each of us owns our piece of the bigger picture. To keep mind, body, and spirit in balance. And always, to keep bettering your best.

So how did I lose track of the athlete in me? How did I carry all those lessons forward yet let the physical part grow dormant? And what if? What if I began showing up again as the real me, the whole me? How would that strengthen my voice? How would it bring greater clarity to all that I do? How much more would I be able to realize and achieve being whole. The whole me.

Digging deeper, I began to see the transformation before me, and I felt ignited. Empowered. I knew that who I was when I was most myself was epic and that we are all epic in our own ways. When we bring our whole selves to every project, service, initiative, organization, business, community, and to the world, we make a difference.

That foundational self is strong. It is part of your personal brand and the message you carry into both your work and your life. With clarity and a strategic roadmap, this core power is unlocked, and your voice becomes truly impactful.

For all of these reasons and more, I encourage you to do the same. When we bring our whole selves to the table the outcome is exponential. It’s liberating. It’s energizing. It touches every part of life, our work, our projects, our families, our communities, our world. Join me on this journey to greater success.