WHAT GETS YOU UP IN THE MORNING?

There’s nothing like losing one’s job to give you some clarity. About what matters. About what you value. About what you take for granted. I’m an athlete and I have this blog, but that doesn’t exactly pay the bills. The reality is that I have [well, had] a day job until yesterday. I was informed in December that my role in the organization I’d been with for over a dozen years couldn’t be funded any longer come 2013. And here we are.

The whole experience has been surreal, and yet… it hasn’t been nearly as stressful as I thought it might be. Largely because I’m beyond ready for “what’s next” and am excited about the opportunities set before me. I’m still applying, calling, looking (yes, leads are appreciated), but the whole experience has given me a new kind of clarity. In fact, one conversation in particular with a good friend really gave me clarity. And so I offer the question to you as well. It’s this, “What gets you up in the morning?”

Regardless of what happens next, I now know what gets me up in the morning, and… by extension, where I need to focus my energy moving forward. The answer for me is my family and it’s wellness.

And as it just so happens, I was recently contacted by a publisher looking to expand their content for parents looking to get and stay healthy. Cue “The Parent Athlete.” I’m happy to formally announce that I’ll have a weekly column syndicated through Messenger Post Media launching next week. It will be called “The Parent Athlete” and will encourage busy parents to get healthy and stay healthy as well as offering tips and advice on how to do it. The weekly column is launching in over over 20 print and online outlets initially and I am working quickly to expand that reach (again, leads very much appreciated).

The opportunity to write about what I’m passionate about and have a ready audience for it is a dream come true for me. I know what gets me up in the morning. Do you?

Image by Ron Heerkens, Jr. Used by permission.