accomplishment), but I discovered it was something
that came very naturally to me. Just a few months
after completing the program, and starting up my
business, my Aunt, who resided in Florida, became
terminally ill. I had to drop everything to go there
and oversee her care and manage her affairs for a few
weeks. Needless to say, this caused an upheaval in
my personal and professional life. As much as I tried
to resume my activities with the Image Consulting
business, I honestly didn’t have the energy, time, or
focus when I returned to continue my efforts to grow
and cultivate the business … dream deferred.
I knew I had a calling, but I had no idea how I was
going to get there. As I got older and assumed greater
responsibility, not only at work but with my volunteer
activities, the “calling” became an even greater burden
in my heart. The pull and tug of my responsibilities
wore me down and eventually led to a complete shut
down because I had allowed the challenges of life to
exhaust my true passion. I won’t say this was all due
to the demands of the job, but it did come to a head
at the loss of my father and a few months later a dear
friend and co-worker.
Putting together the services for my father was an
eye-opening experience. My father was 92 when
he passed and my friend, just 33 years old. Despite
the differences in their ages, their memorials had
many things in common. The many family, friends,
acquaintances and community leaders who came
together to honor the lives of these two great people
who made such a powerful impact on their lives.
Obviously, they both lived and operated in their calling.
Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what you do in your
day-to-day, it’s how you do it. I’m sure you’ve heard the
saying, attend someone’s funeral and you’ll see what kind
of life they lived. When you’re dealing with the “dash”
of people’s lives, it really makes you look at your own. It
led me to ask myself the questions; what kind of legacy
am I creating? What am I doing to make an impact and
make the world better? I knew I had unique gifts and
talents but they didn’t fit into the confines of Corporate
America, and I couldn’t see myself operating outside of
that realm. I had lost my true identity chasing after “the
dream” but whose dream was it?
Though it hurt me to my core to lose them, it also
inspired me to live better; to not keep putting off things
I have been aching to do. There is no right time or right
situation to begin to fulfill the call on your life.
In the next issue, I’ll share the steps that I took to
complete the shift in my own atmosphere.
Frederica A. Peterson, M.A.,CPC, ELI - MP
Coach | Speaker | Author of How to Shift Your Atmosphere
www.fredericapeterson.com
2015 NJ Assembly Resolution Honoree - International Coaching Week
NKLC Magazine | 25