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Marshall Tucker Finding Meaning in LIFE
According to Marshall Tucker , an Atlanta native and Life University Alumnus , finding meaning in your career is paramount to having a satisfying life . However , figuring out exactly how to do that is a journey that takes a lot of selfevaluation and trial and error .
As a freshman at the University of Georgia , Tucker began his degree in computer science and quickly learned that it wasn ’ t for him . His father convinced him to get a degree in business because it was safe , and he would surely find a good job . Tucker proceeded to graduate from UGA with a BBA in Economics .
After doing a few years of banking in Athens , he switched to a job in data analytics in Atlanta ; however , he was miserable at both positions . “ I had graduated from UGA in 2006 and felt lost and didn ’ t know what I was doing , so I got very depressed . I was on antidepressants to mitigate some of those symptoms , and it occurred to me that there had to be a better way to navigate these emotions rather than taking a pill to feel human the rest of my life .”
One of the ways that Tucker began to find peace was embracing Zen Buddhism . “ My uncle is an abbot of a Zen monastery in upstate New York , and he seemed like a really relaxed guy . Originally , embracing it was a mechanical way to feel a little more balance without a pill , but it is the best thing I have found to navigate life , the universe and everything .” For Tucker , meditating and sitting is like brushing his teeth . “ It ’ s a habit I need to do daily , and when I don ’ t make time for it , both myself and other people notice something is off .”
The second way that Tucker began to craft a life he felt excited to live was working with a career coach and deciding to quit his job as a business analyst . “ I knew that there had to be more to life than working 40 hours a week and then living my life outside of that ; I was miserable .” Tucker became nationally certified as a life coach by the Coach Training Institute and internationally by the International Coach Federation .
He practiced for a few years as a life coach until he saw an opening on Indeed for a career coach position at Two Roads Resources Career and Life Coaching in 2016 . “ John Long , founder of Two Roads , has a methodology heavily grounded in Positive Psychology . After a while , I wanted my résumé to reflect my expertise in coaching and started thinking about a master ’ s degree .” Choosing to get a master ’ s degree was about deepening Tucker ’ s understanding of the tools he was already using to bring them into his coaching work . “ It ’ s hard to talk about how you are an expert in life coaching when your degree is in business .” He wanted a more grounded academic background .
John Long knew Dr . Mickey Parsons , the academic program director for Life University ’ s
Positive Psychology program , very well , so when Tucker considered a degree in Positive Psychology , he called Parsons to ask more questions about the program . “ I found out that Life University was one of two university ’ s in the country with a degree in Positive Psychology . The other one is the University of Pennsylvania , and I wasn ’ t going to get a plane ticket to go over to
Pennsylvania and do my residency .” As an Atlanta native , Tucker felt lucky that one of the only schools that had the degree he was interested in was so close by .
Tucker started at Life University in October 2018 and completed the program in three quarters . He really appreciated how faculty let him make the program his own . “ I was never really a great student , but I ’ ve found when I write about something that I care about , the papers end up longer than they need to be .” He often wrote about Zen Buddhist concepts , and this helped him better enjoy the program .
Tucker ’ s job at Two Roads coupled with his master ’ s from Life University has helped him find an amazing level of meaning in his life . He works with individuals and speaks at the national and state level about job fulfilment . “ I have enjoyed speaking at the National Career Development Association , the Georgia Career Development Association , Georgia Tech , Mercer , the University of Georgia and countless other schools across the nation .”
Work-life balance is also really important to Tucker . “ I have a five-year-old , and I enjoy spending time with my wife and my kid , playing video games and riding my motorcycle . And as a Zen Buddhist , I also love meditating .” Now that he no longer dreads his career and has found a way to manage his depression , he is able to make time for the things that matter most to him .
Tucker ’ s biggest piece of advice for current and prospective students at LIFE is that whatever you ’ re doing , find meaning in it . Pick a career , choose a degree , write a paper that means something to you . The search for meaning was the best pivot Tucker made in his life . “ I am even kicking around the idea of fleshing out my capstone project into a book because I picked a topic that I saw a need for , and it made it worth writing the project .”
Taking the next step to find meaning catapulted Tucker ’ s career in ways he never would have imagined . You never know how seeking and finding meaning will change your life .
Alumni . LIFE . edu | 2019
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