FROM A CAREER TO A LIFE PURPOSE

I went to school for Nutrition at the University of Minnesota and as soon as I graduated, I was really interested in becoming a hospital dietitian. Although, as soon as I started working as a diet tech, usually the first position nutrition students get in their senior year, I realized I was missing something.

It wasn’t that I didn’t like what I was doing, but there was a barrier between my work and my passion. My academic knowledge was in nutrition and dietetics while my passion and interest was in ballet. What I have always wanted to share with people is that you can make anything possible in your life if you want it. I really felt that in a hospital setting, I couldn't really do that.

I worked for different hospitals. I felt I wasn’t able to have that connection and real communication with the patients. It was all systematic and structured in an “efficient way”, but not organic. I believe that when one thing might work for one person, it might not work for the order.

Once I realized that, I decided to fully pursue dancing. I joined the ballet company full time and I also started teaching ballet full time.  Even though I never stopped dancing and teaching, it felt the right moment to just focus on ballet after having danced in different countries on and off. I found an enormous amount of drive and passion that I never felt before. It was amazing. 

Dancing is basically the medicine for my soul and how I can express myself since I am pretty introverted, but teaching is the way I share it with others. And honestly, sharing the way I do while teaching it's just something I cannot describe with words. It is a moment where it is no more about me, it's about you. It’s where change in the world can actually be done. 

I know I keep learning everyday how to be a teacher and especially trying not to hurt anyone because ballet is a very hard profession. But knowing that I love what I do and that I believe in any student I come across with, more than they would ever imagine, makes me want to wake up and do it again.

Maybe your life purpose isn’t that far away from your career or profession, but looking for it is worth a million lives.